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Suggest Risk Factors With Extra Systoles And Skipping Of Heart Beat
hi doc,I am a 30 yr old fem from phils. Its been a month now that im expriencing a series f skip beats, but not everyday, sometimes i hear it using a stestoscope and felt it, and im a bit scared, since i felt that i may lose my breath every skip.i ve been to a cardiologist and done ecg but it came back normal,. at first she thought it is heart burn because i started feeling it when i skip a meal, then got very angry with my partner. at first she gave me nexium 40 mg, for 1 wk i have taken the med and for that 1 wk i havent felt any skip beats, but after 2 days of not taking 8, something bad news ive heard and got very anxious and started getting skip beats again. if i got stressed i got this skip beats, then i went to the cardiologist again and told me that i have extra systoles, and give me meds like atenolol, i havent taken it yet, because im afraid of the worsts side effects, is this illness alarming and is that med good for me to take? pls advice me ..thanks hope u can help me
Fri, 28 Aug 2015
Greetings. Welcome to HCM and thank you for your question. I understand your concern.
It is normal for anyone to have a small number of skipped heart beats or extrasystoles. This phenomenon happens in healthy individuals after they stop a vigorous physical activity, when they are going under a lot of stress etc. These are benign exstrasystolic heart beats. The shortness of breath that may came after an extrasystole, is from the heart beat after the extrasystole, which is more forceful and pounding. Before you start taking the beta blocker, I would recommend you a 24-hour Holter rhythm monitor registration, to see at what amount are extrasystoles present. They generally are benign, but, of course, there is a limit to how many of them can happen during a day, to still be considered benign. If they are rare, in the rhythm registration, combined with your age, my opinion is that no treatment is needed. But if they are in high numbers, or borderline high, I would recommend you to be started on a beta blocker, just like your doctor said. However, I would choose another drug from the beta blocker class, since you are a young person in a relationship, and atenolol may cause decreasing of the libido.
I hope I was helpful. Take care.
Regards,
Dr. Meriton
It is normal for anyone to have a small number of skipped heart beats or extrasystoles. This phenomenon happens in healthy individuals after they stop a vigorous physical activity, when they are going under a lot of stress etc. These are benign exstrasystolic heart beats. The shortness of breath that may came after an extrasystole, is from the heart beat after the extrasystole, which is more forceful and pounding. Before you start taking the beta blocker, I would recommend you a 24-hour Holter rhythm monitor registration, to see at what amount are extrasystoles present. They generally are benign, but, of course, there is a limit to how many of them can happen during a day, to still be considered benign. If they are rare, in the rhythm registration, combined with your age, my opinion is that no treatment is needed. But if they are in high numbers, or borderline high, I would recommend you to be started on a beta blocker, just like your doctor said. However, I would choose another drug from the beta blocker class, since you are a young person in a relationship, and atenolol may cause decreasing of the libido.
I hope I was helpful. Take care.
Regards,
Dr. Meriton
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