I Have Had Heart Palpitations For The Past 3 Days...Non

Posted on Fri, 10 Apr 2020

Question: I have had heart palpitations for the past 3 days...Non stop...There happening 2 to 3 times every minute..worries it could be a blocked artery or something

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Welcome to Ask a Doctor service!

I understand your concern and would explain that your symptoms are not suggestive of a blocked coronary artery. But we can not exclude possible cardiac arrhythmia.

For this reason, I would recommend consulting with your attending physician for a physical exam and some tests, in order to investigate for the possible underlying cause:

- a resting ECG and a cardiac ultrasound in order to examine your heart function and structure
- an ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring for possible cardiac arrhythmia
- complete blood count for anemia
- thyroid hormone levels for possible thyroid gland dysfunction
- blood electrolytes for possible imbalance.

You should discuss with your doctor on the above tests.

In the meantime, I would recommend avoiding caffeine intake and straining physical activity, which can trigger this clinical situation.

Hope to have been helpful!

I remain at your disposal for any further questions whenever you need!

Kind regards,

Dr. Ilir Sharka, Cardiologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ilir Sharka (45 minutes later)

thanks for getting back to me. is it not dangerous that these palpitations are so constant..so many reach minute lasting for days. is there anything I can do to bring it down at all. thanks

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Opinion as follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hello again!

Let me explain that in case of palpitations are persistent for hours, an ECG could clarify whether we have to do only with a physiological sinus tachycardia or additional rhythm issues are present.

In general, palpitations do not have any serious underlying cause. Anyways, it is necessary to undergo clinical investigations in case they become frequent and prolonged.

Besides the above-mentioned issues, a beta-blocker like metoprolol, or atenolol could slow down the heart rate and relieve the unpleasant palpitations feeling.

You could discuss this with your attending doctor on the above-mentioned tests and issues.

Wishing you a pleasant weekend!

Kind regards,

Dr. Iliri

Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee