Heart Skips Beats

I am a 19 year old college student, and occasionally over the past two years I've noticed my heart literally skipping beats. It's usually only once or twice - I can feel it in my chest - and then it's gone for weeks. After a presentation in one of my classes last week (I get really nervous when speaking in front of people) I've noticed that my heart hasn't stopped skipping since that day.

I'm really worried about it, as it's never continued to skip for this long. I keep thinking it will go away but I'm not sure this time. Should I wait it out or go to a doctor? Could it be caused by stress or anxiety?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

-Jessica

Im 19 and ive had that since i can remember....its palpitations which are harmless and ive had all the tests u could imagine because they made me nervous too....if im stressed they get worse...nothing to worry about

I have that too. It does that maybe 3 or 4 times everyday? I've had heart test and chest x ray and awaiting results now.

Hi guys,
I am so glad I found someone else experiencing the same things I do. I am 24 now, and since I was 18 or so I started experiencing skipping heart beats, followed with almost fainting, although I never did. I feel so conscious of it, so I think of it constantly. Went to doctors many times,and they told me that I have premature atrial and ventricular contractions, which they say are normal. Some people feel them some don't. I just feel like I'm very unlucky since this is just annoying. I hope it goes away. I suppose it's nothing to worry about.

HI, I am 43 and have also experienced my heart skipping beats. It started when I was 19 or 20 and was taking and teaching lots of aerobics classes. I usually feel the missing beat and immediately after I have to take a deep breath because I feel like I can't catch my breath. It is not quite like fainting but I can relate to the sensation. I usually feel it happen more often if I am stressed out or if I have been drinking too much caffeine for several days in a row. I consulted a cardiologist who is an avid runner and is in great shape. He said it wasn't anything to worry about, that he has them too. He also said lots of people have this but some people don't feel it hardly at all and some like me feel it everytime it happens. It is annoying and I still worry about it specially when I am at the gym on the elliptical trainer. So I slow down a bit and wait for my heart to compose itself and then get my heart rate up again . Some days I just have to stop because it just won't quit doing it. I think it is the caffeine.
I am glad to hear that some of you have gotten the same response from your doctors.

hi my heart started skipping bats to when i turned 35 it was not to bad in the beginning but it started to get really bad a the years went by, i was on just about every blood pressure meds and some heart meds to help it calm down , some of the meds would help but then the meds would stop working so i went to the university of washington an saw a good cardio doctor by the name of dr. robert roe and he did 2 heart ablazions for me one was for rapid heart rate i could not slow my heart down myself and the other was for extra heart beats what you are feeling and i must say i feel better because before the heart ablazions i was feeling my heart skip beats about several hundred a day i could not take it any more it seem like the qaulity of life was not there any more, it has been more then 2 years ago i feelbetter but i still feel them but not like i use to so if they get so bad you cannot take it any more ,check into a heart ablazion it well help some thanks

Hi everybody,
I am 14 and I think I am feeling my heart skipping as well. When it happens I have to take a deep breathe and I told my mom about it and she said it was because of stress. But normally when i work out my stress goes away and ive worked out 6 times a week every week, and its still doing this. should I go to the doctors?

so glad i can turn to the net and quickly find some ppl that r experiencing the EXACT symptoms i have had for 3 days now...heart "skips" a beat and i feel like i have to catch my breath right afterward... this has been quite frightening for me and i will still probably see a doctor but my anxiety has been relieved by seeing the posts here so thank u

I have the same thing, heart skips a beat and I either have to take a deep breathe or sometimes my body will involuntarily cough and I imagine it's like kick starting my heart. There is a lot of heart disease in my family so I was worried but after reading all of this, I guess I won't be!

Mine turned out to be the artificial sweetener aspartame from all the sugar free foods and drinks i was having. about a week of letting my aspartame levels get down and it stopped almost completely. its known to cause all kinds of health problems and found in just about anything sugar free from diet sodas to gum to some vitamins!