Learning to Live with a Broken Heartbeat | Hacker News Reader

Learning to Live with a Broken Heartbeat

newyorker.com

20 pointsbenbreen5 comments

I can very much relate to the feelings described in this article, because I had palpitations too, although not nearly as bad as the author. The unpleasant part about them was just that the irregular beats tended to show up when my pulse was slowing down while I was trying to go to sleep at night, and would wake me up time and time again until I eventually fell asleep regardless. Various medical investigations didn't reveal any cause, but at least led to the doctors telling me that it's "probably harmless". And then, about 1 1/2 years after the whole thing started, I got chickenpox (at 35!) with high fever, and after I got well again, the palpitations didn't return. My (completely non-expert) opinion is that there must have been some inflammation causing the palpitations which was resolved by the fever or the immune reaction to the chickenpox infection?! Anyway, I'm glad it worked out this way, and hope they are gone for good (fingers crossed). Since then, I have also tried to live a healthier lifestyle, watching my weight, more exercise etc., hoping it would help keep the palpitations away.

I actually hope I get something similar. Some kind of flu, corona of whatever and then they stop. That would be great, but not only that: I totally believe this is very well likely.

Some stomach problem of mine I had for years once went away after I took strong medication that "flushed" everything out. Previously, I had started bleeding from behind. I had that kind of screening where doctors go inside you with a little camera from behind. (I am missing the correct words, I am not a native speaker). In order for the doctors to properly see whats inside you, they give medications which make you sit on a toilet until only water comes out. They couldn't find anything, but since then I had no problems again. Really strange.

I’ve been suffering from precisely this for the past 7 months. I’m 50 years old, very active and never had a major health problem. I got mild covid in December then the problems started. All tests were negative. I even got the “panic attack” diagnosis. It’s all in your head.

It’s now August and I’ve not had an episode for a few weeks.

Just one of those things I guess?

covid seems to often damage the heart, even in healthy people. you should ask to wear a Holter monitor - an EKG you wear for a couple weeks, which records data. smart watches can pick up arrhythmias too, though it's less detailed. if it happens again, anyway, hopefully you're in the clear.

for my part, my whole life I've had intermittent arrhythmia. I'll feel the heartbeat go off kilter and have a strong urge to cough, which helps to reset it like yawning helps pop one's ears.

TL;DR Yeah, got some of them as well.

I wouldn't say their too bad, but on the other hand I had many sleepless nights already because of them. I am almost thirty and male, btw. Cause I think my rather young age and gender does play a role in that.

They alway come when I go to bad and usually start just when I am about to fall aslept and often don't stop for several hours. Mostly, they stop when I stand up, but start again when I lay down again. I don't have them during the day usually, and if I do, its mostly a single sudden and very strong heartbeat. But at night, ... sometimes every single heartbeat is such a irregular one. It's neither painful, nor am I really scared, after reading about them. At least I am not scared short term, only longterm. But those are annoying, because I can not calm down because of them. After almost having fallen asleep already, I them simply can not fall asleep again until they stop. Which often is only long after 3am.

Doctor's checked and could find anything. Had both, 24h-bloodpressure check and 24h-EKG ( or is it EEG? I don't know how its called. That one that gives several curves of the heartbeat). Everything seems to be fine, but actually in that days/nights they made the screening I did not have those palpations.

Doctors said its probably stress related, or regular sleeping problems that I project onto my heart. But I don't believe this. Actually, after some more extensive research I may have found something that I believe to be describing the symptoms quite well. I'll soon go to some specialist and try to talk to them, but to be honest I have little faith in most doctors. But I know that's unfair, I simply had some bad experiences before, and I feel since then I am a bit afraid of docters in general. They biggest problem is all that disbelieve in what I say. If it doesn't show up on the screening, to them I must be haluzinating or something... One doctor was convinces I was telling that story, because I wanted to get sleeping medication, even though I clearly wasn't. I would have rejected. Its strange to know what kind of patients they often need to discuss with, which is how I explain how I was treated. I totally understand they must not rely on the patients words, but on the other hands its just disgraceful.

Also I noticed how much unhealthy habits cause them. If I drink a beer I often get them. If I go to the gym lifting weights in the evening I often get them. Those are the two main factors that I already have identified. Often I then get palpations several days in a row. (But not always. Sometimes it doesn't cause noticable palpations in the following night.) So not drinking and going to them gym in the morning heavily reduced the problems. Cardio, i.e. going running also helped.

I don't know whether that helps anyone, but well thats my story.

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