Heart Palpitations and Normal EKG?

Question

I am a 27 year old female. I don't smoke, do drugs, or drink anything with caffeine. I've been having heart palpitations, sometimes several times an hour. I went to my doctor and she feels it is anxiety related. I had a normal EKG, but the irregular beats didn't occur during the test. I also had lab work done and everything was normal, except I am a little anemic. Sometimes I feel dizzy and weak, too. I am really afraid that something is wrong, but my doctor thinks this is my anxiety talking. Could heart palpitations have no cause, and if they were from anxiety, would they happen as often as several times an hour?

Answer 1

Anxiety, sleep deprivation, stress and exhaustion are almost certainly the causes - if it's any consolation, I have the same situation, with palpitations like that too and a perfectly clear EKG - I attribute mine to a 4-year-old hyperactive daughter that doesn't like to sleep :)

Answer 2

Oh my gosh i am so glad to hear so many other people are having the same problems as me, here i thought i was just dying! I have all the same symptoms as you my ekg always comes back normal i have had an echo cardiogram done and it showed up mitral valve prolapse, mine happens almost constantly and i think the stress i am under is what causes it. i have learned to control some things but sometimes it seems like i am actually going to die and i can't control the attacks. heart palpitations are normal in most women so i have been told. i have an  irregular heartbeat anyway and it skips about every third beat most of the time!

Answer 3

I could tell just by your headline that it would be anxiety related. It sounds wrong I know but anxiety can cause so many things it is ridiculous. Heres my story, hopefully it will make you feel a little better. I was 19 last summer when I started to feel dehydrated in the shower and had what I later found out was a panic or anxiety attack. I couldn't catch my breath, my hands went numb, my heart was racing and I was having palpitations, I was shaking almost uncontrollably and was literally pouring water on my head because I thought I was going to pass out.. My parents were in Vegas and so I called my grandpa to take me to the emergency room. They did all the heart tests, took my blood and everything came out find there wasn't even anything remotley wrong with my body. They sent me home with an anxiety diagnosis and a perscription for Lorazepam. To this day, if I get anxiety my heart gets palpitations and I freak out even though I know it won't hurt me. I do this because as you know it is a HORRIBLE feeling. I dont drink, do drugs, dont smoke or anything either which makes it even scarier.. I am pregnant now and can't take any medication but I will tell you this.. When I did take medication it helped me immensely. Without it, I can't work, I wouldn't have been able to plan my wedding, move to my new house, etc. My advice is to either get in therapy and get books to try a more natural approach or to go back to your doctor and get on medication for your anxiety as it will help relax your body and you won't experience those anymore. Also, it will help your anxiety before it gets out of hand.. Good luck and I wish you all the best as I know exactly how you feel!!

Answer 4

Definately, I am also a 27 yr old female and am perfectly healthy, I started suffering anxiety last January, and my heart raced nearly constantly, I too had an ekg and was told I was fine, which I was.  Unfortunately the anxiety and health concerns about your heart feed off each other and you're actually making your anxiety worse by constantly being concerned about your heart.  Tell yourself that you are fine, and if you find yourself having negative thoughts push them out of your mind.  The more you do this the less you will worry and soon your concerns will all but evaporate entirely.  

Answer 5

Palpitations

It's a frightening sensation -- one that may happen at the same time as a hot flash or by itself:  For no obvious reason, your heart suddenly starts pounding, racing faster and faster.  You can be sitting calmly, and it comes out of nowhere. Sometimes it  makes you so nervous, it can blow up in to a full-fledged panic attack. And if  you don't know that you're going through premature menopause and that palpitations are often a sign of menopause, you can think there's something seriously wrong with you.

Answer 6

Anxiety can be a cause of cardiac arrhythmia, and there can be other reasons,such as heart disease, medications,respiratory disorders.To be safe your Dr.should arrange for you to wear a holter monitor.A holter monitor is attatched by ecg electrodes to your chest and it records what your heart is doing  for 48 hrs.  There is an event button on it that you press every time you feel a palpitation or any symptom you might    have. You have to document on a log sheet what you were doing at the time of the event.Several years ago I had thousands of them.I was injured at work and developed a neurological disorder and I could not sleep at all.   Insomnia was the culprit, although my Dr tried to  say they were from stress. Once I slept they were gone. Palpitations can occur in perfectly healthy normal people. So insist on a holter, and if necessary ask to see a cardiologist.  Women's cardiac  health issues are frequently ignored so be persistant!