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Heart Palpitations Forum >> Symptoms and other concerns >> Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
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Message started by martinpetersen on Dec 30^th, 2010, 2:59am

Title: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by martinpetersen on Dec 30^th, 2010, 2:59am

This webforum is, among several other factors, very nice because a medical educated and experienced person (RLR) shares his knowledge. And often answers fast! Thank you.
I have never by my own doctors or on the web received such a credible and scientific based info as to how benign palps/ectopic beats occur.

But why do palps (sometimes) feel so bad and annoying? Even if you KNOW that they are harmless?
Not all of my ectopics are really bad, but now and then I experience that an ectopic heartbeat/extrasystole, often intense and "hard", immediately is followed by a feeling of fear/chock. Like the heart "pushes a button" in your body. Or touches a nervebundle.
Very much like when you get "chocked" by a sudden, unexpected, loud sound. It feels like andrenaline is pumping in your body, and it also immedieately has influence upon my mood. I feel a bit depressed, inward turned towards my own body and its irritating symptoms.
And if I'm so unlucky that more of these "hard beats" occur shortly after one another, I get in a "palpitation-mode" that's not nice at all. Sometimes this mode also include an increased kidneyactivity: I pee a lot ... :-)
And I know in my mind it's not dangerous. It is if my body doesn't know ...

Anyone else here experience a thing like this?

And what are the mechanisms that constitutes this "pushes a fear-button"-feeling?
If that is known, maybe there is a way out of it? :-)

Anyway - happy New Year to all - with or without sudden loud sounds, with or without palps.

Martin

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by boringdanielle on Dec 30^th, 2010, 7:01am

I am the same way also. Usually I feel a little flutter or skipping, I say YUCK to myself and go on with it. Sometime its not even everyday. The times I do get them hard or really crazy feeling, it almost always will send me into a panic attack. I feel really scared, get hot, feel like I need to run or escape somewhere. It is so weird. That's why I am always afraid its something bad wrong with my heart. I could handle the occasional thump, or sputter its the the really hard ones that give me a surge of yuckiness that goes with it. I hope I descibed this well. I totally know where you are coming from. If anyone knows how to handle the hard ones with bad feelings I would love to know. I am getting a 30 day holter monitor tomorrow. I hope this can help to put my mind at ease or see if something is indeed really wrong. I hope you have a palp free NEW YEAR!!

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by AbbyH on Dec 30^th, 2010, 8:31am

The differnt feelings are from when the extra beat occurs in the cardiac cycle. RLR explains it alot better, but basically the more full of blood your heart is when the extra one happens, the harder the thump and longer the pause you feel. It's just pumping out the extra blood that came in with the beat.

Arent our hearts truly amazing??? They can cope with it just fine, it's us that worries ;)

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by Andrea on Dec 31^st, 2010, 12:27am

I know totally how you feel. Ive had palps today and even though I know theyre harmless, I feel depressed and weepy over it. Thats my "palp mode" I had a run of palps tonight as a passenger of a car, and it made me so panicky and hot.. I wanted to leap out of the moving car. I just HATE that Im probably going to have these for the rest of my life, and considering Im 29.. Im going to experience these for a loooong time. Furthermore, im working towards my masters degree in social work... How am I going to work with my clients if im stressing about my stupid palps? I know I have to move on, but how?

It would help if I stopped having dreams about my palps. One of my best friends from childhood is a surgeon and I keep dreaming about her telling me theres something wrong with me. Haha.

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by martinpetersen on Dec 31^st, 2010, 1:38am

Of course you will be able to finish your masters and cope with your clients. Maybe even better than others.
Because: "What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger ..."
And you might understand better how THEY feel stressed.

Happy New Year!

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by Andrea on Dec 31^st, 2010, 9:44pm

Once I get my Master's degree I would like to get licensed to be able to provide therapy and counseling to people, especially sufferers of anxiety. I do think I can help them because I have lived it.. I know some people like that in a counselor, someone who knows what they're feeling.

I just hope I can not allow these stupid palps to cripple me mentally. I usually go stretches of time without having any, but when they come it just makes my entire life come to a stand-still. I need to learn how to be strong :)

I think you've hit on something though, when you said it feels like you get chocked by a loud sound.. that's kind of what winds me up when I get my palps. The unexpectedness, like someone sneaking up on me and yelling "BOO!" repeatedly. I think that's what gets me upset. I've always been a little high strung and on edge, so the palps just continually spook me. Haha.

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by martinpetersen on Jan 1^st, 2011, 4:02am

What I try to think when the palps are there, is:
EVERY single time they have paid me a visit, they left again - without causing any damage.

Good luck.

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by boringdanielle on Jan 1^st, 2011, 10:32am

Does anyone think these palps cause panic attacks sometimes? That is why I always think these ectopics are going to kill me, b/c they make me feel so bad. I HATE these things. I wouldn't wish it on anyone!! >:(

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by Andrea on Jan 1^st, 2011, 12:10pm

I wouldnt wish them on anyone either. I would rather suffer from my months long bouts of nausea that I occasionally have than palpitations. Ive often told people I would easily trade the palps for constant nausea.

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by themoabird on Jan 1^st, 2011, 3:15pm

"Does anyone think these palps cause panic attacks sometimes?"

There is absolutely no doubt that palps can cause the sorts of thought processes that lead to panic attacks.

It's a straightforward feedback loop:

Palp -> "Uh oh, there's something wrong" -> Adrenal response -> Heart lurches, heart rate increases -> "God, there really is something wrong" -> More adrenaline -> Heart rate increases, start to get hot, tingle (all caused by adrenaline) -> "Oh no, I'm going to die" -> Even more adrenaline -> Heart racing now, breathing rate increases. ETC.

It's just a classic pattern. And it's made much more likely because of the chronic background anxiety that's no doubt present; and the fact that people with health anxiety - myself included - constantly monitor their bodily sensations.

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by martinpetersen on Jan 2^nd, 2011, 12:35am

Thanks to all for some very interesting answers and descriptions to my question: "Why do palps feel bad?"
Maybe the question wasn't answered 100% (hadn't expected that either ...), but the answers brought some more clarification into my little head.

So my two following questions to the doctors of the world (some of who MIGHT seem a little disinterested as soon as they don't see any risky heart disease) are:

1: How can benign palpitations, which really DO influence negatively on many people's lives, be prevented?

2: How can people with benign palpitations be treated/learn to cope with these, in order to live with them?

Okay, docs, how about that?
(I guess the doctors of the world ARE following this discussion closely ...) :-)

Martin, Denmark on a nice, palpfree Sunday morning.

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by valentino on Jan 2^nd, 2011, 1:51am

As this problem is a worldwide problem causing a lot of distress panic anxiety and scare the hell out of many sufferers, in my opinion and I guess your opinion too , there should be more research into the causes of and cure of these irregular heart beats. I would pay good money to get rid once and for all of this problem that has wrecked my life.

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by martinpetersen on Jan 2^nd, 2011, 2:39am

I agree totally!

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by RLR on Jan 2^nd, 2011, 2:36pm

Okay, it's important to realize that part of the emotional impact arising from the palpitation events is neurological. When stimulated, the vagus nerve is excitatory upon several areas of the brain, in particular for this inquiry, the locus ceruleus. This part of the brain, in coordination with several other key components, is responsible for mood regulation and emotional status. When stimulated, it has the potential to produce overwhelming feelings of impending doom or imminent threat.

So although you come to understand that the palpitation events are entirely harmless, the emotions described above nevertheless have the potential to arise. It does not make the emotions valid to any extent whatsoever, only that they are a natural response by the brain subsequent to stimulation in a particular manner.

You'll be just fine. It should interest you to know that there is not a single documented record of any person suffering any type of cardiac event as a result of the presence of benign palpitations. Not one.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by martinpetersen on Jan 2^nd, 2011, 3:12pm

I truly believe/know that you are right about benign palpitations, that they do never cause any cardiac event. That's good and calming to realize. Really.

But still it would be nice to be able to avoid the palps completely, since they do cause these very unpleasant feelings. The palps have "..wrecked my life ..." as one user here puts it.

I'm not quite satisfied that maybe I will have just "to live with it".

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by aks85 on Jan 3^rd, 2011, 11:24am

I'm not.satisfied with it either. however, from speaking with Dr. Rane, my research and other things I truly believe it is an event that we must come.to understand and accept. its kind of like.resisting against a concrete wall or a panic it does no good and can make.things worse. there is no way to know when or how to get our palps to take a hike for good.

I just had a terrible palps, which is why I'm on this in this first place lol. it was horribly strong and it hurt! I'm chalking it up to me being sick, I've been sleeping all morning and woke up to that bad boy. but I'm going to ignore it.

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by Typer on Jan 3^rd, 2011, 6:26pm

I know that without our RLR, I would be quite insane by now.

When I get a bad episode, I read the things he has said (I printed loads off) or sometimes I say over to myself "you'll be fine" and I cannot express how much it helps. BUT, when I am in palp mode I also get depressed and weepy. I sometimes get a sudden head rush, feel light headed and a panic attack hits me at the same time as the palp. Other times they are light and I ignore them. Some days I get just one or two and get a bit complacent and even dare to be hopeful. Other days I despair and feel sad and so alone with them.

Its hard for anyone who has never had them to understand and so even if I tell a friend, they sympathize but forget.

I was a therapist for 16 years and had to stop work because I just could not "be there" hen they struck, which of course can be any time.

I have struggled financially ever since. I hate them, and feel almost ashamed that I have let them rule my life, but rule it they do

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by martinpetersen on Jan 4^th, 2011, 1:41am

Who'll write this book:

"How to live a normal life with benign palpitations"? :-)

And by the way: THANKS a lot to RLR for almost having written the book: "Palpitations are not a heart disease".
I think you really clarified a few (= quite a lot of) things for me, also now when I have been reading a little of the older archive-stuff.
Really a good and important job you are doing here.

Title: Re: Why do ectopic heartbeats (sometimes) feel so bad?
Post by Typer on Jan 6^th, 2011, 2:41am

There does need to be a book. There are a few passages in books that refer to them, but no books seems to explain them medically as RLR has done