Rapid Heart Beating -- a suggestion

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 5:07 pm

A couple of weeks ago there was a thread here about waking up during the night with rapid heart beating. I was experiencing something similar - but different.

Mid February, I started experiencing a hollow feeling in my chest (like you get when breathing cold air), followed by a heart "thump". I would get this while laying down reading, and just before I would go to sleep. Both with cpap and without cpap.

It would happen every 10 seconds to every minute -- in other words, not on a regular pattern. After it would thump (very similar to a strong baby's kick while I was pregnant), then I would feel fine. Until the next time. And then my chest would get that strange feeling followed by the thump again. I could always tell when it was going to happen by the feeling in my chest.

Okay, to get on with the story. I researched "palpitations", and ran into this info:

http://www.medicinenet.com/premature_ve ... rticle.htm

Premature Ventricular Contractions
(PVCs)

What happens during a premature ventricular contraction?

During a premature ventricular contraction, the ventricle electrically discharges (and contracts) prematurely before the normal electrical discharges arrive from the SA node. These premature discharges are due to electrical “irritability” of the heart muscle of the ventricles, and can be caused by heart attacks, electrolyte imbalances, lack of oxygen, or medications. Immediately after a premature ventricular contraction, the electrical system of the heart resets. This resetting cause a brief pause in heartbeat, and some patients report feeling the heart briefly stopping after a premature ventricular contraction.

I thought back to my last doctor's appt on Jan 30th, and remembered that I asked the doctor for a Nasacort AQ prescription for my congested sinuses. And I'd been using the Nasacort for 2 weeks before this started with my heart. It got progressively worse ever day until I found this information.

So, I stopped using the Nasacort AQ and within 24 hours I didn't experience any more Ventricular Contractions (if that is indeed what it was). I will ask my doctor if that could have been the cause next time I see him.

So, if any of you who wrote about rapid heartbeat are taking Nasacort or Flonase, you might want to see if that's the cause. Or not.

Just thought I would write this up in case it might help someone else.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 5:15 pm

Hi Linda,

Glad to hear that your palpitations cleared up by going off of the Nasacort AQ.

Best wishes,

Den

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 6:14 pm

Linda......I've noticed that...sometimes.....when I eat too much high-glycemic food.....I'll develop the same premature beat problem that you've experienced. In other words, I sometimes upset my body's chemistry by eating wrong stuff.

To go along with the premature beats, I also get a "squirt" of adrenaline each time it happens. The additional adrenaline has to be dealt with by my blood pressure regulating system......and if I have too many other "stressful" events in my life (associated with more adrenaline "squirts")....my blood pressure starts getting out of control.

For me, careful attention to the reduction of adrenaline "squirts" keeps me on an even, healthy, blood pressure level.

Before I started with APAP therapy, I was producing a lot of adrenaline at night when my brain was arousing me because of OSA.

Added all up, night adrenaline, premature beat adrenaline, and adrenaline caused by having to deal with my father who was in the last stages of Alzheimer's.....caused my BP to spiral out of control.

Finally, I think "stress" is what I've just described. I've never received a clear, unequivocal definition of "stress" that made sense.....until I experienced the above.

Now, I know what it is and how to deal with it.

vdol52 · Post by **vdol52** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 6:22 pm

For what it's worth, I've had heart palpitations for 23 years so much so that I can feel my heart beating strongly when I'm trying to sleep. I was finally diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse but suspeced that Sleep Apnea somehow contributed to the problem since I would awaken with a rapidly beating heart.
I am aware of the SVT subventricular tachycardia events. I also know that doctors are not very knowledgeable in the area of dysautonomia which is what I have. Sounds like you have resolved your problem, though.
By the way, dysautonomia is an instability of the autonomic nervous system.
Caffeine makes it worse.
Best of luck.

kavanaugh1950 · Post by **kavanaugh1950** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:41 pm

Hi Linda, I hve atrial fib and even though I take meds to control it I would still get a lot of palpitations. My cardiologist told me to tske fish oil caps-2 per day. My palpitations all but disappeared and he told me it could also prevent sudden cardiac death. Just a thought. pat

Misterdux · Post by **Misterdux** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 8:30 am

Hi Linda. I have had food allergies for 45 years and PVCs have been with me for much of that time. They really bug me but doctors always tell me they are not serious. I recently began taking protonix for acid reflux and it seems like my PVCs are much reduced. I discussed it with my doctor and there is apparently some connection between hiatal hernia, GERD, and their influence on the vagus nerve that runs close by and can trigger PVCs.

I have had apnea for nearly 20 years and have recently discovered that I can dramatically reduce my AHI by controlling my diet. I have kept food diaries for years and now with my RESMED machine I can check my numbers each morning. Over the past three weeks I have relentlessly excluded gluten, sugar and dairy from my diet and taken my AHI from 29 to 3.5. I believe this is because many of my events are centrals caused by food allergies. I am off to the MAYO Clinic in two weeks for a full food allergy workup and will put up a full post when I get back. Dave

Rachael · Post by **Rachael** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 3:30 pm

Wow, this is so interesting!

I have also started eliminating gluten, and have noticed a definate difference in how I feel. I was starting to suspect some strange link between gluten and my sleep issues. I was taken off citrus, gluten, and dairy as a child, and it made a huge diference in my skin problems, now my son has the same skin problems and I have been suspecting non-celiac gluten intolerence in him, and that got me thinking about giving gluten a rest. I haven't been able to convince my husband to stop giving my son gluten though...

I have a lot of palpatations and heart strangeness lately. I am very hypermobile and have assumed that I have a mild mitral valve prolapse as well. I have found that increasing my magnesium reduces the MVP symptoms quite a bit, and also reduced my headaches and increased my energy. Anyone interested in this should search for magnesium, there is a woman online who has a great magnesium site with lots of fascinating links to pub-med articles.

Dave, do let us know how the food allergy testing goes.

Rachael

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 3:54 pm

While I'm sure that I have many food allergies -- as long as I feel okay, there is no way I will give up my favorite foods. If I couldn't have my nightly dessert, I think I would be seriously depressed.

Normally I feel pretty good, but these recent palpitations were getting me concerned. That's why when I stumbled across this PVC info, and stopped using the nasal spray, I wanted to pass on the info. I know many on cpap also have nasal problems and use either Flonase or Nasacort, and might want to investigate if they are also having rapid or fluttering heartbeat.

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 4:01 pm

Rachael wrote: I am very hypermobile and have assumed that I have a mild mitral valve prolapse as well.

Rachael, if you haven't discovered it already, you may be interested in the Marfan disorder website: http://www.marfan.org/nmf/index.jsp
It contains a wealth of information regarding connective tissue disorders, of which hypermobility and MVP are common symptoms.

Regards,
Bill

Misterdux · Post by **Misterdux** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 7:55 pm

Rachael - I started to have irritable bowel problems 45 years ago in college and they continue to this day. My earliest problems were with pizza, fried dough and other yeasty breads. I have controlled my diet severely at times in my adult life losing 40 or 50 pounds at those times. I always suspected gluten but two endoscopies showed no Celiac disease. I still suspect it more strongly than ever as a non Celiac sensitivity to gluten. It runs all through my family with two brothers and two nieces having apnea. I "googled" up gluten and sleep apnea the other day and came across several chat rooms and articles linking gluten and apnea. There is a huge proliferation of gluten free products these days - available at many stores and specialty shops. Dave

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 8:47 pm

A few years ago my doc had me wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours after I complained about weakness and my heart beating fast. It ended up catching several isolated PVCs, a few couples and some runs (more than two beats). Doc explained it to me that these contractions are superficial without enough strength to push blood through. After several of those, the body then responds with weakness. An isolated PVC won't hurt and neither with an occasional couple. But he said that my weak spells were coming from the runs - one of which was 17 beats at a speed of 178bpm. All my sleep studies have shown occasional PVCs. Docs said the weak spells would dictate when I would need to take medication. Haven't had any pronounced ones in many months.

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:50 pm

Yes, I suspect that my doctor will want me to wear the Holter monitor to check out my PVCs. I do still feel a few every day, but nothing like it was when I was using the Nasacort. And I am only assuming the Nasacort was the culprit -- it's the only thing I had done differently lately.

The article I read indicated that PVCs are quite common and nothing to worry excessively about unless they are "stacked" (my word, not the article's).

cajapato · Post by **cajapato** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:36 am

Linda,
I too have the palpitations but it is not from my flonase. I've had the palps since around 1981. I am retired military and fought the mililtary doctors for a number of years on whether I was really experiencing something. I even had anxiety with the palps. They called me a hypochondriac and said it was all in my head. I was forced to see a psychologist of face medical discharge. One day they were very bad and I had dull pain with them. I went to a Navy base since I was on travel (I'm a Coastie). The Navy doc didn't want to mess with any heart issues and had me transported to a civilian hospital. The attending doctor at the emergency room listened to my symptoms, listened to my chest and listened to my neck. All this in the space of about 2-3 minutes. As he had the stethoscope on my neck, he asked what meds I was taking for my prolapse. I was dumbfounded and asked what he meant. He said it sounded like I had an MVP and wondered what I was taking to control my symptoms. Well, after years of being labeled and felt ignored, that was the breaking point. I had feared for my very life as heart disease is prevelant on both sides of my family. I broke down and cried for a few minutes. I really had something! I was not crazy. It did turn out to be a mitral valve prolapse. It's more prevelant in women but men get it as well. I passed it on to my older son as well as the bald gene
Anyway, the holter, echo and other tests confirmed it. I was put on meds like calan and verapimil for years and was eventually weaned off by my current doctor. I feel better without the meds but still have occasional palps. They can be brought on by caffiene, alcohol or stress in my case.
As eerie as they feel, mine are not life threatening. I go from hard, pounding beats to rapid fluttering. I can't remember what it's like to not feel my heart beat. It's a way of life.
Overeating can trigger it as well. But, I have found that vigorous exercise does nothing but help. It relaxes me as well as helps with my weight.
I'm don't know why my doctor wanted me off the meds or why he thought I could successfully do it. I like how I feel without them.
Sorry this sounds like a disconnected ramble.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Travel

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:10 pm

Ah yes, I remember the military doctors -- and so glad to not have to deal with them any more. My husband put 21 years in the USMC and retired in 1980.

Thanks to all who responded. I'm still getting some flutters, but not nearly as bad as they were. I'm also feeling like I have a chest cold -- who knows, maybe I do.

I can't get in to see my doctor until next Monday, but will go to the emergency room if I start to feel really bad -- I don't think that will happen. The problem is, out here in the boonies, the emergency room is a joke.

I'll let you all know if I find out anything interesting.

Rachael · Post by **Rachael** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 6:31 pm

Thanks for the link to the Marfan site. I am definately on the connective tissue disorder spectrum, and by the way, many people with connective tissue disorders have SDB, floppy bits everywhere including the throat I guess.

As near as I can tell, as long as your heart isn't enlarging to compensate for mitral regurgitation MVP is best ignored rather than medicated. Don't some people take beta blockers for it though?

Rapid Heart Beating -- a suggestion

Rapid Heart Beating -- a suggestion

Heart Palpitations

PVCs Isolated vs Repeated