This started in October. I (40+ yr old male) maybe 15 pounds over weight, not
very active, noticed my heart beating 'inside my chest', at night, after
sitting in my recliner. It was annoying at first but the sensation did not
last long. It happened again the next night too. I just went up to bed and
noticed the need to take deep breaths for 10 minutes or so and a few yawns.
The weird 'feel my heart beat' continued during evening hours almost every
night as soon as I hit that chair. Sometimes lasting minutes, sometimes
longer. At times I could feel it towards my left side. It would feel like a
normal heartbeet but I could 'feel' it in my chest. Other times I'd notice it
more towards the center of my chest and felt like more rapid beats. Its almost
always in the evening when I sit to watch tv though. I have had some physical
activity like doing the grass or digging out a tree stump...no chest pain or
anything.
I saw my doc who sent me for blood work that came back 100% normal. She sensed
my nerves were freyed and set me up to get an echocardiagram and Holter
montior to rule anything out. She offered no opinion as to what it could be,
just scheduled a follow up a week after the echo.
I have been told by everyone its probably nerves and sometimes I think it
nerves may be intensifying it. When I keep my self busy self busy, it not as
intense. Still as soon as I hit that recliner.....or bed..it returns. I admit
I usually hit the recliner right after dinner..my biggest meal of the day an I
do nosh in the chair while watching tv.
The best way I can describe this 1) a normal heartbeet but you can feel it
inside...it rather annoying when this happens. 2) sometimes a quicker
heartbeat in the center of the chest...whether it is really quicker I am
unsure. It sort of feels like that scared nervous feeling you sometimes get,
like before going to the dentist! 3) Perhaps a normal heart beat but more
intense. When this occurs its freaky because it feels someone is shaking me
from the inside. This is the most disturbing.
I have tried to check my pulse when this stuff occurs. Its usually 84 or less.
Sometimes it feels normal...sometimes the pulse feels like its perhaps
skipping a beat. Other times it seams erratic. I just read breathing can
affect the pulse rate so I may be checking it wrong or at the wrong times.
Needless to say I find myself anxious and on edge and even lightheaded
worrying about this.
The deep breath thing has not really returned.
Well, all my test results were back by the end of October and I had a follow
up with my doc (an internal medicine doc). They did an echo and blood work and
had me wear a device to monitor my heart. All tests came back normal. She
suggested a combination of nerves (which may have made things worse but I know
was NOT the original cause) and perhaps an inflamtion or some sort of reflux.
I have no burning, burping, chest pain etc so I did not see how it could be
reflux but she explained you could have it an not know it. I do have a severe
allergy drip, perhaps that was doing something. She said to watch my diet,
eat less and do not lay down for a few hours after eating. She said I could
also try pepsid once a day for 2 weeks to help anything that may have been
inflamed. The next step would be a heart stress test but she did not feel it
was hear related.
Well I tried the pepsid and for 12 days I think it helped. The symptoms were
less but not gone. I messed around with my diet but could not find anything
in particular that made the situation better or worse.
All in all things got better while on the pepsid. After I got off things we
not as bad either for a while. The symptoms for the most part now feel more
like a flutter or spasm that can occur anywhere from my upper throat to the
center of my chest or a little lower. Still annoying but I did not think it
was my heart. I logged everything for a few weeks and for the most part the
intensisty averaged a 1/5. I really thought it was getting better OR perhaps
I just needed something stronger than pepsid to help me heal. Then this week
I had 2 bad nights...one again where I had this flutter feeling that more
violent felling and I again experienced the weird nervous feeling and the
irrgeular heart beat...that had not happened since October. It seemed
iregular even when checking my pulsse. Another night was almost as bad. Last
night I ate only cereal for dinner....a little fluttering but no much else.
So I guess I need to go back to the doc. I am sort of thinking its some
reflux issue that maybe causes something to flutter and when bad enough hits
the heart....I do not know but this is VERY DISTURBING.
Thanks for listening. Maybe there is someone who is going through this or
knows whats wrong...?
An over-active thyroid will cause a rapid heartbeat and a nervous feeling. I always noticed it more when I relaxed. It might be worth having your thyroid levels checked. Good luck.
You could try asking your doctor for a prescription PPI, like Nexium or Prilosec. If this helps your symptoms even more than the Pepsid, you will know your pain is acid related. It is quite common to have chest pains as a result of acid. Some people even think they are having a heart attack, the chest pain is so bad.
Kassie
This sounds so familiar. I've done the whole nine yards too. It sure sounds like common ole palpitations. They are more easily felt when lying down and especially when lying on the left side. I can't believe your doctor didn't mention it to you as a likely possibility. Anyway, as I said, it's so familiar to me, My doctor told me that my symptoms, like you have described, were palpitations. I've been through all the tests several times over the years, but not because of the palpitations but for the chest pain I've had. The chest pain was apparently anxiety. I've had palpitations for two or three years now. He has told me time and time again not to worry about them. That's easier said than done though. It does worry me. Anxiety related to the palpitations can cause panic attacks. They can vary greatly in degree, but even a small panic attack will make it seem much much worse than it is. Now, a few years after I began having them, I have been diagnosed with an Atrial valve problem, but still, the Cardiologist, and my primary care physician, both say not to worry. But still I worry. The leaky atrial valve was caused by decades of poorly controled high blood pressure. So please take care of yourself. But don't worry.
This sounds so familiar. I've done the whole nine yards too. It sure sounds like common ole palpitations. They are more easily felt when lying down and especially when lying on the left side. I can't believe your doctor didn't mention it to you as a likely possibility. Anyway, as I said, it's so familiar to me, My doctor told me that my symptoms, like you have described, were palpitations. I've been through all the tests several times over the years, but not because of the palpitations but for the chest pain I've had. The chest pain was apparently anxiety. I've had palpitations for two or three years now. He has told me time and time again not to worry about them. That's easier said than done though. It does worry me. Anxiety related to the palpitations can cause panic attacks. They can vary greatly in degree, but even a small panic attack will make it seem much much worse than it is. Now, a few years after I began having them, I have been diagnosed with an Atrial valve problem, but still, the Cardiologist, and my primary care physician, both say not to worry. But still I worry. The leaky atrial valve was caused by decades of poorly controled high blood pressure. So please take care of yourself. But don't worry.
They checked my blood, I assume thyroid was ruled out. Palpitations? I doubt it because it only happens or seems to happen after I eat....keep it xoming though...THANKS!!!!!
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