Can steroid nasal sprays cause palpitations?

[britkath]

I have bee  taking Beconase hayfever spray (a steroid nasal spray) for a month and began feeling the sensation of skipped heartbeats which tend to increase around my monthly cycle. I experienced them a few years ago, also at the time of taking the Beconase spray. It took several months after discontinuing the spray before they eventually disappeared. I am having the same symptoms this time. Doctors say it is not because of the spray because so little is absorbed into the system through the nose, but I have read online that Beconase is absorbed more than other nasal sprays, (up to 44% of each dose is swallowed). I have seen numerous people reporting palpitations and other systemic effects across the internet after using Beconase and other brands (Nasonex, Flonase etc) of steroid nasal sprays.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

[Jabberwalkie]

I started having palpitations while using an inhaled steroid for bronchitis. I stopped right away but they did not go away. I was also on antibiotics and they are also known to block magnesium absorption so I do not know if it was one, the other, or both, that was responsible. I am taking 400 mg magnesium (sometimes oxide, sometimes taurate) twice a day and they have gotten MUCH better.

[CFS56]

I was using flonase every day a couple of years ago and after a while I stated having brief episodes of tachycardia.  I asked my EP if it could be flonase and he said most definitely.  Told me not to use it every day, to try backing off to every couple of days and see if that helped.  I still use it once in a while but I try not  to swallow it, I try to spit it out when it starts running down my throat.

[britkath]

Thanks for the info. It's comforting to know an EP recognised that the spray was causing your symptoms.

[claytex]

I had afib for years and had it fixed with an ablation and a pulmonary doctor had me taker a steroid enhaler  ( he too said it would be ok)  I was having 8-10 skipped beats per minute within 30 minutes of taking one dose and had to have another heart ablation to get rid of them,,,still have to take an arythma medication...to stop all of them..I asked the electrophysiologist cardiologist who did my ablations...he said arythmias and steroids do not get along at all...Cortizone shots makes my heart skip beats....so I avoid any kind od steroid...plus epinephrine is even worse,,,,so you sure don't want to let your dentist use epinephrine to deaden your tooth area..it will cause you a worse problem most likely if steroids bother you...bottom line...lots of doctors don't know or at least don't ask ..hope this helps have a good day ..claytex

[britkath]

Thank you for sharing claytex!