Weird heart skip/pause -what is this?

TheDavePhan · Newbie User Joined: Feb 04, 2008 Posts: 11

I am having a concern. I have this thing where I have to feel my pulse alot. Sometimes when I do I can feel this weird sensation in my chest and almost into my throat and I know my heart is about to "skip" a beat. Now I don't know if this is a skipped beat, or just the heart changing its rate because i'm becoming aware of it. after the "skip" it gets slower almost like it was a planned break to slow it down, but last night it would do 3 fast beats, a skip, 2 slow beats, and then 3 fast beats and another skip then it would go normal. i dont get lightheaded and I never notice them unless i'm feeling my pulse.

I also noticed my heartrate is lower than normal, never lower than 60 though.

Within the last week, i've had 2 ekg's, a chest x-ray, and 4 blood tests. all were normal. im worried I have a heart problem , or could this be from my anxiety?

this only happens when my heartrate is slowing down, if its fast it never skips a beat. it almost feels like a thump or a break before it slows down.

scissorhands · Newbie User Joined: Oct 05, 2007 Posts: 89

the skipping is called a palpitation. I had those and increased heart rate and high blood pressure duing my last semester ofuniversity. My SAD got so bad that that is what happened everyday I had to go to school. I had tests done as well but where my blood pressure wasnt consistently low they determined it was caused by panic and anxiety, and gave me some pills to take on those days. I think it is safe to assume yours is caused by anxiety as well, since all your tests revealed you to be fine, just like mine did.

Tell your doctor that you think it is caused by anxiety and maybe there will be something they can do to help then.

Good luck.

TheDavePhan · Newbie User Joined: Feb 04, 2008 Posts: 11

to me this didnt feel like a palpatation, i have gotten those before where it actually takes my breath away. I get those only once in a couple weeks though. With these I feel like I can actually make them come on by how im breathing. because sometimes wheni chec my pulse i dont breath so i can feel it better. These feel more like my heart is trying to slow itself down and it puases to do it, but when im feeling my pulse it feels strange almost like its skipping. is that not normal?

scissorhands · Newbie User Joined: Oct 05, 2007 Posts: 89

How old are you? The older you are the more intense a palpitation will be. I'm only 24 so mine were not that intense. However it could not be a palpitation at all since you seem to know what that experience is like and don't think that's what this is. So I'm not sure. I wouldn't think that that is normal what you're experiencing, I'd recommend going to a cardiologist and having them examine everything again and tell them about the anxiety and panic issues and so on.

TheDavePhan · Newbie User Joined: Feb 04, 2008 Posts: 11

I'm 22 years old, these don't cause any other symtoms, just the pause or the skip. My sister is a nurse, and she is cardiac certified or what-not. She says they are most likely normal and are premature heartbeats.....

johnyboy · Newbie User Joined: Jan 16, 2008 Posts: 37

TheDavePhan · Newbie User Joined: Feb 04, 2008 Posts: 11

I just started taking prozac 7 days ago and I didn't notice these palpitations untill 4 or 5 days ago. Anyone think this could be related? I read the pamphlet that came with my Prozac and it doesen't say anything about it, but Drugdigest dot com lists it as a side-effect. I also called my pharmacist and they say it's not a relation with the prozac.

anyone have any ideas?

johnyboy · Newbie User Joined: Jan 16, 2008 Posts: 37

jessica41481 · Newbie User Joined: Mar 06, 2008 Posts: 31

every since last week and my first panic attack, just about everynight my heart would beat a little heavy and i could feel it in my stomach. im thinking htat maybe im having anxiety in my sleep? it also happens when i wake up and my chest is real tight. just about everyday. im about to ask my doctor to put me on a new anxiety medicine. he also just gave me an anti-depressent but it takes three weeks to kick in.

its so easy to believe that i have a heart problem. heart disease is not in my family. and i know its related to my panic attack because it didnt start happening till last week. well anyway, just about everynight, i suffer. tossing and turning, trying to breathe normal, hoping it goes away. this is probably the one thing that bothers me and scares me the most. so it also makes me why if that is why it races at night and in the morning.

sometimes even throughout the day and i have to force myself to think of something else. im wondering if i should go see a heart doctor. or maybe there is a pill for anxiety that calms the heart. im not even sure!