Well, I'm not so certain that it's mere coincidence but you can experiment to help better determine whether your hypothesis is accurate. You can leave the guitar entirely unplugged and play it, or alternatively flip it so the strings are facing you rather than being plucked, and even stand to play and determine whether it could be body position and arm or hand movement that is causing upper diaphragmatic pressure capable of inducing the palpitation events.

It would not be likely that the electrical current or vibration is causing the events to occur, but more often the forward leaning position necessary to accommodate the guitar.

I don't believe it is prudent to give up playing, but rather determine more precisely the cause and work to mitigate it.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)

RLR, thanks. Upon review, I think it's most likely the slouched position that I sit in, but I will do some experiments, haha.

Richie, thanks for your post. I would just like to say (and I mean this to be friendly, not nasty) that the difference between us is that I am convinced that there is no harm to be done to me here. I know it's just benign palps. It's just that during guitar playing I need maximum concentration and it's throwing me off. I could sit here playing for 10 hours and it wouldn't concern me at all that I was going to die or be hurt. It would just take my concentration away so I would miss a few notes.

In your situation, it's the realisation that everything is benign that you need to grasp. You seem to always be looking at new diseases and trying to relate them to yourself. I feel that, if you were in this situation, you would be convinced that it couldn't be anxiety/posture, you would ask if you needed more tests/if it could be another tropical disease etc. This is not where I'm coming from. There is no part of me that has any fear about them, it's merely something that is effecting my concentration in an area that requires maximum from me.

I don't mean to sound patronising to you Richie, sorry. I know I sound like a nasty man here, but I don't mean to.  

I'll experiment with my posture and positioning and post again if I find that it doesn't resolve itself.

Oh no, I didn't mean to say that your symptoms aren't distressing or extreme. I have had the same symptoms, I know how annoying they are. My symptoms stopped when I stopped worrying if they were serious or not.

I think this is caused by my posture whilst playing. I'm not worried that it's anything more than nothing. It's hard to concentrate on playing 100 notes in 10 seconds when your heart is skipping lol. I have no fear of playing, it's just that I am required to be 100% concentrated and it's becoming difficult.

I don't think you have any problem at all Richie. Like I said before, I'd like to meet you in 20 years and have a beer, lol. I do believe you have HA, I'm sorry. It's not something to be ashamed of. Everyone here has been in the same situation.

Your heart can handle speeds of 150 and a lot more. I know the pain must really hurt on your chest, but it's not your heart at all, otherwise you would have been dead before you could even make your first post. Have you tried painkillers etc?

These palps are never gonna hurt me, or cause me anything more than a slight lack of concentration. I'm not asking for a diagnosis, I just wondered if it's possible that the electrics/vibrations are causing it. If I knew for certain that electrics/vibrations cause it I can change the position of the guitar so that the vibrations don't hit me, or I can try to reduce the gain/distortion on my amp etc.

This is where our difference is. I'm just trying to adapt to something which I know has NO bearing on my physical health whatsoever. If you thought in these same terms I think that your symptoms would calm at least a little, maybe not totally.

thx.. wrote you a pm !