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.

[tia77]

Yes they are directly related.  I remember when I went to my new doctor at the University of Pennsylvania.  We were talking and I said to her I don't want you to think I'm crazy but I feel like the pvc's are worse around my period.  She smiled and looked at the nurse in the room and said actually no I don't think your crazy and I (she) just had a big seminar about it with the doctors around town.  She said it is directly related to the hormones in a womens cycle.  That's not to say it can't happen at other times of the month.  There are "triggers as she said.  Caffein, alcohol and so forth.  I felt better.  I take medicine for it and sometime right before my cycle starts I have to take more because it can get so bad.  Most of the time they are harmless but I would still go and just get it checked out.  Good luck.

[MissAnthropy67]

What medicine do you take for it??  I have this problem and am having a LOT of trouble finding any real information on how to make it less intense

[LisaTLC]

thankyou very much for that tia, as no matter where i looked for infomation about palpitation nothing mentioned it been linked to the cycle, i feel so much better for reading this i have an appointment with my doctors this week to have a check up,

thanks again xx

[iamfaithful]

I absolutely believe they are related.  When I first started having them, or noticing them I was finishing up my cycle and that was over 2 years ago.  Now I noitce them a week before, during and a week after.  It's so crazy because it's like I have 1 normal week and that week isn't that normal at all-lol.  

I have a cardiologist and he said lots of women complaint that their palps are worse during that time of the month.  It would be great if there was a study done regarding that.

[LisaTLC]

thankyou for that, mine are usually 4/5 days before my cycle is due and sometimes during my cycle too, thats it then till my cycle is due again, its quite a scary sensation, id like it to been looked into too as like i sed before i found nothin online to tell me they were linked, x

[JenettaShallair]

I am 29 and started experiencing them around 28 and its only gotten worse but just before my cycle and during and sometimes one week after I am so glad to know I am not just trippin because I really thought maybe it could be related to my period but just wasn't sure....thanks for clearing this up...I also wonder is this because I am almost 30 because I have never felt like this before on my cycle but just within the last year and a half my cycle has just gotten worse

[Fervie]

I am so happy that I'm not the only one going trough this!! I thought I had some disorders and never went to the docs cuz I was too scared!! A week before my period or when I have my period or a week after after I get some random heart palpitations , slight loose of mind and tend to vomit plus I get anxious and scared which makes things worse. I am only 18 and this has been happening for tr past 4 months

[aylish28]

mine are ALWAYS  worse the week before,,,always

[KimberleyK]

I'm the SAME way! I'm 35, though.....a few months ago I had a panic attack...from the palpitations I freaked out and could hardly breathe, chest all tight.....hands felt numb like they were asleep lots of anxiety...now I notice it's really bad right before I'm supposed to start...and then during my period...and then just when I think I'm back to normal...it's that time of the month again and it starts all over again....glad to know I'm not alone. :)

[Cheers]

Yep. Same here. I can sometimes be palp free all month until about a week before my period. I always try to schedule any testing around that time. I am 38 and I fear this will only get worse with menopause/peri-menopause. I am DREADING it...

[Vampira30]

Hello I'm 39 and felt the same way while on my period ... It scared me so bad I went to the hospital ...and they ran blood work and X-ray and ekg test on me said everything looks okay but do a check up with my family doctor ..... So I'm going to make a appointment today  ..... I have been off my period for 2 days now have not felt it  so I was wondering if it is linked to my period ....... And age I have been trying to take it easy around the house  til I find out for sure what's going on I have never posted on anything like this but I do read them a lot to help with info ........ Thanks

[Cheers]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9160219

[NickyB88]

OMG You guys just don't know what a relief it is to know I'm not the only one having to deal with this worry..I ALWAYS get palpitations a week before my period during and after. I'm only 24 and I did do check ups but the DR said its not serious. Why did we have to be part of the unlucky! But anyway its comforting to know that I'm not alone!!!

[BrandiBella]

my pvcs started around 29. i was mortified. i went from being a care free, happy person to a very anxious, scared person. i am not myself. i get pvcs all the time, at times they go away for weeks but come back. they are worse around my period. i've found there are so many suffering with this. there should be more research, answers, remedies..if you want to chat or if your having a bad pvc day..email me, ***@****

[Jazzy5537]

I was just having this conversation w/my family 2day at dinner, there should be more research, there would be less women suffering from thinking their hearts are going 2 stop & less trips 2 the ER, I have suffered from palpitations since I was 16 n was told it was heartburn till I couldn't take it any more n went 2 see a cardio dr, I still suffer from the palpitations especially around my period, but my beta blockers help a bit

[caroleann123]

The palpitations start leading to the menstruation and once we notice them it makes us worry more. I tend to try horlicks in the evening and at bed time. If at certain months things get bad I go on the Kalms or quiet life which are just herbs but help. Slow things down, lift the mood and help sleep.

[smmack]

I just left the Dr. with heart palpitations i have to get an echo cardio gram however i am on my period so i dont know if it is directly related i hope so im glad to hear that other women experience palpitations during menstruation too. My dr said i might have mitrial valve prolapse . i hope its nothing serious.

[knt631025]

I also never experienced anxeity issues or heart palpatations until i was 29. I had my first panic attack last august and totally freaked me out. shortly after that day, i had another panic attack. Come to find out, anxeity runs in my family on my fathers side so i guess it was eventually gonna hit me. I also did take birth control pills and did some research and some pills can trigger anxeity issues. I have noticed that my heart palpations generally are close to my time of the month. its odd though, i can go weeks and feel fine and then bam, it hits me. i will have a heart palpation for a brief second and then most of the day i am ok. my dr prescribed me xanax as i need it for anxeity attacks. i have also noticed that if i dont get enough sleep then i generally will have a much rougher day. i just hate feeling ok one moment and then feeling like i am going crazy the next. i dont know, i just hope that more research can be done to see what can be done to prevent this.

[mmd22]

same here mine are worse right befor i get sick too

[SLN12]

I have them too. I realised last week that I was having them at a certain time of the month, I also noticed that I had some other symptoms that I had when I was diagnosed with low B12 (dizzy, tired, fuzzy thinking, itchy tongue) a few years ago. Took some vitamin B executive stress supplements and they went away. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to see your doctor, be sure to ask for an iron and B12 blood test, as I was misdiagnosed as having depression and put on Prozac before I went to see another doctor who did the blood test.

[Sharon41]

Thank you so much for your post!! I thought I was losing my mind and spent around $2000 only to learn nothing is wrong. At first the cardiologist couldn't catch it because by the time my appointment was scheduled the palps would be gone. It would be awesome if they did a case study on this. I am just glad to see I am not the only one experiencing this. I will check my B12 I am already on an iron suppliment.
Thanks

[amandat101785]

It happens to me every month!!  The most recent time was this past weekend...I finished my period on the 7th and on the 13th I had the worst night I've ever had. Not only was my heart pounding but I had such bad pains in my chest...it felt like I had knots in my chest. It was so scary. I literally only slept 1 hour that night, went to work the next day still feeling that chest pain. Finally around noon I had a break down...called my mother crying flipping out basically hyperventilating.  I thought I was going to pass out I got so dizzy i could barely breathe.  About 10 mins after that the chest pain went away and I was totally drained. I left work early and took a 2 hour nap (lucky me...I don't have kids yet). I felt better but I still have to take something to help me fall asleep ever since then. I wonder when this racey feeling will go away. I'm 26 years old by the way. I'll be 27 next month.

[dina639]

Ladies I am going to the doctors today I used to have a heart palpitation before I started my period now its happening a week and a half before my period everyday at least 5 flutters a day its scary and I hate it . I have been to the cardiologist twice before for diffrent reasons everything was normal but this flutter stuff its scaring me i have to take a deep breath to get my heart back on rhythm , I have been noticing its worse after I eat something sugary, this is so scary and if its hormone related I am scared to be pregnant with double / triple hormones , I want children so badly but if pregnancy spikes hormones are we gonna be walking around holding our chests for 9 months?? :(

[soulsurvivor88]

I had my first panic attack at 26, couldn't breathe, heart racing, tingling in hands, so I went to the ER, checked myself in as "I am having a heart attack" -- diagnosis was anxiety and I have been on meds ever since (now 42). Through meds and seeing a psychologist to get to the root of the problem which was a loss at the age of nine (my dad), I am now able to control the hyperventilation, racing heart, etc. The meds in combination with therapy have both helped.
I get those scary palps around my period as well. I HATE it, a missed beat that leaves me breathless, I kinda get scared but not like I used to because I know that the palps are normal and I have control of my anxiety. I have changed my whole diet and drink lots of water, that helps with those darn palpitations (somewhat) - that time of the month, I cannot control, it is a hormone thing. Well, I guess it can be controlled but I don't want another medicine added to my regimen.
Hope this helps.

[Maya551]

Have any of you seen a gynecologist to have your hormones tested?  I feel like mine are hormone related and feel like a beta blocker is only a band aid....I really believe my body has an imbalance.  I recently had a baby, so it wouldn't surprise me if my palps are indeed hormonal.  I want to find the root of the problem before going on a medication that may be irrelevant in the long run.  Any thoughts?  

[dinky1969]

Kimberley-

What happened to you is the same thing that happened to me last May-I freaked out hands were numb, chest got tight, couldn't breath-by the time my husband got me to the hospital I was ok except my hands we are all curled up and tingled-they checked me out said nothing wrong with me and sent me home since then I notice a couple days before or first couple of days during my cycle it's bad really the only time it bothers me-I hate it and it's so scary-somebody needs to do a study on this and find a cure-a miracle drug or shot....It really does make me feel better reading about all these other women having the same symptoms I just hate you all have to go through it-