Do You Experiece Palpitations? If So, What Helps?

[Colleen]

@jenc I’m so sorry palpitations have been hitting you hard lately. They were a consistent problem for Cullen when he had PH. I know that you are very thin and so was Cullen. A doctor mentioned to me once that because Cullen was so thin it was enhancing the discomfort that palpitations cause. They sometimes would also really scare him.

Are you using an inhaler? If you are you probably know that it will help with your breathing but add to your palpitations. The heat plays a factor too so you are smart staying inside with air conditioning. A beta blocker can help but it would lower your already low blood pressure. Cullen went through this too. Not many options to help the symptom except what you are doing, relaxing and staying cool.

So, I’ve been hearing a lot about Cobra Kai but I haven’t checked it out yet. Worth watching?

[Dawn]

@jenc, I have afib so have lots of palpitations. I was on sotalol for the afib for awhile, but always ended up back in afib and hated the side effects of the medicine. A year or so ago they gave up on keeping me in rhythm and now I’m on metoprolol for rate control rather than rhythm control. I feel much better since I’m off the sotalol, and don’t have the really noticeable ‘make you sick to your stomach’ palpitations since switching to the metoprolol.

[jen-cueva]

Thanks, @colleensteele. I can imagine how little Cullen felt with these palpitations. It breaks my heart when I hear about our PH kids dealing with this all. They have always been the best inspiration and such troopers.

Yep, that totally makes sense about feeling it more. I also started on a CCB years ago but had to stop because of yep, my already low BP. No, I am not using my nebs right now. I only use them when I have bronchitis or congestion. Yeah, pretty much rest, oxygen, and meds for the pain that comes along with it for me.

It is off and on, my PH doc is aware. But as you said, just part of PH. It sounds like some have this problem consistently and others not much at all. Isn’t it so strange how PH affects everyone differently?

Cobra Kai is good, especially if you were a Karate Kid fan. Were you?

[jen-cueva]

Hi @dawnt, thanks for sharing your experience with palpitations. I am happy to hear that you are not having the ‘make you sick to your stomach’ palpitations. You describe this so well. I often and nausea and unable to eat much when they get bad.

This has been difficult for my pain management doctor to understand at times. And often, my family when I feel like I cannot eat. It is almost like I have to “force-feed” myself to get nutrients at times. Do you experience this or did you?

[Dawn]

Hi @jenc. I don’t experience real bad palpitations on the metoprolol, but when I did get them I had no appetite. For me, being overweight most of my life, when I lose my appetite I know I’m really not feeling well! I still deal with the change in taste with my ph meds, and have periods where I have absolutely no appetite at all. Again, not necessarily a bad thing for me. Usually when the palpitations got really bad I just wanted to sit doing nothing and wait for them to pass. They went from just irritating to very painful. The painful ones could get scary. And most of the palpitations made me very ‘shaky’ which was also why I just felt like sitting quietly or laying in bed. I wish I could tell you something that stops the palpitations, but I never found anything that worked beside waiting them out. Lots of ‘suggestions’ online but the few I felt were safe enough to try did nothing for me.

[jen-cueva]

Hi @dawnt, I am not overweight but love to cook and eat if I am not feeling bad. So, my hubby says when I am quiet and/or not eating something is wrong, hehe.

Yes, I do become shaky as well. I wish that my BP was not so low so I could try something to help, especially when they are so bad I don’t want to do anything. I am grateful that today they are not as bad as they have been for the last several days. Yep, sadly, waiting them out, rest, O2, and pain and nausea meds is what helps me.

I am grateful for your support.

[Renee Kimberling]

I have suffered with palpitations off and on for the past 4 years. While in hospital for lung biopsy the nurse thought I was in AFib, so I went thru lots of testing for that and now have an implanted monitor which they will read remotely for up to three years before they decide that I don’t have Afib. I noted that one of the participants in this stream has AFib, and I wanted to let her know, in case she is unaware, that there is a device called “Watchman” that can be implanted to stop the AFib and protect against stroke. That will be what I will do if the “AFib comes back. thanks to all for this forum, it is very helpful.

[Colleen]

@renee thank you for mentioning the “Watchman” device. I had to look it up because I never heard of it. I’m always learning something new from our wonderful forum members. I’m going to start a topic about Watchman so members can share their experience with it and others can learn about it.

[jen-cueva]

Thanks, @renee, for sharing this about your implanted Watchman. I have heard of a few but did ]not know they by name. Great idea, @colleensteele to start a new topic on this one. We are all learning and learn so much from each other.

[Aunt Lizzie]

Hi Gals, Yes, I have palpitations quite often. I have a pacemaker and that kicks in, but I feel that too, so it’s a bit disturbing, but my unusual solution seems to work for me. I hum, or sing as low as I can so it sets up a vibration in my chest. If I do this for a while, my heart seems to settle down. As well as PH I have sick sinus syndrome hence the pacemaker. It took more than a few sessions on Holter Monitors to actually see what was going on. It’s not fun when you know something is not right but the tests say you’re OK. Other than all that I’m pretty good.

[jen-cueva]

Hi @auntlizzie, thanks for sharing your tip. I will try humming or singing low next time to see if that helps. I am grateful that this week the palpitations have not been bad.

I have had holter monitors a few times, and they don’t get much information. I do understand and relate that it is so frustrating when the tests say all is good, but you are still feeling like crap. If the palpitations act as they have been again, I will certainly ask if they want to try another holter monitor. Thanks for sharing your experience.

It’s good to see you on the forums. I am happy that you are doing pretty well. What have you been doing to stay busy?

[Aunt Lizzie]

Hi Jen – Hope my humming helps you and anyone else who is game to try it.
What do I do to keep busy – let’s see. I like Webinars and regularly watch Dr Noah Greenspan’s on his Pulmonary Wellness Foundation site, but I really enjoy anything on art, and history Also, we have a very old adult education group here in Australia called WEA. I’ve always attended a few classes each term and they are now having on-line offerings, so I’ve done a couple of them via Zoom. I also get out in the garden and am at present paving a site (one paver at a time!) for a new shade-house. I’ve got a few exotic orchids – very small native ones that need care. But then I am lazy too and do a lot of sitting around and reading. We all need to be lazy and not feel guilty.

[jen-cueva]

Hi @auntlizzie, did you learn of the humming from Dr. Noah? I have watched some of his podcasts. Have you watched the ones that we have from him? Here is a link if you want to check them out.

It does sound like you keep yourself busy, which is excellent. Paving a paver one paver at a time sounds like it may be a long process. I am happy to hear that you are enjoying the outdoors. How is the weather there in Australia?

You bring up such an important point. Being lazy without guilt is often a struggle for me, and I know so many of us. I am getting better with this but will continue to work at it. We have to for our health. Thanks again for sharing.

[Colleen]

@auntlizzie thank you for sharing the humming tip. It’s such a simple thing to do that I can “feel” might have a soothing effect on heart palpitations. Wow, wish someone suggested this to my son years ago.

So I’m sitting him humming softly to myself and finding it relaxing. Makes for a great stress reliever too!

I missed Dr. Noah’s podcast on humming @jenc. I’m going to check it out!

[Aunt Lizzie]

Hi Gals, Well no I didn’t hear about humming from Dr Noah, tho he might have mentioned it at some stage. I discovered it quite by accident – I like to sing a lot and hum when I forget the words, or when I’m thinking. But Dr Noah’s webinars are extremely helpful in many ways and he has great guests. I like his 7pm Wednesday sessions, which are 9am Thursday for me. I don’t have a computer camera which is just as well – sitting in my dressing gown and eating breakfast.
Our weather right now is lovely as it’s Spring, but starting to warm up for Summer. Lots of smoke around at present as the Bushfire Brigades backburn to try and prevent worse fires later. Last Summer, after months of drought, we had lots of days when the temperatures were extremely high and that started those awful fires all down our east coast – now you are experiencing the same thing, or worse by the looks of it, and then there are the wildfires up near the Arctic circle – boy! it just gets worse and worse. Just when we thought our fires would never end, we had days of very heavy rain which stopped the fires, caused flooding, but filled our water catchments. Oh yes, and my garden is flowering and the jasmine smells wonderful at night. Cheers

[jen-cueva]

Thanks, @auntlizzie, for sharing your insights on Dr. Noah. I had not heard the humming tip before you but was unsure if you heard it from. I also tend to do the same when I am SOB or do not know the words. I tend to hum, hehe.

I like that you watch his sessions in your PJs while eating breakfast. Many great things come while in our PJs, hehe.

I do remember the fires there last year were quite devastating. I am hoping that you will not experience that again this year. Australia has always been on my wish list to visit, so when I saw the fires, it was sad.

Spring is perfect weather the smell of fresh jasmine- ahh, such a pleasant, relaxing scent.

Keep safe, and hopefully, the smoke will clear for you there soon.