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What Causes Severe Fluttering Feeling In The Chest?
Question: I keep having this fluttering feeling in My chest/heart, I can go for days and have nothing and then all of a sudden I get this fluttering feeling that lasts just seconds but lately it seems to be happening more often.
Brief Answer:
I would recommend performing some tests:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
Regarding your concern, I would explain that your symptoms seem to be related to a cardiac arrhythmia.
Anxiety could also be the cause of your troubles.
Anyway, I would recommend consulting with your attending physician for a careful physical exam and some tests to investigate for the possible underlying causes:
- a resting ECG and a cardiac ultrasound to examine your heart function and structure
- an ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring to help examine your heart rhythm trends for a prolonged time.
- some blood lab tests (complete blood count for anemia, thyroid hormone levels for possible thyroid dysfunction, blood electrolytes for possible imbalance) to exclude other metabolic causes that may trigger cardiac arrhythmia.
Another test, I would recommend instead of the 24-48 hours ECG monitoring would be the loop recorder. This tests helps monitor your heart rhythm only during those episodes (as you switch the button during the fluttering feeling) and the doctor is able to examine your ECG during those episodes. From the other hand, this device can be hold for a longer time (up to a month) and can be more helpful in catching (registering) your heart rhythm during those episodes, considering the fact that those episodes are rare.
You should discuss with your doctor on the above tests.
Hope to have been helpful!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
I would recommend performing some tests:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
Regarding your concern, I would explain that your symptoms seem to be related to a cardiac arrhythmia.
Anxiety could also be the cause of your troubles.
Anyway, I would recommend consulting with your attending physician for a careful physical exam and some tests to investigate for the possible underlying causes:
- a resting ECG and a cardiac ultrasound to examine your heart function and structure
- an ambulatory 24-48 hours ECG monitoring to help examine your heart rhythm trends for a prolonged time.
- some blood lab tests (complete blood count for anemia, thyroid hormone levels for possible thyroid dysfunction, blood electrolytes for possible imbalance) to exclude other metabolic causes that may trigger cardiac arrhythmia.
Another test, I would recommend instead of the 24-48 hours ECG monitoring would be the loop recorder. This tests helps monitor your heart rhythm only during those episodes (as you switch the button during the fluttering feeling) and the doctor is able to examine your ECG during those episodes. From the other hand, this device can be hold for a longer time (up to a month) and can be more helpful in catching (registering) your heart rhythm during those episodes, considering the fact that those episodes are rare.
You should discuss with your doctor on the above tests.
Hope to have been helpful!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for getting back to me.
I'm not sure if this is related but a few weeks back I was getting this terrible sudden pain in my right tigh muscle, again it would only last seconds and wasn't there all the time but when it happened it was very sudden out of no where and I would cry with the pain of it but that seems to be gone now but it seems it was round this time that the fluttering started.
Thank you.
I'm not sure if this is related but a few weeks back I was getting this terrible sudden pain in my right tigh muscle, again it would only last seconds and wasn't there all the time but when it happened it was very sudden out of no where and I would cry with the pain of it but that seems to be gone now but it seems it was round this time that the fluttering started.
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
Thank you for the additional information, but I think that the pain in the right thigh could be related to a muscle spasm. In such case, the fluttering could be only explained by anxiety.
Anyway, a Doppler ultrasound of the leg vessels would help exclude possible varicose veins or blood clots in the lower limbs.
I would also encourage you to perform the above mentioned tests.
Hope to have been helpful!
Best wishes,
Dr. Iliri
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
Thank you for the additional information, but I think that the pain in the right thigh could be related to a muscle spasm. In such case, the fluttering could be only explained by anxiety.
Anyway, a Doppler ultrasound of the leg vessels would help exclude possible varicose veins or blood clots in the lower limbs.
I would also encourage you to perform the above mentioned tests.
Hope to have been helpful!
Best wishes,
Dr. Iliri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
You are welcome!
Detailed Answer:
I am glad to have been helpful!
Wishing all the best,
Dr. Iliri
You are welcome!
Detailed Answer:
I am glad to have been helpful!
Wishing all the best,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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