Heart palpatations

[logdiva32]

Does anyone know why I may have heart palpatations?

This morning I stretched and instantly felt my heart beat, looked down and WATCHED my HEART nearly jump through my chest, for about 50 beats.

Am I over training, lifting to heavy on my lifting days? Drinking too many sugar free red bulls (1 a day)?

I do not smoke, drink, or any of those really bad things, eat ok.... Run, bike, or Excercise 3-5 times a week, not over weight, 32 yo, 5'4, 137 lbs, what's up? Happened 2X..

[RoadRaven]

I get heart "flutters" (for want of a better description) - exactly as you describe.

My father gets them and so did his mother.

All three of us have/had low blood pressure... I have been told, as they were, that these flutterings are linked to having low BP.

Have you had your BP checked? I advise you to get a medical opinion as there are too many variables to decide from the opinion of a few of us here.

I doubt it will be over-training... I tend to have an elevated heart rate after hard training and not enough rest in between... but you should def get medical advice on this if it is bothering you.

[KnottedYet]

try googling "orthostatic hypotension" and see if it sounds like what you experienced?

[LBTC]

Try avoiding sugar free products. I get that when I have anything with aspartame (nutrasweet)

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Popoki_Nui]

I get them too. They started in my late teens, and continue to this day. I have slightly high BP. Mine are PVC's (premature ventricular contractions). Feels like a flutter or a skipped heartbeat, but is actually an extra beat....sometimes several in a row, which gives that flutter feeling. Is that what you're experiencing?

I've been ECG'd over and over, and been told it's a fairly normal condition wherein the heart simply misfires a little in response to various stimuli like caffeine, adrenaline, exercise, stress, excitement, certain foods/food products (like MSG, spices, etc) and so on. Most of the time; but it can occasionally be a sign of other heart problems. Best to get it checked out with your doc, and rule out those problems.

[alpinerabbit]

I get them too - PVCs.

Haven't figured out yet what is the worst trigger - caffeine, alcohol or exercise. I keep intaking all 3 of them.

I try to take my magnesium -doctor put me on high dose magnesium when I visited her, and had a high stress level and started to exercise a lot. Now I take regular store bought stuff. She ECG'd me too but said not to worry.

[TsPoet]

Dehydration can cause it, too. Drinking enough water (not soda or anything else, just water) to make up for your activity level? Drink a glass of water right after getting up and 15 min before stretching.
Regardless, best to see a doctor if for no other reason than piece of mind.

[Brandi]

Me too! Started getting them when i was about 30. Mine are stress related. My blood work and ekg didn't show anything of important. But the my ekg showed I was nervouse. They put me on a mild tranq for about three weeks. I recommend a book called "Don't panic" if that might be your case. Let me know and I will find out who wrote it. But for now you need to stop asking us and go to the Doctors no matter what. And rule out everything else. Because no matter what we say your case might be different then ours. Please go! Then we can talk.

[maillotpois]

There are probably a lot of very benign reasons why you might be experiencing this, BUT: PLEASE see a doctor to make sure.

[Pax]

I'll second what maillotpois said, make sure you see your doc.

Mine are triggered by caffeine and stress, they still sorta freak me out when they happen. I find that when I cut back on the coffee and make sure I meditate every day they rarely occur.

[maillotpois]

I was having some because of pulmonary hypertension which I had because of my pulmonary emboli. You just never know til you get it checked out.

[Tuckervill]

Isn't Red Bull full of caffeine?

Caffeine is what was causing mine, back in my 30s. I also had a high stress job, and I lived on Diet Coke. I had an EKG at one point, and the doctor said I had what is known as a "juvenile" heart rhythm. (But I didn't have palpitations during the EKG.) IOW, I'm young at heart! ;)

I hardly ever have them now, but I don't drink diet drinks anymore--just unsweetened iced tea. I'd definitely get it checked out.

Karen

[Brandi]

Yoga and a lot less coffee , more me time when i can/ Helped me more then anything. I love biking by myself. I still get palps but not nearly the amount I used too. It is a reminder to me now to slow down. I might have 3 or 4 a year. They used to be several a day. No drugs. Just stopping and smelling the flower's. This was of coarse after all test were done to rule anything else out. I liked thae fact it was something I have control over. But it takes practice.

[equus123]

First post, woo hoo!

I went to the cardiologist a few months ago because of 2 episodes of super high heart rate (as in 220 or 240 bpm). I was out riding alone the first time it happened and was ~220 for about 3 minutes, had one hard beat, and then dropped right to 135 bpm in about 5 seconds (where it should have been). The second and more severe time it happened was on a group ride. My heart rate went up to 240 bpm for about 4 minutes. I was still like 3+ miles from my car and left the group. It was still elevated above 215 for the 15 min back and any time I came to a small hill and added a little more umph to my pedalling, my HR went straight back up to 240 bpm. By the time I got back to my car, took some layers off, got changed, ate a bar and drank something it had been a good 20 minutes. My HR slowly went down to what my resting rate should have been.

So for all that I got referred to a cardiologist, the prognosis being Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT). I wore a Cardionet monitor for a month 24/7. Unfortunately, I could not get this to replicate in order to record it and get some data on what was going on. I've never had it before and who knows if I'll get it again. The cardiologist said that it was definitely an electrophysicological problem. I might have an extra electrical pathway in my heart that the electric pulse had travelled through on these occasions, causing the elevated heart rate. I can be treated by doing 1) nothing, 2) medication, or 3) invasively through ablation - catheter into the heart to burn the location on the heart where the extra electricity passes through. The scar tissue that forms from this does not conduct electricity and essentially removes this avenue from the heart's electrical pathways. Since I'm only 24 and in very good health and fitness, we both agreed to leave it be and come back if it were to ever happen so severely again.

Hope this information helps anybody :)

[Brandi]

First post, woo hoo!

I went to the cardiologist a few months ago because of 2 episodes of super high heart rate (as in 220 or 240 bpm). I was out riding alone the first time it happened and was ~220 for about 3 minutes, had one hard beat, and then dropped right to 135 bpm in about 5 seconds (where it should have been). The second and more severe time it happened was on a group ride. My heart rate went up to 240 bpm for about 4 minutes. I was still like 3+ miles from my car and left the group. It was still elevated above 215 for the 15 min back and any time I came to a small hill and added a little more umph to my pedalling, my HR went straight back up to 240 bpm. By the time I got back to my car, took some layers off, got changed, ate a bar and drank something it had been a good 20 minutes. My HR slowly went down to what my resting rate should have been.

So for all that I got referred to a cardiologist, the prognosis being Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT). I wore a Cardionet monitor for a month 24/7. Unfortunately, I could not get this to replicate in order to record it and get some data on what was going on. I've never had it before and who knows if I'll get it again. The cardiologist said that it was definitely an electrophysicological problem. I might have an extra electrical pathway in my heart that the electric pulse had travelled through on these occasions, causing the elevated heart rate. I can be treated by doing 1) nothing, 2) medication, or 3) invasively through ablation - catheter into the heart to burn the location on the heart where the extra electricity passes through. The scar tissue that forms from this does not conduct electricity and essentially removes this avenue from the heart's electrical pathways. Since I'm only 24 and in very good health and fitness, we both agreed to leave it be and come back if it were to ever happen so severely again.

Hope this information helps anybody :) I would not just come right out and say this (sorry for the thread drift here) But your photo is really nice. Is that you? You are a very pretty women! Not coming onto you i am married. Just wanted to complament you.

[mtbdarby]

Don't rule out hyperthyroidism. That's what caused mine, but caffine does trigger them. I could be sitting at my desk and all of a sudden my heart rate would jump to over 200 - very scarey! I was on medication for 4 months before my thyroid levels were back into the "normal" range. During that time I was told it was ok to exercise but to keep my heart rate below 160 to avoid stressing my already stressed out system. I've been off my meds for 10 months now - yeah!

[Triskeliongirl]

...So for all that I got referred to a cardiologist, the prognosis being Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT).... I can be treated by doing 1) nothing, 2) medication, or 3) invasively through ablation - catheter into the heart to burn the location on the heart where the extra electricity passes through. ...

I had a friend with those problem that opted for option 3. It turned out something went wrong during the procedure and extra cells got damaged so now he has to use a pacemaker for the rest of his life. This isn't to say that you and your doctor won't decide in time that it is the best option for you, but understand the risks. He was told the risk of this happening is 1%, but until you experience it its just a number.

[equus123]

wow, i'm sorry to hear that. yeah, my doctor did explain the risks involved. this kinda stuff is tricky :(

[logdiva32]

Sounds like some good ideas. Maybe I will check with the Dr. I have an appt due to a abdominal pain (most likely my right ovary). So I see the Dr after the ultra sound is done, I'll ask about my heart. Ssounds so weird, like I'm old.

But, YES, I DO drink sugar free, red bull daily maybe 2x a day+ coffee 4 times a week and then work out like a mad women 5 times a week. And occasionaly I use nutrasweet or drink a diet pepsi. But Mostly H2O.

And yes I also have low blood pressure, usually not a problem. Only when I was delivering my kids with 2 of them they had to stop the labor because my pressure got way to low and they threatned C section.
Any way thanks alot guys.