My husband is medicated for a-fib. Lately while sleeping, he wakes up with fluttering in his chest that feels like a really rapid heart rate, but his pulse is normal. I do not think this is a-fib since his pulse is regular and not overly fast. But he thinks his atria is quivering. Have you any knowledge of this?
Hello! Thank you for asking on Chat Doctor! Probably your husband is right. That chest fluttering, or heart quivering may be related to any kinds of supraventricular arrhythmia, like atrial flutter or PSVT (paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia). Atrial flutter is frequently a common transitory finding in patients experiencing atrial fibrillation. Ventricular rate (measured heart rate by pulse palpation) may seem regular, even in the presence of atrial flutter (because of AV block presence). I would recommend performing a cardiology visit and an ambulatory 24 to 48 hours ECG monitoring to identify any possible arrhythmia passages (if the complaints are frequently seen