High heart rate, normal ecg. Help please?

[Expectingfirstbaby23]

Back in early feb, I had a heart monitor on over weekend due to heart palpitations. All came back normal , but was made aware that my heart rate at one point went up to 188 beats per minute ! That’s very high ?! Anyways fast forward I’m now 21 weeks pregnant and palpitations and pounding heart have gotten worse (on some days not everyday) out of breath easily etc. I’ve had bloods to check thyroid , iron and had ecg , all normal ? Ecg just shows high heart rate but normal electrical rhythm . Can anyone shed some light ? What this could be ? My sister has POTS and is convinced I have that cause my blood pressure is always low too. But no referral to cardiologist. Any advice would be appreciated, will this get worse as pregnancy progresses ?

My DD had high heart rate with her Crohn's before she was diagnosed - I think it's ascribed to inflammatory responses in the body. Any kind of inflammation possible? Did they do CRP for example?

Disclaimer - not a medic in any way!

No cpr, my heart rate seemed to have came down quick enough ! And no not that I know of , all tests were normal !

Dehydration? Stress/anxiety? Electrolytes off? All of these can be a trigger for me.

Push for a cardiologist to check it out, as worrying is horrible and you should have answers/reassurance.

@Expectingfirstbaby23 i have terrible anxiety and being pregnancy is stressful , that’s what doctors seem to think anyways . I have a slight suspicion it’s POTS. but need to be referred to cardiologist to be sure as I don’t think anxiety should cause a heart rate of 188 :(

Splashing cold water on the face, breathing exercises and a couple of glasses of water can all help. Have you had B12 and ferritin (or a full iron panel) checked?

Did anything trigger the start of this - Covid, Covid vaccines, etc. Worth putting together a timeline to show a Dr or cardiologist.

Absolutely don't let any Dr fob you off with being told it is just anxiety, without further checks. It happens to so many females.

@123wdcd ferritin was slightly low at 12 week appointment but had my iron levels checked recently and was all normal ! Not sure about b12 tho, don’t think I’ve had that tested but worth asking about . I haven’t had covid vaccine , I did have covid back in feb 2022. Yup. Every doctor do tests and when they can’t find anything they say it’s my anxiety causing it . Without a referral to a cardiologist how would they know ! Thank you so much x

Has anyone mentioned supra ventricular tachycardia (SVT)? I have it and my heart can often go up to 250 bpm randomly! It's often misdiagnosed as anxiety unless it's caught as it's happening on an ECG. It's not dangerous if your heart is otherwise structurally normal but it doesn't feel nice!

@Wherehaveallthepopchipsgone nope but that’s what google has said ! It was caught on a heart monitor but doctor just said “it went to 188 at one point” but just kept mentioning anxiety

My heart shot up out the blue to 170 last year and I then ended up in resus in atrial fibrillation that subsequently happened again more than once. I tested negative for POTS on a tilt table test and have just had cardiac ablation.
They asked me too at first what I was anxious about!
Interestingly raised CRP over 100 the first time. Never got to the bottom of that.
I would insist on a cardiology referral but be prepared to wait. I went private eventually.

@cptartapp gosh that sounds dreadful ! How much did you pay to go private ? I’m considering it , cause I know nhs waiting list are years atm

How long was it at 188 for? A short lived spike isn't as worrying as a longer spell without provocation.

I'm at a similar number of weeks pregnant with no health issues. I've been a little out of breath recently, especially if walking or when I had a cold two weeks ago. This will get worse as baby fills space. Nearer the end you can't take a deep breath.
I remember on my first noticing that baby tipped into an engaged position a few times the week before birth and I took a huge breath to feel the difference!

Speak to your midwife, maybe they can advocate or point you in the right direction.

I have sinus tachycardia which basically means fast heart rate but normal rhythm. I thought i had POTS but tilt table test was negative for POTS although my blood pressure went haywire, kept dipping dramatically and coming back up. They diagnosed orthostatic intolerance which basically means my body doesn't react normally when I stand up/sit down etc. It's reassuring that it's nothing dangerous but it's a horrible feeling to have your heart racing for no reason. Its a vicious circle really as it makes me anxious and stressed which then makes the tachycardia worse.

I get this when I don't drink at least 2 litres of water a day. I was told to investigate pots by a rheumatologist who seen me after I was sent to the hospital after my HR went up drastically whilst standing. I was fully investigated for infections and heart problems. Basically I drink a lucozade sport, some extra salt and drink loads of water and it's seemed to resolve.

However i was diagnosed with PTSD after a pretty traumatic experience at work. I had sinus tachycardia and felt like I was about to die. After a few months of that I began having panic attacks. I've been on sertraline along with propranolol for 6 months and honestly everything is totally settled again. Definitely don't disregard anxiety.

X

I paid the £200 excess and went on my husband's health insurance through work. (I saw two other consultants in the end for other issues that arose so worth it).
The initial consultation though would have cost me £150.

I had SVT and paroxysmal AF when I had pneumonia. HR was over 200 and I was in hospital overnight. I take calcium channel blockers which keeps it well controlled and I have learned not to worry if HR shoots up as long as it doesn't stay high for more than a few minutes.
Often triggered by infection. Your CRP of 100 would suggest you had infection somewhere.