Hi. I am new here. I have been experiencing what I think are heart flutters for about 10 years. It feels like my heart kinds "flip-flops" and I feel it up in my throat and it takes my breath away for a quick second. They aren't painful, it just startles me. I would say on average a I get anywhere from 1-5 a month. Sometimes I don't get any for a few months. I saw the Dr. (for something un related) and asked about it and he said it was most likely palpataions. This was about 7 or 8 years ago. Anyway....anyone else experience this too? Should I worry? Thanks
my brother had that same type of symptoms then he suffered a thyroid storm/graves disease apparantely his flutters were atrial fib. i would consult a cardiologist to be sure its not something serious
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To live my life to its fullest and to put all my trust in God.
Thanks. I think I will make an appointment just to make sure everything is OK. I have wanted to for a while now but without health insurance I know it will cost some money....especially knowing the dr. will want to run different tests. But I have to do it. My Dad died suddenly of a heart attack when he was only 49. I'm 30, but I need to know now if there is a potential problem. Thanks for the response.
i know that it can be a strain on you finacially with insureance but would you rather be forced into when you end up on a gurney going into the er with worse problems maybe there is some assistance with the cost out there for you but dont let money stand in the way of finding out if there are more serious problems
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To live my life to its fullest and to put all my trust in God.
Marble,
I've had them and they are usually scary but harmless.
Try 500 mg. of any health food store magnesium supplement/day (the cheaper the better); it often works an INSTANT cure.
i know that it can be a strain on you finacially with insureance but would you rather be forced into when you end up on a gurney going into the er with worse problems maybe there is some assistance with the cost out there for you but dont let money stand in the way of finding out if there are more serious problems
I totally agree. Thats why I called today and made an appt! I go in next Tuesday (March 1). I will let you all know what I find out. Thanks.
i know that it can be a strain on you finacially with insureance but would you rather be forced into when you end up on a gurney going into the er with worse problems maybe there is some assistance with the cost out there for you but dont let money stand in the way of finding out if there are more serious problems
this must really be a strain on someone without insurance. in the past 2 yrs my ins. co. paid over $100,000 towards my atrial fib/flutter problems (an ablation and one coming up next week). out of pocket for me was about $3000, a far cry from the whole bill. the shots to thin my blood run $150 a day and my ins. pays all but $25 for 10 shots that i pay. one ablation is over $60,000. how could someone possibly afford these kind of bills without insurance? i sure am glad my husband steered me to get a job with a company that pays your health insurance after retirement. it was the best move i made and at the age of 50. the other company i worked for before this one quit paying anything the day you retired (walked out). i would advise anyone with any health issues to get any kind of job that paid insurance. this may be a thing of the past and there are no quarantees with anything. our health system isn't the best for sure and that is another subject.
I am new also but have those exact symptoms 4-7 times a day. I have had all tests possible and nothing is wrong so I deal with it. But it is a good idea to get it checked out to be sure.
Marblehead,
My mother-in-law had "flutters" and was under Dr treatment. She had similar patterns to the "episodes" as she called them. Sometimes several times in a week, sometimes not for months. They could not find the cause - she wore a harness multiple times in the attempt to diagnose the condition and had tests run. While she was in the hospital recovering from a stroke (age 72), the medical staff "caught" the irregularities on tape. She was then diagnosed with Intermittent A-Fib. The doctor who saw her at the hospital said that this is the hardest to diagnose (because the heart rhythm has to be seen to diagnose and intermittent A-Fib is hard to catch), but the easiest to treat. Good luck.
Marblehead,
My mother-in-law had "flutters" and was under Dr treatment. She had similar patterns to the "episodes" as she called them. Sometimes several times in a week, sometimes not for months. They could not find the cause - she wore a harness multiple times in the attempt to diagnose the condition and had tests run. While she was in the hospital recovering from a stroke (age 72), the medical staff "caught" the irregularities on tape. She was then diagnosed with Intermittent A-Fib. The doctor who saw her at the hospital said that this is the hardest to diagnose (because the heart rhythm has to be seen to diagnose and intermittent A-Fib is hard to catch), but the easiest to treat. Good luck.
ehrk- thanks for your "good luck" wish. i had the last ablation done for my afib because i know it could have caused me a stroke and i didn't want to be on blood thinners all the rest of my life just to prevent a stroke. sorry about your mom and i hope she has been rehabbed enough to enjoy the rest of her life. it goes to show people that if they can, have these problems pursued. after having the "flip flops" for years and then it was causing me dizziness and weakness as my age progressed, i am glad i did something about it. yes, they did finally catch mine on tape and once again after the ablation but then they called it "a flutter" which if i understand is apparent because because a spot did not scar over from the first ablation. whateve the reasons they give me, they are trying to explain them in my termonology. it takes a good dr that can explain that and i found a female cardiologist at the u of m that could do just that. i spent 4 days at the u of m for screening and tests and now i am at the point to have another ablation on thurs. i don't want to become a medical wonder. it's nice to just continue life without medical interruptions. i just want to spend my life gardening....
Hi Marble....well you've described my sypmtoms to a T. I've had those exact same feelings now going on 20 some odd years. I've had halter-monitors, EKG's and eliminating different foods. I had a Cardiologist tell me years ago that he thought I had MVP. But then last year when I had a severe attack, I was told I have PVC's. And if they continued to bother me then I could start taking beta-blockers which I declined. I have noticed though that I have them occasionally for no reason. But when I'm stressed (and who isnt?) they come on with a vengence for days at a time. I remember about a year a half ago, my daughter moved out and my husband and I were moving at the same time when my "flip-flops" started in big time. But after things started to settle down, they went away. Then just this last year, my hubby had to have a Triple-by-pass, my mother had surgery, and my sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor (which turned out to be non-cancerous). All these things just made me very depressed and stressed and of course my heart went into over-time with the PVC's. I've been feeling pretty good lately.....knock on wood. Good luck with you and please have a doctor check you out just to be sure. More than likely it will turn out to be nothing.
Hi Marble....well you've described my sypmtoms to a T. I've had those exact same feelings now going on 20 some odd years. I've had halter-monitors, EKG's and eliminating different foods. I had a Cardiologist tell me years ago that he thought I had MVP. But then last year when I had a severe attack, I was told I have PVC's. And if they continued to bother me then I could start taking beta-blockers which I declined. I have noticed though that I have them occasionally for no reason. But when I'm stressed (and who isnt?) they come on with a vengence for days at a time. I remember about a year a half ago, my daughter moved out and my husband and I were moving at the same time when my "flip-flops" started in big time. But after things started to settle down, they went away. Then just this last year, my hubby had to have a Triple-by-pass, my mother had surgery, and my sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor (which turned out to be non-cancerous). All these things just made me very depressed and stressed and of course my heart went into over-time with the PVC's. I've been feeling pretty good lately.....knock on wood. Good luck with you and please have a doctor check you out just to be sure. More than likely it will turn out to be nothing.
Thanks. I went to the dr. this past week and he is doing some blood work and he did an EKG (said that looked good). I am going back in 2 weeks. He asked me to keep a "diary" on my flutters. So far I have had 1 flutter. He also prescribed me Xanax for my anxiety. I have never taken Xanax before so I dont know what to expect. I got the prescription filled but have yet to take one. He mentioned something to me about possibly having a valve that isnt working properly. I dont know what is next. I guess I will just keep this diary and wait till my next appt.
Marble, I've also taken Xanax off and on every since my panic attacks and flutters have started. I do not take them regularly. I've never wanted to be dependent on any medication. But they do come in handy when those stressfull occasions show up. With me, I have not had panic attacks or much depression since I have started on Hormone Replacement Therapy. But I do keep those little guys (pills) with me all the time. They especially come in handy whenever I fly. I am terrified of flying, but love to vacation, especially cruises. So before I jump on a plane I pop one and it takes most of the jitters away. I suggest you go ahead a fill out the perscription and keep them with you. Even if you decide not to take them on a regular basis, it is good to know you have them if you need them.
my 4 hour second operation for ablation surgery is over. i hope now my atrial flutters will disappear and never come back. 1st was for atrial fib and 2nd for atrial flutters. i too have many P.A.C.S but they say that they can't do anything for those. there are no quarantees of sucess and only time will tell. the dr. said he has done up to 4 ablations on patients. i hope two is enough for me. ofcourse they do ablations for other kinds of heart problems too.
Hi everyone. My name is Renee and I am new to the boards. I have been experiencing "flutters" or what-have-you for about 7 or so years now. Sometimes they feel like a really hard thump, or sometimes like a double beat. I have even had it happen to where my heart will flutter and then start pounding really fast right after for a minute or two. It's all together very scary and I have been trying to get it looked at. I have been to one cardiologist and am going to be going to another one fairly soon. It just sucks because it interferes with my everyday life just in that it scares me so much that I then sit and worry about when it will happen again. I don't smoke or drink caffeine or anything like that, and I feel like sometimes it comes on unprovoked. It also seems to happen sometimes if I squat down or lay on my left side. I am not sure why. I just wish that someone would diagnose it with something rather than nothing. Does my "case" sound similar to anyone else's? Best of luck to everyone in taking care of their own case!
I have had the same symptoms off and on for probably 7 or 8 years. Sometimes it seems to skip a beat or flutter or quivver. And sometimes I get the rapid heartbeat afterwards and a hot feeling in my body. I have been on the women's health board and have come to the conclusion that mine could be due to perimenopause. Palpitations are a symptom. I've had the halter monitor a couple of times but, of course, nothing happens when you have it on. I always mention it to my dr. when I have my yearly checkup but she doesn't seem too concerned. I try not to get too freaked out about them and I've kind of gotten use to them but then again it always worries me afterwards. Sometimes they just come out of the blue when I'm feeling fine and sometimes when I'm stressed or overly tired I notice them. My only consolation is that it seems that so many others are experiencing the same feelings. I too tend to worry about every ache and pain. Maybe they're just common for our type of personality.
i wish my diagnosed "heart flutters" were of no importance. they cause my heart to stay at a too fast beating rate. they could cause clots to form (per my electrophysiology specialist). i am on coumadin so my heart will not produce clots and my exercise is eliminated for the meantime. after 2 ablations, i still have some flutters. if a person can afford it, i would recommend going to the best doctors. it's just our lives we are trying to prolong....
I've had flip-flops on and off for over 30 years now. For me they usually last about 2-3 seconds each, but sometimes I can quite a few (20-30) episodes during the course of a day. Feels like the heart is off-rythym, not beating normally, going spastic...
I had it checked by a cardiologist when I was about 20. Found nothing during an exam and EKG. Wore a 24-hour monitor - showed nothing.
I had it checked again about 3 years back - had an EKG and wore another monitor for 24 hours - didn't happen while I was wired.
My doctor thought it could be excessive caffeine intake contributing to the problem. I think there's something to this diagnosis, because I tend to notice the problem most when I am really stressed out at work. That's when I revert to bad habits, drink LOTS of coffee, cut back on sleep....
I've also tried Magnesium supplements in the past year - and seem to have had fewer episodes, but I don't take the Magnesium regularly, and haven't noticed a definite pattern yet... Over the years, I've gotten used to the flip-flops - they occur very irregularly for me - last time was about 2 months ago..
I do notice that when I jog regularly, I seem to not have the problem as much...
i too have had them for 20 plus years. never could catch them on a monitor. as i became older, i have them more frequently. i wore a 30 days monitor and nothing. had previously wore monitors on and off for quite a few years. finally wore one for 24hrs and zam, they found a atrial flutter that was causing me to faint or near faint episodes. weakness, tired, fatigue, auras, and hot flashes. i became exercise intollerant so i have had 2 ablations in the past year's time. one was successful for atrial fib and flutter. another flutter showed up and the 2nd ablation was either unsuccessful or the flutter hid at the time. perhaps another one in my future. i am tired of being intollerant to much work. if the ablations are failures, perhaps a pacemaker is in my future. it won't cure the flutter but it will range my pulse but bad news, i would have to be on coumadin for the rest of my life. yuk..
Re: Heart flutters?? 
