Palpitations/extrasystoles, any past or long term sufferers?

[RegMolehusband]

I've had these for 5 weeks now every day and most of the day except for the first hour or two after waking. I can feel the extra hard beat in my heart every second or third beat and it makes me feel not quite with it with a slight throbbing in the head and back of neck. I also get a slight ache in my sternum.

I'm not under excess stress, have stopped coffee and only drink a little alcohol. I have had slightly elevated blood pressure in the past but now take 2.5 mg of Ramipril each day and it's fine.

I went to see my GP after 10 days of it and he gave me an urgent ECG and blood tests in the surgery which all came back normal apart from the ECG registering the extra systoles. The blood tests were TBC, Thyroid and Troponin and something else. So he just reassured me and told me to go back if it continued. It continued for another 10 days or so unabated so I went to see got to see a registrar at the surgery at short notice who after a long chat and listening to my heart decided the only course of action was to refer me to a cardiologist which will take some weeks apparently.

I'm currently on holiday in Thailand and it's detracting from the enjoyment and does give cause for concern.

Has anybody else suffered from long term palpitations without dropping dead following simple intervention or found them to disappear as suddenly as they arrived?

[RegMolehusband]

Thank you for your comments. It's hard to stay relaxed managing my business in the afternoon from the other side of the world but ill see what I can do .

[RegMolehusband]

Thank you for that great input Ray. It continues unabated. I got up at 5.20 yesterday heading for three appointments in Surrey/Berkshire. By the time I got to the bottom of the M40 after 2 hours drive I was really thinking about phoning my first two appointments to say I was feeling too unwell to attend. It was that intrusive. However it eased a bit once I got close to the first appointment and I knew I was on time.

However that was an unusual day, I mostly sit in my office at home running a mostly low stress e-commerce business, though it does have its moments ensuring I fulfil the larger more demanding orders. I have certainly encountered a great deal of stress in past years in business, divorce and the death of both parents late last year within 12 weeks of each other. Perhaps there is a cumulative delayed effect.

Yesterday evening it was so bad, every beat or two, and I was feeling so unwell that my partner was insisting she took me to A&E. However I declined and it's OK this morning sitting at my desk at home.

I have an appointment with the cardio-respiratory people at the hospital next Tuesday the 16th though I wish it was today. It all takes so long. I do worry that long term damage is being caused to valves by having this taking place several hours a day.

I could send you an ECG taken at the GP's surgery if you like