Four ectopics in a row, should I be worried?

[Summerhayes]

Since January I've been experiencing ectopic heartbeats. Usually I just get one or two at a time and try not to worry about it. Ive had a 24 hour heart monitor which said I was having 2% ectopics and 2000 extra beats a day. I usually get one or two ectopics a minute and my resting eart rate is 60 to 70 bpm. I dont have high blood pressure and I dont smoke. Im a 36 year old women. The other day I went for a long walk and afterwards my heart started feeling fluttery. I have an app on my phone that I use to check my pulse and when my heart skips a beat I can see it on the app. When I used the app that morning I was getting four ectopic in a row which then went back to normal rhythm follwed by another four ectopics. This worried me as I've read anything more than three in a row is classed as ventricular tachycardia which can be life threatening. I decided it'd be best to go to the hospital to get checked out. By the time I got an EKG my ectopics had gone back to one a minute and my heartrate was normal. The doctor seemed very dismissive and told me it was just anxiety. On my printout though it says T wave borderline abnormal for age and gender? I'm not sure what this means? She recommended seeing my GP for beta blockers. Should I be worried or is this normal?

[bantam12]

I get phases of 2, 3 and 4 in a row and sometimes over 20.000 ectopics in a day Cardio is not worried despite causing me symptoms.

[KelleyK in reply to bantam12]

My rhythm issues started with my Graves Disease dx. I had PVC's for 14 years. They stopped for about 4 months and now I have what I guess are ectopic beats. My heart beats at a normal rate then it speeds up for 3-4 beats, then back to normal. No symptoms from this. RHR is mid 50s, due to atenolol. ECG is normal. Echo is normal. Are these extra beats ectopics? If I don't take my beta blocker and my heart rate gets into the mid 60's, I don't seem to get extra beats as much. Any ideas? Wishing all here the very best!

[bantam12 in reply to KelleyK]

I also had Graves' disease and heart problems are an issue with thyroid diseases, I've always had a fast rate. You say you speed up for 3-4 beats which doesn't sound like ectopics as that usually feels like missed beats then a thump but I think everyone feels it in their own way so possibly ectopics. If it doesn't bother you then no need to worry. Mine are crowded out when my rate gets past 100bpm but lower than that is a real problem.

I'm not an expert so maybe someone else can help with your question.

x

[KelleyK in reply to bantam12]

The pause and the thump is a premature ventricular contraction. Those I had for 14 years. It would just be nice to not feel any of these stupid things. I've cut down on caffeine, even avoiding chocolate (sometimes), which helps sometimes. Do you have more arrhythmia's after a full meal? I seem to...😕

[bantam12 in reply to KelleyK]

I get PVCs and PACs and yes it would be so nice to be free of them, foods or timing don't seem to affect me, they are just there all the time ☹️

[KelleyK in reply to bantam12]

It's frustrating and it's scary. Feel free to chat whenever you like. I'm always here. 😊

[meadfoot]

I agree with bantam. I am getting them all of the time and two weeks ago told my EP at my six monthly app. They had no concern about it. I have recorded twenty thousand on a holter monitor in a day and again they seemed unconcerned.

I have to say I find them troublesome and they come in phases which certainly keeps our mind focused on the heart when we would prefer to not have to think about it. As I am having pauses my EP has organised an echo and holter monitor as they say they concern themselves about pauses rather than ectopics. I hope this reassures you.

If you feel really concerned about them seek reassurance from your cardiologist and ask for an explanation on the comment you were particular concerned about. Best wishes.

[bantam12 in reply to meadfoot]

Have you had a treadmill stress test to see if the ectopics can be crowded out ? mine reduced once I got to 100bpm but some still crept in. I also had a Novacor monitor for 2 weeks so hopefully that will show the pauses I get, Cardio isn't worried about pauses either unless it causes bradycardia and black outs, great !

[meadfoot in reply to bantam12]

I had a treadmill test when first diagnosed ten years ago, then another about six years ago followed by a perfusion scan and angiogram. I had an EP study about five years ago and a couple of twenty four hour monitors. Had a cardiac ct angiogram with dye about four months ago. Will see what the echo and this coming moniter shows. It's never ending is it. Best wishes with your heart ongoing.

[bantam12 in reply to meadfoot]

Yep they just keep repeating all these tests and never come to a conclusion, my Cardio has now retired so I've got to do battle with a new one, he's been left a plan of action but whether he will follow it remains to be seen !

Good luck on your mission as well 😆

[Bmwpaul1971 in reply to bantam12]

God sounds like me. Echo - MRI - Nuclear profusion scan and stress test - Angiogram.

All in last 6 months. All clear for me but heart still not right! So I will just crack on lol

[bantam12 in reply to Bmwpaul1971]

My latest test results show lots of PACs, PVCs and pauses but finding the right treatment is the challenge, I've lived with this for years and its time something was done, being dismissed again is not an option and I think they have finally got the message !

Good luck to you

[Bmwpaul1971 in reply to bantam12]

Yes, good luck to you too. Keep at them

[Sereza6 in reply to bantam12]

I’ve had irregular beats for years and the older I get, the less the doctors seem to care. I just had an echo cardiogram and a 30-day heart monitor in which I had so many irregular beats, I was sure they would show some concern...but they consider pvcs and pats normal nowadays, I guess. The docs go by their test results more than what my body is telling me.

[bantam12 in reply to Sereza6]

If only they understood how awful it is living with continuous ectopics 🙁

Don't give up, be persistent and maybe your doc will take notice.

[Sereza6 in reply to bantam12]

Thank you, it’s so great to be around people who truly understand 😘

[Crash88 in reply to Bmwpaul1971]

man, if all those tests came back negative brother ur fine lol could be ur mind playing tricks on u, if one of those tests came back positive then something is definitely wrong

[4optimistic in reply to meadfoot]

Hi Meadfoot, I am on the list for a cardiac ct angiogram with dye. How was it? Any after effects? Best wishes.

[meadfoot in reply to 4optimistic]

Hi there. The ct angiogram with dye was very simple and straightforward with no after effects. I had to sit afterwards for twenty minutes then was checked over and had the canulla removed. All very easy. I had no reaction to the dye or the gtn spray used during the test. I found it a non event in reality. I am sure you will be fine. I was well looked after. I had a hundred and eighty mile trip home afterwards which was uneventful, I felt fine. Good luck with your test. X

[4optimistic in reply to meadfoot]

Thanks for that Meadfoot. Very reassuring.

[Summerhayes]

Thankyou to everyone for replying it has helped put my mind at ease a bit. I've been referred to a cardiologist in June and will have an echocardiogram and full assessment with him apparently. Everyone says they're normal but how can they be normal? Something has to be causing it? I've never had heart problems before and except for being a bit overweight i have no other health issues. It's very unpleasant and the anxiety is ruining my life. I'm scared to exercise or eat certain food just incase it triggers a bad episode. I have noticed that when exercising they go away and then afterwards they get worse so I thought it could be the adrenaline from exercise causing it. I've cut out caffeine and chocolate and rarely drink now but it doesn't make much difference. I have noticed that magnesium really helps soften them and this could be because magnesium has an ability to thin the blood. I do wonder if they're caused by hormones as I've recently stopped taking the pill. I've had a blood test to rule out thyroid problems though. My main worry is cardiomyopathy or coronary artery disease or something as I've read frequent ectopics are often made worse by some kind of underlying heart disease. I guess I'll just have to wait until I see the cardiologist in June and hope it puts my mind at rest. I'm going to make an appointment with my GP to see if he can give me something for the anxiety.

[Bmwpaul1971]

It depends on quality of life not amount. Cardiologist will/should help you with medication etc if they are effecting you to such an extent. I was on beta blockers for years and eventually my ectopics broke through and made my life unbearable. Even though he just wanted to up my beta blockers I said NO and wanted to try something else. He changed me to calcium channel blockers and Bob's your uncle no more ectopics after just 2 days. It was life changing for me.

[Spanaway]

I'd consult with my cardiologist. Try not to stress yourself out. Prayers for you🙏