Long pause in heartbeat.

I have had several episodes where my heart seems to pause for 5 seconds and I feel very fuzzy in my head as if I,m going to faint. I have Svt and ectopics. I had a good day today and everything was calm until this happened. Does anybody else experience this and how often? It’s quite a while since I experienced it!

[BG2017]

Hi Delythn, I had long pauses for a year before going to the Gp and,through referral,being diagnosed with Sick Sinus Syndrome. These were easily picked up on a 7 day Holter monitor. If you think yours are 5 seconds you should go to the GP as soon as possible because if they are greater than 3 seconds you may have to voluntarily surrender your driving license (I had to do this and couldn’t drive for nearly a year - once I was fitted with a pacemaker I was allowed to reapply for my license) I hope it all goes well for you.

[Hidden in reply to BG2017]

Thanks for your reply,the last one was 8 months ago, they seemed to happen when I,ve just eaten dinner and I have bent over to get milk out of my fridge. I am 71 and fairly active,not being able to drive would take away my independence, my family all work long hours and I live alone. I am seeing a cardiologist on dec 10 because I refused an ablation, my Bisoprolol made me feel so ill and dropped my heart and blood pressure too low so the electrophysiologist took me off it pending an ablation. The pauses make me panic at that time! I,ve had ectopics and svt for many years but only 4 Svt attacks needing to be put back in hospital in 2 years.

[curious42 in reply to Hidden]

Delythn: After reading that these happened to you after eating and bending over....I thought I should tell you that I have had heart misbeats start when I have my chin way down, reading or at my laptop. I found that when I immediately put my chin up it stops. I am elderly also, and I think that when I bend my head down too low, it compresses the artery in my neck leading to my brain and slows down the blood flow, causing missed beats. You may be compressing your abdominal artery by bending over with a full stomach. Being older, our tissues are not so firm and may compress more easily. This is just a guess on my part and totally not medical info. I hope you don't have any more of those events!

[Hidden in reply to curious42]

Thankyou for your reply! Mine goes haywire most of the time and after eating too much which is small compared to what some people eat I feel awful, it feels as if my heart is pounding out of my chest. I must admit it has got worse as I,ve got older and sometimes I feel unwell and very tired,I mean physically tired! I don,t sleep good during the night but there is a difference in this tiredness and normal sleepiness.

[BG2017]

Good luck for the 10th. Your cardiologist will definitely know the best way forward with your pauses. Was there a particular reason why you chose not to have the ablation ?(I am having my second ablation on Tuesday)

[Hidden in reply to BG2017]

I refused it because I did not feel the pre test were thorough enough,5 minutes on an ecg machine I,m sure would not pickup all the funny rhythms I experience also I have a mitral valve prolapse which hasn’t been checked for 2 years. He just seemed to want to do the ablation which meant I can,t drive or take care of myself for a time, I,m too independ having had no parents and had to take care of myself from a child, plus I,m from Wales living outside London, my only family are my children who work their fingers to the bone,I can,t ask for help willingly. Good luck with your second ablation, another fear of mine is tampering with my heart so it leaves me on extra medication which limits your life further. Thanks.

[curious42]

Hi Delythn: I was having that happening when I was in bed before going to sleep. It was very scary, my heart just stopped and I would feel a black curtain start to come down in my head and I would sit up and walk a little. I have been taking some Potassium late in the day and I haven't had that heart stopping happening. You might be low on Potassium, as that can cause heart irregularities. What has your Dr. said about it?

[Hidden in reply to curious42]

Thanks for your reply! I do not get any feedback or reassurance from my doctor only “take the Bisoprolol” that has already shown that it drops my heart and blood pressure too low and makes me feel like a zombie, my heart was 44 beats one day and I felt terrible. I have no confidence in him at all, I am considering changing, maybe when I see the cardiologist dec 10th it will be solved. The only thing that happens when I sleep is my heart missing beats, I can hear it in my ear and definitely in my body,it seems to vibrate in time to it, I got used to it now. My son is 49 and has the same problem but copes with it like I did when I was working. He has the pill in the pocket and takes it when needed,my 2 daughters are ok. Thankyou. X

[Hidden]

This could possibly progress to having blackouts, in which case you are at risk of injury including a brain bleed especially if you are on blood thinners. If you have heart block a pacemaker will allow you to drive. Sorry to point this out but concealing a change in health which affects ability to drive is a criminal offence and would invalidate insurance.

Best to talk to GP and Cardiologist to be on the safe side.

[2468abcmuk]

Snap svt and loads of ectopics what meds you take ? Pause in between yes but it’s not really a pause you just don’t feel the ectopic as heart chamber not filled up enough and then you get a longer time between ectopic and next beat hence the time scale can make you feel funny in head and tummy , that’s the way it was explained to me & if you look at your ekg

You can see the ectopics popping in between your normal rhythm