Question: Hi,

Im 28yrs old 5'11 and 158lbs. Ive had several EKGs, 48 hr holter, stress test, and echo. All appears to be good with the exception of a IRBBB showing as some minor delay in my heart electrical activity.

I have had some stomach issues where it seems to aggrivate my heart or tightening near my diaphram which i believe has some effect on the vagus nerve. Ive had blood tests done and a barium swallow which has all been fine.

The symptoms i genereally have are palpitations periodically most noticable after eating and at night. I seem to get quite a few extra beats which will cause palpitations and in some cases a couple seconds of several beats in a row. Generally nothing ever lasts long and goes away as fast as it comes on. When I sleep I usually get extrabeats every 10-20 beats or so until I relax a bit more.

What my concern and question is, on the rare occasions, typically 0-2 or so times a month, I get a steange feeling near my diaphram and followed by a slow progressing tightness in my chest. When i feel my for my pulse or heartbeat, I don't feel it at all for a couple-few seconds. The slow tightening stops as soon as it beats again, but is generally terrifying. I dont believe these have been caught on my holter or ekgs since they are so infrequent. I would like to note that when my heart beats again it doesnt seem to thud it just starts up as normal from what I can feel.

I understand my tests have been normal in almost every sense but, I get scared that after those long pauses it might not start back up. I dont have any other symptoms when that happens and its not a pain but just a progressing moving tightness towards the center of my chest.

It happens out of the blue whether standing, sitting, or laying down. Unless Im in a panic mode after I typically and right back to normal more or less.

Im just hoping for some kind of explaination or direction to go in, its just unsettling and I cant repoduce it until t randomly happens.

Thanks,

XXXX

Thank you, i do really appreciate it. Ive mentionted it to my cardiologist but they dont ever seem to be concerned it is just uncomfortable when it happens.

Sometimes after it occurs I assume it is normal for the anxiety and adrenalin to produce a somewhat irregular heartbeat? What i mean by that is afterwards and oddly prior to dinner which i had not eaten in a while, I had what feels like a regular irregular rhythm. It was beating at an almost constistant rate but seemed to vary a lot from hard to soft with slight rhythm changes.

Would that be considered normal or a non issue as well?

Thanks