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[countrybumpkin]

I have always had ectopic heartbeats for past 30 years which don't feel good but other than the thump in the chest and a slight heady feeling they don't interfere too much and I know they are harmless having been caught many times on ecg's.   When I was in the throws of peri menopause about 4 years ago, one day I could suddenly feel my heart like a butterfly in my chest and I went very faint for a few seconds ( scared the xxx out of me ).  I could go weeks or months without it happening again but happen it did.  I had endless 24hr and 3 day heart monitering but of course it behaved perfectly. 
Eventually in June I had a cardiac moniter implanted into my left breast that moniters 24/7. anything nasty gets sent via mobile signal to the hospital and if I have one of my do's I do a manual send from the moniter and let the hospital know.  Well last Friday whilst passenger in car with hubby I suddenly went very faint, lost vision but didn't actually keel over, just for a few seconds and had awful pressure in chest and head at same time so I sent the recording to the hospital and today I have been told.

Whats happening is my heart is quite happily toddling along at 73bpm and then over space of 3 seconds my heartbeat increases to 176bpm then returns to normal. The heartbeat is not coming from anywhere dangerous in the heart and in her words in itself is nothing to write home about and in some people they would not have any symptoms but  I go faint.  Thankfully I had to stop driving 8 years ago due to failing sight otherwise they would have stopped me driving as of today!  I am now waiting to hear from my consultant.  The cardiac tech said that if it was causing me huge problems then they could investigate whether they could find its source and burn it away in heart but that has its own risks.

So yet another health problem to add to the list

[CLKD]

Sometimes I wonder whether it would be best not to know 

It might not be problematic to 'them' but it would scare the **** out of me  . 

[countrybumpkin]

Sometimes I wonder whether it would be best not to know 

It might not be problematic to 'them' but it would scare the **** out of me  .

I am happier knowing whats causing it as there is always the worry that it could be life threatening although my say it as it is Gp told me if it was I would probably have dropped dead already

I must admit to being a little worried whenever I have to spend time alone just in case I do keel over. 

Hopefully I will get to see consultant before my next follow up appt in Jan! cos I have lots of questions

[Kathleen]

Hello countrybumkin.

My husband has a heart condition called Atrial Fibrillation where chambers of the heart loose their rhythm due to a misfiring of cells. The burning off procedure you describe is an Ablation and is a routine procedure with a very high success rate.
My husband has had this done and it worked really well so if it is offered to you there is no need to be concerned.

Wishing you well.

K.

[Limpy]

Hi Countrybumpkin - I'm in the same position as Kathleen, my OH has had Atrial Fibrillation and had an Ablation, it all went well.

[countrybumpkin]

Thanks both. They have told me that this is not any form of Fibrillation as my heartbeat is completely regular just that it goes very fast for a few seconds and it originates from the top of the heart in a place that is not dangerous.  If I wasn't going faint they would not even be that interested! 
Its good to know that others have had ablation for AF and been okay though! 
The technicians in the clinic can't give me any more details - that has to come from my consultant but he may not be in a rush to see me if he is not worried.

[Ju Ju]

Knowing what is going on surely takes the **** out of it when it happens! Certainly a nuisance though. Do you have any warning?

[countrybumpkin]

I get a weird feeling in my chest as if a thousand butterflies are beating their wings together with an intense pressure in my neck/head and then over a few seconds feel faint, I have never actually keeled over although I have had the starry vision and a few times all has gone dark. Then I get pounding sensation in head and the faint feeling goes away. This all happens over about 4 seconds. So short and sharp.  Sometimes when I feel it start I can give a sharp cough or hold my nose and blow ( valsalva manouvre) and this can stop it but sometimes its so fast happening its over with before I can do anything.  The longest its ever happened for is 10 seconds and even then I still didn't actually keel over. Its seems that the higher the heartbeat goes too the worse the faint feeling.

My questions to cardio ( he specialises in dodgy heartbeats!) are - is it likely to do this and not return to normal ( would def keel over then)- is it likely to happen more often - can it change to something harmful ( as in cardiac arrest). I am sure I will think of a few more.

[CLKD]

Let us know!

[orchid]

Hi Countrybumpkin just read your post on ectopics, I get these and they are awful!! Saw a cardiologist 3 years ago and she mentioned ablation, but I was worried about the risk. I'm like you if I get a bad one I see stars, although since coming off an AD called Dothiepin they've been a little less severe. I find stress precipitates them. I'd be interested to know what is said at your next consultation.

[countrybumpkin]

Hi Orchid.  Ectopics are not usually harmful although I call them HH harmless but horrible   Ablation would be extreme remedy for them, they usually offer betablockers first but as I had asthma as a child I cannot take them.

All I know with my sudden very fast heartbeat is its a regular sinus rhythm and coming from the top of my heart which in itself is not harmful although they are obviously causing me extreme symptoms.

[CLKD]

If is fluttering feeling you get?  Do you get warning?

[countrybumpkin]

I get a sudden tremedous fluttering feeling in my chest together with a feeling of intense pressure in my chest/neck and head and the get the starry vision of feeling faint.  I get a few seconds warning between the flutters and the feeiing faint .
If I take a deep breath and cough or hold my nose and blow I can sometimes reset it before the very faint feeling comes.  The bigger the difference between the starting pulse and the flutter the more faint I feel.  so if it goes from 75 to 134 then I feel a bit faint but when it went from 73 to 176 I very nearly did faint!

[orchid]

Yes, I take 80mg SR Propranolol for mine and if I don't take it I do feel them more.

[CLKD]