Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Postmenopause => Topic started by: Bluebell on January 06, 2025, 07:24:56 AM
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Hi Ladies……
I’m 11 years Post Menopausal and ‘still’ every so often getting palpitations that last a couple of days.
I’ve been checked out and there is nothing wrong with my heart but I find them so debilitating.
Also suffering with sleep deprivation which has been worse due to being diagnosed with Costochondritis
In my ribs and sternum ….. I mostly sleep every second night?
I take magnesium glycinate and Ashwaghanda and other vitamins.
I’m 71 years old and not on HRT.
Anyone else have similar symptoms this far down the line. 🤯
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The ovaries may still have a little oomph left to cause palpitations - also how is your diet overall? R the palpations 'cyclical' if U can remember that far back?
I would suggest self referring to a physiotherapist regarding the costochondritis which can be very painful. Have U been advised over the counter pain relief as vitamins won't help with pain.
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Hi CLKD, thanks for replying. Yeah I’m vegetarian, good diet, exercise when I can and walk too, don’t smoke, glass of red wine with my meal. Take the vitamins I think I need….but still those blooming palpitations keep making an appearance.
I took a Propranolol for them and they went but it still makes me feel unsettled when they start up.
I agree with you it must just be another dip in my hormones.
For my Costochondritis I can’t take anti inflammatories so I use a strong Hemp cream which is really good plus I make turmeric, ginger and black pepper shots which helps the inflammation.
But you’re right it is a painful condition.
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I find a very low dose of Mirtazapine (which is an anti-depressant) works wonders. I was prescribed 15mg but works brilliantly for sleep on low doses. I only take the tiniest bite of that tablet and sleep like a baby. You could talk to your Dr about it. It has kept me sane for years.
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Cheers wuzzie, that is so good to know.
When you read how important sleep is and how you’re at greater risk of Dementia in old age
if you don’t get plenty 😴 then worthwhile trying something. Thanks for replying.🙏🏽
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In the past I have occasionally used anti-histamines to help sleep: 3 nights, Job Done.
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I'm getting palpatations still and anxiety at the moment too, not sure which is causing which as it's a vicious circle. I'm postmenopause 14 years. It never ends does it.
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I wouldn't survive without my appropriate mental health medications.
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Oh Dierdre, fourteen years of hell!!
I get hot flushes and night sweats regularly but randomly sometimes the hot flush will start off the palpitations and they can go on during the day and worse when lying down and it does create anxiety.
Like CLKD I’m now taking a Propranolol tablet if they get too bad.
They are really good for anxiety too. You can take up to three a day.
I just thought at 71 ‘menopause symptoms’ would be a thing of the past. 🤦🏼♀️
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How much Propranolol have U been prescribed? I took mine every evening to ease early morning anxiety surges. 40mg for several years then down to 20mg for another several years. Worked for me 8)
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I just take 10mg when I need it.
Just one tablet seems to work.🙏🏼
Good to know I can take more if needed.
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Hi Bluebell, I remember chatting to you before :). I'm sorry the palpitations are still a nuisance & know how you feel as they can be very unsettling indeed :-\. Without doubt one of my worst menopause symptoms for many years.
I'm in early 60's now, 12.5 yrs postmenopause & entering my 20th year since onset of menopause symptoms, inc the palpitations. I do still get them from time to time, but they are nowhere near as frequent or pronounced as during the first decade or so. They used to be 24/7 365 :o, but now thankfully only tend to occur on & off for a few weeks at a time, usually coinciding with a change in dose of either HRT or thyroid medication & more recently during what turned out to be a spell of low oestrogen levels due to poor absorption.
The menopause symptoms I still really struggle with every night though, are intense overheating with the horrible fight or flight cascade that comes with it & very debilitating insomnia (frustrating, isn't it?) Whatever we do with HRT these two have proved relentlessly resistant.
I second wuzzie's suggestion of Mirtazapine as being worth trying for sleep. At low dose, it can be very helpful & more so than at higher doses which apparently can prove stimulating for some people. I tried it some years ago at 7.5mg & found it highly sedating, but unfortunately had to discontinue due to interaction with other essential medication. Not sure whether it can be taken along with beta blockers, but your GP would know.
Just a thought, thyroid conditions can mess with heart rhythm, so has your thyroid function been tested recently? Also, if you're vegetarian, any chance your iron is low? Another potential cause of palpitations, but I'm sure you know that.
W x
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Hi Wrensong 👋🏼
I remember you replying to me before.
Honestly… these palpitations have been the bane of my life!!
I do get a lot of comfort when I come on this forum and chat to you ladies and hear of your symptoms and also get some good advice.
Like you I get the palpitations every few weeks they might last a couple of days and then they go and I’m always hoping that’s them gone for good.
I still have night sweats waking up boiling hot, scalp all prickly with the heat and heart thumping and then have to get up to go for a wee!!
Also still have hot flushes some days worse than others but very rarely a day without them. 🥵
I do take b12 and iron regularly and my thyroid is normal. Saw a Cardiologist and he said everything was fine with my heart.
Good to know the Mirtazapine is a good one for sleep. Also good to know that you ladies have tried and tested it and given it the thumbs up👍🏼.
I have spent so many nights going to bed feeling sleepy then lying there all night with a brain full of mumbo jumbo … going over everything!?! 🤯
Thanks for taking the time to reply to me - and I hope your overheating and insomia don’t last too much longer. 🙏🏽 x
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My palpatations are ectopic beats not fast rapid or slow beats. The ones that feel like you're missing a beat and your heart jumps. Not sure if these are worse or what the difference is from fast heart rate?
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Bluebell, I'm sorry you're still getting night sweats & flushes too. Daytime flushes are infrequent for me now thankfully & easy to deal with, but nights are quite a different story & I find them & the consequent fatigue by day very difficult.
Glad to know your thyroid is fine :).
I had Cardiology assessment 15+ yrs ago too & the palps were found to be just benign ectopics which was reassuring to an extent ;D. During those initial years they were so bad though that I longed to get through to postmenopause thinking they would stop. They are at least relatively minimal these days so I'm very thankful for that. I hope your cardiology all clear has helped you feel less unsettled by them, but I do know how you feel & I hope they will stop altogether for you soon.
W x
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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 :o 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
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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.
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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.🤭
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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
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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 ;D.
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???
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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. ☺️
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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.
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MayB listen B4 you begin worrying so that you can reassure your brain?
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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
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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
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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.