Perimenopausal/post menopausal women, please reassure me!

[DLgal]

So, I am pretty sure I have been in perimenopause for a couple years. I'm almost 44.

I have a very good awareness of my body and what's going on with it. I also have some general anxiety. That's just background info.

The last 2 cycles, as soon as I ovulate (I know when it happens because its painful and I can feel it), I start getting daily, almost constant heart palpitations and suffer from terrible insomnia. I feel like the palpitating get worse the more sleep I lose. He palpitations stress me out, keeping me from relaxing and sleeping. It's like a vicious cycle. This does NOT happen in the 2 weeks leading up to ovulation. I sleep pretty well, never feel palpitaions, rarely have anxiety or panic attacks, etc.

I HAVE had palpitations worked up with EKG a couple times in the past. Nothing is ever wrong with my heart. I am generally healthy and fit. This recent issue started after I had Covid in early July, so now I'm worried it might be related.

Some googling indicates that heart palpitations are very common during perimenopause, but I have never heard people discuss this and my doctors never mentioned it as a contributor.

Does anyone have experience advice to offer? It's annoying and also a really distressing feeling.

 

[Owlpost23]

Sorry to hear you're suffering.In terms of perimenopause,count on just about anything being attributed to it.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

are your periods heavy? is it possible you are anemic. I get heart palpitations when my anemia gets severe, I also have super heavy periods and endometriosis and drink a lot of tea, all of which lead me to get very anemic sometimes.

 

[Lehuaann]

Yes, almost 50 and have had it since 43-44. Ovulating is not only painful, but my body does strange things after I ovulate and builds until I start. Things like quivery heart (hard to explain), anxiety, feeling cold, fatigue, dizzy/unbalanced.

My heart is fine, but I seem to get the most palpitations when I’m deficient in iron (heavy bleeding), vitamin d, or folate; dehydrated (due to BP diuretics); or just anxious due to hormonal induced anxiety. I even get them depending on my resting position, like laying on my left side (annoying). My RHE stays in the low 60’s, so I ended up getting a wearable to check RHR, HRV, ECG.

If I keep on top of my supplements, hydration, and stress, it helps the palpitations. So maybe start with deficiencies.

 

[Christine]

There are many people on various COVID forums experiencing lots of tachycardia issues after COVID. Nothing is every found to be abnormal and it usually resolves within a few months, but there are so many people who are reporting higher than normal resting heartrates, inappropriate tachycardia, and so on. It wouldn't surprise me if it's both COVID and hormonal related at this point.

 

[DLgal]

are your periods heavy? is it possible you are anemic. I get heart palpitations when my anemia gets severe, I also have super heavy periods and endometriosis and drink a lot of tea, all of which lead me to get very anemic sometimes.

No. They are not heavy.

 

[fly girl]

Definitely could be due to perimenopause:


I do not have pain with ovulation, but I am 48, and I do have an increase of resting heart rate during that time. I can see it on my FitBit and I have been tracking it for 4 years. My OBGYN had no cause for concern with it, but it’s just so annoying how much changes during this time. During our conversation, she did briefly mention that palpitations as another sign. We didn’t get too deep into it because I didn’t have that issue.

Sounds like you are in tune with your body so no doubt you will not ignore it, I’d bring it up to your OBGYN on your next appointment - hopefully if it’s not too far away.

If you have it any other time besides ovulation, I would get it checked out soon.

 

[DLgal]

Yes, almost 50 and have had it since 43-44. Ovulating is not only painful, but my body does strange things after I ovulate and builds until I start. Things like quivery heart (hard to explain), anxiety, feeling cold, fatigue, dizzy/unbalanced.

My heart is fine, but I seem to get the most palpitations when I’m deficient in iron (heavy bleeding), vitamin d, or folate; dehydrated (due to BP diuretics); or just anxious due to hormonal induced anxiety. I even get them depending on my resting position, like laying on my left side (annoying). My RHE stays in the low 60’s, so I ended up getting a wearable to check RHR, HRV, ECG.

If I keep on top of my supplements, hydration, and stress, it helps the palpitations. So maybe start with deficiencies.

Yes! Sounds exactly like me! Today, the palpitations started when I woke up at 4am and couldn't go back to sleep and simply turned to my right side. Immediate erratic heart beat with skips and double beats and long pauses/flip flops. Unnerving. And of course, I never went back to sleep after that. And I'm still having them 10 hours later.

I know I'm not Vit D deficient (I take 5000 IU per day and was normal level 6 months ago and also live in sunny So Cal).

Can't rule our iron or folate deficiency, although I've never experienced anemia and eat plenty of iron rich foods.

Similar resting heart rate (usually between 50 and 60bpm). I have EKG capabilities on my smartphone but every time I go to take a reading, my heart rate shoots up (subconscious anxiety) and I get an "inconclusive" result, so that isn't helpful.

I did have someone suggest magnesium and calcium supplements and that seems easy enough to try.

 

[DLgal]

There are many people on various COVID forums experiencing lots of tachycardia issues after COVID. Nothing is every found to be abnormal and it usually resolves within a few months, but there are so many people who are reporting higher than normal resting heartrates, inappropriate tachycardia, and so on. It wouldn't surprise me if it's both COVID and hormonal related at this point.

I had some transient high heart rates with low exertion in the weeks after covid (like 155 when just walking slowly, 170 after climbing a flight of stairs) but that has already resolved and I can workout and have typical heart rate elevations. My resting HR is in the low 60s and that never was elevated.

I don't get a racing heart. I get a heart that does not beat in a regular rhythm.

 

[DLgal]

Definitely could be due to perimenopause:
View attachment 698359

I do not have pain with ovulation, but I am 48, and I do have an increase of resting heart rate during that time. I can see it on my FitBit and I have been tracking it for 4 years. My OBGYN had no cause for concern with it, but it’s just so annoying how much changes during this time. During our conversation, she did briefly mention that palpitations as another sign. We didn’t get too deep into it because I didn’t have that issue.

Sounds like you are in tune with your body so no doubt you will not ignore it, I’d bring it up to your OBGYN on your next appointment - hopefully if it’s not too far away.

If you have it any other time besides ovulation, I would get it checked out soon.

Thank you. It makes sense. I now wonder if the other times I had this worked up if I was at the same point in my cycle. I never made the connection before. I only did this time because there was such a noticeable drop off in the palpitations once my period started and up through ovulating and then WHAM, hit like clockwork the day after I ovulated. And then I realized the last time I was dealing with this was a few weeks ago during my last cycle.

 

[cvjw]

If you need magnesium, try calm magnesium powder. Helps with sleep as an added bonus. Recommended to me by my doctor.

 

[mom2rtk]

Have you had your thyroid levels checked?

 

[DLgal]

Have you had your thyroid levels checked?

Yes, every year due to having both parents with hypothyroid. It's always normal. My doctor orders the full thyroid panel.

 

[Christine]

Yes! Sounds exactly like me! Today, the palpitations started when I woke up at 4am and couldn't go back to sleep and simply turned to my right side. Immediate erratic heart beat with skips and double beats and long pauses/flip flops. Unnerving. And of course, I never went back to sleep after that. And I'm still having them 10 hours later.

Have you noticed that your palpitations are triggered by positional changes? I see above, if I'm reading that correctly, that when you turned to your right side, that started immediately. I have that also. There's apparently a thing with positional palpitations. I was having it really badly (for years). I also restarted my GERD medicine after not taking it for about 10 years and it's made a HUGE difference in the erratic heart skips. I was getting them if I sat on the couch a certain way, lying on one particular side while in bed, and many other positions. So weird. I was told a long time ago that esophageal issues can cause this as the GI tract nerves run along the cardiac nerves. Now, as to why it only happens after ovulation is a bit of mystery. I'm post menopausal so I can't even watch for that. I just used to get a higher heart rate and body temp after ovulation.

 

[2SLM]

I had heart palpitations for 4-6 weeks after fairly mild covid. I wouldn't dismiss that possibility.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I don't remember palpitations specifically, but I did always feel changes when I ovulated, so I would definitely trust your hunch that they're related.

 

[DLgal]

I had heart palpitations for 4-6 weeks after fairly mild covid. I wouldn't dismiss that possibility.

So, let's say it is from covid. Should I see a cardiologist?

 

[Lehuaann]

Yes! Sounds exactly like me! Today, the palpitations started when I woke up at 4am and couldn't go back to sleep and simply turned to my right side. Immediate erratic heart beat with skips and double beats and long pauses/flip flops. Unnerving. And of course, I never went back to sleep after that. And I'm still having them 10 hours later.

I know I'm not Vit D deficient (I take 5000 IU per day and was normal level 6 months ago and also live in sunny So Cal).

Can't rule our iron or folate deficiency, although I've never experienced anemia and eat plenty of iron rich foods.

Similar resting heart rate (usually between 50 and 60bpm). I have EKG capabilities on my smartphone but every time I go to take a reading, my heart rate shoots up (subconscious anxiety) and I get an "inconclusive" result, so that isn't helpful.

I did have someone suggest magnesium and calcium supplements and that seems easy enough to try.

Yes, the long pause with the flutter is my favorite. Anxiety can take my HR and BP from normal to stage 1-2 in no time. Then it takes forever to come down. The mind is so powerful. Even reading a post online can solicit a quick palpitation. I don’t struggle with insomnia, but used to. To have that plus palpitations would be pure hell.

I had some transient high heart rates with low exertion in the weeks after covid (like 155 when just walking slowly, 170 after climbing a flight of stairs) but that has already resolved and I can workout and have typical heart rate elevations. My resting HR is in the low 60s and that never was elevated.

I don't get a racing heart. I get a heart that does not beat in a regular rhythm.

My RHR with Covid was 115-120 bpm, then went back to normal low 60’s with occasional dips into low 50’s.

No, my long Covid issue is chronic hives. Caught it at the end of December, then 2 months later widespread hives/welts that won’t go away

So, let's say it is from covid. Should I see a cardiologist?

I just find it strange that it doesn’t happen the 2 weeks leading up to ovulation. Any spikes? Maybe ask your PC to do another ECG/EKG post-ovulation? I have one as part of my yearly physical.

 

[DLgal]

Yes, the long pause with the flutter is my favorite. Anxiety can take my HR and BP from normal to stage 1-2 in no time. Then it takes forever to come down. The mind is so powerful. Even reading a post online can solicit a quick palpitation. I don’t struggle with insomnia, but used to. To have that plus palpitations would be pure hell.



My RHR with Covid was 115-120 bpm, then went back to normal low 60’s with occasional dips into low 50’s.

No, my long Covid issue is chronic hives. Caught it at the end of December, then 2 months later widespread hives/welts that won’t go away



I just find it strange that it doesn’t happen the 2 weeks leading up to ovulation. Any spikes? Maybe ask your PC to do another ECG/EKG post-ovulation? I have one as part of my yearly physical.

Well, I read today that the massive drop in estrogen right after ovulation is associated with palpitations, so from that angle the timing makes a lot of sense. But geez, did my estrogen just completely disappear?

And yeah, the mind is powerful indeed when it comes to anxiety. I can't even take an ECG reading with my smartwatch because as soon as I begin, my HR shoots up beyond 100 and then I get an "inconclusive" result. Every time. I hate this.

 

[DeeBee3]

Definitely see your primary care asap and ask that they do some bloodwork and an EKG. Usually can be done right there in the office. They can advise you if you should see a cardiologist.

With or without covid, I would take it seriously. It is very possible that it could be related, but either way you want to be assured and told how to handle.