Hi @vdouglas, I have felt the irregular heartbeat since I was 19, I am 63 now and it is so much worse. I am on a Beta Blocker and that really helps, I can't take the class of drugs that my cardiologist tried to give me, now he has given me Clonidine. It is helping lower my BP but the irregular beats are still bad. The only thing that seems to help is when I go to bed I take an extra half of Corgard. You are right about the 'panic attacks' too. I take Xanax but lately even that doesn't seem to work. I honestly don't know what to do. I am seriously thinking of getting a second opinion because when the irregular heartbeats start, which is daily now, my entire body goes into the fight or flight mode and it is just a vicious cycle that my body just can't take anymore. Thank you so much for your input.

Hi. I also have had flutters since 20 yrs old that no one could catch on testing. I'm now 65 and over the years it's worsened to now, it's full blown flutter and then fast heart rate to 180 bpm or a thud and it immediately races, but now at this age it's so much worse and I have to immediately lay down. I take beta blocker and lay still and wait till it kicks in and slowly the heart goes back to a normal rate OR there's a thud and it suddenly returns to normal. Once in all these years it wouldn't go back to normal and I had to go to the ER and they gave me something intravenously that slowed it. There's been talk about a surgical procedure that creates a scar tissue on the heart to divert the bad signal or something like that. I'm trying to get by the way it is without surgery that scares me. It happens seriously enough to interfere in my life averaging once a week now. I'm sure getting even older and if it gets even worse, the heart can't take that fast rate for long and could have a heart attack, so someday surgery may be better than a heart attack. I think this is a common disorder. I still don't really know the name for it. Bundle branch block?

@ml54 , I understand completely. It wears you down physically and emotionally. Something I found is that cardiologist don't always like to address the panic attack aspect. If you feel that is the case you may find that you get more help from your regular doctor. There are other meds that help.
My prayers are with you.
@vdouglas

Hi @tomonthebeach, welcome. Here's some information about bundle branch block from Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bundle-branch-block/basics/definition/con-20027273 Does this describe the symptoms you experience? Do you often feel faint with these episodes? What type of follow-up or how often has your cardiologist suggested?

Hello, @ml54. Teresa invited me to weigh into this conversation, and your posting an hour ago raised some issues that I can say something about -- although as a patient and not as a medical professional. I too have had irregular heartbeats for decades, although they are always relatively light and not of major concern. Three years ago I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation that sped up my heart rate, but since my basic rate was about 50bpm, it hasn't prompted any worries rising to 75-80bpm. In fact, the change had a positive effect by clearing me to use beta blockers (which slow the heart rate, as you know) for my hypertension; my beta blocker is Carvedilol (Coreg). It helps keep my heart rate manageable and helps reduce my blood pressure as well.

Like you, I was on Clonidine for a few months to deal with my blood pressure as well as a suspicion that the blood pressure was being influenced by a tumor on my adrenal gland that might have been producing excess adrenalin. Clonidine is a 50-year-old medication that is used for a very wide range of conditions affecting the heart, kidneys, glands of several kinds, and the sympathetic nervous system. One frequent use is to test for excess adrenalin from such tumors. When the adrenal gland issue didn't pan out diagnostically, my doctors took me off of it, and turned to other medications more properly suited to my medical issues. You mentioned that your body goes into "fight or flight" mode, which could be a side-effect of Clonidine. Have your doctors mentioned that symptom in connection with Clonidine?

I'm confident that you would benefit from a second opinion from a doctor who reviews your entire medical record. That is the least that you should do when you feel so concerned that you speak of your "a vicious cycle that (your) body just can't take any more."
Martin

Hi @ml54, I appreciate your posts expressing how you have been feeling, it helps me to not feel so alone with similar symptoms. Thank you!
Just wondering if conditions have improved for you a bit?

Hello @tomonthebeach , so sorry I failed to welcome you until now. Your earlier response to @ml54 is much appreciated by all, including myself, who suffer with irregular heart rhythm. Thank you for telling your story.
How are you doing? has there been any positive changes in your condition?
@vdouglas
Von