missed heart beat

[danbrown]

I periodically have a missed heart beat which doesn't concern me. However, I have periods that last an hour or so (missed heart beats every 6 to 10 beats or so) that do concern me. I have talked with my cardiologist and requested a halter monitor which I will do next week for a couple of days. He told me that it is not unusual to have episodes of irregular rhythms or missed beats for a while after heart surgery (it's been 2 1/2 months now). He also told me that it could be permanent but that it is nothing to be concerned about. He also said that some people (I guess me) are hypersensitive and can easily feel missed beats or rhythm changes while others do not notice these changes.

Does anyone else experience this?

Oh, I do take 50mg of Topril.

Dan

 

[Karlynn]

Hi Dan,
I used to have those continually prior to my VR and have them on occasion now. It sounds like what you are having are either PACs (pre-atrial contractions) or VBG (ventricular bigeminy). While it feels like the beat is missed, it's actually a beat, for lack of a better word, that either occurres too prematurely or too late from the last beat. Most of these are benign - although uncomfortable. But you are doing the right thing in getting it looked at.

I hear you on the sensitivity issue. I can feel every odd beat my heart has. It's one of the reasons why my pre-surgery days were so miserable. It amazes me that my BIL can be in continual A-Fib and not feel a thing. When I had catheterizations I could feel the cather going up and into my heart. One time the doc doing the cath said - oh you can't feel it, it's just that you're nervous. So I told him to top inserting it and I'd tell him where the end was. I did and he shut up. My Dad said he never felt anything with his caths. We're just "blessed" I guess.

 

[danbrown]

Thanks Karlynn for the words of comfort. You had a heart cath while awake? I had one but I was out. I imagine that was pretty strange.

Dan

 

[ruth]

Hey Dan -

I had PVCs before and after surgery. Seems like they are less now, maybe I notice them less is all. For me it isn't really a "missed" beat but like 2 in a row (that feel like 1) and then a pause. The next ones are one time. It feels like my heart skips beats.

The holter monitor will catch whatever it is and give you more information. For many of us our hearts were "irritable" after surgery and took awhile to settle down. I can understand it, my little heart must have been pretty surprised after laboring away with its issues until one Tuesday they went in there and fixed it. It took awhile for it (and me) to settle back in to rhythm, like the better part of a year. Having a holter monitor and knowing that what I had were 'innocent' PVCs helped. I still laid awake at night waiting for when (if?) the next beat would come. Getting past that psychological hurdle took longer than the physical. So much for being sensitive!

I wish you all the best in your recovery.

Peace,
Ruth

 

[Bina]

Many of us have the skipped, or fast beats.
As long as the holter monitor and ECG show nothing is really out of whack, then you just need to stick it out.
It usually gets much better as the heart heals and re-models itself.

 

[jjay32]

most skipped or fast beats are benign, the last time I was hooked up to a holter, they told me I was getting about 120-150 a day. Sometimes when I first lay down I will go into a-fib for about 2-3 min, then it settles down. It is when you start getting more that one skip (extra) beat in a row that they start to look at other tihings.

 

[danbrown]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I am conforted by your comments. I really have a hard time realizing that I went through major surgery for some reason. Maybe I'm in denial. I had never been in the hospital before so this is all new. I'm still trying to figure out the important from the unimportant stuff.

Dan

 

[CThrock]

I too have skipped heart beats every few days. It doesn't last long just a few seconds. I guess its pretty normal, at least thats what I've been told. Everything else seems to check out ok. Sometimes if I take slow breaths it goes alway faster. I would'nt be to concerned unless it gets worse.

 

[Duff Man]

PVC's or PAC's or possibly ventricular tachycardia or bigeminy is what you're describing. PVC's and PAC's used to be able to ruin my day. Most of the time they're described as benign, but they do not feel that way. I'm glad I don't get them often any more. It would be good for you to get a holter monitor study done just to make sure it's not ventricular tachycardia or something like that.

 

[gerrys]

I hear you on the sensitivity issue. I can feel every odd beat my heart has. It's one of the reasons why my pre-surgery days were so miserable. It amazes me that my BIL can be in continual A-Fib and not feel a thing. When I had catheterizations I could feel the cather going up and into my heart. One time the doc doing the cath said - oh you can't feel it, it's just that you're nervous. So I told him to top inserting it and I'd tell him where the end was. I did and he shut up. My Dad said he never felt anything with his caths. We're just "blessed" I guess.

Exactly my experience. I could feel the cath moving around. After 11 weeks, I'm still extra sensitive to missed and/or pounding beats. I guess with time I'll become desensitized and forget about it.

 

[Guest]

me too

me too

It's been over a year since my mitral valve replacement and I still feel the irreular beats quite often. Not to worry.
Friend

 

[dick0236]

I have experienced skipped heart beats and short periods of irregular beats a few times each month since my surgery. Early on I was probably concerned and probably did mention it to my docs. These events no longer bother me so long as they stay short and transient.