March 4, 2026
Carol Boudreaux of Thibodaux, Louisiana, remembers a time when she was under so much stress that she experienced heavy palpitations – so intense that she could place her hand on her chest and feel her heart pounding and her body shaking along with it.
Though alarming, it wasn’t new – she had experienced similar palpitations in 2006, which had stopped after managing her stress. Years later, the irregular heartbeats returned, stronger and heavier.
Carol recalls, “What started as what I used to call a little man doing flips in 2006 didn’t feel like flipping anymore – it felt like thumping.” Each thump made her worry something worse was happening. Encouraged by her husband – who had been treated by Dr. Ahmad Jabbar, interventional cardiologist and vascular specialist at CIS in Thibodaux and on the Westbank – she scheduled an appointment.
From the moment she arrived, Carol felt at ease. “I felt so comfortable with the staff. Everyone took the time to listen to my story – that meant so much to me because talking about my stress isn’t easy.” That sense of comfort only grew when she met Dr. Jabbar. He reviewed the notes the staff had left about her symptoms but wanted to hear directly from Carol herself. As he asked her to share her story, she felt confident she was in the right place, supported by a team that genuinely cared and took her symptoms seriously.
Dr. Jabbar explained that her initial tests looked good. While her symptoms appeared stress-related, he recommended additional testing just to be sure. Knowing her concerns were being carefully evaluated brought Carol immediate relief.
A week later, her follow-up revealed premature ventricular contractions – or PVCs – extra heartbeats that can feel like flutters or thumps in the chest. While uncomfortable, they are common, typically harmless, and often triggered by stress.
“Anxiety can bring on palpitations, and it’s often hard to tell the difference between anxiety and a heart rhythm problem,” Dr. Jabbar explains. “Stress activates the body’s fight-or-flight response – your heart rate rises, you may feel flutters or extra beats. That doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong, but it’s always important to check with your doctor.”
He reassured Carol that managing stress would help ease her symptoms and shared practical techniques she could start using immediately.
What stood out most to Carol was his personal approach. “He didn’t use the typical language doctors use – telling me what I had to do. He said, ‘When I am stressed, this is what I do.’ That relieved me because I knew he was speaking from experience.”
Today, Carol hasn’t felt any palpitations since starting the techniques. More importantly, she understands her heart, and she knows she has a place to turn if symptoms ever return.
Request an appointment today with a CIS cardiologist.