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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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I Have Random Fast Heartbeats Which Hurts My Whole Chest

Ever since I entered my teenage years, I ve been experiencing my heart randomly speeding up and beating really hard, and making my whole chest hurt. it basically takes my breath away and I have to stop what I m doing and just stand still and wait for it to pass. It doesn t really hurt, it just startles and scares me, and it only happens every few months, and when I have them, I get quite a few more during that same day, then they re gone. p.s If it matters, I had an absent seizure when I was 5 years old. I had an EEG done and they couldn t find nothing. I am on no medications, no birth control, and I only occassionally take aleve or excedrine migraine OTC pills for headaches and migraines.
Sat, 19 Dec 2009
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It sounds like you've gotten a lot of good advice on this so far, but one thing I can't agree with is that it's nothing serious. Yeah, there is a good chance it's no big deal, probably just palpitations; however, since your heart is made up of several parts (4 quadrants and several valves), it's important that you go to a cardiologist and get this checked out. The best thing they can do to see exactly where your problem comes from is to do an echocardiogram and an ECG, maybe a halter monitor. Sounds scary, but they're all painless and quick. The electrocard. actually is like a sonogram of your heart and it helps pinpoint any defects. You may even have a heart murmur that went undetected, and causes palpitations. I went through all this stuff too, and found out the problem and I'm totally fine now. I'm sure you will be too, but please be on the safe side and get it checked! In the meantime, avoid caffeine and stimulants of any kind (migraine meds and Midol have them) to try to keep things to a minimum. Record when and for how long you experience the chest pain, and describe it if you can, and what you were doing at the time. This will help the doctor diagnose you. I had similar symptoms with the sudden onset and the rapid flutter-type feeling, and spread apart over time. It's really bizarre but just stay calm and rest until it passes. (Also, temp changes effect me, like if I go outside into really cold weather, so try to notice what random things trigger you). The seizure sounds unrelated but is also worth a mention to the doc - you never know, everyone is different. Good luck and I hope it turns out ok!
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I Have Random Fast Heartbeats Which Hurts My Whole Chest

It sounds like you ve gotten a lot of good advice on this so far, but one thing I can t agree with is that it s nothing serious. Yeah, there is a good chance it s no big deal, probably just palpitations; however, since your heart is made up of several parts (4 quadrants and several valves), it s important that you go to a cardiologist and get this checked out. The best thing they can do to see exactly where your problem comes from is to do an echocardiogram and an ECG, maybe a halter monitor. Sounds scary, but they re all painless and quick. The electrocard. actually is like a sonogram of your heart and it helps pinpoint any defects. You may even have a heart murmur that went undetected, and causes palpitations. I went through all this stuff too, and found out the problem and I m totally fine now. I m sure you will be too, but please be on the safe side and get it checked! In the meantime, avoid caffeine and stimulants of any kind (migraine meds and Midol have them) to try to keep things to a minimum. Record when and for how long you experience the chest pain, and describe it if you can, and what you were doing at the time. This will help the doctor diagnose you. I had similar symptoms with the sudden onset and the rapid flutter-type feeling, and spread apart over time. It s really bizarre but just stay calm and rest until it passes. (Also, temp changes effect me, like if I go outside into really cold weather, so try to notice what random things trigger you). The seizure sounds unrelated but is also worth a mention to the doc - you never know, everyone is different. Good luck and I hope it turns out ok!