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Menopause

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Palpitations

6 replies

Choccymumma · 01/04/2025 17:08

Hi,
I'm well into perimenopause, about 8 years in with periods every 4 to 5 months. Had all the symptoms going, but palpitations are the ones I'm struggling with.
I get the occasional flutter that makes me cough or what feels like a racing heart coming out of my chest.
I've had an ecg last week (normal) and booked for a 24 hour ecg this week.
I had an echocardiagram years ago which showed a mild leaky valve but they wasn't concerned at all. I also have indigestion at the moment.
Can anyone sympathise? What do yours feel like? Health anxiety makes me think I'm having a heart attack 🙄
Any advice welcome please.

OP posts:
GlomOfNit · 01/04/2025 23:12

Hi ChoccyMumma. I get these too, and ectopic (out of place) beats. Because I'm very over-attentive to my body noise and have health anxiety, they've been checked on quite a lot! I've had a 24 hour event monitor on twice (the second time, the private company the NHS contracted to administer those, lost my results and then they surfaced about 5 months later on my health record...) lots of ECGs and recently was referred to a cardiologist because an ultrasound identified a possible atrial defect (it wasn't). Nothing abnormal has ever been found - apparently I have possibly the high end of normal ectopic beats, but since the frequency of these is reliant on people noticing and reporting them, even that's hard to pin down. I am, apparently, one of those people who 'notice' heart stuff more than most. I find it really hard to turn off my attention to 'body noise'.

The cardiologist said my palpitations and ectopic beats were real because I was perceiving them, so it was a real issue for me, but not medically significant and that I'd have to learn to chill out about them. I have to say, hearing this did make that a bit easier!

I also find I'm much more aware of them if I lie on my left side (this is also normal) so I try not to. One thing I will say is, with the palpitations, sometimes I think what I'm experiencing is the perception of a racing heart - if I take my pulse it's not usually that fast.

Oestrogen depletion can exacerbate these symptoms and in fact, it was the main reason I went on HRT. Unfortunately, in my case, HRT hasn't really done much to get rid of them.

TheFlakyPoet · 02/04/2025 15:37

How're your ferritin / Iron levels. Low levels can contribute to palpitations, so I'd suggest asking your GP for some blood work and supplementing if needing (- in my non-medical opinion.)

Choccymumma · 04/04/2025 15:14

My levels were low years ago due to heavy periods but now they are ok.
Had the 24 hour ecg and typically didn't have many! Been having them daily.

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FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 05/04/2025 07:33

I had them before I started HRT. They stopped since I started Oestrogel. Best wishes.

DatingDinosaur · 05/04/2025 07:52

Might not be your heart. Indigestion can cause chest flutters (gas moving around in the upper chambers). Your parathyroid can also 'flutter' and cause a take-your-breath-away sensation.

Choccymumma · 12/04/2025 18:25

@DatingDinosaur that's interesting as I have terrible indigestion too.

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