How many here get heart palpitations? And when I say palpitations, I don't just mean a racing heartbeat. I mean that fluttery, jumpy feeling, where it sometimes feels like your heart stops and then starts again really hard. I get these things....I've had 4 ekg's, 2 chest x-rays, and an echocardiogram done, which showed "nothing wrong". I was so upset and distracted by the palpitations that the last emergency room doctor I saw approved using a portable event monitor to try to "catch" one of the palpitations. I'm so frustrated by them, and even though I know I have anxiety and depression I'm still terrified of the palpitations and still worried that they are a sign of an underlying problem. Has anyone else gone through this, or similar to this? My problem is, I don't feel that I'm scared about loss of control as much as I am about dying. To me, seems like heart problems would be one of the absolute worst ways to die. I'm terrified, just terrified. I just started this program 3 days ago, I'm on lesson one right now and trying to follow it exactly as it says. Hoping and praying it will make a difference, but at this point I'm still just terrified out of my mind of these palpitations and really any uncomfortable sensation I get in my chest. Any feedback at all would be soooo welcome.

April,
It is good you have the program for it will help you with your thought process when you have your PVC's. I suffer from them and if you look at old post you will see there have been a couple of posts about people with palpitations and anxiety and how they handle it. I had the fear of death and fear the palpitations turning into a life threatening arrythmmia but my palpitaions are benign and also go to this website: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/cardio/wwwboard.html
These are people who suffer with palpitaions and PVC's etc and you can also look on the archives for post that can help you. I go there to find out I am not alone in my fears. You might need to go to www.medhelp.org intially. This is a through Cleveland Clinic which has been at the top in Cardiology for years and just a good website. Have you seen a cardiologist? I feel if you see a cardiologist and go through the test that will help ease your fears especially if there is no underlying problem and many of us suffer from palpitations and many have for years with no underlying heart problems. They are annoying but not life threatening. This program has helped me with the negative thinking process and making myself not go into a panic when I have bad palpitations sometimes, that and remembering positive words from my Dr. help me get through those times. Sometimes if I panic overnight I come to this forum or the medhelp forum and it puts me at ease. Excercise is the best recommendation so far, along with diet i.e. no caffeine. Some people say that when they excercise it makes the palps go away, some it makes it worse but as far as your mind goes you are on the right start by doing the program and work on your thoughts and turn the negative thoughts into positive or by pushing the negative thoughts aside and saying these are only palpitations they won't kill me.

Hello, thanks for the post on that. Well so far, I've had 4 ekg's, 2 chest x-rays, 1 echocardiogram which supposedly showed no mitral valve prolapse and supposedly looked good to the cardiologist, and now I'm using an event monitor that has a button I can press to record a palpitation when I feel one. I've gone through every test I can think of that's non-invasive, short of a stress test. I've always had a faster heart rate than most people (usally in the 80's to 90's), and a somewhat lower blood pressure, don't know if any of that factors into it but I want to ask the cardiologist who ok'd this monitor about it. The problem is, at this point I think that even if every medical reassurance is given to me that these things are not life-threatening, I'll still be scared that they are anyway. I don't even know exactly what the palpitations are at this point....no doctor has told me yet whether or not I'm having premature ventricular contractions. I hope that that's not even what they are coming from. I've had bad indigestion for a couple of years now, and stomach problems tend to run in my family, so I'm praying that they're caused by stomach issues and not a heart-related issue at all. Regardless, at this point I'm just terrified of them and everytime I have one it really freaks me out. I've gotten so upset after having them that I just bawl....I just want them to go away, they're not just annoying to me they're scary

April Renae, I too suffer from these and have for almost twelve years.

Indigestion definitely aggravates them. I've found that taking a Pepcid AC before my evening meal (my largest meal of the day) has really helped.

And like Kumiko, I visit the medhelp forum several times a week just to help calm myself down. It's amazing that so many other people have these things. I've never met anyone in person with them, so seeing so many on the web has helped me alot.

PVC's are at the root of my anxiety. I'm using the skills taught in the program to help me deal with it.

I hope you find some relief soon. I know how bad this all feels.

Take care.

April, you remind me so much of myself...check out my other posts on heart topics...the people in this community have helped me out a lot. I just turned in my event recorder about 2 weeks ago almost...in fact, I did not like it...I hated to hear the beats when I would send it over the phone...it drove me crazy! I have had a chest x-ray, 2 EKG's, blood word, a cat scan, an echo, a 24 hour monitor, a stress test and last I've had the event recorder. On the event monitor, my doc said I have pvc's caused by something external...such as caffeine, alcohol, or yes STRESS...I knew it had to only be stress as I never have caffeine and rarely alcohol. But it's still hard to believe. Along with my family doc, I have seen a cardiologist and in fact I have a repeat check up with him in about two weeks...and I can't wait! I have loads of questions to ask him. My family doc has been supportive, but he's not one of those docs that are overly friendly...don't know how to explain it too well. I am scared everyday when I get these...I try to relax and sort of let it ride...as people tell me that's what I should do. It is difficult though. Oh and by the way, I did have minor mitral valve regurg found on the echo...but they told me it was so minor that it would not cause any symptoms..the other symptoms I was having such as shortness of breath, etc. It is hard to not be scared, it really is, but I'm sure you will be fine and know there are others experiencing exactly the same as you right now!

By the way, has anyone noticed they get palpitations frequently when they bend over?

Agate500, I notice palpitations after I eat and not bend over but sit forward and I have to sit back so I don't feel the palpitations. I feel them when I sit in certain positions and it is weird.

Yes, I definitely get them when I bend over. Pretty much every time I bend over.

I get them sitting still, sleeping, whatever. But they are definitely worse after eating and right before my period. AAAARRRGGGHHH!

It's so frustrating isn't it?

i get a flutter feeling and it scares me so bad,but i have been checked out and all is fine,i hate the flutters even though they are normal they still frighten me,and its enough to get me into a panic attack

well here's the thing....on my echo, there was NO mitral valve prolapse or mitral valve problems of any kind that were found. supposedly, the heart wall thickness was great, this thing called ejection fraction was at 60% and it's supposed to be between 50 and 75% at rest, everything looked fine on the echo. the cardiologist did not even call to contact me, just sent a letter with the "good" results and the bill for the thing. now, supposedly not having ANY mitral valve prolapse, or ANY other problems that an echo can detect, it still blows my mind that I can have these stupid palpitations with NOTHING going on. and even if there's NOTHING going on now, I've heard that excessive worry CAN lead to heart and other health problems. wtf?!!!!! is there anyone here who's been told they have NO heart problems and still have these things?

Yes, you have them because there is something wrong...anxiety!! Anxiety will give you palpitations and, if you are a woman, you tend to get them more frequently before and during your cycle. Stress and worry can cause heart and other problems but that is if you don't treat it and you are taking the steps to get better.
I have NEVER met a person who has said they don't get palpitations. Yes, they can scare you and make you think something is wrong but you have had a gazillion heart tests done and everything is fine.
You have to ask yourself when is it enough? You have been told you are OK many times but you don't seem to believe it. How much time and energy has gone into this?
I used to be you. I would never believe anything the doctor told me. Finally, my husband said to me, "It's like you want something to be worng with you!" and I just realized I was loosing precious time with my family and friends because all I did was go to the doctor and monitor each and every little pain I felt. I was done!
What you really need to do is focus on fixing the anxiety, as that is the real problem. I am so glad you got the program! Just keep following it week after week and you will learn the skills that will make you feel so much better. I did the program twice and found it worked more when I did it in conjunction with a psychiatrist the second time.
Another thing I would do is STAY AWAY from the medical websites! They feed the fear. I honestly think that those sites should have a anxiety test as their home page and if you "fail" then you can't look at the site LOL
Best of luck to you!!
Erin

hi april,
you know i was just at the doctor last week because i always worry about these palpitations myself. well like usual they told me there was nothing to worry about. i myself has had two echocardiograms numerous chest xrays and also numerous ekgs and i did that 30 day event moniter. i have been dealing with these things for three years now. i also get that feeling that my heart stops and starts again thats what makes me set up these appointments but all them are is those pvc's and them are totally harmless i know they dont feel harmless but they are. so your going to be ok and i know this program is going to help i am just starting lesson 3 and i allready can tell a difference

I, too, have suffered from PVC's for over 12 years. I had an EKG, Echochardiogram, and wore a holter monitor for 3 weeks in which I pressed a button when I would have a "skipped" beat. I have low blood pressure and a higher pulse as well. When I got the results of my echo, it was enough to reassure me that my heart was normal. When I get them now, I use it as a cue to tell myself "okay, you are on stress overload and you need to relax" and they stop. You also have to tell yourself that PVC's are perfectly normal in many, many people beginning in the 40's and they are harmless!! They will not hurt you and they will not kill you but when you worry about them, they will become maybe not more frequent but more noticeable. It is a weird feeling and I still get them occasionally and I attribute them to high stress and my age (41). I notice them more when I lie on my left side and after I eat too much. If you had an echo and the doc says your heart looks good, try to trust that he/she is telling you the truth. To hear that I had a beautiful looking heart was music to my ears and it was enough to significantly reduce them right away. You will be okay, April

The thing is, I'm only 28. Before that first "panic attack" I still had palpitations but they were VERY infrequent. In fact, they were so infrequent that I couldn't tell you how much time would pass between one and then the next. But after that "panic attack" I started getting them everyday. I am having a very difficult time even thinking that what I experienced was a panic attack that was caused only by stress and anxiety. I have heard that panic disorder and panic attacks can in fact be caused by underlying physical problems. Anyway, the point is I'm only 28, and I don't know many other people my age who talk about having these things. I even know people who SMOKE and don't get the friggin' things. My younger brother, who smokes and complains of chest pains, doesn't even get palpitations. I asked him if he did, just to see what he said, and he said he doesn't get them. That, to me, seems like a problem for me. I want to tell myself they're nothing, but they just don't FEEL like nothing. And what's more is that I seem to get them more often with the more activity I do, or the more rigorous the activity is. Again, if I supposedly have a healthy heart, I shouldn't be getting these with increased activity. I thought exercise was supposed to help? Apparently for me it doesn't. Getting a tingling left arm and hand isn't very comforting, either.

April Renae

I see that you’ve just recently started the Program and I think that’s great. I think if you follow the program and stick with it, that you’ll learn many skills and changes of habit that will bring you exactly what you are looking for…regardless of whether these heart palpitations are physically driven or anxiety/stress driven.

Why I say that is this: There are plenty of people out there who experience the types of symptoms we do, without the fear and obsessing and worry that we go thru. Do they experience them to the degree we do? I don’t know. Do they experience them as frequently as we do? I don’t know. Do they experience the variety and number of seemingly unrelated symptoms that we do? I don’t know that either…and if they don’t, then some of the above may support why we are affected more than the those that are not, but, for sure, the symptoms are likely not as strange or unique as we may tend to feel they are and this leaves us with an important opening.

So…lets say one person has heart palpitations and they turn out to be caused by anxiety. And lets say a second person’s heart palpitations turn out to be caused by something physical. In both cases…this program can be hugely beneficial.

In the first case…the person learns how to under react to the symptoms, learns how to talk to themselves in a way that de-escalates the panic cycle, learns to breathe and calm and sooth themselves, learns how to nip those scary negative thoughts in the bud, develops more self confidence and self reliance in ways that comfort them, learns assertiveness and the importance of action thru baby steps. In the case of this person…as they build up the courage to go to doctors and have physical test run, and begin to rule out the possibility of something physical being ‘wrong’ with them…they are also learning how to reduce their everyday feeling of anxiety and fear and in time, they notice and experience the symptom less and less. Or, when they do experience the heart palp in the future, they use their skills and eventually it comes to effect them no more severely than it affects those people out there who have felt a palpitation once and a while and don’t think about it any longer than when it’s happening.

In the second case…the person learns everything that the first person has…only in their case, it turns out that they do have a physical cause as the tests have shown. Well…how is this person helped by this program?? The answer is, regardless of whether a person is anxious and depressed or not…nothing changes the fact that they have this medical issue to contend with right? Now, a “non anxiety” disorder person can take a physical issue like this and become extremely anxious and negative and experience the kinds of things we talk about here every day—do they need this on top of the medical issue they need to contend with? Would their life not be way way better, if they learn how to under react, learn how to give up control, learn how to comfort and sooth themselves, learn how to recognize and point out the positive things in their life instead of focusing on the negative? If it is a medical issue, but not a serious one…what then? Isn’t it possible to--in our minds--turn a non-serious medical issue into one that cripples us thru worry and fear? I think it is. We can make something out of nothing; make something into something bigger than it is; make a big something even bigger...or we can learn how to do the opposite.

If we worry ourselves until we’re sick over it, for the next 15 years, and then what we're worrying about finally happens...have we done ourselves any favors what-so-ever? Saved ourselves anything? Scaring ourselves and worrying ourselves into a panic provides us with no benefit…none. And what if the bad thing we are worrying about never happens…what then can we say of those 15 years of worry? You are doing the right thing; you are having tests run. If the answers are not bringing you any comfort—then go for that second opinion and a third if needed. Go until you talk with someone you find yourself trusting. In the meantime…work this program because regardless of the test results you receive…there are tools and skills and ways to bring yourself more comfort and contentment than you are feeling right now.

In the end…there is not a whole lot of difference between the two people above, if both people are driven to the point where they are unable to move forward with their lives due to this one part of their lives.

If you are experiencing heart palpitations, then it is a very wise and in most cases, a very courageous thing that you are doing by having the tests performed. I say courageous because, so many people are unable to get past the fear of having the tests done or to get past the fear of thinking about having the tests done and not feeling they will be able to cope with the answer. In any case…millions of people do not take the action of going beyond worry—and in this, you are doing a very positive thing for yourself.

In the meantime, as you continue to look for answers as to what might be causing these palpitations…you have a whole spectrum as to how you can deal with it emotionally. You can be completely freaked out and live in fear, on the one hand…or you can not give it another moments thought and live a worry free life on the other. What this program can do for you—regardless of what turns out to be causing the palpitations—is to at the very least, move you to somewhere in the middle of the scale from totally worried to not worried at all. This is done by, learning that we can choose the perspective that we see events thru. Many of us come to eventually see only thru a negative scary perspective—and this messes us up, because in our state, we actually believe this perspective represents the “Truth” and it most certainly does not. Life is not all rosy and positive—and thankfully this program doesn’t try to make us believe this perspective either, because I could never buy into that. But…it is not all negative either, and as we learn to view things thru a more neutral and realistic perspective…”hope” in so many forms, begins to appear. All the skills, and each lesson in this program will help you to begin to challenge the scary perspective that you have, with a perspective that is still your own but more balanced and comforting.

I wish you well and congratulate you for ordering and starting this program.

My best,
JOP