heart palpations after picc line!!

[mary607]

i just had a picc line put in because i am going to be in the hospital sunday and i started to have heart palpations only when i bend over, look down, or move my right arm (which is the arm i have the picc in) to the left. the nurse says its anxiety but there is no way it is. helpppppppppp
i also had my PFO closed last may but that may have nothing to do with it. just putting that out there in case it does.

[mary607]

thank you for the response!
they took a chest xray and said the picc line was exactly where it was supposed to be..   i guess i will wait until monday when i go in. it is just so painful. the palpitations happen so often. every time i eat now too... its awful!

[CCFHeartMD 12]

Based on your symptoms, I think it is possible the the PICC line tip is too far in your superior vena cave (SVC), and had entered the right atrium.  A tip in the RA could irritate the heart and cause palpitations.  This would not be the first time I've seen this.  A good chest X ray should be able to tell exactly where the tip it.  Alternatively a professional could just pull back the PICC line 2 cm or so.

This is just a possible explanation and perhaps the PICC team has already excluded this, so please do NOT try to pull the PICC line yourself and discuss with the team.