[mitchdude]

hi i'm having a hard time dealing with what i can only describe as thump like butterflies in my middle to upper chest. They last only a second or two but begin to scare me and i've went to my gp and she only wants to reasure me that heart skips are normal. i get these skipped beats/ flutters regularly and notice them more profoundly when i am under stress or feeling anxious. One other time i suffer really badly from them is when i'm trying to sleep, i'll dose off and suddenly i'll get a jolt right through my chest and i have toforce myself awake and take a deep breath in. I am really scared about these, and my gp just won't listen to me when i say they are bothering me and becoming more frequent. I'm on beta blockers at the moment to try and help calm down my symptoms of anxiety, it is only the first day of taking the beta blockers and i have noticed the flutters more frequent today, but i was wondering if anyone could possibly give me some help/support, i really cannot find the will power now to cope with all this (maybe because all my will power went into giving up smoking nearly 4 months ago - smoker of 6 years) and i feel i'm being thrown down a 20 foot pit with no escape. If anyone could advise on possible approaches on how to deal with this or speak to someone proffessional i would be greatful thank you.

[runner1]

What you describe sounds very much like acutely-felt premature heartbeats, probably premature ventricular contractions. While some people don't feel them at all, others feel them profoundly and are startled the way you are. They can feel like a little flick of flutter sometimes, while at other times they can feel almost like a kick in the chest. It can be very disconcerting. They are almost always innocent and benign, even when they are frequent. The fact is some people have them all the time and are totally unaware of them, while others have them occasionally but feel each one exquisitely. There is no correlation between the sensation and the "severity" of them.

Many things can cause them or aggravate them, and one of the top causes is anxiety. As you've already figured out, they not only can be caused by anxiety, but anxiety can cause them, so it becomes, for some, a vicious cycle. They also occur frequently when falling asleep, which would help explain why this would happen when you were dozing in class. They happen a lot following meals, too, and are aggravated as well by nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, fatigue, sleep deprivation, lying on one's left side, and the list goes on for pages. The important thing to know is that they are almost never of any importance, although it is very wise to have this evaluated by a cardiologist in order to help put your mind at ease. Good luck and let us know what the doctor says.
runner1

[fluttery]

mitchdude, congratulations on quitting smoking! I'm sorry to hear you're having problems with your heart - I've been a little worried myself because I've started having some ectopic heartbeats while exercising. My family doctor said that when they came at reast they were nothing to worry about, but now that I'm having them while exercising I'm getting nervous. Wondering if I should go see the doctor again.