Anyone with heart palpitations that got WORSE with CPAP????

I started feeling like I could be having heart palpitations when I started CPAP in Feb. I got off of CPAP three months ago because I was still tired no matter how the pressures were changed. I am still feeling heart palpitations and my legs have been swelling for months. Went to the dr today and was told I have PVCs so have to go back on Monday after not having any caffeine all weekend for another EKG. If no change then Echo and Halter monitor. I am wondering if being on CPAP has caused all this or if it just made a problem I had more pronounced. I never had a problem with my heart before then.

I’d suggest that most probably the only connection is correlation in time, and if you suffer desats from not using XPAP it’s more likely you’ve accelerated problem severity.

I’d wager your doctors will tell you the same thing, and ask: “Why didn’t you use CPAP and not make your heart work so hard?”

See your doctors and follow what they say this time!

I only started a couple days ago with a machine and my desats aren’t that horrible, but I feel a positive difference already. I’m also adjusting my own APAP pressures.

Years ago I started having palpitations, night sweats, tachycardia,in my sleep. Anxiety/panic attacks as well happened during the day. Went to my doctors for years, and my cardiologist did multiple stress tests, etc over the years. They just put me on beta blockers and thought it was just abnormal tachycardia issues or blamed it on anxiety. I had a sleep study years ago, and that was supposedly okay. Never got a print out of the results. But now I suspect it said i had at least mild apnea.

Stopping CPAP, may make your palpitations worse. I would suggest talking to your doctor again, or try and start CPAP again. If you continue to struggle with it and obstructions, ask to try a BIPAP/BiLevel machine. Even though I had "mild" apnea, CPAP never helped me much. BiPAP did help more. But I still struggle with palpitations, and recently called 911 due to my heart getting into an abnormal rhythm with double beats. Last year it went into AFIB.

Yes. When using CPAP I have a tendency to swallow air....which causes gas.....which, in turn, causes palpitations. It's not uncommon and it's harmless. Also for me, sleeplessness and anxiety are triggers for palpitations....and CPAP certainly has contributed to THAT! I've had palpitations on and off my entire life. I'm healthy and thin and my doc says my cholesterol is so good, I'll never have heart disease. I don't worry about it.

My mother had palpitations for decades--until she saw a GOOD doctor,
not an idiot who blamed everything on "female problems".
She was FINALLY implanted with a pacemaker; and they were gone forever.

MosesL wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 11, 2017 11:56 am

A very late reply to and old thread but YES

I am experiencing the same thing. After going on CPAP I am noticing severe and increasing heart palpitations.
I am going to take this up with my cardiologist. Pre-CPAP I had no issues

Wondering if you ever found the cause and fixed it? I did not have atrial fibrillation before CPAP and now I do. When I don't use my CPAP I have no atrial fibrillation. As soon as I use it and sleep 7 or 8 hours I have atrial fibrillation. No it is not caused by anxiety I am not anxious about the machine or the pressure which is quite low. Just looking for a solution.

candigrl63 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 26, 2018 6:36 pm

MosesL wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 11, 2017 11:56 am

A very late reply to and old thread but YES

I am experiencing the same thing. After going on CPAP I am noticing severe and increasing heart palpitations.
I am going to take this up with my cardiologist. Pre-CPAP I had no issues

Wondering if you ever found the cause and fixed it? I did not have atrial fibrillation before CPAP and now I do. When I don't use my CPAP I have no atrial fibrillation. As soon as I use it and sleep 7 or 8 hours I have atrial fibrillation. No it is not caused by anxiety I am not anxious about the machine or the pressure which is quite low. Just looking for a solution.

Guest posts like that are best ignored...

clenchingtobreathe wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 13, 2018 1:07 pm

Yes. When using CPAP I have a tendency to swallow air....which causes gas.....which, in turn, causes palpitations. It's not uncommon and it's harmless. Also for me, sleeplessness and anxiety are triggers for palpitations....and CPAP certainly has contributed to THAT! I've had palpitations on and off my entire life. I'm healthy and thin and my doc says my cholesterol is so good, I'll never have heart disease. I don't worry about it.

Hi,
Do you still experience palpitations? I have developed a similar problem, I use to be overweight 125 kg and started using CPAP as diagnosed by sleep apnea. At the same time, I started working on my weight as well. Now I am 89 kgs (lost ~35 kgs in 1.5 years) Age-35 but from the last 4/5 months I am experiencing heart palpitations, doc did all kinds of tests and found nothing, and just gave me beta-blocker and Asprin and said keep up the healthy lifestyle. He also said to reduce caffeine and alcohol, which I completely stopped from 4/5 months.
Still, I experience palpitations which happens 4 to 8 times a day, sometimes more or sometimes vanishes for even a week. I am not able to understand what to do, as I feel uncomfortable and anxious. Any suggestions and experience would be very helpful...

Why not go on the first pg here and read instructions to download Oscar and how to post info... maybe someone will have an idea. But have you checked about e.g. the beta blockers and if it's possible they could be having an effect (I'm not suggesting they do, or to stop on a whim at all) but also think about the rest of your life in terms of exercise, diet etc. Congrats on your loss!

" . . . all kinds of tests" does not necessarily mean EVERY test needed.
I would ask for a referral to a cardiologist.
Obviously, no answers means more looking is needed.
Is your doctor in an HMO?
It may be necessary to PUSH for proper care--be a pest until they do their job.

manoj.singh wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 05, 2020 5:31 am

Hi,
Do you still experience palpitations?

welcome aboard. the user you're responding to hasn't been here for almost a year. (a shame, that. i liked reading her posts.) so you aren't likely to get a response from her.

as julie says, better to start your own fresh thread. it's likely to draw more attention that way.

good luck!

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 05, 2020 11:27 am

" . . . all kinds of tests" does not necessarily mean EVERY test needed.

Or even the *proper* test.