Heart problems?

jbouton40
jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
edited November 21 in Motivation and Support
Does anybody have atrial fibrillation? (afib)

Replies

  • bgli
    bgli Posts: 2 Member
    I have irregular heartbeat with extra beats. Not 100% sure if afib or not. why?
  • jbouton40
    jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
    I had a couple episodes of it. First lasted about hour and a half. Went to the er for that one. Second one was a couple weeks ago. Your heart starts working out with out you. Scares the crap out of me. Went to cardiologist and they have not found anything.
  • sophie94x2014
    sophie94x2014 Posts: 19 Member
    ive had heartbeat problems for 2 years now, had all sorts of tests and every doctor has told me its just anxiety. 2 years ago i thought i was fine, but i have terrible anxiety now so maybe they was right and it is just anxiety. Cant be nothing too bad as im still alive haha. You will probably have to go to many people to get answers but if a cardiologist says its ok then it should be.
  • sophie94x2014
    sophie94x2014 Posts: 19 Member
    Mine lasted for 2 days non stop at first though and i thought i was having a heart attack.
  • jbouton40
    jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
    Thanks. It just messes me up. It happens at night. I get up to go to the bathroom and lay back down and then off to the races.
  • disasterman
    disasterman Posts: 746 Member
    There are many different kinds of heart arrhythmias with some have dangerous rhythms, others not so much. Another,besides afib is SVT. I don't think they can diagnose the specific thing unless you're on an EKG while it's happening - maybe you were. Did the cardiologist see the EKG results from the ER?

    Many times they can be prevented with small doses of meds like beta blockers and/or eliminating triggers like caffeine, reducing stress etc. Most can be eliminated with a simple outpatient surgery called radio-frequency ablation where they blast out the specific cells responsible for the abnormal rhythm. For the non-dangerous versions, many people opt to do nothing about it if they occur infrequently.
  • jbouton40
    jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
    EKG was fine. Echo was as well. Did a monitor for 24 hours. Did plaque test. All fine. I think it's in my head now. Don't know how to get it out.
  • tabby_123
    tabby_123 Posts: 80 Member
    I have the same problem, often triggered by sudden movements as well. Sometimes, I can get the episodes to go away if I lay down for a few minutes. I have had the episodes last hours though. My first one happened when I was 12. I went to the doctor and they concluded it was dehydration, but I wasn't convinced as to this day, I can be completely hydrated and have multiple episodes. I really think mine is linked to stress, which is something the doctor ruled out when I was young because I was so young, but even then, I knew I was under stress. I really believe my episodes arise out of stress as I have gone almost a year without an attack, and sometimes have as many as three a day. I am right there with you, OP!
  • disasterman
    disasterman Posts: 746 Member
    edited July 2015
    I understand. I get periodic bouts of rapid hearbeat - mine is SVT diagnosed 15+ years ago. Used to freak me out big time and I would go to the ER. Now I just ride it out-usually only lasts a minute or two.

    You've done the right thing by getting fully checked out. My advice is look for triggers: specific foods, stress, alcohol, dehydration. Learn vagal maneuvers and and relaxation techniques like breathing. There is definitely a link to anxiety so if you have issues with that more generally that's something to work on.

    Hope something helps.
  • jbouton40
    jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
    Thanks. It's just weird it happens at night. Thank goodness my wife is a nurse and talks me down.
  • beachgal0626
    beachgal0626 Posts: 1,912 Member
    Like Disasterman, I have SVT (supra-ventricular tachycardia) -- for having an arrhythmia, it's the "best" one to have, but yes, it's very disconcerting. Sometimes our hearts "miss" the beating loop it's supposed to stay in. Was eating supper 18 mo. ago and I went from 60ish heart rate to 160+ in a matter of seconds. Went to ER and they had to do a cardioversion to get me back in rhythm. Had another episode this past Feb., but it resolved itself by the time they were hooking me up to an EKG. For SVTs, if I feel my heart "sputter" I try to cough, or they also suggested I "bear down", like I'm going #2 (sorry!) I now have a cardiologist and on a beta blocker. They did do an ultrasound and took pictures of my heart and all looked great. That's good that you had everything checked out. With it happening at night, you may be thinking "Will it happen tonight?", and that may make you understandably anxious. I know that I was afraid to exercise for awhile, but my doc said continuing to work my heart is the best thing for it. I'm rambling now, but just want to say that I understand -- just try to do something that relaxes you -- listen to soft music, meditation, etc. And know that you're not alone, arrhythmias occur to thousands of us and there are medicines that will help!
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  • jbouton40
    jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
    I snore a little but that's because I messed my shoulders. I have to sleep on my side and when I rollover on back I snore. Doc said I don't have it.
  • jbouton40
    jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
    Thanks for all the comments. I feel better.
  • cherub14
    cherub14 Posts: 63 Member
    Funny you should post about this, I am currently wearing the 24 hour holter monitor to find out why I'm having dizzy spells throughout the day.
  • jbouton40
    jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
    I had to wear one as well. Good luck
  • grwrn
    grwrn Posts: 184 Member
    If you keep having them, then there is a monitor you can wear for 30 days called an Event Monitor. If you're not having these palpitations daily, it is hard to catch them on a 24 hr monitor.
  • jbouton40
    jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
    I only had it twice this year.
  • Sweepypie
    Sweepypie Posts: 161 Member
    I had a minor heart attack in 2012! Then I went for my six monthly review at the doctors. She took my pulse and said that she would have to do an ECG to confirm an irregular heartbeat (that was in 2014). Now the doctor has upped the dose of my Angina medication. I also done the 24 hour monitor as well.
  • jbouton40
    jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
    I have no other symptoms. I don't drink. I don't smoke. I exercise regularly. No caffeine. I take vitamins. I have an all plant base diet. I have a very slow heart beat. Usually low 40s. Just don't get
  • Sweepypie
    Sweepypie Posts: 161 Member
    Sweepypie wrote: »
    I had a minor heart attack in 2012! Then I went for my six monthly review at the doctors. She took my pulse and said that she would have to do an ECG to confirm an irregular heartbeat (that was in 2014). Now the doctor has upped the dose of my Angina medication. I also done the 24 hour monitor as well.

    When doctor took my pulse it was missing beats! Then with the ECG it confirmed it. Then the 24 hour monitor results came back to say that I have an irregular heartbeat! I get palpitations quite a lot! You can actually feel your heart beating in your ears! That's when I take one of my angina medications (nitromin spray)!
  • davidcliff
    davidcliff Posts: 144 Member
    At night does your mind race thinking about what you should have done during the previous day, what you need to do the next day, etc? I go in and out of normal rythm daily. The 2 times I've worn a holter it was determined that it happens <1% of the day so my cardiologist wasn't concerned. I started keeping track of the episodes and wrote down what I was doing, what I was thinking about, time since last meal, etc and was able to figure out that stress brought on my episodes. So far I can bring my self back to normal by going to my 'happy place' and relaxing.
  • jbouton40
    jbouton40 Posts: 54 Member
    Both times I was asleep before it happened.
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