Heart fluttering, skipping beats

[2oldman]

I've been experiencing this for months, and it's not fun. Makes me feel dizzy and weak at times.

Saw doc yesterday, gave me a prescription for a Beta blocker..and a warning to stay away from caffeine and other stimulants like pseudoephedrine products, and cocaine and meth (just kidding).

I feel pretty good today. Hope it lasts.

[Strabo]

Happens to me if I skip my Antenenol blood pressure meds. I get scared, but now I know what causes it.

[olfarmer]

I had the same thing, went through all kinds of tests and they couldn't find anything wrong. I still have it once in a while. I just learned not to worry about it!

[Roy_Lynne]

Welcome to my world. Do you drink a lot of caffeine. Let me tell you, as I have had it for years. First you feel the fluttering and then its frightening so you have an anxiety attack which increases your heart beat, and pretty soon your in a full scale panic attack.
What I have learned to do, is close my eyes, and take slow cleaning breaths, exhaling as much as you can and inhaling slowly and shallow ie.
They also gave me beta blockers but I found that it just made it worse, so I spoke with the doctor about going off of them and I did. If your doctor did all the tests, and found nothing, then your find and it was to much caffeine that da.

[kickstart]

Brother in law had the same symptom, and didn't go to the Dr because it would be alright,about a month ago his wife woke up and found him dead next to her in bed, please get checked

[rocmoc]

Had the same thing happen nearly daily when my people would show up for work with all their problems. As soon as I retired went away and has not returned. STRESS!!!


rocmoc n AZ/Fld/Baja

[Naio]

2oldman wrote:
That, and the fact that, from what nurses tell me, doctors *hate* computers.

Although I applaud the medical and drug industry for advancement in treatments, I am disappointed in their ability to access data.

You might need a younger doctor :).

At our age, we should all have doctors who are significantly younger than us, right?

[Gjac]

rockhillmanor wrote:
What I do is go on line to the pharmaceutical company of each of your medications. there you will find the entire information insert of that medications provided including info on drug interactions and side effects etc.

I personally will not take any pill until I read the inserts in their entirety. these inserts are meant for the consumer but are taken out of the bottles and discarded and you are left with believing your physician that they were dispensed properly.

You will be shocked when you read the inserts on your medications just how many of them should NOT be taken together and/or should not be taken at all. 😞

I have been given meds that clearly stated not to be taken with others and that could cause serious problems and even death! Yet the physician prescribed them.

It's a pill dispensing world now a days and sadly 'we' now have to be pro active and the stewards of our body and health.

This is so true and I learned this lesson the hard way. When I had my first attack or diverticulitis I was given Cipro and flagel to cure the infection two powerful antibiotics. I just did what the Dr told me and took the medicine. 3 weeks later I tore my rotator cuff on my left shoulder. After 7 years of taking these antibiotics for multiple attacks and a tear in my right shoulder I found out that one of the side effects was it softened your joints(tendons and cartilage). I never figured it out until the second tear and I asked the Dr about it and he said on rare occasions this could happen. On the 3rd page of side effects sheet it was clearly spelled out.

[2oldman]

rockhillmanor wrote:
it's a pill dispensing world now a days and sadly 'we' now have to be pro active and the stewards of our body and health.

We do.

I just shake my head when I see my doctor come into the exam room with an armful of paper. What's he going to do with that? Thumb thru it looking at my medical history (that some other doctor may have seen me for) before diagnosing a problem? No, he's not. Now, if he had an iPad or some similar device, he could know immediately what previous condition I'd had, and how drugs he's prescribing could affect that.

Unfortunately, the HIPAA laws have severely impacted doctors' abilities to access these records. That, and the fact that, from what nurses tell me, doctors *hate* computers.

Although I applaud the medical and drug industry for advancement in treatments, I am disappointed in their ability to access data.

[rockhillmanor]

What I do is go on line to the pharmaceutical company of each of your medications. there you will find the entire information insert of that medications provided including info on drug interactions and side effects etc.

I personally will not take any pill until I read the inserts in their entirety. these inserts are meant for the consumer but are taken out of the bottles and discarded and you are left with believing your physician that they were dispensed properly.

You will be shocked when you read the inserts on your medications just how many of them should NOT be taken together and/or should not be taken at all. 😞

I have been given meds that clearly stated not to be taken with others and that could cause serious problems and even death! Yet the physician prescribed them.

It's a pill dispensing world now a days and sadly 'we' now have to be pro active and the stewards of our body and health.

[2oldman]

Gjac wrote:
Try reducing your caffeine and C supplements and see if your symptoms get better. Hope your heart rate returns to normal.

My caffeine consumption was getting excessive. 4 cups a day on average. My main problem was skipped beats, but the feeling I got was that my heart was fluttering, but according to machines, it was not. I take no C.

I just started meds for that, plus peripheral neuropathy. And darn, now my prostate is acting up. I'll do anything to avoid having to go under the knife for that again. I suspect one of these new meds is doing that.

[Gjac]

Do you notice the symptoms at night when in bed? How often do you feel the fluttering? I have had this happen to me since mid 40's. My heart would flutter for about 15-30 secs then return to normal. When I first went to the Dr he asked how much vitamin c I was taking then advised me to stop the c supplement. The explanation I got was that your heart is in a sac of fluid when the fluid gets more acidic it messes up the electrical pulses. Stopped the vitamin c and all was well until I started drinking coffee in my mid 50's. The second time I went to see a Dr was in my early 60's it was caused by excessive caffeine, 2 travel mugs of coffee in the morning which is equivalent to 6 cups. A stop at McDonalds for lunch and several diet cokes added more caffeine. Reduced coffee to one mug and went to caffeine free soda and the problem has virtually gone away. Stress tests and echo cardiograms can't find A fib, all of which I have had. The Dr told me if the problem still exits a heart rate monitor would have to be worn to record your pulse over time. Try reducing your caffeine and C supplements and see if your symptoms get better. Hope your heart rate returns to normal.

[Dick_B]

It may be time to go beyond the General Practice MD and go to an EP (electrophysiologist) who is concerned with the electrical signals that command the heart to pump. The occasional `skipped beat' is not life threatening but it sounds like your case is more severe.
Afib is when your heart beats rapidly and erratically.
Aflutter is when you heart beats fast but steady.
In either case the heart is not pumping efficiently and may not pump enough blood to the brain which can cause fainting or worse.
Yes, I am being treated by an EP to control afib.

[WandaLust2]

2oldman wrote:
I've been experiencing this for months, and it's not fun. Makes me feel dizzy and weak at times.

Saw doc yesterday, gave me a prescription for a Beta blocker..and a warning to stay away from caffeine and other stimulants like pseudoephedrine products, and cocaine and meth (just kidding).

I feel pretty good today. Hope it lasts.

I went through the same thing, going so far as being admitted to St Thomas Hosp in Nashville TN. They sent a thing up my leg artery to see if there were clogs. It went up to my heart. No crud in my arteries. It was caused by CAFFEINE!!! Caffeine can cause these symptoms. Either cut back drastically as I did, or switch to caffeine free coffee and soft drinks. It does last as long as you avoid stimulants like caffeine.

[rockhillmanor]

I seriously do hope your doctor did a battery of blood tests, ekg, etc BEFORE just handing you beta blockers and sending you on your way.:(

Thyroid, heart valve, and many other conditions can cause those same symptoms you are experiencing. I just worry for my friends and family when doctors just dole out pills without full testing first.

Take care I hope you feel better.