TOO MANY PALPS

if the medication has been prescribed...........then take it!!!! the blocker will help and is there to help with heart attacks and stroke not occuring. listen to your cardiologist. like 9 yrs of medical school, practice and specializing. i think some coping skills will help. distraction techniques etc. many healing thoughts.

please note. i was only being strong as i have known people who have had strokes etc from not taking there medication. some i have known who have also died from not taking prescribed medication. i have had a heart attack and surgery. i take my meds compliantly.

welcome to the forum. ps. i have GAD, so i understand anxiety. anxiety from symptoms you are experiencing are very common. deep breathing exercises will slow the heart if it is going a bit quick. you have had all the tests. i would, bar the flutters feel confident that you are okay. don't let it become a viscious cycle of anxiety and fear. now take ya meds. please.

Why are you afraid of the beta-blocker? I think cardiologists think beta blockers and aspirin should be in the water.....

I have palpitations all the time too. I do have a structural issue (CHD, Prosthetic aortic valve, TAA), but my palps are benign. You can't live much of a life worrying all the time, and it won't change the outcome. If you don't believe your doctor, find a doctor you trust. If you can't trust any of them, then it might not be the docs....

I bumped my exercise up to at least 1 hour a day, 5-6 days a week and it really made a difference. I also make sure to drink my coffee at the same time everyday and limit to 2 cups. Both have helped to decrease my palpitations.

Good luck!

Hi 2Manypalps,

Heart attacks, known more formally as Myocardial Infarctions, or MI, occur because of an insufficiency of blood to an area of your heart. This is usually caused by Atherosclerosis (fat accumulation in the vessels of the heart, or a clot that breaks free elsewhere in the body and causes a clot). Rhythm disorders are common, and though can sometimes be indicative of problems with blood circulation to the heart, most often are found in otherwise healthy hearts.

Anxiety. Well, anxiety creates adrenaline, and adrenaline can cause the extra beats, missed beats, flutters, etc. To much adrenaline for too long, weeks to months, causes too much Catecholamines in the blood.

"Included among catecholamines are: epinephrine (adrenaline), norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and dopamine

"Catecholamines cause general physiological changes that prepare the body for physical activity (fight-or-flight response). Some typical effects are increases in heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and a general reaction of the sympathetic nervous system."

There is a constant struggle in the body between the sympathetic (speeds up the heart) and parasympathetic (slows down the heart) nervous systems. As can be seen above, adrenaline effects the Sympathetic Nervous System.

At my peak last year, I had 6000 PVCs/24 hrs. That's 5/min if averaged over 24 hours, but thankfully I didn't get them at night, so that was more than 5/min during the day. This went on, slightly diminishing to 4000/day, before the finally went back to my lifetime usual of sporadic, less than 100/day.

I saw a cardiologist and 2 Electrophysiologists. The cardiologist said that I'd have to have nearly 20,000/day over a period of time before it was a concern for weakening, eventually, of the heart muscle.

Some links that helped me:

www.drjohnm.org/2013/06/benign-pvcs-a-heart-rhythm-doctors-approach/

www.lifeoffbeat.com/

Anyone not experiencing heart rhythm issues, such as frequent PVCs, should see their doctor when they first start. Anyone that is accustomed to experiencing them, and notices they've worsened, should also see their doctor. Presumably you've had blood tests, and you've had quite a few EKG tests, you should feel very confident about your condition.

If you have been prescribed Toprol to help alleviate your symptoms, but have not taken it yet, you could consider only taking 1/2 of it to start. Beta Blockers are considered very safe medications, of all the medications used to treat heart rhythm irregularities, and are well tolerated. Some people have even been prescribed Beta Blockers for certain anxiety situations.

I am 40 and also suffer from GAD, panic, and awful frequent palpitations. I understand that you're nervous about the beta blocker. I hate taking the meds too, so I actually half or even quarter my dose. You can always start small and work your way up. You also may me perimenopausal which makes them worse. Try the beta blocker at a half dose when you have a flare up. See if it works. I take acebutolol for mine. Starting dose is 200mg, but I have taken much less and found it helps take the edge off without the side effects.