Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: yellowflower on November 29, 2019, 12:40:22 AM
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I got my results yesterday of my 24 hour holter monitor. 8% of my total beat count is made up of ventricular ectopic activity. The longest pause was 1.32 seconds at 1.54am. My doctor reassured me that this was not dangerous, but I am still being referred for an echocardiogram and having some blood tests to rule out thyroid and some other issues. The doctor told me that some people are highly sensitive to any changes in their body and that is why I am feeling the palpitations and the skipped beats.
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HORMONES ? >:( ::)
DH would stop breathing in the night :o enough to wake me but not him. How long will you have to wait 4 the next invesitagions?
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Hello yellowflower
I think your doctor is right about some people being more sensitive than others. My husband has a heart condition called Atrial Fibrillation meaning his heart can go out of rhythm. He is always aware of it when it happens and is equally aware of the times when it reverts to normal. At a recent hospital visit the doctors were surprised that he was so sensitive to the fluctuations because for most people it all happens without their knowledge.
I hope you find this reassuring and wishing you well.
K.
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HORMONES ? >:( ::)
DH would stop breathing in the night :o enough to wake me but not him. How long will you have to wait 4 the next invesitagions?
I get blood test results on Tuesday and the Echo is on the 13th December. Doctor says hormones do not play a part in this.
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Hello again yellowflower
My husband is definitely not the subject of fluctuating female hormones even if he does say he is suffering the effects of the menopause by living with me lol.
Hope your blood test and echo results will be good ones and please keep us updated.
Take care.
K.
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I got some more results yesterday in regards to further testing for my 8% premature ventricular contractions. Potassium, magnesium, thyroid and electrolytes are all normal. I am still waiting on full blood count, glucose and cholesterol as I need to fast, so I will probably have those done later today. I have my echo done on the 13th December.
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Today I got some more results. My full blood count, glucose and cholesterol are all normal. That leaves the echocardiogram that I will be having on the 13th. At this stage it appears that there is no real reason for my premature ventricular beats. I would have thought that 8% of total beats was something to be concerned about, but my doctor has been very reassuring so far!
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Hello again yellowflower
My husband is definitely not the subject of fluctuating female hormones even if he does say he is suffering the effects of the menopause by living with me lol.
Hope your blood test and echo results will be good ones and please keep us updated.
Take care.
K.
Hi Kathleen
Thank you for your kind words. I am feeling a lot more reassured, but I guess I will have something definitive after the echocardiogram on Friday. If that turns out OK, I am just one of those people with a wacky heartbeat.
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Good luck with the echo yellow flower, well be thinking of you
Jeepers xx
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Hi Yellowflower. Sending a hug & hopefully a bit more reassurance for your Echo today. I know just how unnerving a situation this can be. I also had Echo, Holter monitor, numerous ECGs, treadmill test etc during peri for what were eventually diagnosed as harmless PVCs/ectopics, which came in long, frightening episodes of an hour or more at a time 24/7, for several years both pre & postmenopause.
Despite your doc saying these are not linked to hormones, they certainly can be & many of us on here have had them during menopause. A very knowledgeable & well respected Meno specialist Gynae who was instrumental in my first being prescribed HRT confirmed this years after I had nearly worried myself into an early grave over them. She had previously worked in Cardiology & had seen many women present with palpitations, for whom no underlying abnormality was found on investigation - but what they had in common was their menopausal status.
Starting HRT shortly after a change in thyroid meds seemed to finally get rid of mine, though they have returned intermittently, mostly to a lesser extent in subsequent years, especially in response to HRT changes & when tweaking thyroid meds.
I don't know where you are in menopause or whether you're on HRT, but I would say if you're on a menopause forum it's entirely possible that hormonal fluctuation is implicated in your ectopics, which can be one of the more unnerving & perhaps unimagined symptoms of menopause but nevertheless par for the course.
Regular relaxation of all sorts can help (I began to practice to meditation), together with getting as much rest as you can, so that your system gradually calms down, easing the transition.
Wishing you well for today & I hope you manage to get them sorted, or if not, that you can learn to live with them without the level of worry mine gave me!
Wx
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Hi Wrensong
I have known about my ectopics for several years, but recently made the decision to get them checked. All my results are on this thread. I have no issues except for the 8% PVC's.
I am not on any hormones. I had a hysterectomy and repairs last year (kept ovaries) and don't have any problematic symptoms although I am fairly certain I am now in menopause. I don't intend to take hormones due to migraines. I know that some here do anyway, but in Australia, doctors are pretty conservative about the risk. I have also worked with stroke victims and wont take that risk.
I get the echo results next Wednesday.
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Hi Yellowflower,
I did read through your results before posting & was reassured to see, as with mine at the time, everything was in the process of being checked out as regards possible underlying conditions & all results so far fine. So that's great :)
Ah yes, post-hysterectomy difficult for you to be sure where you are in the menopause transition. Good to hear you have no additional problematic meno symptoms that would lead you to want to go down the HRT route, given your migraine situation & experience of working with stroke patients mean you prefer not to.
I'm a migraineur too & that was one of several reasons I was hoping to avoid HRT.
Hopefully your Echo results will be fine & you can rest assured that everything has been thoroughly checked out. All the best with those & I hope you continue to feel well as you go further into menopause. Please let us know how you get on if you have time.
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Thanks Wrensong. I don't know how you found out about your ectopics, but I knew for several years that if I took my pulse, I would feel "skipped" beats. It didn't matter what time of day it was, I was constantly skipping. I had an ECG two weeks prior to my hysterectomy and nothing was said, so I assume the anethetist wasn't concerned. One of the nurses looking after me in the days following my hysterectomy told me I needed an ECG as every time he took my pulse, he could feel the arrythmia. I told him that I was already aware of this and I had already had an ECG done.
Fast forward 18 months and I decided to get it checked out. I have been reassured by a few doctors now that this is not something that is serious, but it still requires the testing. I have not been overly concerned about it, but I do feel the skipped beats sometimes as it was explained to me that I am not actually missing beats, it's just that some fire too early and the follow up beat feels stronger. I was also told that some people are more sensitive to this and can feel it happening. The vast majority of people with PVC's have a benign condition and if it really bothers them then beta blockers may be prescribed.
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Hi Yellowflower,
like you I was very aware my heart rhythm was badly awry - could feel it in my chest, throat (made me cough) & it was easily confirmed on checking pulse in neck/wrist. I found it frankly terrifying, but it was some months before in my mid 40's I was admitted to a cardiac ward for a few days & had some of the investigations that confirmed the irregularity was down to harmless ectopics.
Because the palps started during peri when I'd already been on thyroid meds for many years, no-one was sure what was going on with me & this made the experience more frightening. As you know, heart rhythm disturbance can be related to thyroid probs or a consequence of under- or over-replacement with thyroid hormone. As I was also flushing by day, with extreme overheating at night, insomnia, weight loss & anxiety I was very afraid my long term thyroid hormone dose might be too high, which can result in such symptoms, confusing the picture at menopause & can be dangerous long term if not adjusted down.
My TFTs were within range but one unsympathetic, poorly informed GP told me in no uncertain terms that at 44, I was far too young to be in perimenopause, disregarding the fact that my mum had been postmenopause at 46. Other medics thought menopause was likely behind my symptoms, but that no-one was sure just added to the worry.
After tests confirmed the irregularity was down to ectopics with no underlying cause found, one of the cardiologists on the ward told me I would likely have them for life, but suggested a trial of HRT, reasoning I could have many years of menopause ahead & that HRT might resolve the palpitations as well as my other meno symptoms. Still no-one was sure I was even in perimenopause, because as you'll know, sex hormone tests in peri often give little indication.
I was very afraid of HRT, given a long history of benign breast probs, my mum's death from breast cancer, my being a migraineur & knowing HRT could be difficult to balance with my thyroid meds. However, in desperation I agreed to a short trial of FemSeven in my late 40s, but this made all symptoms worse (especially the progesterone phase). The GP who put me on it knew little about HRT & thought a month on one type was long enough to prove it wouldn't help. At that time I didn't have access to MM, so didn't know it's often a case of much trial & error before finding a good fit. So I stopped & carried on without HRT for around a decade until several years postmenopause, by which time I was on my knees with symptoms showing no sign of easing.
I know well the sensation of missed beats you describe - the thing I found most unnerving was the long gap between some beats followed by an extra strong one, then a string of irregular beats when it feels as though the body's pacemaker is trying & failing to re-establish a regular rhythm. Some of the bouts of ectopics were seemingly random, though as time went on I also came to expect them at certain regular times of day. They were often worse at night when they'd wake me, after meals, after any form of activity that raised heart rate, in response to stress & in cold weather. I even had to stop swimming as the cold water sent my heart scarily haywire.
I'm so glad you're not overly bothered by yours - I think I'd have been more chilled had it not been for the worry about thyroid combined with the severity of other symptoms no-one was sure were down to menopause. I found the combination very stressful, which of course didn't help anything!
Beta blockers could be worth trying - they seem to work well for some people. I did take Propranolol for a while. It dulled the sensation of each beat but didn't right the irregularity & as it had other side effects, I stopped it after a few months with the approval of my Endocrinologist. As mentioned earlier it wasn't until I went on HRT again postmenopause that my ectopics stopped and other symptoms improved enough to make it feel worthwhile continuing.
I think your attitude is very sensible - you accept the ectopics are not harmful & you know you feel happier without HRT, which from what you say your other meno symptoms don't compel you to try.
If you haven't tried relaxation techniques to see whether that might help calm your system, those might well be worth looking into. Sorry - have to rush out for an appointment just now, so this is perhaps not worded quite as I'd wish!
Please PM me any time if it helps to compare notes further with someone who's been there & got the T shirt! :)
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So I have the results of my echocardiogram and everything is normal despite the fact that 8% of my beats are PVC's. So after multiple tests, it would appear I have a wacky heartbeat for no reason. So I have been referred to a cardiologist on the off chance that maybe my migraine meds are the cause. I have been taking Relpax for about 4 years. I take it when I feel a migraine coming on. I see the cardiologist on the 8th January. I guess I should be happy that all the blood tests, etc are normal.
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I have had weird heartbeats since the age of 40. I was diagnosed with Arrythmia. Started Peri menopause at 45 and heartbeats went crazy. Had the Holter monitor, even during the night they ranged from 40-140 , missing beats, adding beats in etc
I saw a cardiologist who said he suspects AF and ordered the treadmill test and scan, no AF diagnosed thank god, just a worsening of Arrythmia. My HR at rest has reached 200bpm !
palpitations started whilst on long term oral hrt but were worse on estradot and much better on oestrogel and since adding T to the mix I rarely notice them now x
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Hi Yellowflower, great that your Echo etc found nothing amiss other than the PVCs. I'm pleased for you :)
it would appear I have a wacky heartbeat for no reason
- so you don't think the PVCs are related to menopause in your case?
Hi Annie, interested to hear that T seems to have helped yours. Pleased for you too :) Have recently started to feel my ectopics coming back ::), having been obliged to have a few weeks off HRT, then just resumed use, so far oestrogen only. This seems to have stirred things up again, but similar has happened in the past & always settled after a while. So far they're mild & not worrying me. I hope you continue to feel well - always good to hear how women find solutions to the various challenges at our stage of life. :)
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Hi Wrensong, the doctors are firm in their opinion that this is not hormone related. My GP agrees that it may be related to my migraine medication and that is why I am seeing a cardiologist soon.
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I understand Yellowflower. Good luck with the Cardiologist, though everything sounds very reassuring so far. I hope he will be able to advise how best to deal with the condition. Please keep us updated if you have time.
Wx
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I had my appointment with the cardiologist yesterday re my 8% ectopic beats. First question "do you drink coffee?" This has been the first question out of the mouths of every doctor involved in this process. He has asked me to switch to decaf if I am not prepared to give up coffee. He looked at all my normal results (other than the ECG and Halter) and told me it is indeed a benign condition, but would like me to do a stress echocardiogram. I am tossing up whether or not to bother with this as I had a normal echocardiogram done a couple of weeks ago.
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Sounds like good news though yellowflower.
Some people, like me, are particularly caffeine sensitive. Decaf now is a much better product so it's won't be a hardship.
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I had to go decaf too
Definitely have the tests you have been offered x
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I would do a stress echo if you have been offered one, my daughter has to have one each year.
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Agree with the other ladies - would go for the additional echo I think. Look for coffee that's decaffeinated by the water method. Not sure what's available where you are but I buy Taylors. :)
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Lavazza do a decent decaff, which uses the water method. Agree that Taylor of Harrogate is good too
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Agree with the other ladies - would go for the additional echo I think. Look for coffee that's decaffeinated by the water method. Not sure what's available where you are but I buy Taylors. :)
Most if not all are now, produced by the water method. I like Douwe Egberts.
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That's interesting Shadyglade - thank you! Will have to experiment & see whether there's another I like better. I did try another a couple of years ago I liked (forget the brand now) but price shot up after special offer period :(
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Hubby purchased a $1000 coffee machine for me for Christmas which grinds the beans for you. I found a beautiful decaf coffee from a Byron Bay company called "Buns" and I am really enjoying it. Coffee is a big part of my life. I meet my son and his partner every Sunday for coffee and I usually have 2 coffees a day. There are some other brands I am going to try as well.
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It's all round to yours for coffee then Yellowflower?! :D
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Hi Yellowflower
I could have written your post. I have recently had a normal echo but a history of ectopics (ventricular and atrial), I find doctors really don't understand our hormones at all, I know they said your's isn't hormone related but they did say that to me as well. Yet my ectopics have improved since my period has gone (last 2 months) and there was always a bit of a pattern with hormones for me.
The Echo tells you if you've a structurally normal heart (sorry if they told you all this), if you have then these things don't matter. A stress echo is just being thorough, making sure you've got a good blood supply to the heart. Some doctors wouldn't bother at this stage but that's the only difference between an echo on it's own and a stress echo. Dr Sanjay Gupta (York Cardiology on You Tube) explains a lot of things very well.
Anyway, all the best, it all sounds fine to me :)