Heart Palpatations?

[LiLIrishChick63]

Does anyone else get these? i don't get them all the time, but i do get them at least every few months or so. my heart just starts RACING like crazy out of nowhere and it takes a good minute or so to stop. and most of the time i'm not even doing anything when it happens. the last two times i've just been laying on the couch.

and i should probably mention that it almost always happens the week before, or the week of my period.

i've had all kinds of tests done because of it. i've had EKG's, two different monitors that i had to wear, a stress test, a sonagram, a tilt table test, and a few more i probably don't even remember.

every test has come back negative. the cardiologist that i've seen has told me that there's nothing wrong, and that my heart is strong.

he thinks it's either stress related(which, i don't really have much stress in my life aside from my mother. my job is great, my husband is great, and like i said when they happen, most of the time i'm doing nothing) or it's something called POTS(Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) but even with that he's not 100% sure because they can never even catch the palpatations when they happen. it just seems like i have all of the symptoms.

so does anyone else get these? and when you do, what do you do to help it subside? i try to just go into a cool room alone and just wait it out. i don't like being around a bunch of people going "OMG ARE YOU OK!?" that makes it worse, and i usually get pretty hot when it happens.

 

[themilesfamily]

My husband had the EXACT same thing and it turned out he had hyperthyroidism. I read somewhere that a racing heart is one of the most common signs of hyperthyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism wouldn't be detected by an EKG, so it makes sense a cardiologist wouldn't uncover it. You'd have to get a blood test to diagnose.

My DH takes meds for it and he's brought his thyroid levels under control.

Not saying you have it -- but just something to check!

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

My husband had the EXACT same thing and it turned out he had hyperthyroidism. I read somewhere that a racing heart is one of the most common signs of hyperthyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism wouldn't be detected by an EKG, so it makes sense a cardiologist wouldn't uncover it. You'd have to get a blood test to diagnose.

My DH takes meds for it and he's brought his thyroid levels under control.

Not saying you have it -- but just something to check!

oh i've had bloodwork done at least 4 times as well, that's one i forgot to mention. i asked them about that, because my mother also has a thyroid problem, and i was told that i don't have any problems with that, either.

 

[themilesfamily]

Gosh, I don't know then. I've had heart palpitations twice in my life. Once when I started taking some weird herbal pills. There was an herb in there that made my heart palpitate.

Also, when I drink far too much soda I can get some palpitations -- I guess from all the caffeine.

Good luck!!! At least the doctor can't find anything wrong. That's a plus that there doesn't appear to be anything major.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

Gosh, I don't know then. I've had heart palpitations twice in my life. Once when I started taking some weird herbal pills. There was an herb in there that made my heart palpitate.

Also, when I drink far too much soda I can get some palpitations -- I guess from all the caffeine.

Good luck!!! At least the doctor can't find anything wrong. That's a plus that there doesn't appear to be anything major.

lol it is a plus, it's just more frustrating than anything else, you know? because YOU know something's not right, but no one else can figure it out.

i didn't start getting them until i went on birth control pills and i ended up not taking them anymore because i figured that's what started them. they haven't happened QUITE as often as when i was on the pills, but they do still happen around my period.

and i rarely even have caffeine. i gave up pop a few years ago and i don't even eat as much chocolate as i used to. PLUS DH and i have been exercising a bit more lately. so you'd think with all of those things i WOULDN'T get palpatations anymore lol.

 

[Disneylover79]

So glad you asked this (not glad you have it)...first of all not only am I a Cardiologist Nurse Practitioner, I too suffer from the good ole palpitations. So to start off everyone and I mean everyone have palpitations and only a select few feel them. Yes stress can cause them, also anxiety (you don't have to "feel anxious" to be anxious, your mind/body might just feel it and therefore your heart will have these extra heart beats, hormonal spikes and falls can cause them (hence the time around your menses), if you drink to much caffeine , eat to much ( to much is dependent upon the person) chocolate, drinking alcohol, and also stress. If this really is a bother to you then you need to tell your cardiologist and ask him for a slight beta blocker (i.e. propranolol ,atenolol. or even metoprolol).

My palpitations have been worse the past 2 weeks, it gets so bad that I loose my breath. I am not on any medications for it, but it has been tolerable up until last week. So if it gets worse then I will be asking my doctor for something.

I hope you feel better soon, PM me if you have any questions.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

So glad you asked this (not glad you have it)...first of all not only am I a Cardiologist Nurse Practitioner, I too suffer from the good ole palpitations. So to start off everyone and I mean everyone have palpitations and only a select few feel them. Yes stress can cause them, also anxiety (you don't have to "feel anxious" to be anxious, your mind/body might just feel it and therefore your heart will have these extra heart beats, hormonal spikes and falls can cause them (hence the time around your menses), if you drink to much caffeine , eat to much ( to much is dependent upon the person) chocolate, drinking alcohol, and also stress. If this really is a bother to you then you need to tell your cardiologist and ask him for a slight beta blocker (i.e. propranolol ,atenolol. or even metoprolol).

My palpitations have been worse the past 2 weeks, it gets so bad that I loose my breath. I am not on any medications for it, but it has been tolerable up until last week. So if it gets worse then I will be asking my doctor for something.

I hope you feel better soon, PM me if you have any questions.

thank you so much for replying! now i don't feel like such a crazy person! lol yeah i figured that my hormones had something to do with it.

i get short of breath when i get mine too, and i get really hot. but they don't really happen THAT often, like i said. maybe once or twice every few months or so.

i had asked the cardiologist about beta blockers and he doesn't think that i'm a bad enough case to be on them since it only happens every so often.

altho sometimes i wonder if he even takes me seriously. because EVERYTIME i go in there i always hear "you're too young for heart problems"(i'm 25) so sometimes i wonder if he just writes me off, you know? i hope not tho.

 

[Christine]

I started getting them a few years ago. I am on thyroid medication so I immediately jumped to that conclusion; however, my thyroid numbers were good at the time of the testing. They continued and they were pretty severe. All day for days on end. I did all the cardiac testing which confirmed them but they were not dangerous. I then was instructed to back off my thyroid meds a bit (after suffering for months) and, bam, they stopped. So something was off.

Now and then I will have runs of them. They seem to come about a week before my period so they are definitely hormonal (I am 46 so I think I'm starting to get wacky hormones). I also get them if I eat something bad and get indigestion.

I tried beta blockers before and they made me feel so slow and dumb I'd rather just deal with the palps as long as I know they are not dangerous.

 

[elgerber]

I've been having them for almost 13 years. I have had numerous tests and tried a few medications. None of the medications did anything, so we stopped bothering with them. I have been told over and over they are no big deal and harmless, and so far they have not caused me any trouble, just a little scary sometimes.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

I started getting them a few years ago. I am on thyroid medication so I immediately jumped to that conclusion; however, my thyroid numbers were good at the time of the testing. They continued and they were pretty severe. All day for days on end. I did all the cardiac testing which confirmed them but they were not dangerous. I then was instructed to back off my thyroid meds a bit (after suffering for months) and, bam, they stopped. So something was off.

Now and then I will have runs of them. They seem to come about a week before my period so they are definitely hormonal (I am 46 so I think I'm starting to get wacky hormones). I also get them if I eat something bad and get indigestion.

I tried beta blockers before and they made me feel so slow and dumb I'd rather just deal with the palps as long as I know they are not dangerous.

i haven't had one that's been an "all-day" thing in a while, actually, now that you mention it. which i guess is a good thing. usually they only last for a minute or two at a time. and that's a very LONG minute, lemme tell you! lol

but afterwards i do get pretty exhausted if they've lasted for a bit.

i'm glad to hear other's have the problem(well not glad that you have the problem itself, but that it's not just me lol) around their period, too, and that it could definatly be the cause. i honestly think that when i went on BC pills it changed my hormones up and they've never quite went back to what they were before, and that might be the issue.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

you know what else i want to ask? have any of you ever gotten them while you were pregnant?


i'm just a bit worried that when DH and i want to eventually start having babies, that it might affect that.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes. I just had bloodwork and a stress test and nada there on the usual suspects.

I think mine is related to stress/anxiety, acid reflux, and premenopause.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

DH & I both have palpitations. I have PSVT and he has PAC's

 

[Disneylover79]

you know what else i want to ask? have any of you ever gotten them while you were pregnant?


i'm just a bit worried that when DH and i want to eventually start having babies, that it might affect that.

Palpitations are much more prevalent in pregnant women, so the answer is yes...

As far as the doctor saying that the palpitations are not bad enough that is not for him to decide. If you are going to him because of them then they are "bad" enough, so therefore he should have given you the options to treat them, YOU are the patient and only you know how YOU feel.

Also I am 30 and have had them since I was around 23...

I always tell my patients that, you are the one that has to be happy since it is your body, so if you are bothered by the palpitations badly enough (whether it is happening most of the day or if it happens once or twice a year) that you want medications to try to help it then your doctor should help you with it..also hawthorn extract can help, so Google it and see what you think)...

 

[dis-happy]

I've so been there, and yes, mine are hormonal related as well.

I gave up all caffeine, all the time. That has helped tremendously!

Also added a fish-oil pill to my daily multi-vitamin; supposed to be good for your heart.

Finally, try to minimized stress and get a decent amount of sleep.




Good luck with it all. They are no fun.



PS. re. your dx: my cardiologist acted like he had never heard of heart palpitations connected to a monthly cycle.
My gyno said later: of course they are!!!
Apparently it's quite common.

 

[catgirl]

I get them but have never seen a doctor. My heart races, i feel very hot and I get light headed. It last about 30 seconds and like the original poster said I can be doing nothing at all. I feel I get them mainly when I take Claritan D for my allergies. Hope it's nothing serious, but I avoid dr's like the plague, white coat syndrom

 

[dis-happy]

I get them but have never seen a doctor. My heart races, i feel very hot and I get light headed. It last about 30 seconds and like the original poster said I can be doing nothing at all. I feel I get them mainly when I take Claritan D for my allergies. Hope it's nothing serious, but I avoid dr's like the plague, white coat syndrom

Claritin has pseudphedrine in it, which acts like caffeine on your system.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I used to get them all the time to the point where I had a heart monitor study because of it. Guess what, it WAS due to the decongestants I was taking. At the time I took Tavist D but since they are all the same generic drug I guess the brand is irrelevant. Funny thing is the Dr never even asked me about my OTC's and/or how much coffee I was drinking (lots and lots of espresso some days). What was happening is I would be fine most of the time but if I got stressed or overwhelmed my heart would go into overdrive and sometimes I'd even get the shakes like I was having a panic attack. Now if I need a decongestant I just watch the doses very closely and avoid all caffeine 100%.. much better.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

Claritin has pseudphedrine in it, which acts like caffeine on your system.

I used to get them all the time to the point where I had a heart monitor study because of it. Guess what, it WAS due to the decongestants I was taking. At the time I took Tavist D but since they are all the same generic drug I guess the brand is irrelevant. Funny thing is the Dr never even asked me about my OTC's and/or how much coffee I was drinking (lots and lots of espresso some days). What was happening is I would be fine most of the time but if I got stressed or overwhelmed my heart would go into overdrive and sometimes I'd even get the shakes like I was having a panic attack. Now if I need a decongestant I just watch the doses very closely and avoid all caffeine 100%.. much better.

my GP actually advised me against taking anything that has pseudophedrine in it because of the palpatations. i've really cut down on all caffiene and anything that could give them to me. the only meds i take now are mobic for a knee problem and a vitamin D pill lol. i even try to stay away from Excedrin when i get migraines, i try to stick with tylenol.

i'll sometimes get the shakes too, i HATE that.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

Palpitations are much more prevalent in pregnant women, so the answer is yes...

As far as the doctor saying that the palpitations are not bad enough that is not for him to decide. If you are going to him because of them then they are "bad" enough, so therefore he should have given you the options to treat them, YOU are the patient and only you know how YOU feel.

Also I am 30 and have had them since I was around 23...

I always tell my patients that, you are the one that has to be happy since it is your body, so if you are bothered by the palpitations badly enough (whether it is happening most of the day or if it happens once or twice a year) that you want medications to try to help it then your doctor should help you with it..also hawthorn extract can help, so Google it and see what you think)...

so if i do get pregnant, the palpatations won't affect the baby or anything, right? that's pretty much all i'm worried about.

i don't think i'd need meds if it only happens once every few months. if it was happening a few times a month, then i think i'd have to have a serious talk with the doctor.

thanks for the tip on hawthorn extract, i'm going to look into that!