Arrhythmia Nurse Specialist Appointment....

[Julia7]

Hi there,

I posted a few weeks ago about a sudden and unexpected episode of firstly ectopic beats (which I’ve had for years) immediately followed by a racing heart which hospitalised me for a night. I’m now on a very low dose of Beta Blocker and have had one or two ectopic beats (nothing worrying) since. I’m very anxious about the episode but think it was caused by a combo of too much caffeine, the keto diet (no carbs, high fat) and exercise. What exactly does the nurse specialist do? Whilst I was in hosp, on one of the ecgs, it picked up an irregular heart beat. I’m obsessed that I’m going to suddenly have it again, or something worse (which is making me very anxious). I wrote a similar post a few weeks back...I’ve calmed down quite a bit since then but am now worried that I have something awful to see the nurse specialist. I’ve spoken to a few people who have said an irregular heart beat is common? Just need reassurance from you lovely lot. I thought I was fit and healthy! Love exercise and love life (apart from this blip!)

Julia

[Ceelos81]

I’m also experiencing pvcs out of nowhere and at random times.. I just had a bad one about an hour ago right after lunch. I was just sitting at my desk where I had a hard thud and a run of irregular heart beats. I’m on metoprolol 12.5 twice a day witch I think is not helping since I still feel all of my pvcs. The worst ones are the ones where I’m just sitting relaxing and BOOM!

[Julia7 in reply to Ceelos81]

Thanks for your reply. After asking friends and colleagues, quite a few people say they experience them. Horrible when it happens. The increased heart rate for four hours really scared me. The problem is that I panicked which made it so much worse! I’m on 2.5mg of Bisprolol. Low dose , I know but I don’t like the thought of medication every day. What did your dr say?

[Ceelos81 in reply to Julia7]

So this is my 3rd cardiologist I’ve seen in the past 6 years and they’ve all said my heart is structurally normal witch leaves me puzzled. How can someone feel so many pvcs and irregular heartbeats and be ok. I feel all sorts of differ t ones pretty much all day and hard thuds are not as often meaning everyday. Do you feel that hard thuds that come out of no where?? I today right after lunch I felt a hard thud and then I felt a run of what I think they are pvcs that lasted about 5 seconds

[Julia7 in reply to Ceelos81]

I find that if I’m anxious about something, the ectopic beats are worse....this then makes me more anxious and the thuds worsen. Like a vicious cycle. Yes, the thuds come from nowhere. It must be the electrics rather than the heart structure? Horrible feeling. I can go for weeks without a thud and then they start. I went to France on holidays a few years back and had them every evening...lots of them. I think it may have been drinking white wine or the heat or a mix of lots of things? X

[Polski in reply to Julia7]

Yes - It definitely sounds like the electrics, but not serious. Try researching on the Atrial Fibrillation forum on Health Unlocked.

Adrenaline will make them worse, so calm your life-style so you have less anxiety/coffee etc, so there is less adrenaline in the system! Taking magnesium will also help in the long run (not magnesium oxide, and not so much that you get diarhhea). Decreasing alcohol and excessive exercise will also help to calm things!

[Julia7 in reply to Polski]

Thanks so much, Polski, for your reassuring post. I am also almost sure this is what it is. I am now doing resistance training rather than aerobic (I can’t do nothing; have always exercised). You are right about keeping the adrenaline down. I am a secondary school teacher so always on the go and rushing around for the pupils. For once, I’m taking it easy, although I’m not used to it!