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Pregnant, ectopics and tachycardia?
Hello, sorry this is going to be long..
November 2014 I walked up the stairs and laid down to nurse my baby daughter. A minute later I felt my heart do 4 hard thuds in a row. I obviously panicked and ran downstairs to get my husband to call an ambulance. They came out and checked things, and said I was fine. They said most people get palpitations and to ignore it. So I did. My cycles had only just returned so I figured it was hormonal.
A month later, when sat down at the dinner table about to eat, my heart did one massive thud. I freaked out, obviously. A few minutes later I realised I was right around ovulation, and I was also right around ovulation the month prior (the first time it happened). I convinced myself it was harmless and hormonal. I had an ECG done at the doctors surgery and was told I'm perfect. Then I had more of these thuds. I decided to see an accupuncist to sort it out. As soon as she checked me over she said "your pulse is really high and your cortisol is really high!". I genuinely hadn't noticed my pulse was high until she said it... She told me to drink more water to stop the thuds. So I did, and it worked. Until March 2015 (4 months after the first thuds laying down nursing my daughter) where I had a day that every single time I changed posture (sitting to standing, standing to sitting, laying to sitting, walking to sitting, etc) my heart would do this thud. I couldn't function, basically. My pulse was high unless I was sitting doing nothing. Sitting was 75/85 and then when I stood just to walk to the bathroom or kitchen, my pulse would shoot to 140, THEN I'd get this thud. I went to a&e because I just couldn't cope. They did an ECG (sat down..) and my heart was 140 but regular and normal. I was told I'm fine, but to take a beta blocker if they're really bothering me. So I did. The following morning. And they worked. Pulse was normal, and it got rid of the dreaded thuds. I felt normal!
My GP then organised a heart ultrasound to be done, and also a week long heart tape. Both came back perfectly normal, heart of a normal structure which the cardiologist gave 10/10. He said my pulse was going down to 40 when sleeping due to the beta blockers. That freaked me out a bit, so after being on the beta blockers for 3 months, I decided to come off them. Sure enough, the faster pulse and the thuds came back, but I tried to shrug them off as I'd been told I'm perfectly healthy. It did play on my mind though, that they'd not actually managed to catch any of these thuds on any of the tests, simply because I happened to not have any whilst having any tests, but still frustrating. I WANTED them caught, for peace of mind.
The months passed, and I'd only have a thud (these thuds feel like my heart pauses and then does a hard beat..) occasionally. Pulse still fast when standing or walking. Totally normal pulse when sitting or laying, though.
Fast forward to June last year (2016). I was stood brushing my teeth and I brushed over a mouth ulcer, it started to bleed. My heart started doing what felt like very very slow beats that were very very hard. There may have been beats inbetween, but I couldn't feel them. My vision went blurry, my legs gave way, and I laid on the floor until the episode passed. I didn't actually faint. I assumed it all happened due to the sight of blood.. I had also just found out I was pregnant (unfortunately lost the baby a few days later).
2 weeks later, it was late at night and I went into the kitchen to make a sandwich. I'd been stood up for 5-10 minutes fleeing absolutely fine, just preparing my sandwich, when suddenly my heart started going what felt like very very slow, with very very hard beats. Again, there may have been beats inbetween, but I couldn't feel them. My legs went to jelly, I got a wave of nausea, my vision went blurry, and I felt very very hot. I crawled to the lounge floor and laid down waiting for it to pass. I freaked out and my husband called an ambulance. They checked me and said I was absolutely fine. They said it sounds like fainting or low blood pressure. I did explain I was merely making a sandwich...
I then felt fine, calm heart (as in, I could fully function, if my heart did the odd thud it didn't bother me etc).
Until August, my heart suddenly started being faster again. I thought it was odd as there was no obvious reasoning... until I took a pregnancy test a few days later and it was positive. I was then getting these thuds a few times a day. Only when standing, when my pulse was higher. My heart was constantly over 100, though. After 1-2 weeks it settled down.
I was in the supermarket and I had 3 of these thuds in a row and had to go and sit in the car to calm myself down. A few days later whilst standing in the kitchen cooking, I had 3 thuds in a row and had to quickly lay on the floor to calm down.
A few weeks later I had bleeding issues (hematoma next to the baby) and was on chair/bed rest. I had no heart issues atall, as I was constantly resting. No thuds atall. For weeks. I then stopped the chair/bed rest at the beginning of the second trimester and remained fine heart wise. Until... I was approx 22 weeks pregnant, and suddenly the thuds started again. Every time I'd move or change posture, they'd happen. I couldn't pee or make a drink without feeling 'pause.. THUD'. Ambulance took me in as my pulse was going very fast due to panicking and they wanted to make sure the baby hadn't been harmed. Bloods in a&e showed my potassium was 3.2 (low). I started potassium but it didn't make a difference. The hospital told me that I'm fine... they didn't catch any of the thuds on their ECGs because they can only do ECGs with me sat down, which is annoying as they very rarely happen when I'm just sat down.
Things settled a week or so later, but then when I was 24/25 weeks pregnant, we all got a horrid virus/flu thing and I had a temperature and felt awful. My pulse was way faster and I started getting these thuds whenever I'd move... again. Once we were over the virus, it took a week or so for my heart to re-settle and for the thuds to tone down..
I seemed fine again... until 29 weeks pregnant. I was walking up a road which was steep, and my heart was going very fast. I had two thuds during this. Since that day I've had way more thuds and my pulse has been a little higher when standing or walking. It really spiked up last week, and I had to go back to a&e as it wouldn't stop thudding!! Pulse totally fine when sat down relaxed (80) but the second I stand up it shoots upto 130-150. Then I get the 'pause...THUD'.
The consultant organised for me to have a tape on for 48 hours. So I've currently got that on.. and each day I'm feeling about 30-40 of these thuds.
My mum also has these (the thuds) but only occasionally like I was prior to pregnancy. Her mum also has these. Both of them have a fast pulse like me too.
I'm currently 7/8 weeks away from giving birth, and, I'm worried about labour and the birth with my heart doing this. This heart tape comes off tomorrow and I've had loads of these thuds with it on, so that's reassuring to know I should find out soon exactly what my heart is doing. Every consultant and GP so far has said they'll be ectopic beats going by my description. That I need to learn to ignore them as my heart is structurally normal. But I can't ignore them... they feel horrible and I feel every single one of them. For them to have come on so suddenly back in 2014 for no obvious reason has made me feel really unsettled.
Why are they happening? Why do they not happen when I'm resting and relaxed? Why do they mostly happen when my heart is going fast already? And when I go from sitting to standing? I also can't walk up the stairs without my heart being 160 at the top. It's ridiculous. I'm only in my 20's.
Has it worsened because I'm heavily pregnant and the hormones and the extra blood and such?! No one is giving me any answers.
Thank you x
November 2014 I walked up the stairs and laid down to nurse my baby daughter. A minute later I felt my heart do 4 hard thuds in a row. I obviously panicked and ran downstairs to get my husband to call an ambulance. They came out and checked things, and said I was fine. They said most people get palpitations and to ignore it. So I did. My cycles had only just returned so I figured it was hormonal.
A month later, when sat down at the dinner table about to eat, my heart did one massive thud. I freaked out, obviously. A few minutes later I realised I was right around ovulation, and I was also right around ovulation the month prior (the first time it happened). I convinced myself it was harmless and hormonal. I had an ECG done at the doctors surgery and was told I'm perfect. Then I had more of these thuds. I decided to see an accupuncist to sort it out. As soon as she checked me over she said "your pulse is really high and your cortisol is really high!". I genuinely hadn't noticed my pulse was high until she said it... She told me to drink more water to stop the thuds. So I did, and it worked. Until March 2015 (4 months after the first thuds laying down nursing my daughter) where I had a day that every single time I changed posture (sitting to standing, standing to sitting, laying to sitting, walking to sitting, etc) my heart would do this thud. I couldn't function, basically. My pulse was high unless I was sitting doing nothing. Sitting was 75/85 and then when I stood just to walk to the bathroom or kitchen, my pulse would shoot to 140, THEN I'd get this thud. I went to a&e because I just couldn't cope. They did an ECG (sat down..) and my heart was 140 but regular and normal. I was told I'm fine, but to take a beta blocker if they're really bothering me. So I did. The following morning. And they worked. Pulse was normal, and it got rid of the dreaded thuds. I felt normal!
My GP then organised a heart ultrasound to be done, and also a week long heart tape. Both came back perfectly normal, heart of a normal structure which the cardiologist gave 10/10. He said my pulse was going down to 40 when sleeping due to the beta blockers. That freaked me out a bit, so after being on the beta blockers for 3 months, I decided to come off them. Sure enough, the faster pulse and the thuds came back, but I tried to shrug them off as I'd been told I'm perfectly healthy. It did play on my mind though, that they'd not actually managed to catch any of these thuds on any of the tests, simply because I happened to not have any whilst having any tests, but still frustrating. I WANTED them caught, for peace of mind.
The months passed, and I'd only have a thud (these thuds feel like my heart pauses and then does a hard beat..) occasionally. Pulse still fast when standing or walking. Totally normal pulse when sitting or laying, though.
Fast forward to June last year (2016). I was stood brushing my teeth and I brushed over a mouth ulcer, it started to bleed. My heart started doing what felt like very very slow beats that were very very hard. There may have been beats inbetween, but I couldn't feel them. My vision went blurry, my legs gave way, and I laid on the floor until the episode passed. I didn't actually faint. I assumed it all happened due to the sight of blood.. I had also just found out I was pregnant (unfortunately lost the baby a few days later).
2 weeks later, it was late at night and I went into the kitchen to make a sandwich. I'd been stood up for 5-10 minutes fleeing absolutely fine, just preparing my sandwich, when suddenly my heart started going what felt like very very slow, with very very hard beats. Again, there may have been beats inbetween, but I couldn't feel them. My legs went to jelly, I got a wave of nausea, my vision went blurry, and I felt very very hot. I crawled to the lounge floor and laid down waiting for it to pass. I freaked out and my husband called an ambulance. They checked me and said I was absolutely fine. They said it sounds like fainting or low blood pressure. I did explain I was merely making a sandwich...
I then felt fine, calm heart (as in, I could fully function, if my heart did the odd thud it didn't bother me etc).
Until August, my heart suddenly started being faster again. I thought it was odd as there was no obvious reasoning... until I took a pregnancy test a few days later and it was positive. I was then getting these thuds a few times a day. Only when standing, when my pulse was higher. My heart was constantly over 100, though. After 1-2 weeks it settled down.
I was in the supermarket and I had 3 of these thuds in a row and had to go and sit in the car to calm myself down. A few days later whilst standing in the kitchen cooking, I had 3 thuds in a row and had to quickly lay on the floor to calm down.
A few weeks later I had bleeding issues (hematoma next to the baby) and was on chair/bed rest. I had no heart issues atall, as I was constantly resting. No thuds atall. For weeks. I then stopped the chair/bed rest at the beginning of the second trimester and remained fine heart wise. Until... I was approx 22 weeks pregnant, and suddenly the thuds started again. Every time I'd move or change posture, they'd happen. I couldn't pee or make a drink without feeling 'pause.. THUD'. Ambulance took me in as my pulse was going very fast due to panicking and they wanted to make sure the baby hadn't been harmed. Bloods in a&e showed my potassium was 3.2 (low). I started potassium but it didn't make a difference. The hospital told me that I'm fine... they didn't catch any of the thuds on their ECGs because they can only do ECGs with me sat down, which is annoying as they very rarely happen when I'm just sat down.
Things settled a week or so later, but then when I was 24/25 weeks pregnant, we all got a horrid virus/flu thing and I had a temperature and felt awful. My pulse was way faster and I started getting these thuds whenever I'd move... again. Once we were over the virus, it took a week or so for my heart to re-settle and for the thuds to tone down..
I seemed fine again... until 29 weeks pregnant. I was walking up a road which was steep, and my heart was going very fast. I had two thuds during this. Since that day I've had way more thuds and my pulse has been a little higher when standing or walking. It really spiked up last week, and I had to go back to a&e as it wouldn't stop thudding!! Pulse totally fine when sat down relaxed (80) but the second I stand up it shoots upto 130-150. Then I get the 'pause...THUD'.
The consultant organised for me to have a tape on for 48 hours. So I've currently got that on.. and each day I'm feeling about 30-40 of these thuds.
My mum also has these (the thuds) but only occasionally like I was prior to pregnancy. Her mum also has these. Both of them have a fast pulse like me too.
I'm currently 7/8 weeks away from giving birth, and, I'm worried about labour and the birth with my heart doing this. This heart tape comes off tomorrow and I've had loads of these thuds with it on, so that's reassuring to know I should find out soon exactly what my heart is doing. Every consultant and GP so far has said they'll be ectopic beats going by my description. That I need to learn to ignore them as my heart is structurally normal. But I can't ignore them... they feel horrible and I feel every single one of them. For them to have come on so suddenly back in 2014 for no obvious reason has made me feel really unsettled.
Why are they happening? Why do they not happen when I'm resting and relaxed? Why do they mostly happen when my heart is going fast already? And when I go from sitting to standing? I also can't walk up the stairs without my heart being 160 at the top. It's ridiculous. I'm only in my 20's.
Has it worsened because I'm heavily pregnant and the hormones and the extra blood and such?! No one is giving me any answers.
Thank you x
Just to add (I reached the character limit, oops)..
Having a bath or shower also triggers these thuds. I like the water hot.
Having a bath or shower also triggers these thuds. I like the water hot.
Oh also also, I've had so much blood work done, all normal. I've also had a full thyroid test privately which was perfect. Every test shows I'm perfect and it's frustrating to have no answers!
Sorry to hear you are going through this especially being pregnant. I too have pvcs and pacs, mine started when I was around 40, was through with having children so I never had them back then. I am 63 now and they present a little different then the ectopics I started with. Its funny you say your mother and grandmother had them too. My daughter gets them and she is pregnant with her first baby and I worry how her pregnancy will go whether or not she will get an increase of them, she also has had in the past a couple quick bouts of tachycardia that came on from just bending over she wasn't pregnant. I get tachycardia too, when I first noticed the ectopics and was sent for a stress test I remember before even walking on the machine I had a heartrate of 120. What you are hearing from your doctors is the same we both hear, that the heart muscle is fine and just try not to let it bother you or if you really want to try a beta blocker like metroprolol you can, although not for her while pregnant unless they were relentless, but for the most part they prefer not to give anything to pregnant women. As far as why your heart has these thuds when you are active and your heart rate is high I would think the cardiologist could tell you. If resting keeps them at bay then try and do what you know won't aggravate the beats, maybe slow walks. I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well and you have a easy delivery. Wish I had something to say that could help you and my daughter just praying everything goes well!
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