heart palpitations and the menstrual cycle

[LisaTLC]

hello im 27 yrs old and suffer from heart palpitations, i wondered if these can be linked to the menstrul cycle
as i tend to get them mostly around this time and only occasionally inbetween its quite scary as i have to breath deep to get my breath, i have not been to my local gp about this yet as im afraid of what he will say.


This discussion is related to Heart Palpitations.

[mimmieG]

One more thing to add, my cardio had me try a calcium channel blocker before he started me on the beta blocker, and I felt it controlled the palps better. Only issue is the at you should NOT be on them if you're thinking about having kids. Causes major skeletal development issues. If you're not having kids anytime soon or if you're finished having kids, it may be worth trying. I still have some on stand-by if my palps are bad and the beta blocker isn't helping as much as I would like.

[mimmieG]

This same thing has been happening to me for the past 3 years! One time it was so bad (every 5th heartbeat or so was a palpitation) that I ended up going to the ER. Since then, I've been to MANY doctors (general care, cardiologist, endocrinologist)...the result of which was to put me on a beta blocker. It made me feel tired and terrible and gain weight. I slowly started to ween myself off of the daily dose and now just take it when I have episodes. I've also been tracking my palps regularly to see if there was a pattern. I'll go months without getting them, but then all of sudden they'll start and last for 5-10 days...and always the week before my cycle starts.

Recently a friend who is pregnant told me that her progesterone was low and her doc put her on a progesterone supplement; the doc also told her that the progesterone is what keeps your body pregnant while the placenta is developing...usually takes about 3 months for the placenta to "take over." When you are not pregnant, progesterone levels are highest the week before your period as your body's last ditch effort to stay pregnant if the opportunity is present, which also may explain why some women on here experienced them during their first trimester.

I ran all of this by my husband, who is a doctor, and asked if there could be a correlation between progesterone surges and heart palps, and he said probably...glad we went into debt for that fancy degree :) Anyway, I turned to google and low and behold many other women are dealing with the same thing. I think it would be very interesting to read a study if anyone has found one.

We haven't had kids yet, so taking any sort of hormone supplement is concerning. Until that time comes, I'm just going to continue treating with the beta blocker as they come up. Though I did go to the cardiologist for an echo and had to wear a halter monitor, etc. to confirm that there wasn't anything mechanically wrong with my heart. Finding this thread gives me some peace of mind to not get worked up when it happens again!

As far as other things I've noticed: the palps are worse if I go long periods without eating protein or if I'm dehydrated. Iron supplements seem to help too...not sure why. Thanks for sharing!

[EmilyKM]

Hey Ladies!!! I wish I could "Like" every single one of these posts!!! I just want all of you to know that this has been an amazing read and a total God-Send of a thread. Obviously,  I too suffer from heart palps. I have to admit that I am completely convinced it has to do with hormones. I have been getting them since I can remember. Few and far between in my teens and since having my 2nd child, much more often. When I first found out I was pregnant with my 2nd son my heart went haywire. I was having 4-5 palps every MINUTE! This went on for 3 months straight. Then one day.. gone. They didnt happen at all for the rest of my pregnancy. Now I get them occasionally and most frequently around my period. Lame. Also, I am a high anxiety person and chose not to take the traditional medical path. I think through healthy eating, sleeping and vitamin intake anything can be handled. A positive attitude does WONDERS. (Its hard.. I know, trust me)

I will save you the rest of my sob story (which really isnt all that bad) and will give you my solutions!!! Keep in mind, these work for ME. Do your own trial and error and see what works for you!

- LOTS of water. Continual, every day. Every body is different but they will ALL tell you when they need more water. Remember, by the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

- Emergen-C (the fizzy drink mix) for whatever reason helps me TREMENDOUSLY.

- I went to a Chiropractor who also does testing for nutritional deficiencies (thats called something but its totally escaping me as to what it is.. CRA? maybe?) Who gave me a few supplements one of them being Hypothalamx for the hypothalamus.

For your reference: "The hypothalamus is a very small but important component of the diencephalon. It plays a major role in regulating hormones , the pituitary gland , body temperature, the adrenal glands , and many other vital activities." - about.com (on the Limic System)

Did you catch that?? "IT PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN REGULATING HORMONES.."

I haven been taking my supplements for about 3 weeks now and this period vs last months period (in terms of the heart palps) is amazing. They are not completely gone but Ive had ONE today vs 10-15/day last month.

- Cut down on the white sugars and over processed foods (which we should all be doing anyway)

- Finally, Go out for a walk. Look at stuff. Touch a tree, smell the air, be there. Not in your body. Dont have all your attention on your heart. Be outside. Feel the ground under your feet. Pick up a rock and really look at it. You would be amazed how much better that makes you feel.

I really hope this helped. Much love to you all. xo

[loveholdsme]

I am in the same boat you are in...I am 27 and have had pvc's for years...Have been married for about 5 and a half years..People are always asking the when are you having babies? Seriously what you said is my biggest concern.
When i first started experiecing this, I thought i was the only one who dealt with this. It seriously has taken alot of overcoming through the years--as it came with anxiety..etc....What a crazy thing to experience. Only we know.

[Wildthng510]

It is such a relief that I'm not alone!! Reading everyone similar situations does make me feel a lot better. Thank you for sharing. I have been having this problem every couple months for about 5 years - after merina iud was removed. Bc pills made it 100xs worse to the point i thought i was dying and hardly left home cuz I was so.scared. I started having pnic attacks. I was finally dx with pmdd this year and prescribed xanax for them but that doesn't help the flutters. I never know when they are going to happen other than a couple days before my period starts. They still scare me and I think my heart is gonna stop every time. I just keep telling myself its all hormones and I can now prevent a panic attack but I wish there was more medical answers. I know it is all linked to hormones. I can feel it. Well I hope everyone figures out a way to deal with these horrible flutters. I am very thankful for this forum!!! Y'all are not alone... it sux!!

[iamfaithful]

I am CONVINCED there is a correlation!  When my PVC's started several years ago it was around the time of my cycle and ever since then they are a beast around that time of the month.  I am so glad to know there are others out there and It's not in my head :-).