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[Wrensong]

Hi Diedre, yes with ectopics there's the sensation that the rhythm is markedly disrupted isn't there, syncopated if you like.  Missing beats, extra beats, gap between beats suddenly so long you begin to wonder whether the heart is ever gonna start up again  then like buses, suddenly 3 come along at once.  For me those episodes feel quite different to the speeding up of a normal, regular rhythm we all get from time to time e.g. with exercise.  That said, exercise was also one of the triggers for ectopics for me during the years they were at their worst.
W x

[Dierdre]

That's described it perfectly Wrensong. I get them after eating a high carb meal or chocolate but not for too long. It's worse when I'm anxious, they can last for hours then and 3 or 4 in a row feels scary.  I've read alcohol and caffeine are usual triggers so i drink decaf but strangely a glass of red wine calms them down. They're better when my hearts racing after exercise. No problem sleeping and seems a normal beat when i wake up.
When I'm anxious, which is a lot lately, I can feel it in my neck too, like pressure, but maybe that's the anxiety.

It's awful Bluebell when you can't turn off at night and everything is going round and round in your head, stuck in a loop.
It's good to talk about it on here and know it's common and we're not alone.

[Bluebell]

Wrensong … you are I think the first person who I’ve been in contact that has similar to me.
I bought a  Kardia Mobile to monitor my palpitations then sent the readings to my Doctor.
 Like you they were benign ectopics.
My pulse rate would also go way up.
 
So comforting to find someone who understands.
 My friends and family members sailed through the Menopause and although they were sympathetic I think they began to get a tad bored of hearing about it.🤭

[Bluebell]

Hi Deirdre, I have also had palpitations start up after a meal. Sometimes it can be just a snack. Doesn’t seem to be no rhyme or reason for it all - just hormones!!
You are so right about not being able to switch the brain off at night.
Honestly, it seems to want to dredge everything up from the past, mix it with the present and then leave me with total brain fog.
Over the years when I have been sitting during the night unable to sleep this forum has always been my first port of call.
Just knowing that others are out there maybe sitting in their kitchen too unable to sleep definitely makes you feel you’re not going through all this alone. 🙏🏼xx

[Dierdre]

It always seems to be the negative stuff that comes to mind too, never the good stuff. I try to turn it round and think about the happy times but the negative always pops back in there. It's like the news channel, always reporting the bad news  .
It reminds me of the awful PMT I used to get and nobody wanted to live with me for a week. Thank goodness we dont have that anymore postmeno. Strange how hormones cause so many negative symptoms and feelings. Where's the happy hormones gone???

[Bluebell]

I agree Dierdre, all pretty negative stuff!

Also the nights I do sleep I can sometimes wake up and be on high alert due to high Cortisol levels.

We go through so many emotions with these hormones. 🙇🏼‍♀️

Thank goodness we can share experiences on here. ☺️

[Dierdre]

That's another recent new thing in the morning, assumed it's cortisol, feels like a surge of energy and feeling jittery. I used to wake up and have a good stretch and still feel relaxed and sleepy. It's not every morning thankfully.
Palpatations have settled the last couple of days after listening to a podcast from Heather Hirsch called ‘heart palpitations in menopause - are they normal’  A cardiologist explains what happens. It’s very reassuring, just google it. The cardiologist likens ectopic beats to car lights that are flickering due to electrics but nothing to do with the engine which is the heart.
Our ectopics are usually caused by electrolytes that are misfiring due to other stuff, like caffeine and stress. It was interesting and when I start worrying again I'll just listen to it again.

[CLKD]

MayB listen B4 you begin worrying so that you can reassure your brain?

[Bluebell]

Yes it’s a kind of anxious feeling I get on waking.
Like you Dierdre it’s not every morning thankfully.
The podcast sounds good and a very reassuring description of the palpitations.
I shall definitely be listening to that.

Thanks for sharing.🙏🏼 x

[Wrensong]

Yes to meals being another trigger for ectopics, Bluebell & Dierdre, or at least during the decade or so when they were a wretched daily occurrence for me.  Nowadays, with thankfully only intermittent episodes & the intensity of the abnormal sensations less marked, meals seem no longer to be a trigger, or I haven't noticed a correlation anyway.

The podcast sounds good Dierdre.  I'm glad you've found it reassuring.  Good to mention that on here as it may be helpful for countless women perhaps reading without posting.

Agree it does help to air all this stuff on the forum & find that others have been there & survived it!
W x

[Dierdre]

I actually found the info for the podcast on here in the search button for ectopic heartbeats from a long time ago, so it's always worth still searching.
I've been using the search quite a lot lately as there's alot of good information in the forum from past years that is very relevant and still helpful today.