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[countrybumpkin]

5 years ago when I was at my worst with peri menopause I suddenly felt as if my heart was fluttering like a butterfly in my chest and I went very very faint - lasted about 10 seconds but scared me horribly.  I had another attack a week later and then would get them on and off with long gaps between.  I had enless 24 hr cardiac monitering and one 3 day moniter but of course  my heart did not do anything. I have always had alot of ectopics but this was something totally different and very scary.
Anyway eventually this year I was referred to cardiologist that specialied in heart rhythm disorders and he said I needed an cardiac moniter implanted in my chest  which i had in June this year.  I have had two very bad attacks  of the flutters and thinking I am going to faint and today I went back for results.

He is 99.9% certain I have superventricular tachycardia which thankfully is not dangerous although very unpleasant. He said I will have been born with an extra electrical pathway in my heart and this pathway tends to get triggered at times of hormonal upheaval   as in puberty/pregnancy/menopause.  Spot on Sir!

I can have ablation therapy if it seriously impacts my life but as there is a 1% risk of death I said no thanks - cardio is going to moniter me for next 18 months with the implanted recorder and if i want to have ablation I can at any time.

So another thing to add to the menopause list of health problems. 

[honorsmum]

I started having weird heart issues a year or so ago. My heart would suddenly start to race very hard and fast, sometimes for hours on end. It also used to miss a beat and then thump back into normal rhythm at night - very scary. I ended up in a&e, hooked up to a monitor and on a drip for 7 hours just before Christmas last year. As a result, I was referred for tests - ecg,24 hour holter and echocardiogram. They picked up a few ectopics and 3 episodes of unexplained sinus tachycardia. When I saw the consultant, he said it could be caused by hormonal flux. When I saw Annie Evans, she said exactly the same - she worked in cardiology when she was younger, and they would see a lot of women of a certain age with strange heart goings on.

My friend, who is male and in his 30's, has recently had the ablation - I have to say, it didn't sound very pleasant.

[Trufflecat]

I started getting bouts of ectopics 4 years ago when I was 48. GP sent me for an ECG but put it down to stress, but they have continued. They tend to come in bouts and are quite alarming. Funnily nough they seem to have stopped since I started on HRT 5 months ago

[br350]

I've had PVCs off and on for years, had Holter monitoring, EKGs, etc. it's not necessarily hormone related and it's good to have these things checked out. But they're very common and can definitely be exacerbated by stress. 

[lancashirelass]

I was diagnosed with superventricular 3 years ago.  I cured mine by getting right hormone levels using an implant and acupuncture.  I wouldnt have ablation or take other meds.  It is triggered by fluctuating hormones.  I saw a cardiologist who specialises in womens issues

[Joyce]

When I mentioned palpitations to GP, I was told it was very common. Though she failed to say it was hormones. Told it was nothing to worry about. Scary though.

[Goosieloosie]

I also had terrible palpitations during peri, so bad & scary at night with my heart thumping and jumping around and when I went to see my GP she listened to my heart, said it sounded fine and that it must be stress  . I just put up with it until eventually I was put on beta blockers for migraine 2 years ago, I still do get the odd palp but nothing like I used to. I never knew or even gave a thought to it being hormone related. There's been a few separate things I've been to my GP about over the peri years which I now know are hormone related but at the time I didn't have a clue about peri menopause...if only I'd had a switched on GP that would have linked these things...i alway saw the same lady DR aswell 

[Goosieloosie]

How frustrating Goosieloosie!  Out of interest, did the beta blockers help your migraines?

S x

Hi Sparkle, Yes I think they do although I do still get migraine but they are not as intense or as debilitating as they used to be but then I take a half a sumatriptan tablet when I feel one coming on so they help too. I have to cut the triptan in half as I have terrible side effects with a full one.

[toffeecushion]

I was diagnosed with SVT about 5 years ago.  At the time my periods were normal and no association was made with hormones although the cardiologist did ask how my periods were.  It is the scariest thing when it happens and I genuinely live in fear of it happening again.  I am sorry you suffer with it too, but am reassured to know that it can be caused by hormones.

[honorsmum]

Both my sister and my SIL take beta blockers for migraines. I think they take them daily.

[Goosieloosie]

Thank you, sadly the sumatriptin didn't work last week for me, gp had to give me cocodamol which brings its own side effects.  I might ask about having beta blockers for migraines.  Do you have take them continuously or as required? X

I take mine daily 80mg slow release so they work throughout a 24hr period. I was told once by a pharmacist not to take co codamol or anything with codeine in to as it can make migraine worse so I have actually avoided it ever since. 

[Goosieloosie]

Let me know how you get on Sparkle on Monday, good luck! X