electrocardiogram

[Jackie2700]

Hi I am a 62 year old healthy female.

Background:

I had an extremely over active thyroid when I was 13, that was burned out by radioactive iodine. I also had Grave's disease with protruding eyes. My thyroid is monitored 2 - 3 times a year to keep it in the normal range. I have used synthroid medication for nearly 50 years to do this. Currently my thyroid is slightly low, but within the normal range.

I have always had a heart murmur (same as my mom who lived to be 88 and died of Alzheimer's). Dad lived to be 92.

I have also had heart palpitatiions on and off all my life, but I learned as a child how to control them. Sit very still, breathe in from the diaphram and hold for 5-7 seconds, exhale for 5-7 seconds, and concentrate on the palpitations ceasing. They ALWAYS do.

I had panic attacks as a child (need to flee), but only a couple as an adult, and they were the feeling of unase and a foreboding of doom. Also went away after about an hour. I talked myself through it.

Sorry to be saying so much, but not sure what is revelevant.

This week I got my ecg back and my heart beats fairly normally, no highs or lows, but every 5th or 6th beat there is a break in the heart wave, it just stops and there is a blank space, then it just starts up again? What the heck is that? Am I having a mini heart attack every 10 seconds? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[ted80]

Sounds like Paroximal atrial Fibrulation to me. I have it but is controlled by felopodine, B P drugs and blood thinners to help stop getting a stroke. Docs say that a pace maker will not help as it only comes on occasionally.So the specialist wants me to have a ablation which I don't fancy having read reports on this web site.

I usually get episodes twice a month sometimes four lasting up to 9 hours . The specialist said that some thing is triggering them off, he didn't know what. I read a report from some one that that cheese triggered them off. I have had no cheese for about 5 weeks now and no A F so fingers crossed. It makes you think a simple thing like that could be the answer I hope.

I have found that to relive my back and neck pains two paracetamol and a can of diet coke helps to relive the pain, not a cure but better than some drugs I have had tried giving me illusionations etc.

Good luck Jackie I hope to have been some help

[Jackie2700 in reply to ted80]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write Ted 80! The palpatations don't bother me as much as this cardiograph with breaks in the heart beat! Hopefully I will find out more about this when I see my GP this week. This break in the heart beat happens every 4-5 beats or so!! What the heck is that??

[Hidden]

Hi Jackie, the breaks in your heart rate sound like ectopics to me and are actually quite common.

If you had atrial fibrillation the beats would be irregular. Your GP will enlighten you this week . Do let us know what he says.

Sandra

[Jackie2700 in reply to Hidden]

thanks sandra - it's a puzzle - I am going to my GP tomorrow and will find out then I guess...

[Jackie2700 in reply to Hidden]

another question - how come I cannot find ONE page discussing breaks in ECGs nor can I find one graph showing this? That seems strange to me...

[Hidden]

Hi Jackie, I'm afraid that I don't have an answer as to the what and why only that I occasionally have the same. It is always when I'm in NSR but I feel that my heart is about to trip into AF. On checking my pulse I find that I'm still in rhythm but, like yours, missing every 4th or 5th beat. As yet this has never tripped into AF but it just feels slightly "odd".

To be honest I just shrug and leave my heart to get on with it's merry dance. I don't really see it as being any different to palpitations except that, unlike palpitations, it has absolutely no effect on me other than being noticeable.

You don't say why you had an ecg but I assume that this was seen and checked by somebody who would recognise a problem within the trace?

I really don't think you are having mini heart attacks, to be honest that had never even crossed my mind when it happens to me. One day my heart is going to stop and not restart but that's just a fact of life!

[Hidden]

For what ever reason the AF Association forum is much more active than this forum. Might I suggest that you have a look at, and possibly also post on, that forum?

[Jackie2700 in reply to Hidden]

thanks you old buzzard you, I will look into it,

[Hidden]

Jackie, I would certainly recommend you to link up with the AF Association forum on Health Unlocked as Old buzzard advises. It is very active and has very many lovely supportive members and a very knowledgeable guy in the name of Bob Dove who dispenses no nonsense advice!

Sandra

[Jackie2700 in reply to Hidden]

thanks Sandra - I will look into that - not even sure if it is AF or not - my mom and I both have/had heart murmurs - she lived to be 88 and died from altzheimers and dad lived to 92... off to see my gp today and see what she says...