Ok- I have been playing hockey and I have come to a point where I am so scared to play anymore I want to quit. It is no longer fun and I worry so much that I am just happy when the game is over. My history again 38 healthy and have had every test under the sun. ekg-echo-stress test-holter-angiogram (for chest pain)-and I think a thalum test where it disects every bit of your heart. The best way to describe my palpitations are as follows. Ba bump, ba bump, ba bump, stop. ba bump, ba bump ba bump stop. ba bump ba bump ba bump stop. Its about 3 normal beats and then it stops for what seems like at least a second. No other symptoms other than it slightly takes my breath away probably because I'm freaked out. Now when I exercise on the treadmill at the gym it doesnt do it. It only happens really bad during hockey when my heart beats fast. I think it has something to do with the very cold hockey arena and I know many of you havent played hockey before but it is physically very demanding and your adrenaline gets going big time. When I get scared its probably off the charts. This will happen on and off for the whole game when my heart rate is elevated. I usually feel like crap after the game and I don't sleep well that night and the next morning I am emotionally drained. I think emotionally this turns me into a complete mess and my anxiety must be so revved up that it takes a toll on my body. My heart rhythm doctor told me these are benign from the holter but when I wore the holter I only had a couple palps and nothing close to these chaotic beats. Yes I am a worry wart but I guarantee you if anyone else had these like I do during hockey or whenever else they would be completely scared out of their mind. I still drink Starbucks coffee and some chocolate and wonder if I should quit this all together and see if this helps. What scares me is that it feels like my heart is seriously struggling to beat on a normal rhythm. Its not just a vagus nerve kick here or there but my heart feels like it starts and stops, drops, rolls you name it. How can this be normal when it feels like its struggling so bad and cant get on track. I have thought about going back to my cardiologist and just asking what else they can do, one doctor said to get my thyroid checked. For whatever reason I wish I had that monitor on me when I was playing hockey because I would love to see what they would say about the crazy stop and starting beats. I think I am now depressed because of this and my anxiety is through the roof. Emotionally and physically I am just completely drained and I think about my heart 24/7. I so want to enjoy life again. I have had all the tests but I just want someone to tell me I am ok and my heart is completely normal. I am in great shape, I eat well, and exercise often but for some reason i feel like I'm dying. How can something that feels so so wrong in my abnormal crazy struggling heartbeat be considered BENIGN and normal. RLR or someone else please help calm my nerves I am a mess!!!

Well, there's nothing to prevent you from having the holter monitor applied while playing hockey but I have to tell you that based upon your description here and in earlier postings, I see nothing to suggest any pathology is present that would account for the symptoms.

These events are the result of stimulation of the heart by the vagus nerve. Simply because the events change in characterization does not even remotely suggest that some type of transition has taken place from benign to pathological. Vagus-induced palpitations do not possess some single identifying presentation, but rather are very dynamic in nature due to their point of entry within the cardiac cycle. Basically, anything that can disturb the diaphragm can increase the potential for benign vagus nerve-induced palpitation events. They are, and remain, harmless in all contexts whether exercising or at rest.

You're in no danger whatsoever and you are letting your fears and apprehension run away with you. You'll be fine.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)