Hi Beth - I'm by no means an expert but I'll try and explain - the EKG you had is correct - it only measures the electrical signals for about 20 seconds to see if there are any constant problems with your heart. Obviously if you have palpitations this is unsuitable as the doc will need to catch them as they happen to determine if they are benign or if they are from a more serious problem.

The holter will record your heart's activity for 24 hours - you should also have an event diary? Some people use them, some don't, it's just a way of telling the doc when the palps happened. If not - don't worry - the holter results will be analysed by a computer and will tell the doc what kind of palps they are and if they are benign or not.

Extra beats (PVCs) are very common in most of the population and are usually *completely* harmless (I've been told nearly everyone has them) but only the unlucky few actually feel them. I had the same problem and wore the holter and noted the time down when I had one of these weird feelings. The holter actually didn't record any change whatsover in the heart's signals and therefore the doc ruled out my heart - so don't worry too much - it might not even be what you think.

If the holter catches a palp it should be able to determine if it is benign or not.

Keep us posted anyway - hope that the info helps.

Steve.

Actually- the diary is VERY important. It also tells us if there actually is a rhythm abnormality at the time someone is having symptoms. Many times the rhythm is normal. So I have to disagree- not filling out the diary is not giving the physician crucial information.