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Can Heart Palpitations Feel Like An Irregular Heartbeat?
Hi I want to ask if heart palpitations can be felt like irregular heart beat? I have been on several cardiologists and everything is fine according to the three doctors I have visited. They have done ekg and echocardiogram. They think that I have anxiety problems. It is ture that the problem started during a very stressful period for me but I am worried that sometimes for a very short period of time I feel like my heart is beating not regular. Maybe it s ectopic beats because they happen during a panic attacks and sometimes after consumption of coffee or sweet things. Noting is seen on the ekg but I have this sensations rarely and for a very short period of time. Also during a panic attack my heart rate is about 113 beats it is high but really not that much for a panic attack. The cardiologists that I have seen are positive that my heart is healthy and I don t have arrythmia. They told me that ectopic heartbeats even though they can be scary are harmless. I am not sure if what I feel sometimes are ectopic heartbeats and it is difficult to check with holter because I can go weeks without having such sensations. I am also with hypothyroidism but I am on medication and my test results are fine. And I have been checked for anemia. My results are at the lower end of the reference range but still in range so it shouldn t be due to this. Since I have hypothyroidism my ferritin and hemoglobin levels are a bit low still in the range but in the low end and my GP prescribed me iron but said that it can t be due to this because the imbalance is small.
posted on
Thu, 14 Dec 2023
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 20 Aug 2025
Answered on
Mon, 1 Sep 2025
Last reviewed on
Hello,
Your cardiologists have already ruled out structural heart disease and serious arrhythmia. Your symptoms are indicative of benign ectopics that get triggered by anxiety or panic attacks much more than a dangerous rhythm. Thyroid imbalance (though yours is treated, and low iron / low ferritin can make palpitations more noticeable in some people. Body sensitivity matters.
Next time you feel the palpitations, place your fingers on your pulse (wrist). If the rhythm is mostly steady with just an occasional, pause or extra thump, that’s ectopics, and it is harmless. Whenever ectopics bother you, just relax, sit or lie down comfortably and breathe. After you have recovered, splash cold water on your face or dab with a cool cloth. Cough firmly once or twice to relieve yourself.
To grounds your brain in reality and break the “heart fear” loop, look around, ensure you can see and hear everything, smell everything. You can normally touch, and your taste is normal, just eat a piece of biscuit or cracker. But, if it the pulse rhythm feels wildly irregular for a sustained period, or you feel faint/dizzy, your heart rate suddenly shoots up very high (>150 bpm at rest) and stays there, you need urgent medical attention. It is not due to anxiety; it may be due to developing cardiac problem.
In such a case you are advised to get a repeat cardiac examination, get lipid function tests and routine heart check-up tests and investigations done so that pathology can be diagnosed and treatment started at the earliest. Limit caffeine, energy drinks, and sugar. Do walking, praying, journaling, and do gentle exercises to relieve stress. Drink adequate water always; prioritize sleep.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr Nupur K., General & Family Physician
Your cardiologists have already ruled out structural heart disease and serious arrhythmia. Your symptoms are indicative of benign ectopics that get triggered by anxiety or panic attacks much more than a dangerous rhythm. Thyroid imbalance (though yours is treated, and low iron / low ferritin can make palpitations more noticeable in some people. Body sensitivity matters.
Next time you feel the palpitations, place your fingers on your pulse (wrist). If the rhythm is mostly steady with just an occasional, pause or extra thump, that’s ectopics, and it is harmless. Whenever ectopics bother you, just relax, sit or lie down comfortably and breathe. After you have recovered, splash cold water on your face or dab with a cool cloth. Cough firmly once or twice to relieve yourself.
To grounds your brain in reality and break the “heart fear” loop, look around, ensure you can see and hear everything, smell everything. You can normally touch, and your taste is normal, just eat a piece of biscuit or cracker. But, if it the pulse rhythm feels wildly irregular for a sustained period, or you feel faint/dizzy, your heart rate suddenly shoots up very high (>150 bpm at rest) and stays there, you need urgent medical attention. It is not due to anxiety; it may be due to developing cardiac problem.
In such a case you are advised to get a repeat cardiac examination, get lipid function tests and routine heart check-up tests and investigations done so that pathology can be diagnosed and treatment started at the earliest. Limit caffeine, energy drinks, and sugar. Do walking, praying, journaling, and do gentle exercises to relieve stress. Drink adequate water always; prioritize sleep.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr Nupur K., General & Family Physician
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