|
Questions posted in the
Heart Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Question Title: Are Rapid Heartbeats Palpitations? (Followup)Forum: The Heart Forum
| |
The following follow-up to my original post (and answer) seems to have been overlooked, so I’m reposting the entire thing. Thank you so much for your time in this forum. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. Posted by Beverly in PPCA on December 17, 1998 at 21:22:17: : I am a 54-year-old female, not overweight, who has been diagnosed with PACs and (recently in Aug 98) reactive hypoglycemia. Since about Aug 97 I have been taking Inderal for the PACs and Lisinopril for blood pressure spikes. I've been to a dietitian and am watching my diet and eating habits very carefully in order to avoid problems with the hypo. ___ Dear Beverly, PACs are simply intermittent extra heart beats that can give the sense of a palpitation but they do not raise the heart rate. The runs of palpitations your are experiencing are something different and require further evaluation (event recorder or 24-48 holter monitor) to rule out an arrhythmia that needs treatment different than what you are getting. Good Luck and speak with your physician in the near future regarding these new symptoms. I hope that this information has been helpful, please write back with any further questions. Information provided in the heart forum is intended for general medical informational purposes only, actual diagnosis and treatment can only be made by your physician(s). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Beverly Palpitations can be caused by fast heart rates, irregular heart rates, or skipped beats. Your symptoms sound concerning and I agree with the other CCF doctor that you need to be evaluated for an arrhythmia with a Holter monitor or an event recorder (portable EKG machines). Stress can certainly contribute to palpitations, but this is not the first thing I would think of as a cause - your doctor needs to make sure that you do not have anything more serious than PACs. Furthermore, hypoglycemia can cause a rapid heartbeat. Medicines like Inderal can blunt the body’s normal response to hypoglycemia. Finally, I am wary of the diagnosis of reactive hypoglycemia. If you are really having hypoglycemic episodes (an unusual situation) you need to see an endocrinologist to make sure you do not have a serious disorder. I hope this has been useful. Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck. Information provided here is of a general nature. Specific diagnoses and treatments can only be made by your doctor. If you would like to be seen at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist at Desk F15.
| |
