new fear. afib!

[Xocnagem]

My fiance is a firefighter/medic and I was listening to his monitor earlier. I'm done doing that. Now I'm FREAKING out thinking I have afib. I had an ekg a few months ago because of some chest pain I was having, ended up being pluresy (sp?) But I always feel like my heart is on overdrive and my heart rate is always normal. I do have the random heart skips a beat feeling too. I'm sure if I had it the ekg would've picked it up, right?

[oceanlover]

Maybe you are having PVCs? Do you get the thump or flip flop feeling in your chest? Premature ventricular contractions are quite common and almost always benign. I go through periods of them. My doc was totally unconcerned. My EKG was normal. Anxiety and caffeine can make them worse. When I think about them they also get worse. You are ok!! :-)

[Boy_Wiz]

Totally been there with the heart worries. Once, in college, we took our own EKG readings and were interpreting them, and I was constantly running up to my professor worrying that I had found an abnormality. Needless to say, everything turned out just fine. :)

I tend to get heart palpitations a lot, too. Usually when I least expect them. But also when I get really anxious, they tend to increase. I've had tons of EKGs done, and they always turn out just fun. Palpitations are almost always benign events. They just feel a little odd!

If you had atrial fibrillation, the EKG would have found it. If you're still feeling unsure about it, you can always go in again and get another one just to prove that you're alright. Try not to worry yourself too much! I always found that the more I worried about my heart symptoms, the worse they got. Easier said than done, of course, but when I ignore them and fight them with rational thinking, I usually find they lessen pretty quickly, which always makes me feel better!

Hang in there, Xoc -- you'll be alright!!

[Xocnagem]

My Mom said the same thing! And yes, they always tend to get worse with bad days or when I drink alcohol. 

[oceanlover]

That's probably what it is. I believe an EKG would have picked up anything serious. I just went through this same fear. My doctor checked my thyroid levels b/c hyper or hypo can cause palpitations. My levels were normal, but I wasn't worried b/c I know thyroid issues are usually easy to treat. :) Maybe have your thyroid checked if it keeps up, but I think you are okay! HA really sucks. I was feeling better until I realized I have lost some weight...this is such a vicious cycle. I hope you find some peace of mind soon!

[Xocnagem]

I also had my thyroid checked a few months ago, everything came back okay =) oh anxiety, I hate you

[Pippy187]

Hello,  Like your husband I'm a paramedic as well... they likely hood of you having a-fib is slim. A-fib is caught on ECG. Also its not often associated with palps.  Many patients walk around in a-fib with no symptoms at all... When they do feel palps they're usually sustained and that is due to a Rapid a-fib.  The palps we feel are often from PAC, PJC or PVCs (Premature Atrial, Juctional and Ventricular contractions).   Often time the heart does not stay at one cadence either so even if youre heart beat feel irregular it is most often in what is called a sinus rhythm, this is normal.   Your doc would let you know if you have a-fib as many of these people need special medications for various reasons to balance it out.