Heart Palpitations

Updated on February 28, 2009
K.S. asks from Northfield, CT
21 answers

Hoping there is another pregnant mom out there who has experienced the same thing...

When I was 7 or 8 months pregnant with my son, I would have these episodes where my heart would race, I would get light-headed and breath heavy. I literally felt like someone was sitting on my chest. I ended up in the ER and of course, the episodes would not repeat. It happened a few more times after that, but I ignored it and once my son was born, it never happened again...until I got pregnant with this one.
I am 18 weeks pregnant and it seems to be happening a lot. I talked to my OBGYN about it and he sent me for an EKG and a thyroid test (hyperthyroidism) and both came back normal. When I called today to tell him that it was happening a lot more often, he told me to call my primary care doc or go to the ER. Now, I know if I go to the ER, I will be put on some machines, tested and then sent home - because I can almost guarantee it wont happen again while I am there.

Has this ever happened to any of you???

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So What Happened?

Thank you so much for your kind words of support and encouragement. I am going to keep a log of what is going on over the next week and then call my primary care doctor. I know he wont want to touch me because I am pregnant, but at least I can suggest that he send me home with a monitor for a day or two - just for my own sanity.
Thanks girls!

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J.R.

answers from New York on

Asthma. Even if you didnt have it before, pregnancy can introduce asthma and allergies. Pulmonologist/Allergist. Give it a try. A daily maintenance inhaler might do the trick.

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J.E.

answers from Rochester on

I would still ask to see a cardiologist to be sure your heart gets thoroughly checked out, but it sounds like you could be having panic attacks. The increased stress of pregnancy could bring them on. It's worth checking into anyway. Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.T.

answers from New York on

i think i know what you are experiencing since i've felt the same thing, my heart sound in my ears and feeling like it is beating out of my chest. Are you getting enough iron? i ended up being anemic and that makes your heart work harder. more iron helped me. Remember you are pumping blood for 2.
Also get more exercise, makes your heart work more efficiently and try deep relaxation techniques. good luck

1 mom found this helpful
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T.W.

answers from New York on

I had the same heart palpitations, shortness of breath with my second pregnancy....becoming more frequent as the pregnancy progressed. I found that the episodes were worse when laying down and sometimes would subside with chnaging my position (ie: sitting to laying, or standing to sitting, laying to sitting). I only got an EKG and was told that if they got very severe, they would look into it more, but that the position of the baby was probably causing them and that it would prob go away after the birth OR I could be having mini panic attacks OR mild asthma (which I did have years ago, but haven't taken meds in years). I put up with them and they did stop completely after the birth. Do what your body feels right, don't ignore them if you feel it may be something serious, but I just wanted to let you know that someone else did experience it too!

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A.H.

answers from New York on

I just found out that my heart goes haywire sometimes and also misses a beat sometimes.. which is pretty wierd feeling.. your heart stops for a second.. but you feel it.. wierd.. Anyway my Doc put me on an events monitor for 7 days.., you wear this moniter day and night.. and if you feel your heart do funny things you push a button and it records that event.. that's how they finally found out what my heart was doing.. since eveytime i went to the dr. to say i felt these things.. of course my heart would be fine. good luck... and for my heart problems they just keep an eye on things.. no meds or anything..

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T.H.

answers from Syracuse on

I also had heart palputations when I was pregnant and was told that it was from all the extra fluid in my boby due to the pregnacy and not to worry its very normal and common. That being said I would deffiantly keep talking to your Dr. about it and go have the other tests if it keeps happening or if your nerous about it. Good luck

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K.G.

answers from New York on

I just wanted to add my thoughts. I have experienced this on and off for years. I do have a thyroid problem but other than that, I am really healthy. Good cholesterol is high and bad cholesterol is low. One healthy child, now 11. Great pregancy at the time. Last winter, my husband lost his job, I started a new one, my son turned 10, my father in law was diagnosed with cancer, it was the Holidays. I couldnt sleep on my left side for the palpitations, had to sleep propped up on pillows when I COULD sleep and would lie away or be awoken frequently with the horrible pounding chest, dizziness, shallow breathing episodes. It mostly happened during the night, but one day, I lost it with my husband and when I got to work, I almost passed out. Needless to say, I wound up in the ER with 24 hour surveillance and monitor. Nothing came up. Went to the cardiologist, wore a 7 day monitor. Nothing came up. Had a stress test, repeated EKG tests, hormone tests, wore a 30 day monitor. Nothing. Turns out, I am having panic attacks. No joke. Still have them from time to time, but I can "talk myself down" most of the time. Also, I seem to have them more frequently around "that" time of the month when the stress is accompanied by more hormones. I hate it, it disrupts my life, but now that I am sure it isnt my heart, I just deal and try to relax. I then learned of a bunch of women who were having the same experience and it made me feel a lot better. I am almost 42 and perimenopause is also a possible symptom. I really recommend getting all the tests, but it seems as if you have and once that is over, just try and relax! Good luck with it and with your new and existing blessings!

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D.

answers from New York on

Have you noticed what is going on when it starts happening. Are you exercising, sitting still, eating certain foods... start to keep a diary, especially when it starts to happen. Write down the time of day, what you were just doing and what you most recently ate or drank. Maybe there is some connection. Then you can go back after a weeks worth of entrys and see if there are any similarities. For example, is it always happening at 10 am after you just chased your 2 yr old around the house. This may be the place to start, so you can show your doctor. The problem with going to your primary is that they don't want to touch you when your pregnant. And they most definitely won't prescribe any meds.

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J.V.

answers from Utica on

You could ask your PCP about doing a halter monitor test. This is where you wear a heart monitor at home for about 24 hours - more likely to catch an episode- then it records your heart activity for the doctor to review.

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L.D.

answers from New York on

This can be in normal in pregnancy due to the increased blood volume, but you should see a cardiologist.

Feel better!

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C.O.

answers from New York on

I have no idea if there is any correlation, but I used to get episodes like this before I got pregnant with my son when I would consume too much caffine. I mean I was drinking three cups or more of coffee a day and a diet coke for lunch. After I got pregnant 2.5 years ago, I cut back to one cup in the morning with no additional caffine for the rest of the day. I kept up with limiting my caffine after I gave birth, and the episodes never came back.
Now you are pregnant, so you may not be drinking ANY caffine, but if you are maybe your body is metabolizing in a different way? I find I am much more sensitive even to that one cup (I am pregnant again now, 15 weeks)when I am pregnant.
Don't know if this helps, but I know exactly what you mean. Episodes come out of nowhere, make you feel like you have had the wind knocked out of you and then seem to go away on their on, just to leave you freaked out with no answers and no way for doctors to diagnose you.
Good luck!!

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L.P.

answers from New York on

Hi K.. I'm curious what the results to your hypothyroid test was. I actually have hypothyroidism and I know that when I'm pregnant my levels balance out more. But recently, my medications is being adjusted and it's literally been taking them months to find the right dose for me and I also have been having heart palapatations. It is so scary and I hate the way it feels. For me it is a symptom of the disorder that they are dealing with. Anyway...just a thought to check your thyroid again after the pregnancy. But I hope they will be able to help you sooner than that.

God bless.

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A.G.

answers from New York on

Call your doctor. If they are happening often they can put a "halter" monitor on you for 24 hours and you live life normally MINUS a shower or water activity! This should "catch" your heart doing what it does and give the doctors some much needed information. I had one and other than the tape used to put the electrodes on your skin it is easy. The tape may itch a little but nothing bad. Go to the doctor ASAP. Heart things are nothing to delay with. God Bless! A.

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J.F.

answers from Buffalo on

I don't have any personal experience with this as my only child is a step-daughter and i haven't been pregnant... yet! (been trying since 2006!!), but one of the veterinarians i work with said i'd know i was pregnant when my heart started racing at random times, because that happened to her all the time during each of her 3 pregnancies... she said her heart would race or pound on and off throughout the pregnancy and its was one of the only pregnancy signs she had... i know that each of her pregnancies was otherwise uneventful and she's 100% fine.
now that being said, i definitely don't think you should blow it off either - maybe seeing a specialist like a cardiologist wouldn't be a bad idea! better safe than sorry! good luck!! :)

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J.H.

answers from Syracuse on

It almost sounds like you are having an anxiety attack...I've had them before with those sypmtoms...are you sterssed about the pregnancy/baby in any way? Other things in your life? Stress will do amazing things to your physical self.

Best wishes to you...
J.

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D.N.

answers from Albany on

Sounds like you've gotten some really good advice on here. Just wanted to add that you should be very careful of your sugar intake. That could be affecting you. Also watch how much coffee and chocolate you consume as well. Limit these things while you are pregnant. Best of luck to you.
Blessings,
D. N.

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A.G.

answers from New York on

same exact thing happened and they never found out what it was... I would get so dizzy and have to lay on the floor and my heart would pund terribly and fast. they thought it may be linked to me having mild asthma, so maybe that's something they can check into. Good luck!

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T.F.

answers from New York on

hi,

I don't know if this is relevant to you or not, but what you described sounds exactly like something I have experienced...panic attacks. The first one I had I actually called 911 because I thought there was something dreadfully wrong with me! My heart would race, I felt like I needed to move, move, move in an attempt to discharge the rush of adrenaline I felt, and I thought I was having a heart attack from the pressure in my chest.

If this is what's happening, the great news is that it is unpleasant, but not actually damaging. And it can be managed..perhaps with mild doses of anti-anxiety medication (which I do take), or meditation, or a variety of other homeopathic remedies. It may at least be worth considering and looking into...?

Good luck! I hope you find relief soon.

T.

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E.L.

answers from New York on

Does it feel like your heart is going to come out of your shirit because it might be SVT's. My husband had them and the same thing happened to him. His heart would race by time he got to a doctor it would be over and they told him it was stress. finally while the episode was going on he went to the emergency room and a cardiologist diagnosed him.We opted for a procedure that is called an epilation. It never happened again. That was 10 years ago. There are meds but with being pregnant not sure what your choices are.
Hopes this information helps.

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M.K.

answers from New York on

While this did not happen to me, it did happen to my best friend during her first pregnancy. We share the same doctor who happens to be a specialist and deals with many high risk pregnancies and he explained it was extremely common in pregnancies yet obviously nerve wracking for the mother. He made it clear that it is not something to be overly concerned about. He would send his patients to a cardiologist just to help ease their nerves and 9 times out of 10 no problem is revealed. He had an actual name for it, which I cannot remember! It too went away after she gave birth.

Hang in there!!!

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M.G.

answers from Washington DC on

It sounds like a benign congenital heart defect, you should have a heart echo if you haven't already. I have the same thing, the EKG/Thyroid everything is fine...

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