Palpitations peri-menopausal?

[BooseysMom]

Hi,
I've been getting quite horrendous heart palpitations for months. I've been to my gp and have had an ect and other tests. It isn't my heart but they say I have to stop drinking caffeinated drinks. I only have 1 coffee and about 3 teas a day but they say that's way too much. I don't think the palps are down to caffeine as I can go days without any and still drink the same amount. I'm 46 and had hormone tests about 6 months ago and they confirmed I'm not peri-menopausal. The gp is not convinced it's hormonal but I think it is. They seem to be worse when I've got pmt or mid month when presumably I'm ovulating. Over the last two years i've had one or two occasions of night sweating and one night of feeling like ants are crawling all over me. That was horrible! The night sweating was like i'd wet the bed!! My mattress was soaked. My moods are really erratic esp a week before AF hits. Has anyone else had palpitations? have you seen a gp about it?? Thanks xx

I have palpitations and when they first started I was in and out of gp and a&e for a few months. Eventually saw cardiologist who said my heart was fine but that I was the right age for peri menopause so that’s probably what was causing them. Nobody had mentioned peri to me before then. A few days later I saw a female gp and she said the same thing.

Now they don’t worry me so much as when they come on I tend to ignore them for a while or go to bed, mine usually occur in the evenings.

I have found that I can drink tea and coffee up to lunchtime, early afternoon at a push, but after that only decaf otherwise palpitations are worse and I can’t sleep!

Anxiety also causes them, could that be you?

@Kahlua4me...thanks for the msg. That's interesting about your experience. I'm exactly the same as you with caffeine. I have the last one early afternoon then nothing else. I get some anxiety but mostly seem to be linked to my cycles..I feel a hormone surge then the palps start. Just surprised the gp didn't accept it was peri-menopausal. My periods are regular but getting evil! So yours aren't troubling you any more then??

My periods are still fairly regularly on the whole, but not clockwork like they used to so sometimes every 3 weeks, sometimes 5.

Funnily enough it started today and with it came the palpitations and worry so I now can’t sleep! I also find them far worse than when I was younger and my mind races too. My anxiety may be related to my cycle too, I hadn’t thought of that....

I wonder why your gp didn’t think it was peri? I thought they went on symptoms as well as bloods?

Obv not this gp!! And she was a woman too! It could be that I went in saying we were ttc no. 2 and she didn't want to make me feel there was no hope at 46. I had all the tests and they said my levels were normal whatever that means. We've never really properly tried anyway. I track mucus but don't bother with opks. I didn't even know I was preg with DS until 12 wks had passed! So how old are you if you don't mind me asking? How many dc's have you got?

I am menopausal and I have had them on and off for months. I had an ect and my gp said they are caused by hormones. Often linked to when I have more hot flushes too. Alcohol, caffeine and stress make mine worse.

Thanks for sharing @fessmess. I feel your pain. Mine have got to be caused by the same things minus hot flushes. Just really surprised the gp disregarded hormones

I went through hell in peri-menopause. My periods became so heavy I was changing my super super plus tampon every 20 mins and wearing a night time pad as well. when I had to stand up it was like a blood bath. I was teaching and it was so embarrassing. There were a couple of days every month when I literally could not go in to work. This went on for about 1 1/2 years. Each period lasted about 9 or 10 days and heavy for 7. Add sweating, palpitations, dry skin especially on my feet, dry hair, and forgetting everything into the mix and it was hell. I cried a lot as well out of pure frustration. On occasion I had to shower in the middle of the night whilst dh changed the sheet. Eventually periods became lighter and then sporadic then ceased and once this occurred I started to feel better. Had a period out of the blue the other day after 10 months of no periods so this can happen so don't be caught out like I was. I tried HRT but it made me put on weight. I put on 12 lb in 12 weeks so came off of it. I do drink decaf tea and coffee unless I am out and after a while you don't notice anymore. My dh and family say I was upset easily and got annoyed much more easily but I did not notice this myself.

Palps were my first Peri symptom

Booseysmom I am 50 with 2 dc.

I went to see a female gp recently though to talk about the menopause as I thought she may understand better than my own lovely gp as he is a man. I was wrong as the first thing she said was that you don’t get palpitations with the menopause!

My periods are really heavy too, with frequent flooding and accidental leaks! Mortifying really.

"1 coffee and about 3 teas a day" would screw me up bad.
My whole family is caffeine sensitive so I would stop all caffeine for 2 weeks & see what happens. It's something you can do now & control now that might help (now).

@caringcarer..thanks for sharing your experiences. You poor thing..That sounds like hell. I know my mum said she had a rough menopause but I don't think it was anywhere near as bad as that. She did have heavy bleeding and she said it used to soak through 2 towels but it didn't last 10 days. She never had HRT. Do you mind me asking how old you were when you started it and when did it finish? Thanks x

@YeOldeTrout... yes I think you are right. I'm going to try cutting it out and switch to decaff. Anything is worth a try. Funnily enough my mum used to drink nothing but coffee, even before bed she used to take one up with her!! I don't think she realised what it was doing to her tbh. Thanks for the msg x

Thanks for all msgs xx

It started when I was 48 and got heavier and heavier I had not really had heavy periods before this. My GP gave me some trans anemic acid tablets to help reduce the flow. They helped a bit but not as much as I would have hoped. The heavy bleeding lasted about 1 1/2 years and then very gradually eased up. By the time I was 54 most of the symptoms had gone but I still have dry skin, hair and feet which I have to moisturize every day to stop them itching on soles. I am just glad I am through it now. I was only on HRT for 3 months as I put on so much weight with it but lost it again after i came off it.

@caringcarer...thanks for sharing your story. No wonder you are glad to be out the other side of it! I feel mine is just at the beginning. As my dear old mum used to say, next time I'm coming back as a man!!

Yes mine started 3 months ago ended up in A and e had ecg , bloods , and chest x ray and all ended up clear . I had a hormone test and they said my oestrogen was low . I am 52 and still getting periods 😢 I have like missed beats through out the day and sone times I get fluttering . I am highly anxious cos it scares me to death when it happens . Trying so hard to ignore it but it's like I am looking for it now and if course the anxiety is making it worse . Convinced there is something wrong . 😢

@Tjg123...thanks for sharing your experiences. That does sound horrible. It's funny as I had all the heart tests and came out ok but my gp and others have disregarded menopause. Don't get that! Have you had hormonal tests done? I did a few months ago and they said I wasn't peri-menopausal. Do you drink caffeine? x

I had palpitations, went to the Drs (probably a year or two ago now) who did an ECG - I never made the connection until this thread! Of course, it was the start of the peri menopause. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’ve only had one or two hot flushes so far, one night sweat but for me it’s the anxiety which is soaring. Brings out the existential despair. It’s horrendous. It’s probably exacerbated by the insomnia. It most definitely comes in cycles.

I have a coil so haven’t had a period in 10 years. I’m keeping it for another 5 and hoping it will at least control that part of things.

@Nicknamesalltaken..thanks for sharing this. So my doctor is very likely wrong when she says it's not peri-menopausal. Sounds like you're really suffering. I am with you on this. I have had 2 nights of sweating, one night of crawling feelings all over my body and insomnia most nights plus horrendous anxiety 2 weeks every month. I've been advised by a friend to have the coil but because we've been ttc dc2 I have dug my heels in. Now I'm 46 i'm resigning myself to the fact it isn't going to happen. I have the AF from hell atm. Currently in bed..nothing is touching the pain so I'm going to have to see the gp sorry to be so down. Do you mind me asking how old you are?

@Booseysmum I’m 48. I think it started about a year ago. I’ve been trying cannabis oil for anxiety. Sleepmaid tablets help and I have prescription sleeping pills for the odd occasions.

Maybe beta blockers might help? The dr prescribed them for me when my anxiety was Sky high (post divorce four years ago).

It feels a bit better now, but the anxiety is always in the background. I can feel it coming in waves now.

Someone on here recommended the mySysters app and I use that to track how I’m feeling.

Sorry @BooseysMom got your name wrong! And it’s Sleep aid tablets not sleepmaids 🙄

@Nicknamesalltaken... sleepmaids..lol ..thanks for your help. The gp wanted to prescribe me beta blockers but I don't like taking meds unless I really have no choice. I went to another gp and they did an ecg and said I didn't need any pills!! So I was left thinking WTF! They all seem to have different opinions. Are you still taking beta blockers now?

I never took them, but I liked having them in case things got really bad. I don’t like meds either to try to improve my sleep, diet etc.

One thing that made me feel better - and it’s not for everyone I appreciate that - but sex really helped.

@Nicknamesalltaken..funny you should say that.. I've also posted on another thread about crazy sex drive with peri-menopause! I get it really bad every month now like my hormones are saying "right last chance!" before the change hits.

Heh. I’m making the most of it

Have cut out caffeine, had tests done and my oestrogen is low . I am.having through palpitations daily.and feel like I am getting skipped beats alot. Looking at how to ignore them but so hard when itsh quite alot and you focus on them 😢

Tjg123 one thing that helped me when I was having a lot of palpitations was to check my pulse, oxygen levels and breathing. I bought a little oxymeter on Amazon which I carried around for a while.

I think it also helped with calming anxiety as proved to me that my body was okay. I could change my breathing to allow my pulse to regulate which in turn calmed me and then the palpitations eased too. Almost worked like a mindfulness app 😊.