Fast HR and hormones

[Jess515]

Hi, 41 year old female here with previously no heart problems at all.  Now I have constant fast heart rate resting tachycardia that my doctor is trying to tell me is caused by stress.  But I can't sleep with my heart racing and they just want me to take benzodiazepines.  Could this be caused by hormones also?  I do have occasional problems with my heart skipping beats but my main problem is the fast heart rate.


This discussion is related to Hormones Causing Arrythmia?.

[updownleftright]

I used to have a problem falling asleep because of the fast heart rate, but once a found a beta blocker that worked for me that symptom went away.

[Jess515]

Thank you so so much for the information..  Can I ask you a question; do you have a problem falling asleep at night with your heart beating so fast?  I have eliminated caffeine and I'm trying to eliminate sugar too.  I have an appt with a cardiologist; it's just difficult waiting for the date to come.  Thanks again for the information.

[updownleftright]

Hi, sorry to hear about your heart symptoms. What you are describing is very vague so there could definitely be a variety of different things that could be causing what you are describing, anxiety being one of them. Obviously I'd recommend to get checked out by a cardiologist first and foremost if you're concerned to eliminate some things. But, what you are describing sounds exactly like something I started experiencing a few years ago. I noticed my heart rate to be exaggeratedly fast during very basic exercises like walking. My heart would take longer to come down after exercise and in fact was beating faster at rest. Turns out I have a condition called IST (inappropriate sinus tachycardia). It's a benign condition, but the markers are fast resting heart rate at rest and exaggerated heart rate during exercise. It's diagnosed by elimination. If no other reason can be found to the cause of your tachycardia it's then labeled Inappropriate. People with IST will usually have a resting heart rate around 100-120, but that comes down at night time to 90-80. People with IST also notice that their heart rates are increasingly sensitive to alcohol or caffeine, it causes their heart rate to increase even more. For some even the trace amounts of caffeine in chocolate can cause an increase in heart rate.

Your symptoms may very well be stress induced, but go see a cardiologist and get checked out just to make sure.