irregular heartbeat

[Soph_24]

Hi I’m only 24 and I’m suffering with an irregular heartbeat I’m running out of ways to control it and make it less noticeable as it can be really scary and sometimes I get pains in my chest and think I’m having a heart attack if any has any tips on what I can do I’d be so grateful🤍

[john-boy-92]

Hi Soph. If you are worried, go and see your GP. Even in these times of industrial action, your GP can ring the appropriate section in a local hospital and ask them to see you. If your GP has made a request that you are seen, A&E cannot turn you away (my GP did this last week for a knee issue). It may be necessary for you to wear a monitoring device for 24 hours. Years ago, heart irregularity seemed to be ignored (at least on my experience). My heart irregularity is more pronounced if I'm not 100% well.

[Soph_24 in reply to john-boy-92]

Thank you so much for getting back to me , I wore a 24 heart monitor a couple of months back in confirmed the irregular heartbeat and skipped beats I was having up to 1000s of them in one 24 period but it seems like it’s not being taken seriously. I think the doctors think it’s fine for now but it’s so scary the pains and feeling it everyday and feeling breathless is what bothers me the most. I think because they’ve given me beta blockers they think that’s gonna solve it but unfortunately it hasn’t🤦‍♀️ when I take antibiotic when I’m not well I have to stop them after one or 2 because my heart goes crazy

[john-boy-92 in reply to Soph_24]

Hi Steph; the current reason that GPs don't monitor or seem to be concerned about atrial fibrillation (AF), is that they are waiting for the full results of the Cambridge University SAFER study that is due in 4 to 5 years time. To add to that, the study participants are at least 70 years of age! Even Trudie Lobban can't seem to make headway when it comes to screening for AF. You need to find out who is the best cardiologist to contact in your local hospital. The admin team of Arrythmia Alliance or Atrial Fibrillation Association may be able to help with that. My note below may emphasise the need for medical evaluation.

I was prescribed dronedarone for AF and I was one of th 6 in 100,000 that it doesn't agree with; it nearly killed me and resulted in a paper published by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. I was a long-time runner, cyclist etc, and when my GP suggested an anticoagulant I refused due to my bad experience with dronedarone. Then an Electrophysiologist said that I didn't need an anticoagulant as I was very fit. Eighteen months later I had a stroke that reduced part of my peripheral vision (that meant losing my licence even thoiugh I can read a registration plate without glasses), and my visual memory being wiped; I couldn't find the bathroom in the small bungalow where we had lived for 28 years. Trust me, I was lucky.

[DoveofPeace]

Hi Soph. I am so sorry that you're having to endure these horrid skips. I am 66 and have had them off and on since my late 30's. I am orginally from America, that's where they started. For me, the main cause was high stress due to my dear mother having a major heart attack. She lived 8 years after but it was stressful as we were best friends. The skips at that time weren't as bad and I went a few years without them until daddy died, he never was the same after mom died. After that, the skips came more often. I didn't have any trouble getting a doctor to listen to me and he let me have whatever I wanted such as an echocardiogram and a 7 day King of Hearts monitor. Of course I had to pay. All tests came back " normal" and the event monitor showed PAC's and atrial runs. I was pretty good after that. Well, in 2012, I met a man from New Zealand on a Christian forum. We emailed lots and skyped. He came to America, we met and got married. I flew back to New Zealand with him. I was 55. Sadly, ever since I have been here I have had more skips, especially since 2018 when my husband got colon cancer and was hospitalized over 85 days. Thankfully, he pulled through and us now cancer free. Unfortunately, my skips are still with me and now, I can have them off and on all day, especially after I eat or get too stressed. Doctors here don't really take me serious and when I beg for an echocardiogram or monitor, they say I can't have one unless I go "private " which is a huge chunk of change. I have been to the A&E numerous times, usually though, the skips calm down and they may only see a few PAC's. So, I have decided to go "private" and have set up an appointment to wear a 7 day event patch. I go in August 29 and will wear it a week. September 29 I go in for a consultation about the findings. I hope this helps to resolve my fears. The price is so expensive, if it wasn't for my aunt who helped with some money, I couldn't do it. I really think it should be funded, especially in people my age, but no way.

I am wondering if maybe some of yours are due to fear and anxiety over them. Also, do you have a hiatal hernia? This can certainly cause skips and even chest pain. I have one and it also causes acid reflux which can also irritate the skips as well. It might be worth discussing this with the GP, hopefully he/she will listen and take you seriously. I don't think they truly realize how scary they are or how real they are.

I hope that you can get some help soon and get the horrible things resolved. I am a member of a heart group on Facebook called "Skipping Hearts" you are welcome to join us if you are on FB. They're a very understanding and helpful group who will know exactly what you're going through. Between them and this forum, hopefully you will find people to talk to who can relate.

Gid bless you.

[Alixia]

hello Soph, do you have any relatives that have experienced heart issues? I have a genetic heart condition that I inherited from my mother that started off with ectopic beats, and slow heart rate. The doctors didn’t take me seriously at first as I was young when I first presented. It took a second trip to the cardiologist to be listened to. Luckily the second cardiologist took my family history of heart problems seriously and I am now diagnosed and being treated appropriately.

[Rugster in reply to Alixia]

Hi Alixia your story sounds exactly like mine. Would you mind letting me know what you were diagnosed with and how it is being treated? Thanks x

[Alixia in reply to Rugster]

Hello, I have been diagnosed with Lamin cardiomyopathy. There have been several sudden deaths in my family at a relatively young age (all under 50). Back then there was no diagnosis, but luckily there is now more knowledge about the condition and me and my cousins are all being treated. My initial symptoms started when I was in my 30s, bradycardia and heart block. It then progressed to frequent PVCs and atrial flutter. I have now been implanted with an ICD to prevent a cardiac arrest, and have also had an ablation to stop atrial flutter.

[Bikica1234 in reply to Alixia]

Hay Alixua,...I'm wondering how the cardiologist found out that you have a genetic heart problem? What did you do since diagnostics? I have palpitations, SVES and VES and I take beta blockers as therapy, but nothing helps me. The doctors say that it is not dangerous, but everything is worse than those heart skips. I don't know what to do.

[Alixia in reply to Bikica1234]

Hi Bikica, I have a family history of pacemakers being implanted, heart failure and cardiac arrest (mother, aunt, grandad, cousins) so my cardiologist was suspicious that my symptoms are genetic. My blood was taken and screened for genetic abnormalities that cause heart issues and it came back positive for LMNA.

I was quickly implanted with an ICD and am now regularly monitored by the inherited cardiac conditions clinic. I was prescribed bisoprolol for my ectopic beats, but I didn’t get along with it. I have since had an ablation for atrial fibrillation.

[Bikica1234 in reply to Alixia]

And what medicines are you taking now? I'm taking bisoprolol, but it doesn't help me. My heart's ultrasound is fine. Does the ultrasound of the heart show anything from the diagnosis? I'll have another one on 7.5. heart magnet to check if something might not show up on the magnet. My mother is 81 years old and has diseased heart valves. And my grandmother also had some kind of arrhythmia, she lived to be 85 years old. My uncle has atrial fibrillation, he is 73 years old. He dies young it wasn't from the heart. Now I don't know if my cardiologist would want me to do the test for genetic heart diseases. Have you ever taken other heart medications besides bisoprolol? I also tried Propafenone and Flecanide and it didn't help.

[Alixia in reply to Bikica1234]

I’m not currently on medications as the ablation and the ICD have helped my symptoms.

I have a slightly reduced ejection fraction on ECHO. On MRI my heart has scarring.

Your family have lived long lives compared to mine! My family members died between the ages of 31 and 50 of heart failure and cardiac arrest.

[Bikica1234 in reply to Alixia]

Hi Alixia ,I feel sorry for your family. It's hard when you lose close and dear people. I hope you will be well in the future. I am very worried because the therapy is not working for me. I have PVCs and heart skipping and shortness of breath and no one takes it seriously. We'll see what the heart magnet shows. Maybe I have cardiomyopathy and no one has discovered it yet. I don't know what diagnostics I have to do to know if I have cardiomyopathy. I did a lot of ultrasounds of the heart, wore several Holter EKGs, did stress tests and they didn't find anything special. I even asked them to do a heart scintigraphy and it was fine. Now I was also looking for a heart magnet. I guess that magnet will show something if I have it.

[Morningrose]

Hi Soph, I think all the advice that you have been given are very sound. But I do think that you probably would need to take a blood thinner called Apixaban, this prevents strokes and heart attacks. I think sadly in this country, doctors don't tend to take younger people with ailments that supposedly should be older people's problems, seriously. I wish you all the best. 💜