heart flutters while bending over

Wow, who knew what a little Google search would turn up? It's a relief to see that I'm not just going crazy. I've had this problem since I was 15 and it's never stopped. My father loved to label me as a hypochondriac, so he dismissed anything I told him. It started in my PE class, and just became common enough through the years that I just dealt with it. I'm now 32, so I've learned to pay closer attention when it happens. It always happens when I bend over to pick something up, and generally seems to happen during my menstrual cycle. I told a doctor about it once, and he said that it generally happens in teenage girls and gradually goes away so I must just be a "teenager at heart"...yeah, thanks, Doc. After I bend over, I do get that blackout effect for a second or two. I know that my heart beats extremely fast instantaneously, and my chest and calves seem to tighten up. Like others have mentioned, you can see my heartbeat right through my shirt, as it is beating so fast and hard. It takes between 15 to 20 minutes to stop, and just as fast as my heartbeat starts racing, when it's done, in one beat, it is back to normal. I've always explained it that I can "hear" the "boom" of the last rapid heartbeat, and then it's fine. That's what has always scared me the most. It still only happens to me about once every other month, but I have had plenty of the scares where I can feel it trying to start, but my heart relaxes and it doesn't happen. I've always just laid down and kind of rolled over into different positions to find comfort and wait it out. It has started getting increasingly more uncomfortable, and so that's why I started searching for answers. I will have to try the "bear down" method next time and hopefully, it helps. I'm reluctant to go to a doctor after getting the answer I did years ago. Maybe the doctors in Idaho are sheltered. :-) But I will definitely keep watching for new advice.

I too have SVT.  I'm 60 years old and have had it since I was a teenager.  Sometimes it comes on for no apparent reason.  Usually only lasts 10-15 minutes, sometimes over an hour.  I was taking Atenenol for years, but they took me off a few years ago because it seemed to subside.  I have fewer episodes, but still get it.  I usually get a headache and an occular migraine with it. 

One time I was in a car accident (not hurt physically), but was so shook up by the incident that when rescue was checking me out I had a serious SVT episode (over 200 beats per minute).  They had to give me an injection of something that was the equivalent of the paddles to stop and restart my heart because it was in the danger level.  That was the worst episode in my entire life.

Today I had another episode (first in many months), but it's lasting longer than usual.  Amazing how it never happens when you go to the doctor.

I can't really say either, I think you would have to just take things as they come.

I am so happy to hear all these stories, similar to mine. I have had PSVT since I was 20 or 21. I'm 29 currently. Nice to hear that we are all still alive, lol. I will be chatting on here with you all occasionally to share stories, and I will be praying for you all as well. The biggest things that have helped me are keeping stress levels down, no caffeine, chocolate, or being around cigarette smoke. When my cardiologist found the PSVT (paraoxymal SVT), he told me I could either take medications or just try to control it, since it doesnt occur that often. I have been controlling it (the Lord above) for almost 10 years now. Sudden changes in temperature (usually cold) really trigger it off the most....and caffeine and stress. But I've learned how to manage it. It is managable without medicine ya know....

Doctors are supposed to be there to take care of you and listen to you, not dismiss what you say.



Ask about electro catheter ablation. This might make your ignorant doctors ears prick up a bit. If they don't, he shouldn't be in the medical profession, and you shouldn't be giving him money.

Sounds like you have the beginning signs of SVT creating a pathway.  This is exactly what happened to me. I didn't find out, though, until mine went into what's called a loop and didn't stop.  Luckily, they can stop it in the ER.  It was the most confusing and scary time of my life.  You need to see an electrophysioligist (sp).  You will not drop dead from this, but it is very scary.  You need to get it caught on a halter montitor and discuss having heart ablation surgery with your doctor.  The surgery changed my life.  You will always feel weird things going on with your heart (that's just the way it is...sorry) but you will be ok.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
P.S.  You get to go off all meds after surgery.  I still take xanax from time to time.

I don't want to discourage you young whippersnappers, but I'm in my 60's and have been having these episodes since my teens.  I have not yet had an ablation (which was scheduled but another prior surgery preempted it).  The bending over definitely triggers it and I have been to the hospital many times.  My cardiologist has put me on a low dose of  ATENOLOL (a TEN oh lole) which is a beta-blocker. Beta-blockers reduce the workload on the heart and help it to beat more regularly. This medicine is used to treat high blood pressure and to prevent chest pain. It is also used to protect the heart during a heart attack and to prevent an additional heart attack from occurring.  I've taken this for 15 years and the episodes are less frequent.

I'm 25 and have had svts for since I was around 7. After having 2 episodes in 2007 I was finally diagnosed. My heartbeat was 275 bpm. Since then u have episodes where it gets to 120 bpm as the verapamil tablet I'm in seems to kick in. I suffer a lot with pvcs, sometimes these are alleviated by walking. I also get heart flutters sometimes. Largely, I believe these all to be benign but it is a horrible and sometimes very scary feeling. I've not had an ablation. I did record my pvcs on a monitor but my cardiologist said the underlying heartbeat was perfectly normal so I neednt worry.I think we are experiencing the same symptoms but we are all still here to tell the tale. The best thing to do is to stay calm and reassure yourself that you've had the symptoms before and have not come to any harm. Wishing you all good health and happiness, Melissa, Ireland

I'm so glad I found this site, all of this has been happening to me since I was 13 years old, finally after so many people not listening to just how bad it was, it got really bad the attacks started on. Sat. Morning and I had them back to back all day, long story short I end up back at the same heart doc. That didn't find anything wrong and he sees the problem, I had the ablation done about 12 years ago. thank GOD the really bad attacks don't happen anymore but, I still have fluttering and skipping alot it's so scary

Hello, I have had this for about 12 yrs ... I am now 40 yrs old.  Heart rates of 200 for more then 1 hrs strait and beats of 180 for over 2 hrs ... I have receiver the injection  2 times ... I take drugs also to keep my heart rate stable ... ( my mother has this also ) it runs in the family.  You are not the only ones

I've had svt since I was 8. I have epsiodes about once every 2 months. My solution that always works is find a private area, anywhere with a wall and get into a hand stand with the help of the wall. Your blood rushes out of your heart and into your head within a few seconds and stops the episode. If you can't find a spot to get into a handstand find a way to get blood to rush to your head

I had my first episode of SVT at 9 years old.  Of course then they didn’t know what it was.  I didn’t get the diagnoses until in my thirties (I am now 72).  About 12 years ago I got an ablation.  It was heaven not to have SVT anymore.  I do have other kinds of skipped beats that have increased with age.  Now I also have A-fib episodes occasionally….all still scary.    I have been on Inderal for over 30 years.   I have tried magnesium and other suggested home remedies, but have never found anything that eliminates all these irritating episodes.  The SVT was such a nuisance.  It seemed to happen when bending over or while doing sports (adrenaline induced).  I would get a heart rate of over 200 and would need to lie down.   Now I am thinking some of it is gas related or stomach issues.   I keeping hoping for a simple cure. 

First off I will say that I don't know you but I do care.I have an issue where my heart something when I bend over and its nothing painful but scares me.Kinda of like a large shot of fear shot into me.I also have sleep starts when laying on my back and it feels like my hearts quit beating and sometimes even and electrical shock.I hate it as you all know.I just want to say that we are much healthier than we think we are.Please stop all sugar and salt.Eat meat sparingly and load up on vegetables, nuts and 2 fruits a day.Your body will heal itself, trust me.I beat this before and was super healthy then let my diet go to c**p and my health is now bad again.You need to reduce stress no matter how you have to do it.Reprogram your  mind by listening to positive health videos on youtube.I pray for all of us and we will be just fine and live and long life but you need to  make a change now.  Matt

OMG FINALLY SOMEONE HAS EXPLAINED EXACTLY WHAT I GO THROUGH IM ACTUALLY CRYING RIGHT NOW!!!! I'm not happy you also have this problem because it's scary as hell I swear I'm gonna die everytime and the last few months all I gotta do is take a deep breathe!!! I have had this since I was 9 and it's gotten worse as I've gotten older ha ha my heart just did a hard THUD THUD just now writing this when it doesn't actually have it's "attack episode" as I call them it off beats hard allot like there's a bubble in my heart almost thank thank you for posting glad to know finally I'm not a weird freak all alone with this so has there been any answers to what the heck this is!!???

Not fatal no, stress makes it worse yes.