Feeling Like Heart is Kicking Me When Sitting

Posted by mdm123 @mdm123, Oct 23, 2020

Hello All,

I wanted to post my issue here and see if I can get some community wisdom around possible suggestions on what it could be, or to confirm my best theory around it.

The problem that I am encountering appears to occur when I am in a sitting position, which is basically all day when I am working. This does not seem to occur when I am lying down or standing up. If I am completely honest, it might occur during these times, but at a completely reduced intensity, at a point where I feel I am making it up/seeing ghosts for a lack of better expression. I have noticed this for a couple of years now, let's call it 3, and it seems to go away, but recently it has returned and seems to have stuck for good, to the point that I want to track it down and get a good diagnosis for it.

For further context, I am a 44-year old male and have recently lost 40lbs. What's interesting is that I did not notice this issue when I had the extra weight. That is, this issue seems to have gotten worse with the more weight that I have lost, which is perplexing to me.

The issue is that when I am sitting down, I seem to feel a kicking sensation from my heartbeat, and it feels like it's in my back, but affects my upper body. At its worst, it will almost give me motion sickness and invoke a headache, although this is rare.

Further, it seems this sensation occurs while I am breathing, and seems to occur around the time when I have completely exhaled, either breathing in or out. Around this time, it simply feels like I am getting kicked by my heart, and it feels like this is occurring in the area towards my back. What's frustrating is that there isn't an exact time that I can reproduce this. It "just happens" and is annoying. This doesn't appear to occur when I am completely exhaled. That is, when I completely exhale and do not breathe back in I do not feel this issue. Of course, I cannot hold this very long but during this time the "kick" does not seem to occur. So, there's that. It seems like it happens during an active breath when I am sitting, and when I am at the point of being exhaled, either going in or going out.

For further background, I have had an EKG done and I do have a right-bundle-branch-block detected. I am wondering if this is resulting from this, which I have been told by cardiologists is a benign condition.

Additionally, I had an echocardiogram done in February, and everything looks fine there. What prompted the echocardiogram was that I was having an irregular heartbeat occurring when I laid down. When I say "irregular heartbeat" I mean the BPMs were the same (around 40-50), but I would get a "double" beat per instance. It freaked me out BIG time! It was like having a heart attack without any pain or additional symptoms. It turns out that this was occurring because I was taking 2x 500mg Naproxen (so 1g) for over 4 days, I want to call it, for headaches (migraines). I did not know this was the culprit at the time, but I had this occur again in July and I was also on Naproxen for 4+ days and it was then that I connected the dots. I stopped the Naproxen then and have never had a problem since then so that appears to explain that scary incident for me. Although it is very concerning that I can "trick" my heart into such a condition with a simple intake of what is supposed to be a painkiller. It makes me wonder if there's another latent/unidentified issue here.

Anyway, on to my best theory on what is happening here with my annoying condition here. My best guess for my mystery annoyance is that I have a compressed nerve at the base of my neck. It was discovered in my 20s and was told that it could lead to problems in the future. I am thinking that when I sit down, it puts pressure upon it in a way that is making these sensations occur. When I had more weight, the extra fat was "protecting" my nerve, and upon losing weight it has exposed the nerve/configuration in such a way that it is causing these sensations.

Consequently, my thought is that if I continue to lose weight, it will further reconfigure my neck in a way where this will go away. That's a joyous/optimistic thought, I know! That's my theory at least. It's just weird that I didn't have this at a higher weight but now it's all that happens at a lower weight.

In any case, I am focused/committed to my weight loss. I used to be 180lbs in my 30s and that's where I am aiming for again. With the pandemic, I have gotten a pretty good routine and works pretty well when I stick to it. I am hoping that losing the additional weight will further reduce any pressure in my configuration to reduce/alleviate/rid of this annoying guest. In the meantime, I wanted to "get this out there" to see if there is anything else to possibly be aware of and/or consider. FWIW, I did mention this to my doctor but we are focused now on my blood pressure, which is a whole other ball of wax (please see the thread on Weening off Metoprolol for further details).

Alright, there you go. I think I got all the facts out there. I feel like this is a confession, LOL. It's nice to be able to write all of this out in detail as it is very difficult to do with a busy and involved 20-minute session with the doctor. In any case, thank you to any out there for any insight/suggestions you can provide.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.

Hello again,
GET UP AND WALK AROUND YOUR OFFICE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SITTING FOR LONG STRETCHES IS NOT GOOD.
ARE YOU NEAR ANY TEACHING HOSPITALS? THEY TEND TOHAVE A BETTER HANDLE OF SITUATIONS.
IM WONDERING IF YOU ARE HAVING MUSCLE SPASMS?
What city/state are you in?

REPLY
@funcountess

Hello again,
GET UP AND WALK AROUND YOUR OFFICE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SITTING FOR LONG STRETCHES IS NOT GOOD.
ARE YOU NEAR ANY TEACHING HOSPITALS? THEY TEND TOHAVE A BETTER HANDLE OF SITUATIONS.
IM WONDERING IF YOU ARE HAVING MUSCLE SPASMS?
What city/state are you in?

Jump to this post

Thanks for your reply @funcountess. Funny you should mention that because I try to make a point to stand up every hour for a couple of minutes or so. My typical regimen also has me working out 80-90 minutes a day with weight training (20-30 minutes) and cardio (60 minutes). As for location, *trying* to keep me anonymous with my efforts here, but will say I am outside of Lansing, Michigan.

REPLY

Big congratulations for losing weight.
I join you in trying to loose some pounds.
We have all been sitting Too much since Covid has closed many exercise classes.
Good for you for keeping your exercise plan.
I walk our country road and force myself! to get on our treadmill.

More importantly do you have a cardiologist? My husband had similar symptoms and sees a wonderful cardiologist who Prescribed meds for his heart and blood pressure.

Take the time to take care of you.
Let us know how you are doing.

REPLY
@funcountess

Hello again,
GET UP AND WALK AROUND YOUR OFFICE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SITTING FOR LONG STRETCHES IS NOT GOOD.
ARE YOU NEAR ANY TEACHING HOSPITALS? THEY TEND TOHAVE A BETTER HANDLE OF SITUATIONS.
IM WONDERING IF YOU ARE HAVING MUSCLE SPASMS?
What city/state are you in?

Jump to this post

Great suggestion!

REPLY
@mdm123

Thanks for your reply @funcountess. Funny you should mention that because I try to make a point to stand up every hour for a couple of minutes or so. My typical regimen also has me working out 80-90 minutes a day with weight training (20-30 minutes) and cardio (60 minutes). As for location, *trying* to keep me anonymous with my efforts here, but will say I am outside of Lansing, Michigan.

Jump to this post

Michigan is a big state, so nobody is going to knock on your door, and most of us know each other’s state. I’m in California south of Santa Barbara. Michigan has a very good medical school, with excellent doctors, if that makes you feel better.
On and off standing is not enough during the work day. Walk around your office, you do not want blood to pool in your legs.
I think you are in good health, except for a few annoying little things.
Keep up your weight loss. Take care,
Funcountess

REPLY
@funcountess

Michigan is a big state, so nobody is going to knock on your door, and most of us know each other’s state. I’m in California south of Santa Barbara. Michigan has a very good medical school, with excellent doctors, if that makes you feel better.
On and off standing is not enough during the work day. Walk around your office, you do not want blood to pool in your legs.
I think you are in good health, except for a few annoying little things.
Keep up your weight loss. Take care,
Funcountess

Jump to this post

Thank you for that @funcountess I appreciate your well-wishes and advice, not to mention the warm welcome. While I am not expecting a visit, it's more of blabbing about health issues that can lead to profiling and the like from technology/agents out there. Who knows what's going on, so better safe than sorry. Maybe I read too many online news articles! Anyway, your hospitality is appreciated.

REPLY

@mdm123. Have you seen a cardiologist about this issue? They are specialists on heart issues. They can help you with your bp problem too.

REPLY
@mayofeb2020

@mdm123. Have you seen a cardiologist about this issue? They are specialists on heart issues. They can help you with your bp problem too.

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Not yet @mayofeb2020 but if it continues I will be doing so. It's not a high priority issue ATM but more of an annoyance. The goal is to continue to lose weight and if this is still a pestering issue I will be taking next steps.

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@mdm123

Hi again, you mentioned sensation of your heart kicking you in the chest when you sit down...that happens to me also, I’m convinced that it is the diaphragm pushing up through my stomach next to the heart causing Ectopic beats....the other night, it was awful....like it’s been said, when this happens get up out of the chair, walk around the house...back and forth, up and down corridors anything....also, try coughing, and try to belch....this alleviates the ‘trip out’ as I have come to call it.....but above all, try not to anguish...this causes HR and BP to spike......anxiety attacks can be most terrifying...I’m also on Klonopin....I take .5 nighty, and scored .5s and keep them in my pill box....I don’t go anywhere without them....good luck....you’re not alone....

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@mdm123

Not yet @mayofeb2020 but if it continues I will be doing so. It's not a high priority issue ATM but more of an annoyance. The goal is to continue to lose weight and if this is still a pestering issue I will be taking next steps.

Jump to this post

Hi,
Are you still having the sensation your heart is kicking you when you sit down?
Funcountess

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