Occassional "Racing heart"

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have been having a racing heart beat that i can feel through my chest on and off for about 10 days. Im 22, 6'4, 270lbs. It happens mostly at night. It usually doesn't cause any pain, just soreness in my shoulders and sides. They come at least once a day for an hour or two accompanied by full body tremors sometimes. I get week and sometimes dizzy. They started out of the blue about 10 days ago and have not gone away. One minute I felt great, the next I felt like my heart was going to beat right through my chest. Most of the day I feel just fine. I have considered that maybe im having panic attacks, but until 10 days ago I have never had a panic attack or any anxiety problems in my life. Why would they just start happening every day for no reason. My brain is sitting watching a funny movie, laughing and having a good time, but my body thinks im sitting in a fox hole taking fire. My dad had hyperthyroidism in his early 40's. He described his symptoms similar to mine except im not sweating or loosing weight . Im usually a pretty sweaty guy, but during the episodes I don't sweat much at all. In fact I sometimes get a slight chill. I feel like this is going to drive me crazy before it kills me. Thanks in advance, Cheers.

Dear Patrick:The sensation of the heart racing and palpitations can often be due to premature ventricular complexes, which are generally benign, but sometimes the sensations may be caused by heart rhythm abnormalities. I advise attending your family doctor for a full history and clinical examination. He can perform an ECG (electrical trace of the heart), some routine blood tests including thyroid function tests, and refer you for a 24 hour Holter (heart) monitor. This records a 24 hour electrical trace of the heart and will check for any heart rhythm abnormalities. He may also refer you to a cardiologist for specialist advice, if any abnormal heart rhythms are recorded.