Sorry i thought me little pic would come up small..... can delete if you want LOL

Welcome Rachey,

First, you are not alone!  Everyone here suffers from extra beats and we worry too.  Some more than others, but we have something in common and can relate to what you are experiencing.  I use to suffer from panic attacks and at the time I was scared too.  They eventually went away after I exposed myself to think I was scared of.

I remember when I would get a panic attack I would avoid every place I thought was a trigger because I thought that caused my panic attacks.  Back then I did become agorphobic because I was scared to have a panic attack in public for fear or embarrasing myself or others seeing me.  After counseling, I decided I had to face the fear.  So I went out in public, to the grocery store's and eventually I lost my fear of leaving my home...  And after much self-talk that I would be OK, I started overcoming the attacks, which seemed to come out of nowhere, I know!

You can beat this panic!!  It takes some time and a lot of hard work on your part, but it can be done and you will only be stronger having gone through this.  A book I found very helpful when going through the panic attacks was a book called, "help for your nerves, by Claire Weeks."  She is extraordinary when it comes to explaining what happens and why and yes it definitely has to do with the "fight or flight response."  Our bodies are in a state of constant fight, always aware and hyperviligent to the world, our bodies, etc and so we are always on guard and on lookout for dangerous accounts.  We must learn to re-train our thinking and take control of what is really real, and what isn't.

As for the ectopic beats, yes I have had runs, and many right after the other...  Right now I am getting constant pvc's (extra ectopic beats) every 3 heart beats..  It stinks, but from what my Cardiologist says and what RLR (A physician on here says) they are normal and do not lead to catastrophe.  The only catatstrophe they will lead to it what WE allow in our "minds."  The more we obsess about their nature, the more frequent they will become because we are gearing up our fight or flight repsonse constantly to act accordingly to perceived danger when there is not any.

I too am going through such a hard time in accepting this fact right now.  But it really does make sense.  Even when we "think" we are not anxious outwardly, we are.  If we are getting ectopic beats and think even for a minute, "0h no, this is it, I am going to die," or get frustrated as to why they keep appearing and feel helpless, then yes we are anxious.  it's totally normal to be concerned, but if we have had all the tests (EKG, Echo, and stress test) and are told our hearts are structurally normal, then the pvc's really are benign and this is what I am having a hard time with as well.

I think well if my heart is normal then WHY do I keep getting them?  And why so frequent.

Well, if I keep worrying and have chronic anxiety, I am only making them worse and it becomes a viscious cycle.  

You will be ok!  I know its hard when you feel so bad at times, but in reality (all other things aside) you will be OK!  And you will get through this in time.

We are here for you if you ever need to talk.  

Hang in there!!

Steff  

Wow guys, thank you so much.... I never thought till I come on here that anyone had the same symptoms as me ...  some stories are even worse with some folk having them every 3rd beat for ages, I only get this during a panic attack .... but it goes after about 10 mins..then i just get the odd ones....but the runs of them ater I eat are horrid its like theres no real heart beat ( but there must be or i would be dead) I never get dizzy with my palps or even breathless...its just the irregularities and thumps....usually after a massive burp they go.....    thank u guys for ur help...made me feel better xxxx

Hello and welcome to the forum. Indeed, you will find great support among the members here.

Let's talk about your symptoms for a moment. The underlying cause for your "wonky heart" has to do simply with fear and absolutely nothing to do with the heart itself. The reason that many people in your same predicament become frightened is because much like your experience on the bicycle, you panic because you are outside your realm of safety and security. Many people are unable to feel confident in certain situations as though they are suddenly all alone to deal with any eventuality that might come along.

The body is simply responding to the fear as it would under any other circumstances where a real threat is at hand. The symptoms your are experiencing are merely the changes the body is undergoing to deal with the threat it senses. The threat doesn't have to truly exist, but rather only your perception that it is there. Does that make sense?

Let's use KCHendrix's example of monsters under the bed. As a child, the darkness can cause a lot of insecurity because our senses are deprived, particularly vision. In other words, when parents come in and turn on the light, the child is suddenly calm again because they can utilize their vision to see that no monsters are there. Their heart stops racing and they are no longer afraid. Now let's apply this to your own situation.

When you leave the security of home, you are leaving behind certain cues that your senses use to let you know it's safe and predictable. If you are agoraphobic, most people with this affliction begin to mentally measure the actual distance they are going from the security of home rather than their destination. The farther they move from home, the more anxious they become and less confident. In other words, there are monsters under the bed at this point.

If you feel that you have no escape or feel trapped by your circumstances, ie traveled too far to get back home quick enough or that something is about to happen to you that will make you helpless, then your body will begin to respond to the fear and panic thresholds can occur. The fact that you came across someone you know and then were able to get a ride, even if under risky or embarassing circumstances, you suddenly felt safe because you are being taken to your point of safety and security.

People with agoraphobia and panic disorder typically try to engage in a very predictable and routine lifestyle that, while boring to them, constantly provides safety by virtue that their senses recognize and anticipate everything around them to be safe. Only when they are faced with unfamiliar activities or situations does the body's senses begin sending misinformation that something is terribly wrong, when in reality nothing is wrong at all. It is only your perception that something bad is going to happen that makes you panic.

It's important for you to understand that regardless of any insecurities and difficulty with agoraphobia, the heart palpitations will never cause you any harm. They are unable to damage the heart and only represent an unintentional signal due to the body responding to fear.

Understand that the palpitations are not originating in the heart, but from a nerve that is connected to your heart, your lungs, even your tummy. People become very frightened because it feels as though these interruptions could somehow cause the heart to suddenly stop beating, but it is not the case at all. Let's use the example of someone calling the wrong number on the telephone. Surely you've called the wrong number before. Well, when you place a call, the signal goes to the wrong person and when they answer, it's simply a matter of apologizing. Nothing happens to the phone or the person answering it as a result of a wrong signal. The very same thing is true for your heart. Your heart is simply answering a signal that was unintentional and it will never cause damage to the heart, nor will your heart ever stop beating as a result of these signals. Your heart is beating good and strong from an entirely different signal from inside the heart and this extra signal from outside is just added to it. But it can never interfere with the heart's own signal. See what I mean? In other words, if you place a call to the wrong number, it won't make the phone company lines all shut down. That could never happen because of how the phone system is wired. The very same is true for your heart. These extra signals can never, ever stop or damage your heart because of the way your heart's system is wired. See?

So take a deep breath and relax. You do need to get more comfortable with seeing your family physician simply to have a regular check-up. Your fear is that they will discover something horrible and your life will be over. You'll be just fine. Always plan a really nice reward for yourself when you have to go see the doctor or do anything that causes you discomfort. That way, it'll be a great relief and enjoyable moment once you leave the doctor and realize all the worry was for nothing but your fears about monsters under the bed, so to speak. Right?

You'll be just fine.

Best regards and Good Health

Well, you're not different. Many persons who experience palpitations of this type work diligently to mark a difference in the manner they experience them by comparison to others. You must realize that the body does not respond similarly in all instances and you must never try to generalize from the standpoint that only a certain familiar description is appropriate for palpitations which are harmless.

They can form in rapid succession, under exertion or rest, they can be sensed as a thump, a flutter and even an absence of a heart beat, but in all instances they are being derived from the same source.

Best regards and Good Health

Rachey wrote on Aug 8^th, 2008, 4:58pm:


I LOVE this!!!  I'm going to add it to my list of things I say to myself!!  You gave me my big laugh of the evening!!

Good for you!

LOL....glad i made u smile xxxx