[chas]

First off let me just say i hope yall had a good weekend!
So this past sunday night was a scary one for me...At around 6:00 pm sunday evening i began to have this weird fluttering sensation in my chest.
So thinking maybe it was anxiety related i took some advan and tried to relax and watch the simpsons.
So this fluttering persisted and at around 9:00pm i was taken to the er and was diagnosed with bigeminy.
Have any of you ever experienced this? I would love to hear you guys feedback!
Thanks in advance!
Chas.

[Jeff]

Chas - was that ventricular or atrial bigeminy?

To answer your question, yes, I've had it. Both ventricular and atrial.

[chas]

Jeff,
I believe it was ventricle bigeminy...I say this because i had a PVC or two while i was hooked up to the EKG.
All i know is that these PVCs and bigeminy is starting to scare me.
Oh before i forget the bloodwork,EKG,chestxray came back clean....But the doctor made an appointment with the cardioligist for tommorow.

[Jeff]

How long were you in bigeminy? Was it for hours, or just little spurts here and there?

[chas]

it was just little spurts here and there.

Still it was very scary...I have never experienced anything like that before!

The worst part of it all I guess was after I was released from the er I was spent(not to mention it was 1:15 in the morning!)

If you dont mind me asking,how long were you in it when you had it? And can this condition be caused by nothing ore than anxiety and stress?

[Jeff]

Here's what I understand about the heart - ectopic foci (inappropriate/unusual places where a cluster of heart cells is capable of spontaneously initiating an electrical impulse) can be found in every human heart. The heart's ability to generate an escape beat or escape rhythm is proof and testament to the heart's amazing ability to have backup system after backup system.

When you're in the middle of a period of heightened stress or anxiety, your body is producing all kinds of chemical compounds, some of which can irritate your heart or excite it unnecessarily. In those cases, those ectopic foci may become even less impeded in their attempts to spontaneously fire. And in those situations, you get a PVC.

Is it possible for stress to be a cause? Absolutely. That's just about the only primary trigger for me.

[chas]

Well thats kind of what I figured...its just really scary when it happens you know?

But thanks for the insight Jeff,I have read a few of your posts on here back before I signed up...you seem to be pretty smart when it comes to this type of stuff!

I will definatley let you guys know the results of my cardioligist visit tomorrow!

[Jeff]

Yeah, definitely let us know. And I'm with you on them being scary - they used to scare the hell out of me, too. Wrecked my life. But the more days you have them and they don't kill you, the more you start to recognize them for what they - a harmless nuisance. I would expect the cardio to set you up with some sort of testing, maybe a stress test if you haven't already had one, maybe a Holter monitor. And likely all of it is going to be more for your reassurance than anything else. But there's great value in being reassured that you aren't going to fall over dead.

[jkfrench]

Good luck at the doctor's tomorrow Chas.
Keep us updated.
Jodie

[Susie]

How are you feeling Chas, how did the doctor visit go? Having those horrid things are not fun, and it is easy to say relax, but when they happen to you, it is a different story.

Let us know how you are doing.
Susie