What type of doctor to see for heart palpations?

Any doctor can advise you but a cardiologist is a heart specialist. Have you looked into a head doctor for your hypochondriac symptoms yet? I’d wager that your heart palpations are anxiety induced. You said it yourself…most of the time it is when you are worried.

Big CLUE!

Get a referral to a cardiologist from your regular doctor. Your doctor will most likely give you an EKG to see if you have an irregular heartbeat or other symptoms.

You don’t say what kind of insurance you have, but most will want a referral from your primary physician.

Go now.

No insurance. I don’t have a regular/family doctor lol. Thanks guys. Do you know if cardiologists are more expensive for a check up than a regular doc?

Yes – they are. But you will almost definitely need to end up at one eventually. What country do you live in and why don’t you have a regular doctor? If need be, go to an emergency room next time you are having the palpitations.

These are also classic symptoms of panic attacks…most of the time it is when I eat or when I’m worried.

Symptoms

As a first step, you might try working on your breathing in order to lower the stress level. It is a very effective technique. (I just used it for a sweaty-palmed hour in the dentist’s chair.)

Diaphragmatic breathing

You need a primary care physician to see whether it is a horse or a zebra.

I would see a cardiologist.

What’s your diet like? Do you overload on caffeine or energy drinks?

No matter what, at the least, I’d go to the ER immediately the next time this occurs. For now, have your doctor check you out. Yes, a cardiologist is ideal, however without insurance, it’ll cost you a small fortune.

Note: In America at least, if you are paying a bill yourself, you can sometimes ask the doctor to reduce the bill. It’s not a given but because the fees are jacked up so much on the assumption that they will be paid by insurance companies, doctors are occasionally willing to work with you.

Cardiologist and he may suggest a Holter as it may be the only way to get a clear picture of what is going on.

You need to see a doctor to run at least a basic test of your thyroid function.

Cardiologist. Why on earth not?

If a GP does not find that you are having a panick attack nor a thyroid problem, then you will need to go to a cardiologist. If it were me I would go straight to a cardiologist and let her check my thyroid and run some other blood tests, and if a simple EKG in the office does not show an arythmia, then she will give you an EKG thingy to wear all day, or when you usually feel the palpatations. Do you feel your heart mostly at night when you are resting?

@chelle21689 Palpitations (not palpations) are common & usually benign – we all experience them to some extent. An occasional PVC (“skipped beat”) is of no consequence. Palpitations can be serious, however, in something like WPW or PSVT.

I’m guessing your age is closer to 20 than 60, which limits the list of causes. Various panic disorders can present this way, associated with adrenalin surges, but you should rule out organic heart disease by seeing a cardiologist or a primary care physician who can & order the appropriate tests or refer you to a cardiologist. If you’re still a teen then try to see a pediatric cardiologist.

Get in the habit of taking your pulse rate: Find your radial pulse, count beats for 6 seconds, multiply by 10. Note if it’s regular or irregular. The doctor you end up seeing might want to know your baseline pulse rate and how it changes during symptoms.

I’m sure you’ll be fine, but better for your doctor to tell you.

Like everyone recommended it is better to check it out. I would like to mention though, I have had very similar experiences over a period of some years. maybe 20 in all and each time it was put down to anxiety. I did do all the tests to make sure though.

So my mom took me to urgent care where her friend works and they had some kind of heart monitor I think called KPG. At the time of the dr. my heart palpations stopped and they said that they didn’t find anything and my heart seemed normal and healthy.
I don’t know what it is then…

Anyways off topic but it was the most awkward visit to the Dr. ever! LOL, turned out my medical assistant was my male cousin. He had to ask me all kinds of personal information and he was like, “Soo…the doctor has to know…when was the last time you had your period?”

My mom’s friend was the doctor and I didn’t know I had to be topless. My cousin was like, “I’m not staying for this!” and everyone laughed lol.

After they did tests, this other doctor came in and explained that he didn’t see anything wrong. My mom came in the room with him and we were all in the same room and she asked, ‘Could it be the birth control?” Doc said, “I don’t think so.” turned to me and asked, “What kind of birth control are you on?” I was like a deer in headlights and said I wasn’t on anything. My mom looked at me like I was lying and I was scared to death cuz the last time she found out I used pills at 18 she was crying. I told the dr. I didn’t want to discuss this with my mom present

Sneaky mom.

I think it is anxiety though…perhaps. I tend to worry and stress out so much over everything. When I’m done stressing on one topic I stress about something else and lately I’ve been obsessed with the fear of dying and questioning my faith. But then again, I’ve always been this way and it wasn’t until this year I felt the palpations.

Let me first start by saying that I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. But, I am an echocardiograper/ echo tech (hence my moniker). I am also, certified in EKG. The disease you mentioned is called Wolff-Parkinson-White or WPW Syndrome. This ailment is an arrthymia of sorts, the condition is due to there being what is called “accessory pathways” in the heart’s conduction system that lies between the atria and ventricles. On an EKG readout, WPW is characterized by what is called a “delta wave” in each heartbeat. This is classified as a form of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). The symptoms you are exhibiting is consistant with this condition, however, WPW is not common. These symptoms are also characteristic of a more common arrhythmia, that I myself have, called Atrial Fibrillation, which is a lot more common, less severe and VERY treatable. Atrial fibrillation is caused by the firing of impuses from ectopic foci in the atria of the heart. The EKG will exhibit an irregularly irregular rhythm, with the absence of p-waves. A-fib, is usually treated medically with the use of anti-arrhythmial medications such as multaq, along with other meds. Of course, it can also be stress an/or anxiety like others here have suggested.

I highly recommend that your family doctor refer you to a cardiologist (heart specialist); get checked out by a doctor to be sure. Hope this helped you a little bit, but again… ONLY your doctor can give you the best answer and prescribe the appropriate treatment for you! Good luck.

@echotech10 Thanks for chiming in!

@chelle21689 My arythmia did not show on the quick EKG’s done in an office or an ER. I needed it to be done overnight. Mine is much more exaggerated when my thyroid is running fast or slow. I do think it easily could just be stress, but if it continues best to check with a cardiologist.

Does it feel like a pounding heart? Racing heart? Or, like a beat is missed? Or none of those, maybe you can describe it?

It feels like a pounding heart or a beat missed. Like I can feel my heart beat through my chest. If I touch my pulse I can feel a heart beat skip.

@chelle21689 How long does the pounding heart last? Is it 3 minutes? 20 minutes? Hours? Is your heart rate much faster in general now then what you know your heart rate to be? Like you know your rate used to always be around 65 in gym class and now it is 75–80 almost all the time, even when you don’t feel the pounding? Last question, you say you feel a missed beat in your pulse, but do you feel it in your body? When I miss beats it feels like my whole body stops for the moment. Like I can’t move, can’t breath, everything stops, it is not only in my pulse, I know it is happening just lying there trying to fall asleep.

Well I noticed I usually feel them mid-day and at night and kinda just lasts for a long while. My heart rate is normal. My whole body doesn’t stop when I miss a beat, I just feel it in my chest and it makes me feel uncomfortable and worried. I usually notice it when I’m laying down/sitting doing nothing at all.

I don’t feel it right now though.

@chelle21689 And, it usually does not affect your breathing except that one time if I understand correctly. You could very well have an arrythmia, probably benign. The only way to get it diagnosed is a cardiologist probably. A regular doctor won’t ever find it most likely. You need to catch the heart problem while it is happening, and it won’t happen in a doctors office. You are not resting long enough in the office, and won’t have the EKG running long enough to catch it, unless you get incredibly lucky.

What a waste of money of $175… Not sure if I should go to the cardiologist now maybe later when I have some more $. No insurance..

Try the meditation techniques the next time you notice the symtoms starting. You have nothing to lose (and it’s free).

I sent you two good links in answer number 6, above.

My mother (she was 90 at the time) had an arrhythmia, called ventral fibrillation, that her PCP was easily able to discover in his office. It did not pick and choose where to occur.

@gailcalled But, the OP went to the doctor and they found nothing, which means it’s nothing, or does pick and choose.

Thank you everyone. If it continues to bother me in the future I’ll see a dr. again and trust my gut. :)