Ever since I started my startup nearly 3 years ago I've been experiencing what I'd describe as heart "flutters", "sneezes" or "thumps"; very short and sudden "misplaced" beats. They happen very ocassionally, perhaps once or twice a week. I've done all sorts of checks with a cardiologist, but everything checked out fine.
I've since learned not to panic when they happen and just live with the little shocks, but, you know, I'm only in my 20s, I can't help but wonder what my heart will do when I get to my 40s.
At 40, I generally felt fine, but something in my heart rhythm just seemed out of sync. TL;DR - went to a cardiologist, who basically asked me "why are you still alive?" and wanted to install a pacemaker the next morning ("don't die in the meantime").
Needed a valve replaced too (no point installing pacemaker, then replacing the valve and having to re-install the pacemaker), so "don't die" stretched out to 11 days. After getting to watch a live X-ray of my heart, had open-heart surgery (which my boss wanted me to take as a vacation day), had an external pacemaker attached for 3 days (whatever happens, don't pull those wires out...hey, stop turning that "pulse rate" dial!!!), and then had the pacemaker installed. So now I'm a cyborg, with periodic data dumps and parameter tweaking, and looking at a the-hard-way battery change (whole unit upgrade while they're at it) next year. I couldn't sleep on my left side for two years because a wire was inductively stimulating my diaphragm when pressed close; eventually reprogrammed the wire's voltage/current to a tolerable state.
Feeling great, appreciate software which doesn't crash, and mechanical valve ticks like a clock.
As a bonus, the software monitors other things (while it's in there, may as well), and served to mitigate atrial flutter when that (unrelated problem) tried to shoot my heart rate to >350 beats per minute, pacer slamming on the brakes at 150bpm. ER crew was surprised when I walked in and calmly explained the problem. Glad that was in place to keep things together until the drive-thru heart surgery (run a blowtorch up an artery, zap 2 distorted nerves, go home) to fix that problem.
I complain about very little now. Having already been dead ("M'am, everything is going fine, they're stopping his heart now"), I know how bad it can get, survived that, and know nothing can be worse.
Palpitations are often stress related. I used to have sporadic one when I was really stressed out, but they end up totally disappearing. You probably know but as an actionable first step you could try to reduce your coffee consumption and see if you are getting better after a week.(assuming you are drinking coffee)
Taking some magnesium supplement could also reduce the symptoms, since a low magnesium level, caused by stress, can also lead to arrhythmia. Typically every time I am low on magnesium I experience eye twitches that are quickly disappearing after a few week of magnesium supplements. I am surprised it was not prescribed by your GP or cardiologist.
I don't really want to give medical advice carelessly but since you have seen a cardiologist the most serious cause have probably been taken into consideration.
I'm 42 and have had palpitations since I was in my teens. My father who is 72 has the same things.
My recommendation is to get checked out by your doctor and a cardiologist and trust what they say. Meaning, when they tell you everything is fine you should believe that.
I mainly experience PVCs (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/premature-vent...). I probably experience those at least a handful of times per day. When I'm super stressed I can have them a dozen times per hour. The link I provided gives you common triggers and can help you reduce their frequency.
I am not a doctor (I don't even play one on TV). But a friend of mine had a similar experience (he also described it as feeling like his blood pressure was dropping, in addition to feeling heart flutters). After a number of tests, turned out he was having micro-seizures. He was prescribed an antiseizure medication and the symptoms stopped.
The cardiologist didn't find it. He went to a neurologist, and that's who diagnosed him.
Your situation could be completely different, but I thought I'd share the experience just in case.
Have had the exact same thing on and off for the last 10 years or so (I'm 33 now). For the longest time, it would just be one flutter every few months or so, but recently it's gotten as high as a few times a day. Definitely seems to correlate with increased stress/sodium/caffeine.
I'm experiencing the same thing right now, and talking to multiple doctors about it. They all claim it's related to stress, and multiple tests have found nothing at all unusual. I'm inclined to believe them, but it's damn unnerving when it happens.
I've since learned not to panic when they happen and just live with the little shocks, but, you know, I'm only in my 20s, I can't help but wonder what my heart will do when I get to my 40s.