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Awkward/rapid/skipping heartbeat

Posted by AppleGeek @applegeek, Apr 27, 2013

I'm 17 years old. Turning 18 in may. It all started Last year. I went to dinner with the family. I got home. Started playing video games on my laptop (sims). Then all of a sudden I think I felt my heart stop for a brief moment (it also felt like I couldn't breathe for that brief second). Then I felt my heart and it felt fine. I started to panic and my heart started racing. I ran inside to my mom just incase anything did happen to me. But after I sat next to mom my heart rate went back to normal. I started to PANIC for the next 2 weeks. I finally told mom and she took me to the doctor and they got me an EKG. The doctor said I was fine and that I shouldn't be worrying. I was having panic attacks.

So I calmed down. But every now and again my heart "skips a beat" and I get that same loss of breath when it happens. I don't know what to call it. I just feel it stop then I touch my chest to feel my heart or maybe cough and it's back to normal again. It's been a year and it's still happening so idk what to do about it.

Another random thing that happened this morning was I was in bed on my phone then my heart went from a resting beat to a full on RAPID beat like you see in movies when someone is having a heart attack. Then I stood up and took a big cough and boom i was fine...idk if this is really happening or if it's all in my head.

Please can I have your intake on this?

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bearylynn | @bearylynn | Apr 29, 2013

First - I believe the term 'panic attack' will be used very little once more drs. become humble enough to admit they do not know all. In my opinion, the more you question yourself regarding what is going on with your body, the more likely you will be to end up with real panic issues.

Trust your gut. In my family, we've had many reasons for strange heartbeats:

Myself - and 2 sisters - have had instances (many months long) of 'skipping' heartbeats. One sister - worst in her 20's. For me, worst in late 20's, early 30's. Tests always show nothing serious -- called 'PVC's (pre-ventricular contractions, I believe). Some mild mitral valve prolapse and other minor 'valve regurgitation.'

One daughter gets racing heart due to 'POTS' (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) due to an autonomic disorder (dysautonomia). Runs in my family - nervous system doesn't regulate certain automatic systems very well........, but we had her checked out thoroughly also because............

BUT - the most important situation was with my oldest daughter, when she was 17 years old. Many drs. dismissed her. She was having rapid heart rate. She'd feel extremely weak, tired, dizzy. I knew something was not right -- her rate would jump to 140 or 170 for no reason, but at the dr. office, it was 'under 100,' so "ok." EKG's also looked normal.

Found a WONDERFUL cardiologist on my own. He also had some trouble 'finding' the problem, but he did; and when he did an echocardiogram, found out that her heart was only about 50% effective. In addition to that, a 24-hour heart-monitoring service was used to see what was happening over 1-2 weeks.

In the past 3 years, she's had an 'ablation' procedure to correct 'av nodal re-entrant tachycardia,' been on some heart meds, and monitored to keep heart rate regular. Last year, we learned of a miracle we had not anticipated -- her heart is functioning 100%.

Could have been due to a virus, strep, mononucleosis, medication..............or just an electrical problem..........we'll never know, but it taught me once and for all to trust my gut!

For me (and my sister), our 'harmless' PVC's were always exacerbated by:
sudafed
red wine
MSG (doritos and other junk foods).

For the past year, my sister and I have been taking the powdered magnesium supplement, Natural Calm (magnesium citrate). Since then our blood potassium levels have become more stable, and we have had 0 problems with the irregular heartbeats.

REPLY
1 reply
AppleGeek | @applegeek | Apr 29, 2013
In reply to @bearylynn "First - I believe the term 'panic attack' will be used very little once more drs...." + (show)
@bearylynn

First - I believe the term 'panic attack' will be used very little once more drs. become humble enough to admit they do not know all. In my opinion, the more you question yourself regarding what is going on with your body, the more likely you will be to end up with real panic issues.

Trust your gut. In my family, we've had many reasons for strange heartbeats:

Myself - and 2 sisters - have had instances (many months long) of 'skipping' heartbeats. One sister - worst in her 20's. For me, worst in late 20's, early 30's. Tests always show nothing serious -- called 'PVC's (pre-ventricular contractions, I believe). Some mild mitral valve prolapse and other minor 'valve regurgitation.'

One daughter gets racing heart due to 'POTS' (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) due to an autonomic disorder (dysautonomia). Runs in my family - nervous system doesn't regulate certain automatic systems very well........, but we had her checked out thoroughly also because............

BUT - the most important situation was with my oldest daughter, when she was 17 years old. Many drs. dismissed her. She was having rapid heart rate. She'd feel extremely weak, tired, dizzy. I knew something was not right -- her rate would jump to 140 or 170 for no reason, but at the dr. office, it was 'under 100,' so "ok." EKG's also looked normal.

Found a WONDERFUL cardiologist on my own. He also had some trouble 'finding' the problem, but he did; and when he did an echocardiogram, found out that her heart was only about 50% effective. In addition to that, a 24-hour heart-monitoring service was used to see what was happening over 1-2 weeks.

In the past 3 years, she's had an 'ablation' procedure to correct 'av nodal re-entrant tachycardia,' been on some heart meds, and monitored to keep heart rate regular. Last year, we learned of a miracle we had not anticipated -- her heart is functioning 100%.

Could have been due to a virus, strep, mononucleosis, medication..............or just an electrical problem..........we'll never know, but it taught me once and for all to trust my gut!

For me (and my sister), our 'harmless' PVC's were always exacerbated by:
sudafed
red wine
MSG (doritos and other junk foods).

For the past year, my sister and I have been taking the powdered magnesium supplement, Natural Calm (magnesium citrate). Since then our blood potassium levels have become more stable, and we have had 0 problems with the irregular heartbeats.

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Thank you so much! You really have calmed me down with your explanation. I remember asking my doctor about potassium levels. So that might be it. I don't take ANY vitamins. (Which I think is bad). I'll try that vitamin you mentioned and if I still feel a little weird ill go to a cardiologist. I don't feel any of the symptoms your oldest daughter felt. But who knows. Thanks SO much you really made a soon to be on his own college kid very VERY happy. <3

REPLY
Harish Mirwani | @harishmirwani | May 10, 2013

First of all are you smoker ? Second are you coffee lover ? If yes how heavy

REPLY
mikeshutt | @mikeshutt | Jun 12, 2013

Hello have you been tested for Wolf Parkinson's white syndrome. It does not always show up in an EKG

REPLY
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