Heart palpitations

[SquirrelStateOfMind]

I've been getting heart palpitations occasionally throughout this year and they are, frankly, terrifying. I'm not an anxious person and I was enormously relieved to find that they are one of the many joys of perimenopause as they strike at any time: on the bus, when I'm trying to go to sleep, or just minding my own business. Generally sitting quietly till they go away is fine (with DH for support if he's around).

Yesterday however it developed into a full on funny turn. Once the racing stopped, I had ringing ears, dizziness, nausea, some chest discomfort and briefly, pins and needles in my arm. It was sufficiently bad to call 111 but it eased up while I was going through the menus 🙄 Still, it was fully an hour before I was recovered.

I'm fine today but today and tomorrow I have a long drive and am worried about it happening on the motorway.

Does anyone else get this and have you found anything that helps?

I had palpitations and thought they were normal for peri, but with the addition of tingling hands I went off to the GP who found that I had low ferritin. The palpitations and tingling disappeared when I took the medication.

I was told my palpitations were menopause, stress, anxiety, caffeine, alcohol. Then I went into fast AF and ended up in resus. Eventually had an ablation. Get them checked out.

I think mild palpitations or ectopic beats can be menopause related but when you’re having other symptoms with them it’s time to checked out. Magnesium is good for palpitations.

Heart palpitations were a big peri meno symptom for me, disappeared totally the day I started hrt.

I suffer with them, I’ve had all the cardio tests and there’s nothing dangerous, but I still get them. They are worse when I am tired or dehydrated or coming down with something

Hi all.
Same as @PersephoneParlormaid Low ferritin. I also found out I was anaemic and GP recommended an iron transfusion.

@SquirrelStateOfMind You should consider getting some blood tests done for reassurance regarding your symptoms.

Thanks all for the reassurance. I'll keep an eye on them for now. Have had blood tests and everything fine - was told without asking "you're definitely not anaemic" so don't think it's an iron issue.

Same. Had all kinds of tests and monitors this year, all results were fine (for which im grateful) but i still get them and sometimes the double beats are quite frightening. Im trying to keep a log of them and have noticed i get them more when im dehydrated, had alcohol or certains foods (chinese food, marmite...so high salt foods or perhaps MSG sensitivity?) Horrible tho...

I’m having absolutely rotten ones today, thundering away all day. I think I’m affected by something in gluten free bread, I gave up gluten which did help then but sometimes when I have too much Gf stuff I get them really badly. It’s really exhausting even though they technically aren’t harmful to me. In the end I took a double dose of magnesium and drank loads of water and they seem to have subsided a bit now

I've been having them alongside ectopic beats sinve giving birth 17yrs ago.

I've had tests and always fine.

You get used to it. Try to breathe into your abdomen rather than your chest.

I had some luck with mindfulness too.

At their worst I gave up sugar, decaf coffee and tea, wheat and largely alcohol.

I was just about to say this. I had the same with low ferritin (and it was only borderline low so don't let them fob you off by saying your levels are normal if they're anywhere near the low end).

I get them, they're caused by silent reflux. I have had ECGs, heart scans and blood tests and nothing is wrong with my heart.

I had this too, it was very concerning. I spoke to my GP about them and she organised for me to have an ECG to put my mind at rest. That didn't pick anything up. I am now on HRT and they seem to have subsided in the majority. Still get the odd one though. Would recommend you speak to your GP about this as the concern/alarm is not nice to live with.