Irregular Heart Beat?

[Shari]

Last night I noticed that my husband's heart sounded irregular. We were just lying in bed talking and I kept hearing two quick "thump-thump's" after three normally paced "thumps." I mentioned this to him and he said it's always done that ("always" meaning "after surgery"). I've never heard it before, although I usually don't purposefully listen to his heart all day. I feel it's not normal so I called his internist today to give a heads-up. (He is going to the Dr. later today to have some bloodwork done after his rehab nurse thought he looked pale last Friday. I haven't noticed anything unusual in his coloring, but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.) Looking for any input here. He was just taken off ameoderone in early October. (He was put on it after surgery when he kept going into A-fib - but his heart rate would go all the way up to 150+ back then.) So what do you think? I always worry about the valve leaking or the stitches that hold the aortic graft in place popping out. Anyone have any ideas on this or have experienced the same thing? I'll let you know what we find out.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi shari !
please let us know how the dr's appt goes. i'm so sorry that he's having irregular beats. my husband, joey, is currently on amioderone for a-fibs and fast pulse rate after surgery too. i hope it's nothing and just a few flutters.
please keep us posted.
-sylvia

 

[Shari]

Everything is Okay

Everything is Okay

Hi Sylvia,

He went to the Dr. this afternoon and everything checked out okay. They did an EKG and nothing looked irregular. They also took some blood (his rehab nurse thought he looked pale) and everything was fine there too. So maybe the heart does do a quick "thump-thump" when he takes a breath. I never noticed it before. I'm going to listen again tonight to check if it is still doing it.

 

[Jessica_B.]

Hi Shari,

Most arrhythmias are pretty harmless but not to say all are. It's fairly common to experience them after heart surgery.

If your husband experiences arrhythmia again and it fails to appear on an ECG you can always request he wear a holter monitor. That will record arrhythmic events that happens when you are doing your daily routine.

If he has more of them you might also want to re-address the issue of medication with the doctor. Amiodarone is pretty much the last resort of arrhythmia drugs because it's so strong and fairly toxic.

Good luck!

/jessica

 

[Bill Hall]

Hi Shari

I was taken off amiodarone for afib heart in April and had no ill effects. I still have strange heartbeats, but infrequently. Hope everything is OK.

 

[Shari]

Thanks Bill and Jessica.

I will now make a point of listening every now and then to see if I hear something odd. We go back to the cardiologist in January. I'll bring it up to him as well even if I don't hear anything before then.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Shari, I wore the 24 hour monitor about 2 years ago because of a similar rhythm - mine was click - click - clickclick - kind of like a Texas 2-Step! They diagnosed it as PACs or pre-atrial contractions, and said not to worry about it unless it got worse. It happens more frequently when I am tired or when I am lying on my back with my head slightly elevated (reading in bed).

I also get a-fib occasionally, and have been given the same advice. After noticing the number of people in this group who have irregular beats, I decided to take the advice and ignore it! Hope you and your husband can do the same.

 

[Perrster]

Clicking in Unison?

Clicking in Unison?

Hi, Shari:

I kind of ignore it too, but my heartbeats are still quite noticeable when I'm at rest. My doc says I have a "bounding heart rythym." I'm trying extra Magnesium-seems to be helping arrythmias some.

Does your husband's (what is his name?) head and chest throb? My doc said these are relative to the artificial valves working. The valves are basically being "thrusted" open and closed vs. the easy, flowing motion of our original valves.

Someone asked me if my valves are in unison? Do they click together? I really don't know.

Hang in there.

 

[shaz]

irregular heartbeat

irregular heartbeat

I was put on amiodarone 4 days after my surgery for a-fib. I was fine for about a week then you couldnt even take my pulse because you couldnt tell where one beat ended and the other started. I had to have cardiac aversion (which sounds much worse than it was! It was the easiest thing I endured over the past few months). After the cardiac aversion, I was in normal sinus rhythm for 8 days, then my heart started doing this funky beat. Instead of "lub-dub, lub-dub" it would go "lub-dub-dub, lub-dub-dub". I've been monitoring it closely for the past 6 weeks and I notice it only happens when I'm relaxing on the couch or laying in bed to go to sleep. It usually only lasts a minute or so, but happens just about every day. The consolation I give to myself is that my heart is correcting itself and as I get stronger it will improve. I go off the amiodarone in 1 week which I'm nervous about but at the same time anxious to get off of it. If you've never researched the drug, definitely do so. It's a nasty, but in some cases, necessary little drug.

 

[Herb M]

For the past many years I occasionally would have irregular beats for brief periods. They felt like a missed beat, but in reality there was an early weak beat. At the beginning of the year this irregular beat was with me all day and night until a few weeks ago. My internist was able to easily see the irregularity on an ECG. He said they were benign. There are some types of irregular beats that are not benign and the ECG will reveal that.

 

[Jessica_B.]

ECG and arrhythmia...

ECG and arrhythmia...

I suffered from arrhythmia for years -- am currently on my third pacemaker. For quite a while I was told that the arrhythmia I was experiencing was nothing dangerous and that, eventually, it was all in my head. Well, turned out it was indeed something.
For some sufferers of arrhytmia, ECG:s were/are not enough as a diagnostic tool. To dismiss arrhythmia as benign solely on the basis of ECG-results might not be the best strategy.

/Jessica

 

[Herb M]

Jessica, it would be helpful to us if you gave more details why a diagnosis via an ECG could not identify the type of irregularity of the heart beat. In my case the ECG chart during my stress test showed clearly the type of premature contraction which my cardiologist stated were benign. The literature also describes benign types of irregular heartbeats versus those which are serious events. I am not very knowledgeable about this topic so any information would be appreciated.

 

[Jessica_B.]

For Herb...

For Herb...

Hi Herb,

Sorry for the confusion!!

Most arrhythmias, like PVC:s, are annoying but mostly, as you say, benign in nature and warrant no treatment.

An ECG which records your heartrate for an hour or so while lying still is helpful in confirming arrhythmia if the arrhythmia is present during the test. If you, on the other hand, have an arrhythmia which is provoked by certain things or happens irregularly, then the ECG will reveal nothing. In that case a holter monitor (worn at home while you are carrying out your daily activities) is more precise. As the next stage in the hunt for diagnosis electrophysiological studies and implanted loop recorders might be used.

At first my arrhythmia was barely noticeable at rest -- it was during holter monitoring and a stress test that accurate diagnosis could be made. I later had a electrophysiological (EP) study.

I am not saying that ECG:s are useless but as a diagnostic tool it might need to be complemented by other tests to be sure. If you have underlying heart disease (cardiomyopathies etc.) and experience arrhythmia, I would definately request a holter monitor and a stress test to rule out malignant arrhythmia. If uncertain about diagnosis a electrophysiologist ought to be consulted.
I have, I should add, been far too ill for far too long to take anything about my health lightly so I like to travel the safest road possible at all times.

All my best,

/jessica

 

[Beverley]

Hi - I have experienced the same symptoms as your husband. I too had an aoric dissection and underwent aortic root replacement surgery in June. I spoke with my Dr. about it. He had me wear a 24 hour holter monitor. And even though I still experienced the quick double click (missed beat)symptoms, nothing showed up on the holter monitor. I still experience it but I figure that if it didn't show up on the holter monitor even though I could feel it, it must not be a problem.

Beverley