Perimenopause and racing heart

[KimR]

Have any of you ladies experienced this? It's a little unnerving. I've been a bit apprehensive about a party I have to attend this evening and was sitting at the computer trying to de-stress and give myself a little mental encouragement when all of a sudden my heart started racing and I felt like I couldn't catch my breath. I didn't feel any pain...just a racing heart and difficulty breathing. It lasted no longer than a minute or so and then I was fine. Shortly thereafter it happened again.

I've never had this happen to me before and in the back of my mind I vaguely remembered hearing it was symptom of menopause, so I googled it and sure enough - it can be caused by changing hormones. Lovely. I've not had any other symptoms other than irregular periods, so I thought I was free and clear.

The ironic thing is it said to avoid stress and alcohol among other things. Ha! I have to go to a party tonight so yes, I am going to be stressed and due to that I will be drinking plenty of alcohol. This should be interesting.

I'm curious to hear of other ladies' experiences. Did anyone have this as the only perimenopausal symptom? How often did they occur and how long did it last - overall I mean, not the episodes themselves.

 

[njmom47]

Have any of you ladies experienced this? It's a little unnerving. I've been a bit apprehensive about a party I have to attend this evening and was sitting at the computer trying to de-stress and give myself a little mental encouragement when all of a sudden my heart started racing and I felt like I couldn't catch my breath. I didn't feel any pain...just a racing heart and difficulty breathing. It lasted no longer than a minute or so and then I was fine. Shortly thereafter it happened again.

I've never had this happen to me before and in the back of my mind I vaguely remembered hearing it was symptom of menopause, so I googled it and sure enough - it can be caused by changing hormones. Lovely. I've not had any other symptoms other than irregular periods, so I thought I was free and clear.

The ironic thing is it said to avoid stress and alcohol among other things. Ha! I have to go to a party tonight so yes, I am going to be stressed and due to that I will be drinking plenty of alcohol. This should be interesting.

I'm curious to hear of other ladies' experiences. Did anyone have this as the only perimenopausal symptom? How often did they occur and how long did it last - overall I mean, not the episodes themselves.

Oh yes....the heart-racing happens to me also. It's sooo scary! I have been done with "things" for almost 2 years, but I still get hot flashes and the racing heart (as well as other more subtle symptoms I might add). It's weird too in that it's just a physical symptom. My mind is not racing, just my heart. I suppose I get a few episodes a week. I don't drink alcohol, so that part doesn't affect me. As far as dealing with the stress, deep breaths and calm thought might help you tonight.

 

[thedonduck]

Another thing to look at is your iron counts. I have always been borderline anemic and one of my most annoying symptoms with it is a racing heart and being short of breath. I am not of the age for perimenopose, so I can't help there. But just wanted to throw one other idea out.

 

[Christine]

I've had the racing heart for many years. No difficulty breathing. It could just be plain, old anxiety since you said you were apprehensive.

I think it's very easy and convenient to chalk things up to perimenopause, but you still need to be careful. If this is *different* for you, and due to the difficulty breathing, I wouldn't rule out having it evaluated. Then you an know for sure. It sounds like anxiety, though.

 

[JanaDee]

Yes, I have it. Mine happens more when I am stressed.

 

[jen73]

omg...I had the same thing this past Monday...felt off, went and laid down and all of a sudden felt worse...walked into the kitchen and told our DD that if anything happened to call 911...felt faint, racing heart, like in a fog and I have been hving a pretty irregular period. So, we went to the ER and after all the blood work came back fine, they said I was in the first stages of menopause, like OP said, perimenopause. Lord...lol

 

[drinkme]

Another thing to look at is your iron counts. I have always been borderline anemic and one of my most annoying symptoms with it is a racing heart and being short of breath. I am not of the age for perimenopose, so I can't help there. But just wanted to throw one other idea out.

This was me. Once my anemia was gone the heart racing & palpitations were gone.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Thyroid issues can also cause racing heart. I would recommend a blood work up just to be on the safe side.

 

[minnie mum]

Yep. BTDT. Got the T-shirt. Mentioned it to my GP at my last checkup. Next thing you know I'm having a blizzard of tests. ECG, 48 hr Holter monitor. Chest Xrays. Carotid ultrasound. CT scan. Blood work. Holy crap, thank heaven for our free medical care! End result: late menopause and a prescription for thyroid medication.

If you're concerned, get it checked out.

 

[dakcp2001]

Have your thyroid checked, not just the TSH but the whole panel. Perimenopause is a time when a lot of people have their thyroid go haywire. Definitely worth a simple blood test to check, because they can give you a med to make you feel better instead of telling you your anxious or whatever. Hormones can really mess you up!

 

[minkydog]

If you've never had this evaluated, you need to call your doctor on Monday and make an appointment. There are many things that could be causing this, including heart rhythm and heart valve problems, thyroid disease, and adrenal disease. I wouldn't be quick to blame it all on perimenopause until you rule out everything else.

 

[jennyjinx3]

Okay now I am a little concerned. I have been having these my whole life as long as I remember. I did wear the holster and have some heart tests once but nothing irregular. When I was pregnant with all three girls I got them a lot more too. I still wonder if some unknown heart problem will sneak up on me one day.

 

[JessicaR]

Thyroid issues can also cause racing heart. I would recommend a blood work up just to be on the safe side.

My dx was Perimenopause for over a year before I had a real dx as Graves Disease.

 

[Imzadi]

Another thing to look at is your iron counts. I have always been borderline anemic and one of my most annoying symptoms with it is a racing heart and being short of breath. I am not of the age for perimenopose, so I can't help there. But just wanted to throw one other idea out.

Thyroid issues can also cause racing heart. I would recommend a blood work up just to be on the safe side.

Have your thyroid checked, not just the TSH but the whole panel. Perimenopause is a time when a lot of people have their thyroid go haywire. Definitely worth a simple blood test to check, because they can give you a med to make you feel better instead of telling you your anxious or whatever. Hormones can really mess you up!

Yes, I've had thyroid problems for YEARS, and my doctor could never quite get a handle on it. Lately, my heart was racing. I was turning hyper-thyroid, when I was usually hypo. I was being over medicated.

I went to a different doctor and only recently found out how much the thyroid and iron go hand in hand. People need enough iron to convert the thyroid T4 into T3, which is where all the energy, sharp mind, heart beating properly comes from. If it's not there, there will just be T4 (unconverted) floating around the bloodstream.

My iron ferritin level was down to 20 when it should have been between 70-90. I've upped my elemental iron levels and dropped my thyroid meds down by half. It took several weeks, but I think FINALLY I am getting back to normal - as in before I had these problems, and start working on getting my life back - at least not to the way it was, as I'm no longer as young, but with a great deal more energy than I've had in a loooong time.

I think it's very easy and convenient to chalk things up to perimenopause, but you still need to be careful. If this is *different* for you, and due to the difficulty breathing, I wouldn't rule out having it evaluated. Then you an know for sure. It sounds like anxiety, though.

Yes, I passed of my fibroid problems & overly heavy periods, heart arrhythmia & brain fog due to perimenopause, much to my GYN's annoyance. She was the one who finally ordered my first set of thyroid tests for me, as my symptoms weren't just "perimenopause."

I was also eating heavy doses of soy products like they were going out of style, thinking I was doing the right thing for perimenopause. Turns out soy suppresses thyroid functioning (when you have a bad thyroid) and excess soy is not what I need when I have fibroids.

 

[Christine]

Okay now I am a little concerned. I have been having these my whole life as long as I remember. I did wear the holster and have some heart tests once but nothing irregular. When I was pregnant with all three girls I got them a lot more too. I still wonder if some unknown heart problem will sneak up on me one day.

My heart "blips" were found to be benign also--Holter monitor, Stress-Echo etc. Since you've had this all your life, and have been checked out cardiac-wise, I probably wouldn't worry. On the other side though, it probably doesn't hurt to have them checked every 5-10 years if this is a lifelong issue. Things do change as we age.

 

[KimR]

Thanks everyone. I go for my yearly gyno checkup in a few months and if this keeps occurring I will mention it to him. I haven't had any more episodes since yesterday afternoon, though.