Thudding heartbeat?

[river-wear]

Hi everyone, I think I've read about this on here but I really need some reassurance (if warranted).

My heartbeat has been steady around 75-80 bpm for days, but yesterday and today it seems like I can feel every beat against my chest. Once in awhile, I have a palpitation (for which I left a message with my cardiologist earlier today). Last night I was having several palpitations in a row. My dosage for Amiodarone and Metoprolol were reduced on Friday so I'm probably more nervous because of that. I didn't have a-fib until a week after surgery so I'm concerned it will happen again in spite of the medication.

I'm not a nervous kind of person and I'd appreciate anyone else's experience. I even slept fine the night before surgery without any help.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

My heartbeat has been steady around 75-80 bpm for days, but yesterday and today it seems like I can feel every beat against my chest..

personally I have had a solid thumping feel in my chest since my 2011 surgery. The "thumpiness" of it is greater when my BP is higher. Even though my HR gets down to 68 in the mornings when I wake up, its still thumpy.

People here often remark that their valve has a clicky sound not unlike a watch. Mine is seldom heard by others but when it is its as a deeper thump sound.

Lately I've felt that (I think) its getting less thumpy feeling.

Curiously its not something notable when I'm exersizing, more when I'm lying or sitting quietly

I suspect that its more related to scar tissue making for a better conduction of sound and perhaps the aortic graft being less 'spongy' than my original artery (thus conducting the valve closing sound more).

I also get infrequent palpitations of the heart, but its usually something like 2 or three beats.

If it gets worse I'd bring it up with your Dr, but my initial feeling is that its nothing to worry about.

 

[river-wear]

Thanks. I don't have any weird sounds, given that I had a repair rather than replacement. The "thumpiness" is certainly disconcerting. My blood pressure was 100/63 the last I checked. That's a bit lower than usual since surgery, but it has incrementally decreased as the Amiodarone load has increased (even though they say it's not meant to lower BP).

I'll be sure to mention the thudding when the nurse calls back tomorrow.

 

[AZ Don]

Ever since my OHS I feel my heart beat in my chest when I take a deep breath or in certain positions. It's not a sound, I feel it. It feels like my heart is pushing against my sternum, and when I was recovering it actually hurt a little bit at times. I've heard two reasonable theories to explain this: 1. after ohs the pericardial sac is not closed and so the heart is unprotected and you can feel the beat more than normal. After about 3 months, scar tissue closes the sac and so it should go away (mine did not). 2. For those that have had an aortic aneurysm repair, the position of the graft may be somewhat different than the native aorta and may conduct the sound differently than the native aorta (similar to what Pellicle said above).

I've heard both theories from my surgical team but considering their experience with such surgeries that do not seem to be familiar with the thumping issue. If you didn't have an aortic graft then perhaps there is a good chance the thumping will go away. I've seen posts from others that theirs went away after a few months or as many as 10 months. In the meantime, perhaps it is less bothersome in certain positions or postures.

FYI, there are a number of things that may stop Afib: Metoprolol (check w/ your Dr.) Washing your face with cold water. Cough. Rub neck by carotid artery. Vasalva maneuver (something those that have had aortic aneurysm should generally avoid).

 

[Blair]

Hi river-wear,

I'm now at seven weeks since mitral repair and was very aware of my heartbeat for several weeks after surgery. I think the word you used, thudding, would be a good description. It was uncomfortable, especially after meals. What bothered me even more was an irregular heartbeat. I would have four beats, then skip a beat. The next beat was always a really big "whomp", followed by three regular beats. This would just go on and on, sometimes with six to ten beats before the skip, but usually it was four. Pulse ranged between mid sixties to 100 or so. BP just slightly higher than yours. Saw the surgeon last week. He said what I described was normal, but offered no explanation.

The irregular heartbeats stopped about two weeks ago. The thudding continues, but I'm not so aware of it anymore. Am assuming it's part of the remodeling process.

 

[river-wear]

Thanks for the reassurance. The first time I got out of the hospital, I didn't have any worries. Just "hey, that was unpleasant and now I can put it behind me." Then I went back in for three nights for the a-fib and now I worry about every palpitation that repeats within ten minutes. The nurse at the hospital said to feel my pulse and as long as it was steady I didn't need to worry. Easier said than done.

AZ Don, thanks for the list for trying to stop a-fib. I'd add crying to the list - or it was just a coincidence for me going back to sinus rhythm. I could see how it would be a little similar to the Valsava maneuver though, especially when you're trying not to cry. :redface2:

 

[Paleowoman]

My heartbeat is mostly thumping loudly - banging is how I describe it - since surgery six months ago. When I asked my doctor about it he listened to my heart and said it sounded normal to him but that the new leaflets are more 'efficient' and close well compared to the bicuspid valve I had so I notice the difference. Another doctor who I met when having surgery who had surgery himself told me that the brain takes a long time to get used to noises in the body so ours take time to get used to the new noise. I will still complain to my cardiologist though !

 

[pellicle]

e Valsava maneuver though, especially when you're trying not to cry.:

Don't try it when your trying not to laugh either

 

[cldlhd]

I guess ill have to Google' valsalva maneuver'. I haven't had surgery ( yet ) but occasionally mine thumps more loudly than usual, I notice it more at night if I'm laying on my left side with my left ear in the pillow. Is there a reason they don't sew the pericardial sac back up?

 

[joanpieroni]

I can hear thumping, but my cardiologist said it's the new valve opening and closing, because it's so strong. I had a-fib a week after and had an ablation done to get back to sinus. now I feel normal but still hear the thump. I went back to work yesterday after 12 weeks off. I took my B/P mid afternoon and was surprised it was 146/86. it has been 120/80 I guess it's just the whole work thing. It is the busiest week of the year ( I work in a produce dept. in the #1 grocery store in the US) it was really nice to see all the fresh produce.


AVR- March 2014 Edwards Bovine Valve Gates Vascular Institute Buffalo NY

 

[tom in MO]

I take the "Be Happy Don't Worry" approach. After surgery I'd get occassional loud heartbeats that would sometimes last awhile. Sometimes a "palpitation". Sometimes it seemed to skip a little (the valve's young and children skip ). I ignored it and it always went away. Every doctor that listens says it sounds good. Talk to your cardio's nurse, they should be able to help.

 

[river-wear]

The nurse called me back earlier this afternoon. She said the cardiologist doesn't want to change anything and that it should be fine. If I keep having a lot of palpitations, I should let them know and they'll put me on a 30-day event monitor. It seems to have settled down again. I only had some when I got up around 4am and then went back to bed - my heart seems to get a little confused when I first lay down. I sat on the bed counting my pulse just by feeling the thudding. 76, so it was all right.

If the earlier palpitations hadn't led to a-fib I wouldn't be worrying! But the longer it is since surgery, the better (and less stressed) I feel.