I'm new to the forum and it's good to come across a place where I can share some of the problems I've been experiencing.

I've had (and still get) ectopics, flutters, other weird beats, chest pain etc.. This brought on lots of anxiety when someone I knew in their 20's dropped dead suddenly from an unknown heart problem. I had some ECGs, echocardiogram and blood tests etc.. where I was told that I'm fine and I need to stop worrying about it, although I still get off days I've largely put it out of my mind compared to before and try to get on with things the best I can.

There is something at the moment that is really bothering me, I can feel my heart pumping really strongly when I exercise or do something that gets it going. I don't mean by putting my hand some place and feeling for it, I mean just by standing or sitting still. I can feel it a bit in my chest, but it's mostly in my left side and down into the top of my leg, and in my lower back, it really pulses like something being squeezed inside me in tune with the pumping of my heart. Is it normal to feel the heart pulsing round the body like this? It's not something that has come on lately, as far as I know I've had it for years, but it does seem to be getting stronger and stronger. I did ask a few people if they felt the same sensations when exercising and I just received a weird look in return and a no.

I was thinking about going to the doctors again, but I don't want to go only to find out it is normal, if it isn't then I'll go ahead and make an appointment.

Cheers for any help. Good to be here. James

Hi there James.  I know what you mean exactly.  Bead is right that we are more intune with our hearts at the moment which doesn't help.  I only have to go upstairs and i can feel and 'hear' my heart beat in my head and ears too.  I don't like this, but i have been told that it is normal.  I filled the washer earlier and came back to sit down and my chest was heaving with my heart rate that much that my jumper was jumping, lol.  I don't like this feeling either so can understand how you feel.  Just try to distract myself when the is happens until it goes off.  Give the distraction a try and let us know how you get on.
Welcome to the forum, take care.xx

Hi James,

Welcome to the forum. First let's try and dispell some worry you have about the historical case you mentioned. People don't just "drop dead" from an unknown cause. A person experiencing sudden cardic death in their 20's is most likely due to something known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, especially if they were athletic. Death of such a nature is actually never sudden, but rather has been inherent in these unfortunate individuals for quite some time. In any event, the case is never one to be held up as representing any point along the continuum for the consequences of anxiety disorders and associated physical symptoms, or even in the absence of anxiety for that matter. It's a very rare occurrance, not the common rule.

Typically, when acute chest pain occurs as a consequence of exerting the body and palpitations are observed, we tend to consider something called Wolf-Parkinson White Syndrome and it occurs with far more frequency in women than in men. But I seriously doubt that it's the case where your concerned and it presents a very characteristic pattern on ECG as well, so it would have been observed.

Some folks have abnormally strong pulses and it's not uncommon for them to be felt at various locations when under exertion. This is especially true if you are not conditioned or have a sedentary lifestyle. When the body is under exertion, there is a great demand for oxygen to the muscle tissues affected and the body in general. The heart and lungs must alter their course in order to meet these demands and cardiac force is elevated, along with heart rate.

Since the tests you mentioned returned negative, then I'm constrained to point out that negative represents no evidence of pathology or disease. So it's safe for you to relax and take it easy in several ways by building up stamina gradually and only exercising to the extent you achieve 85% of maximum heart rate potential. Your maximum heart rate (MHR) is the highest number of beats per minute your heart can reach during all-out effort. Because maximum heart rate decreases as you get older, a popular calculation used is: 220 - age = MHR

For example, a 25-year-old man would have an MHR of 220 - 25 = 195 beats per minute.

This is a good guideline to follow.

You'll be fine and I can certainly tell you here that I've received my fair share of questions about heart beats, heart rate, chest pain, palpitations, etc. from concerned patients. True heart disease is not a mystery by any means and the signs are unmistakable. You're not in that group, so take a deep breath and relax.

Best regards and Good Health

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I have never had palpatations but I am 46yrs old, and slim as well and I have always had these sensations of feeling my pulse. Even while at rest my heart feels like it is pounding in my ears sometimes. If I am watching TV and lay the remote on my abdomen you can see it bouncing around. It took my wife quite some time to get used to it when we first got married

Hi

I think a lot of people experience this, when my husband comes home from running (when he's on one of his I need to loose some weight moments) I can see his whole body move to his pulse, my sister said my brother in law's heart is always really strong that it vibrate's the bed!  I too am thin and I did occasionally get the pounding around my Aorta.

I think you are fine, it takes a long while to accept what you are being told my doctors etc..

Take care

Kath x