Heart palpitations

For a year or so, I’d been having episodes wherein my heart would pound after I’d lie down—as on the couch or in yoga class. The pounding would stop after a few minutes. I’d have these episodes two or three times a week. I was mildly concerned about this, thinking that the old ticker was starting to go.

A few months ago, on the night before we were to leave on a road trip, I’d gone to sleep and was awakened with my heart pounding like never before. I waited for it to stop, but after an hour of pounding, I decided maybe this was something serious. I woke my husband and we went to the emergency room. By the time we got there, it had stopped. Nevertheless, I had an electrocardiogram (EKG)—the test that uses electrode patches on various places on your skin to test your heart rhythm, blood flow, and whatnot. The results showed that my heart was fine.  

I was told that my problem was heart palpitations. Heart palpitations! I thought that was what Victorian women had when overcome with emotions. Like the vapors. I asked the doc what the deal was. He said, “Oh, some people just have these.” Basically, it’s caused by surges in adrenaline that affect your heart’s electric impulses. You might get these from coffee, stress or panic attacks. But from lying down in yoga class? Lying on the couch to read? Waking me after I’ve gone to sleep?

Anyhow, on the one hand, I felt embarrassed at having gone to the emergency room for heart palpitations. On the other hand, now I know not to be concerned about these episodes—should I ever have more. Oddly, it’s been several months since my ER visit and I’ve not had another episode. Maybe the last one jiggered the reset button on my heart.

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