Arrhythmia (Irregular Heartbeat) - Symptoms Experienced
For arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), what were the symptoms and signs you experienced?
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What are the symptoms of arrhythmias?
An arrhythmia can be silent and not cause any symptoms. A doctor can detect an irregular heartbeat during a physical exam by taking your pulse or through an electrocardiogram (ECG).
When symptoms of an arrhythmia occur, they may include:
- Palpitations (a feeling of skipped heart beats, fluttering or "flip-flops," or feeling that your heart is "running away").
- Pounding in your chest.
- Dizziness or feeling light-headed.
- Fainting.
- Shortness of breath.
- Chest discomfort.
- Weakness or fatigue (feeling very tired).
See what others are saying
I have an irregular heart beat. Beating fast and slow. I haven't had any problems with my heart except sometimes when I am sitting or lying I feel a little discomfort. I was diagnosed with Sleep apnea and I didn't use my machine for over a year until I almost passed out when I sat in the sauna for to long of a time. Now I have started to use my machine on a regular basis and I am still having trouble sleeping for over three or four hours at a time. I am confused about whether I need to go and get a pace maker or trying and see why I still can't sleep all night. My machine is set on 9 and I have been feeling better since I started back using my machine again. After I sat in the sauna for too long my blood pressure dropped down to 70 on the high end and I was feeling dizzy for a couple of weeks afterwards, but I don't seem to be having any problems. I would like to know if there is something else I can do before getting a pacemaker.
I can go for 3-5 months without an episode. Then yesterday I had them all day long, just like waking up with hiccups. Once they start, they don't stop. It's very annoying. Today is somewhat better, but last night about 10:30pm I had an episode that lasted an hour. Usually they only last a second and then disappear and come back 5 minutes later. Last night it felt like fluttering, skipped beats made me catch my breath. I took my BP and it was 117 over 72, which is higher than normal for me especially at rest. There was no pain, shortness of breath or anything that would indicate a heart attack. Today I had the same thing but for shorter time periods. Usually they will disappear when I lie on my left side or do some exercising. An EKG last year showed a normal heart rate and rhythm. Doctor said it's probably benign and not to worry, but I sure would like to know what is causing this. I have had these episodes for 20 years and they seem to get worse with age. I just turned 55. I am a little overweight, but I was not overweight 20 years ago when they started. I hear somewhere that Cocaine use can possibly damage the heart muscle and I remembered that when I was about 24 or 25 I almost overdosed on pure cocaine. Now I don't drink, smoke or take drugs.
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