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Palpitation problems
Hi and happy holidays.
I am 33, female, about 30lbs overweight and don't drink or smoke. No meds. I had a baby early this year. I have a goiter which is Euthyroid, and recent blood, EKG and bp all ok. I am scheduled to have an echo and a 7 day holter very soon.
I have suffered chest pains every day since the birth of my daughter, but my doctor thinks this is a combination of musculo-skeletal and anxiety. I also have PVC's, though not every day, and I have had bouts of tachycardia, with one particular episode in September lasting several hours.
My questions are:
I have palpitations 24/7 and by this I don't mean PVC's, but I hear my heartbeat all the time and my chest moves also. When I lay down especially, my heart is pounding so hard that my whole body seems to move and this stops me from sleeping. Is this dangerous, and can I do anything to calm it down? My doctor prescribed beta blockers but I was too scared to take them when I read that they can cause heart attacks if you stop taking them. I am very sensitive to medication.
Also, will the echo and 7-day monitor be enough to rule out any problems? In other words, if they come back ok, together with the EKG and blood, is it safe for me to relax? What if the monitor doesn't catch any tachy - how will I know if I have a problem?
I also get short of breath, not drastically, just like a big sigh and don't know whether this is from carrying baby around all the time or from being unfit or something more sinister.
Lastly, can anxiety REALLY cause all these distressing symptoms?
Sorry for all the questions, but this has occupied me constantly and caused me no end of worry.
Zoe
I am 33, female, about 30lbs overweight and don't drink or smoke. No meds. I had a baby early this year. I have a goiter which is Euthyroid, and recent blood, EKG and bp all ok. I am scheduled to have an echo and a 7 day holter very soon.
I have suffered chest pains every day since the birth of my daughter, but my doctor thinks this is a combination of musculo-skeletal and anxiety. I also have PVC's, though not every day, and I have had bouts of tachycardia, with one particular episode in September lasting several hours.
My questions are:
I have palpitations 24/7 and by this I don't mean PVC's, but I hear my heartbeat all the time and my chest moves also. When I lay down especially, my heart is pounding so hard that my whole body seems to move and this stops me from sleeping. Is this dangerous, and can I do anything to calm it down? My doctor prescribed beta blockers but I was too scared to take them when I read that they can cause heart attacks if you stop taking them. I am very sensitive to medication.
Also, will the echo and 7-day monitor be enough to rule out any problems? In other words, if they come back ok, together with the EKG and blood, is it safe for me to relax? What if the monitor doesn't catch any tachy - how will I know if I have a problem?
I also get short of breath, not drastically, just like a big sigh and don't know whether this is from carrying baby around all the time or from being unfit or something more sinister.
Lastly, can anxiety REALLY cause all these distressing symptoms?
Sorry for all the questions, but this has occupied me constantly and caused me no end of worry.
Zoe
Hi Connie, guess what, I often read the posts and you sound so much like me, right down to the Mom to 3!
I too find stress is a huge factor with the palps. I did see my doc, about 100 times about the palps and it is the same old "It won't kill you" and he doesn't think I should take a beta blocker because I normally have a decent heartbeat, can be anywhere from 65 to 84 beats per minute and have low blood pressure which is usually around 90/60 to 110/70.
I do smoke, I know, shame on me, but I find it really hard to quit. Otherwise, I don't do anything else, no drinking, caffeine, etc.
I was taking a new drug Moltilium or the generic name Domperidone. The doc had me on 2 twice a day and it seemed that the palps were really bad while I was taking them. I also had a similar reaction, but much worse, to an antibiotic with Clavulanic acid in it. I stopped taking the Domperidone and the second day after being off it things seemed to have gotten better. I looked the med up on the internet and one of the rare side effects is "Palpitations"!!! So, I won't be taking that anymore. I also took, years back, Prepulsid, and my heart was doing very odd things. I stopped taking it and the doc told me I was just worried about taking a new drug and then a year later it was taken off the market for giving people heart attacks. I must be really sensitive to drugs. Anyway......
Thanks you for replying back. It's nice to know there are people with a first hand knowledge of palps who can truly understand and be so caring.
Take care and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Connie
I too find stress is a huge factor with the palps. I did see my doc, about 100 times about the palps and it is the same old "It won't kill you" and he doesn't think I should take a beta blocker because I normally have a decent heartbeat, can be anywhere from 65 to 84 beats per minute and have low blood pressure which is usually around 90/60 to 110/70.
I do smoke, I know, shame on me, but I find it really hard to quit. Otherwise, I don't do anything else, no drinking, caffeine, etc.
I was taking a new drug Moltilium or the generic name Domperidone. The doc had me on 2 twice a day and it seemed that the palps were really bad while I was taking them. I also had a similar reaction, but much worse, to an antibiotic with Clavulanic acid in it. I stopped taking the Domperidone and the second day after being off it things seemed to have gotten better. I looked the med up on the internet and one of the rare side effects is "Palpitations"!!! So, I won't be taking that anymore. I also took, years back, Prepulsid, and my heart was doing very odd things. I stopped taking it and the doc told me I was just worried about taking a new drug and then a year later it was taken off the market for giving people heart attacks. I must be really sensitive to drugs. Anyway......
Thanks you for replying back. It's nice to know there are people with a first hand knowledge of palps who can truly understand and be so caring.
Take care and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Connie
Hello all, I'm 47, woman and generally in good health! Quit smoking no caffeine, no drinking! I am so glad I found this sight! I wore a heart monitor for 24 hours but it has been 2 wks. and it is not back yet! My palps started a month and a half ago and my blood work is okay the EKG is okay and I had an ultrasound a couple of years ago, also the heart doctor is out of town until February!! So my regular Dr. put me on Metoprolol 1/2 tab 2 times a day. It worked for 6 days and now there back again!! I wish they would go away but they are driving me nuts!! I am pre-menopausal does anyone have the palps because of Hormones. Also I'm on Celexa which i thought was for anxiety for the last 2 yrs. and one of the side effects I just found out is anxiety, but they help me sleep through the night!! Wow! I'm a mess. Thanks for any imputs a head of time.
Jodie
Jodie
Hi Jodie!
WELCOME!! Yep, count me in among those who believe hormones play a role (at least for us peri-m women...lol). As long as all of your tests come back "normal" you can rest easy and just try and learn to live with the palps. I know - easier said than done, but sometimes once you get the doctor's reassurance it is helpful in alleviating the anxiety. Good Luck! Happy New Year!
connie
WELCOME!! Yep, count me in among those who believe hormones play a role (at least for us peri-m women...lol). As long as all of your tests come back "normal" you can rest easy and just try and learn to live with the palps. I know - easier said than done, but sometimes once you get the doctor's reassurance it is helpful in alleviating the anxiety. Good Luck! Happy New Year!
connie
I also have been trying to post a question here but can't seem to get in. I am too having trouble with serious palpitations.
I am a married woman who is 64 years old and am overweight by 50 lbs. I've started brisk walking 2 miles every morning and am on Weight Watchers. In the past years I've had several episodes of palpitations but they went away after a few weeks or so. I have been suffering with palpitations for several months now and they are not going away. They go on all day long and sometimes wake me up. They sometimes feel like my heart is doing somersaults-- sometimes my chest is quivering-- sometimes it feels like extra beats. They scare me. I also burp-- from down up from my toes-- never had this before.
I went to a cardiologist and was given Toprol XL for high blood pressure (which started in the past year) and he said they would get rid of the palpitations-- they did not go away. I take 12.5 mg-- twice a day. I was taking 25 mg but didn't like the way it made me feel so my doctor cut it back. I also take 400 mg of magnesium-- twice a day. I take Lipitor for cholesterol which has been controlled-- and a baby aspirin every day.
I just received the results of the 24-hour Holter monitor-- "normal sinus rhythm with minimum heart rate of 59 beats per minute, maximum heart rate of 125 beats per minute and average heart rate of 78 per minute. There were occasional premature ventricular contractions, no ventricular tachycardia. There were frequent atrial premature contractions. There were no sustained supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. SUMMARY CONTENTS: There was no advance heart block".
When I took this test I walked 2 miles briskly in the morning, went out to Christmas dinner and had 2 drinks-- otherwise I don't drink on a regular basis.
I've not had any health problems until now and I want to be sure that my cardiologist diagnosed me correctly. These palpitations are scaring me that they are damaging my heart and that I could have a heart attack or a stroke.
I have a vibrating pillow to ease stress that I put on my back or my chest so I don't have to feel what's going on in my chest sometimes. It's very difficult not to worry about it when it makes me very anxious.
Thank you for "listening" to me.
If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it.
janibo
I am a married woman who is 64 years old and am overweight by 50 lbs. I've started brisk walking 2 miles every morning and am on Weight Watchers. In the past years I've had several episodes of palpitations but they went away after a few weeks or so. I have been suffering with palpitations for several months now and they are not going away. They go on all day long and sometimes wake me up. They sometimes feel like my heart is doing somersaults-- sometimes my chest is quivering-- sometimes it feels like extra beats. They scare me. I also burp-- from down up from my toes-- never had this before.
I went to a cardiologist and was given Toprol XL for high blood pressure (which started in the past year) and he said they would get rid of the palpitations-- they did not go away. I take 12.5 mg-- twice a day. I was taking 25 mg but didn't like the way it made me feel so my doctor cut it back. I also take 400 mg of magnesium-- twice a day. I take Lipitor for cholesterol which has been controlled-- and a baby aspirin every day.
I just received the results of the 24-hour Holter monitor-- "normal sinus rhythm with minimum heart rate of 59 beats per minute, maximum heart rate of 125 beats per minute and average heart rate of 78 per minute. There were occasional premature ventricular contractions, no ventricular tachycardia. There were frequent atrial premature contractions. There were no sustained supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. SUMMARY CONTENTS: There was no advance heart block".
When I took this test I walked 2 miles briskly in the morning, went out to Christmas dinner and had 2 drinks-- otherwise I don't drink on a regular basis.
I've not had any health problems until now and I want to be sure that my cardiologist diagnosed me correctly. These palpitations are scaring me that they are damaging my heart and that I could have a heart attack or a stroke.
I have a vibrating pillow to ease stress that I put on my back or my chest so I don't have to feel what's going on in my chest sometimes. It's very difficult not to worry about it when it makes me very anxious.
Thank you for "listening" to me.
If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it.
janibo
I'm a 61 yr old female, and have been suffering from PVC's (skipped beats) since the age of 15. Also from palpitations. Do you suffer from anxiety or are you under stress? That can bring out the palpitations, change of life and yes, even at our age can still bring on these heart related symptoms. Do your BP pills keep your BP in check? Before I took BP pills I had the skipping beats almost all the time. Once on BP meds it gotten a lot better. I've been taking magnesium and calcium for years, but it had little effect. Magnesium is suppose to be good for palpitations and skipped beats. I still take it.
Its good that you saw a Cardiologist, that your heart is o.k.. I also found out that the more you worry about the palpitations the stronger and longer they will last. I used to wake up at nights a lot with my heart beating out of my chest (not from a nightmare). Always around 3 a.m. like setting an alarm clock, that was before the BP meds.
How long have you been on the BP meds? My Cardiologist told me it can take up to 4 months before some meds go totally into effect.
Its good that you saw a Cardiologist, that your heart is o.k.. I also found out that the more you worry about the palpitations the stronger and longer they will last. I used to wake up at nights a lot with my heart beating out of my chest (not from a nightmare). Always around 3 a.m. like setting an alarm clock, that was before the BP meds.
How long have you been on the BP meds? My Cardiologist told me it can take up to 4 months before some meds go totally into effect.
Thank you for responding. I have been under stress from building a house that is not getting done and are having problems with the builder that we had to hire an attorney-- even though I hate to admit it but this could be the cause. Also, since you mentioned it, there might be some anxiety there too. I retired a year ago and my life is so different after working for 23 years after my children were in school all day. I just retired from a high pressure job and was fine-- now this. My blood pressure is in check with the medication. I have been on the medication for approximately 3 months now but the palps are still there. I also started taking magnesium about 2 months ago because of information that I have gotten on this site but they say it may take up to 4 months to get it to work.
I try not to worry about the palps but sometimes they are so strong that they scare me. They make me anxious. If I am moving around and very busy, I don't feel them but sometimes I just want to sit and watch a show and thats when I feel them and get anxious about them.
If I may ask, what BP prescription are you taking. I want to see if my cardiologist will change mine (Toprol XL) because it makes me so tired. I don't like that feeling.
Thank you so much for your response. I don't know anyone personally that suffers from this so it helps me when I get a response from someone with the same problem, especially when it is someone close to my age. Because of your response, I'm going try harder to not worry about the palps (because I do) and hopefully they will subside
Thanks, again!
I try not to worry about the palps but sometimes they are so strong that they scare me. They make me anxious. If I am moving around and very busy, I don't feel them but sometimes I just want to sit and watch a show and thats when I feel them and get anxious about them.
If I may ask, what BP prescription are you taking. I want to see if my cardiologist will change mine (Toprol XL) because it makes me so tired. I don't like that feeling.
Thank you so much for your response. I don't know anyone personally that suffers from this so it helps me when I get a response from someone with the same problem, especially when it is someone close to my age. Because of your response, I'm going try harder to not worry about the palps (because I do) and hopefully they will subside
Thanks, again!
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