Heart symptoms, tell me yours

[MummaPI]

Just that,
Been peri for 5 years and always had heart symptoms. Sometimes like tonight, I get anxious about them.
I get palpitations and racing heart and feelings of my heart beating hard.

Hi,
Started peri at 40 rather dramatically by being rushed to hospital with paroxsymal atrial fibrillation. Very scary. Many tests and an overnight stay on cardiology.
Since then I've regularly had palpitations (never had AF again)
I tried hrt bit it caused me more problems than it solved.
Sadly since lockdown my heart has been racing (often 120 bpm sitting down) and have been getting horrible palpitations.
I went to gp who did an ecg which was normal apparently.
She prescribed me a beta blocker called metaprolol that had really helped.
You have my sympathies...it's horrible

Hi
Thanks for replying, silly really as it's nothing new but sometimes it's just horrible.

I’ve had palpitations on and off for the last 10 years (I’m 54). I’ve had scans and a 24 hour heart monitor and my cardiologist has prescribed beta blockers, which are working pretty well. I see him again in a couple of weeks but the 24 hour monitor didn’t show anything of concern. It’s just one of those tho things

One of those things

I’m 8 year post hysterectomy and loss of one ovary. I’m not on hrt

For me the best thing is to either drink a cold drink, cough, or hold your breath as long as possible. That sometimes sorts the palpitations out if you do it quick enough

@yoikes and If you are having an early menopause you must use HRT (NICE guide.)

Early menopause is if your periods stop before 45.

Women who have an early menopause have a much higher risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.

If you have not had medical support other than bet blockers, you really do need to follow this up and see a menopause gynaecologist if your GP can't advise you.

I know you said you tried HRT but there are many types and a lot of women have to try several types to get the right one.
A lot of GPs currently offer the old sort, not the newest which are better tolerated and safer.

Please do read about early menopause and risks.

I have had palpitations too. Tried beta blockers but they made me feel so bad (literally thought I was going to die) that I had to stop.

I'm afraid for some of us it's not that easy hells...

I've tried them all and I have various issues with every type of hrt. I am also progesterone intolerant.

Can't take oral hormones as I'm I'm stroke risk. Can't use patches - give me dermatitis. Can't use gel as no way to get progesterone into me.

I cannot have a mirena due to scarring from an endometrial ablation (which also didnt work!) Wish I'd had a hysterectomy tbh.

I came off HRT in January and despite the heart thing am feeling ok (ish)

Oh, should point out I'm still having bleeds (despite the ablation)

Tbh I don't think the bloody things will ever stop :(

@yoikes Have you ever seen a specialist about this, not just a GP?

It all sounds horrendous but maybe you have not had the best advice available yet from specialist drs?

You will have had progesterone all your life, with periods, so usually it's the synthetic progestins that women can't use. There is this term going around of 'progesterone intolerance', but it's not really that- it's more a sensitivity where it causes bad PMS.

Pill form of hrt is not prescribed by 'in the know' drs now- it is always patches or gel.

If you have been diagnosed with a higher risk of stroke, you should rally try to use hrt and early meno and stroke risk are a bad combination. (Using HRT reduces arterial build up - cause of stroke- by 50%.)

Just for example to give you another side- some of us use progesterone vaginally not orally which reduces a lot of the side effects. In addition, it's possible to use it not every month but once every 2nd or 3rd month, which reduces side effects even more.

Your GP will not prescribe in this way but if you saw a meno specialist, they would.

Was under a consultant gynae for 2 years...he did the ablation.

Same, palpitations, really strong heart beat, racing. I've had all the tests and they say nothing serious going on. It can be frightening though.

@yoikes Not all gynaes are menopause specialists though; they all have their 'pet' specialisms.

If you have never been offered or tried using Utrogestan either a) vaginally or b) on a long cycle, it might be something to ask for.

Where does your high risk of stroke come from?

I 45 this year and have been peri since 39. My bloods have always been normal until the beginning of this year which said I was post menopausal. Still having periods. Early meno is periods stopping before 45? So I'm in normal peri if a bit early?