Training & Nutrition - Premature heart beats?

I was curious if anyone else here, gets them? I have had the problem for years. I was told for year that I suffered from anxiety attacks. It turns out that they are simply premature beats. When you get one, it feels like your heart skips a beat. Sometimes if Im overloaded on caffiene or sudafed, or the likes, I will get them while pushing hard on rides. They really suck while climbing. When your heart is beating that hard, they are alot more noticeable. I just had my annual check up, and what seems to be my annual EKG, and he said all is well, and to keep on climbing. Am I the only one?

Are you actually having premature beats or missing beats?

I don't know how bad premature beats are, but missing beats is dangerous. I've had this problem in the past but I have it under control with medicine.

The problem with missing beats is that when the blood sets in the heart (because it missed a beat) it starts(can start) to coagulate. There is a very minor chance that you could have a stroke. The chance is very minor but there is still a chance.

I would be glad to provide you with more info if you're interested.

TE

My doctor tells me they are premature. He says that it is pretty common, and that they arent a concern. They cause an odd fluttery feeling in your chest when they occur, though. It is quite distracting. I dont get any chest pain at all. Just the flutter. Ive had stress tread tests done, EKG's, and sonagrams of my heart. They all say that it is fine. My cardialogist says Ill live to be 100. I just wish I could live without this issue.

Im curious how your EKG results came out?

LongRider, been there done that with the heartbeat thing. Started in my 30's-mostly with too much caffiene. I thought for sure it was a heartattack. Had it checked out . Dr said it was Palputations (sp?) and gave me some medicine to take which almost eliminated it. Now I only drink Morning coffee and very few cokes, etc. However it does cause lower heart beat rate. I also see it quite often in high stress jobs, etc.
BTW- whats with the green horse, I thought it was Pale?

My EKG tests came out perfect. I also had a stress test and a few other tests and the doc said my heart was in perfect shape.

He was not worried about me having a heart attack, the only thing he was worried about was a potential stroke.

If you're not missing beats like I was, I don't think you have anything to worry about. But then again I'm not a doctor.

Good luck and keep biking,

TE

I have them.. they are called PREMATURE VENTRICULAR CONTRACTIONS

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are when the lower heart chambers, called ventricles, beat prematurely before the normal electrical activation sequence of the heart has occurred. Normally, the upper chambers of the heart, called atria, beat first and then the ventricles contract. When the lower chambers beat early (prematurely), the entire electrical system of the heart must be reset. This causes symptoms of skipped beats (palpitions).

I think that I got them started from a bad past and too much caffine. I went to the ER a few times and finally they put me on a Beta Blocker. I have also had anxiety and that was a cause for it also. Since I have started my health plan 6 months ago I have had a Stress Echo and a Stress test and also wore a Holter Monitor for 24 hours and the Docs say it is all cool. I have quit the caffiene and at first when I was on the beta blockers I could not get my heart rate up past 110-120 which is bad if you want to bike. I have since been off the beta's and put on a different anxiety med and life is great! Lost 40 lbs get a good heart rate up and I feel great.

I still get the PVC's but I know that I am going to be OK and I ignore them and they go away. Scary tho when I had them for 2 hours straight about a year ago and went to the ER:(

Good luck

I have thrown PVC's...ie: "missing heartbearts", "skippedbeats",etc. for over 30 years with no really problems from them other than my nerves being totally frazzed.

The skip, or miss or whatever you want to call it is a missfire of the HEART SPARKPLUG and can be regulated.

(I know that I have had 4 heart attacks and 6 stents in my heart....but that is not related to the skips. After having well over $250,000 spent on my heart...I ASK QUESTIONS!!)

If the skips cause fatigue or other problems, a small amount of beta blockers will even it out. If it just scares the hell out of you with no other impact don't worry about it!


In other words>>>>>SHUT UP AND RIDE!:beer:

I have had them and was told (after testing) that mine were benign. Still, it scared the carp out of me and was the incentive to get myself in shape. I don't notice them anymore.

Although they are often not a concern, they can indicate serious condition and anyone experiencing them should certainly be evaluated by a cardiologist.

For what it's worth, I was diagnosed with "Atrial Fibrillation."

I don't think this is the same thing as PVC's, but the condition is serious.

Just listen you your doctor.

TE

I get the PVS's on occassion but usually very briefly. I had them for many hours one night which just happened to coincide with the day my promotion was announced ... stress maybe?

As a paramedic I can tell you the premature beats are failry common. A lot of people get them when they intake stimulants like caffeine. As long as they remain occassional, you are fine. They are a huge inconvenience while being active from my understanding. There's really no treatment for it, not that you can treat something that comes and goes very well. All I can recommend, is go slower uphills, in an easier gear.

Ccol,,, at least Im not alone in this. That makes me feel better. :) Im sorry for those of you that get them though. They truly suck. My alergies had been bothering me, so I had been taking Sudafed. Since Ive been dieting, I had only been drinking water,,, but I had started drinking, more and more diet Coke. My doc. says, no more caffiene for me. :) I usually didnt get them while working out. It was typically when I was just chilling. It scared me when I got a couple while working out. Man,,, you really notice them then. I have flat worn out 3 different doctors about them. I have also been to the emergency room one night. I had an anxiety attack while having them. I truly thought I was dying. I felt like I couldnt breath. All of them say it's fine. :( My wife tells me to leave the poor doctor alone. :D I have to keep checking though,,, to make sure nothing has changed. The reassurance that all is well, makes them better by lowering the stress of having them. Thanks for sharing with me on it. It makes me feel better to talk to other people who have had the problem. My wife doesnt comprehend how scary they are. Take it slow. :)

How old are you? This might be the time to visit a cardiologist and get a stress test done, before you need it.

In matters of the heart an ounce of prevention is worth more than a heart attack.:beer:

Im 34, and I have already had a stress test. My cardialogist is the one who said Id live to be 100. :)

Then my advice stands.....HAPPY TRAILS!

I'll ask again, whats with the green horse? BTW- looks like Dr was right about me 20 years ago, ignore them but take care of yourself!!!

Doh!!!, I forgot to answer that. :D In the bible,,, the horse is green. In Clint Eastwood movies, the horse is pale. :) The one good thing that the beats have done, is make me very, very, heart conscious. I have lost 30 lbs over the summer. I am in equivalent shape to that which I was in, in high school. I am going to be in the best shape of my life by spring. I have two sons. I want to see them both grow up. :)

LongRider,

I have PVCs, too, and something that usually stops them for me is taking a really deep breath. Sometimes I have to take two or three deep breaths. :) That's it. A little weird, but it usually works.

My PVCs are usually caused by stress. I suppose taking a deep breath or two can trigger a relaxation response, so maybe that's why this usually works for me. Hope it works for you, too.

I started drinking coffee in my early 30's. I started getting palpitations and my doc said to lay off of the caffeine. They went away completely. Now I drink a cup of green tea every morning and and I will experience a palpitation 2-3 times a week.

Originally posted by ~LongRider~
:) I usually didnt get them while working out. It was typically when I was just chilling. It scared me when I got a couple while working out.

Back during my first fling with biking, I too got that fluttery feeling when "just chilling." The initial diagnosis, based on what the doc at the university health center heard from my chest was "mitral valve prolapse."

After having my heart listened to again and having a Holter monitor and treadmill stress test I was told that I did have a prolapse of the mitral valve of my heart. This means that the surface of one of my heart valves is bowed the wrong way. I took a very small amount of beta blocker for it and it felt fine. (the amount was 10 milligrams just before I quit).

When I became pregnant I discontinued the blocker and still, very rarely (usually when I am especially tired and resting) will I get that feeling.

During the recent re-start of my biking activity, I have noticed that twice, I got a "flipped" beat, and those were when I was especially pushing it hard on my bike and I know my heart rate was way up. Talked to my doctor, she said not to worry, not uncommon. Since my endurance and fitness levely have risen, no more "funny feeling."

I too get the occasional flutter that makes me feel quite peculiar for a time, I have had this as long as I can remember and never even thought to mention it to anyone (thought it was just a normal occurrence), however last year my Godson died and he had Wolfe Parkinson Whyte syndrome which manifests itself in a mild heart flutter, needless to say I got checked immediately and have been given the all clear (interestingly enough, he was also, about 1 month before he died).
There are thousands of outwardly fit healthy young people literally dropping down dead every week as a result of comparatively minor heart defects, these deaths are not recorded as heart problems as they are often not diagnosed and the death certificate will show natural causes (how a young person just dropping down dead can be described as natural beats me).
Since my Godsons death I have become actively involved with a charity called Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), and am starting to understand just how big a problem this is (check it out, and you will find that the number of these types of deaths is staggering), CRY is involved with raising the awareness of politicians and others (although it also fund raises), to try and get it lifted on the political agenda, it is true that simple ECG's can detect and diagnose those at risk, people just need to be made aware.
It is the saddest thing I have ever witnessed to see a mother shortly after she has tried to wake her son for work, only to find he would never wake again.
If you or others you know, have this kind of problem then make sure that you / they get checked and are made aware of exactly the reason for your "flutter" it is a wide spread condition and there are many causes, most of which are harmless, but for sure, it better to be safe than sorry!
If anyone wishes to get more information on this then i will attempt to get some literature to poste, or you can visit the following web site: www.cry.dircon.co.uk, you will note that it mentions a low figure for UK deaths, this is because the vast majority go unrecorded, if you mention this to people you know I am sure it will not be long before someone mentions something similar to you.
I am sorry for the length of this note, but as you will understand it is something very close to my HEART!!!!!

I am sorry for your loss. I absolutely agree. Dont dismiss what you feel as normal. ALWAYS,,,,, get it checked.

I "throw" premature beats. I have been told by my dox everyone does. If your doc says you are fine then trust him/her or go see a cardiologist and know for sure. They supposedly are not dangerous unless there is a lot of them all the time.

I have them too, and it's hard to get it through my head that they're not serious. I'm 54 and a young doctor first noticed them about 25 years ago and I got an echocardiogram. Also I have had 2 treadmills since then. They ARE annoying on a ride, and the medical media is so full of talk about irregular hearbeats that it still worries me...but PVCs are more benign I guess. Love my coffee! but I can't drink it the way I used to. Definitely a connection there.

There are actually two kinds of premature beats, the PVCs discussed, and premature atrial contractions (PACs). PACs are benign. PVCs aren't uncommon, but there is a very small risk that any PVC can cause a lethal heart arrythmia. Don't panic, I emphasize VERY SMALL. The only way to know for sure which you are having and how frequent they are is to wear a halter monitor for a day or two. Heart defects are not usually detectable by ECG, but require an echocardiogram.

Get off the caffeine and sudafed, neither of them is good for you.

Get off the caffeine and sudafed, neither of them is good for you.

Studies seem to go back and forth on this one.
Are there any actual studies proving caffeine is bad for you?

FXjohn

Originally posted by FXjohn
Studies seem to go back and forth on this one.
Are there any actual studies proving caffeine is bad for you?

FXjohn

I guess what you need to take into account about "is is bad for you" is this: If caffiene is doing something to you that you do not like and feel uncomfortable with, then it is bad for you.

Generally too much of anything is bad for you.

Atrial fibrillation = no beats

If your atrias are not contracting the blood may stagnate and clot. People with this condition take coumadin, a blood anti-coaggulant.