funky heartbeat

grammysboy
grammysboy Posts: 151 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have an unusual heartbeat. It skips a beat every few seconds. I don't notice it until I try to monitor my heart rate. The docs don't know what it is (probably genetic). When I use a treadmill or elipical with the handles that measure heart rate, it won't work. I'm considering getting a HRM to better track my calories burned and heart condition. Has anyone else experienced something like this? Is there a chance the HRM won't work for me?

Replies

  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I have an unusual heartbeat. It skips a beat every few seconds. I don't notice it until I try to monitor my heart rate. The docs don't know what it is (probably genetic). When I use a treadmill or elipical with the handles that measure heart rate, it won't work. I'm considering getting a HRM to better track my calories burned and heart condition. Has anyone else experienced something like this? Is there a chance the HRM won't work for me?

    Well it will probably report a slightly lower than average BPM if you are missing one in and out. That probably means that the algorithm in the watch that derives your cals burnt from your stats + your HR will probably give the wrong answer due to your non-standard HR.....
  • ekkand
    ekkand Posts: 592 Member
    Whoa, I've never heard that before. I thought my heart beat was strange. My heart rate is always above 110 even if I'm just resting.
  • Tw1zzler
    Tw1zzler Posts: 583
    I have a heart murmur. My heart will skip beats and I sometimes get 'conscious' of my heart beat when most people don't. I also get tired more easily. I'm surprised your doc didn't have an answer for you. I wear a HRM when I run, mainly b/c I'm a numbers nerd and I want to get a more accurate calorie burn. You might ask for an EKG or sonogram, see a cardiologist.
  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 924 Member
    I have PVC's. Premature Ventricular Contractions. I was just diagnosed. Feels like I have extra heartbeats and skipped beats and is quite off putting when I am aware of them. I don't have a heart monitor yet. Here is a link.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/premature-ventricular-contractions/DS00949

    You should definitely get some kind of an answer from your doctor!
  • likemeinvisible
    likemeinvisible Posts: 309
    I have an unusual heartbeat. It skips a beat every few seconds. I don't notice it until I try to monitor my heart rate. The docs don't know what it is (probably genetic). When I use a treadmill or elipical with the handles that measure heart rate, it won't work. I'm considering getting a HRM to better track my calories burned and heart condition. Has anyone else experienced something like this? Is there a chance the HRM won't work for me?

    You can still use a HRM, the cal count comes from the total number of beats during a workout. You can also monitor your effort by observing the average HR if your HRM can present that and any but the cheapest ones will do.
    It is weird that the docs don't know what it is, I'd look into it more closely.
  • BCSMama
    BCSMama Posts: 348
    Interesting. My heart also skips beats sometimes and I am very aware of it when it happens. I've had it checked out when I was a teenager and the doc wasn't worried. I also have a very low resting heart rate (low 40s) and until now never really noticed the correlation, but now I'm like duh of course I would have a low heart rate if I was skipping beats, lol. As far as the HRM, I have no idea. I know the gym I used to go to had a cycle class where they provide HRMs during the class. You might look into something like that to see if it would work for you before investing the money in buying one yourself.
  • grammysboy
    grammysboy Posts: 151 Member
    I went to a cardiologist who put me on a monitor for 48 hours. I originally had over 35,000 (yes that's thirty five thousand!) "events" during the 48 hours. He is a big believer in sleep apnea as the cause of many problems so started me on the C-PAP machine (after a sleep study revealed my blood oxygen was dropping below 80% when sleeping). After a year on the breathing machine, the number of events dropped to less than 5.000 in 48 hours. With regular exercise my resting HR will get down into the 70 bpm range. If I slack off for a month it will be in the 90's.

    Thanks for your help all.
  • Colstriper
    Colstriper Posts: 71 Member
    I have heart palputations. They started alfter drinking 4 Rockstar energy drinks on a long drive home from NC. I don't have issues with it while I exercise though.
  • shae68143
    shae68143 Posts: 422 Member
    I have PVC's. Premature Ventricular Contractions. I was just diagnosed. Feels like I have extra heartbeats and skipped beats and is quite off putting when I am aware of them. I don't have a heart monitor yet. Here is a link.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/premature-ventricular-contractions/DS00949

    You should definitely get some kind of an answer from your doctor!

    ^^ this - however, I had to wear a monitor for 24 hours, had dozens of ekg's done, a sonogram etc - all came out normal, no official diagnosis.

    My HRM picks up my heart rate just fine, even shows that there is a "missed" beat almost. - the blip just doesn't show up.
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
    Yes I have an irregular heartbeat as well, and tachycardia (fast heart beat), and angina and a murmur, :P I never noticed till you mentioned it but the heart rate readers on machines don't work for me either!! I don't own a HRM so can't help you out there :/
  • jimbo480
    jimbo480 Posts: 22 Member
    Go see an Electrophysiologist, they have specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    See, the only thing is I have "play that funky music, white boy" going around in my head now.......

    But HRM do make assumptions about normal heart functioning to factor in with their calculations about calories burnt. I think that a non-standard heartbeat may not give the correct input into the calories burnt calculation. In that case, it's unlikely to give the correct answer. To track your actual heart-beat, it should work fine..... just don't trust the calorie figures it produces, is what I was saying!
  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
    I have PVC's. Premature Ventricular Contractions. I was just diagnosed. Feels like I have extra heartbeats and skipped beats and is quite off putting when I am aware of them. I don't have a heart monitor yet. Here is a link.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/premature-ventricular-contractions/DS00949

    You should definitely get some kind of an answer from your doctor!

    I also have PVC's. It feels like a skipped beat but it's actually a premature contraction followed by a larger contraction. I've had them for 5 or 6 years now. They come and go and running/cardio along with a good night's sleep seems to help control them. I've never had trouble using a heart rate monitor.
  • grammysboy
    grammysboy Posts: 151 Member
    Go see an Electrophysiologist, they have specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders.

    Good advice. I'll see if I can find one. Thanks
  • Spatialized
    Spatialized Posts: 623 Member
    Ease off on caffeine, sugar, other stimulants as they can potentiate PVCs (had a friend in nursing school who could give themselves PVCs by eating chocalate and drinking too much coffee - we'd hook 'em up to the EKG to see). Make sure you're taking in enough potassium, as low potassium can cause conduction issues precipatating PVCs and other cardiac arrhythmias. Mostly though, get checked out by a doc, like a electrophysiologist (cardioligist who specializes in heart conduction/rhythm issues). PVCs are normal, having multiples/frequent ones isn't.

    I'm not a cardiac nurse, I just play one in real life...

Categories