pounding heartbeat - please clue me in here.. - Heart Disorders Message Board

irys · 05-30-2005, 02:58 PM

Every night for oh, the past 2 or 3 weeks or so I've had difficulty falling asleep because my heart feels like it's going to pound it's way out of my chest! It's maddening.

I KNOW it's not anxiety, and I know it's likely not because I'm overmedicated (i'm on 30mg of Armour for my underactive thyroid, and have been for, 6 weeks or so)

Last night was particularly bad. I REALLY just wanted to go to sleep. I was so tired - it was midnight and my eyes were closing, but my heart was pounding so hard I couldn't fall asleep. I was actually kind of scared..

My pulse wasn't any faster than usual, but my entire body was throbbing with my heartbeat. There was no pain involved at all either.. otherwise I probably would have headed to the ER..

*sigh* Please someone reassure me here - It's pretty scary when your heart beats that hard. I'm 24 years old and It just seems very bizarre to me to even think I might have a heart problem.

The strange thing is that when I would sit up in bed last night, my heart would actually stop pounding as hard..

That really seems backwards to me.

My next doctors appointment is June 13th, and I do plan to mention this to her when we go over my next round of thyroid labs..

Thanks everybody - this is kinda scary

Godiswithyou · 05-30-2005, 03:37 PM

I know how you feel..except my problems ended up going further. But to reassure you...First of all..when you focus on your heart you will definitely take more notice of it beating. My suggestion first of all..is to cut out all caffine..including chocolate and soda. You say your heartrate hasnt gone up and there is no pain..my guess is that you may be developing a small murmur or palpatations..in which case you'll see on these boards that many of us live with. Should you start experiencing pain...then it is definitely worth inquiring about from a cardiologist..otherwise...definitely..cu t out caffine..if you smoke..quit..stay as active as possible and dont worry about it..oh yeah! Most of all...stress!!! try to stay as stress free as possible. Trust me..I found out the hard way. Keep us informed. Bless you

katidid95 · 05-31-2005, 02:54 PM

I've been going through rapid HR episodes for about 2 months now and along with that is that darned pounding feeling. It's usually more noticeable at night when lying down but have noticed at other times also. I'm still trying to figure out why I'm having this (in other words eliminating everything down to anxiety), but I'm not typically an anxious person.

One thing I was screened for was thyroid (which was okay), so I'd definitely mention it at your next visit. Maybe you need your medication adjusted.

Machaon · 05-31-2005, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irys

Every night for oh, the past 2 or 3 weeks or so I've had difficulty falling asleep because my heart feels like it's going to pound it's way out of my chest! It's maddening.

I KNOW it's not anxiety, and I know it's likely not because I'm overmedicated (i'm on 30mg of Armour for my underactive thyroid, and have been for, 6 weeks or so)

Sounds like you might be having a reaction to the Armour. This can mean that the dose is too strong, or that you are eating or drinking something that is interacting with the Armour.

From www.amourthyroid.com:

"If you experience chest pain, increased pulse rate, palpitations, excessive sweating, heat intolerance, or nervousness, please consult your doctor immediately; your dose may need to be adjusted."

irys · 05-31-2005, 07:18 PM

beerzoids - Yes, I'm aware of the side effects of too much Armour.. It's one thing I pay close attention to, as I don't want myself to become hyperthyroid. I have none of those side effects you listed. My heart simply beats hard. It's not increasing my pulse rate, my chest doesn't hurt, I'm not sweating (infact I'm usually quite cold), I'm not nervous - most of the time when it happens, I'm barely awake.. It's hardly an anxiety attack (I've had those, this isn't even close)

I take my Armour first thing in the morning when I wake up - and I'm pretty sure it's not an absorbtion issue (at least anything I can control) I don't eat or drink anything an hour before or an hour after my meds - giving them plenty of time to absorb.. and it's a really tiny pill, so it should dissolve rather quickly.

If anything I think I might need an *increase* in my meds. I was fine on this dose of the Armour for 5 weeks or so.. which is about as long as my body needs to adjust to it..

*sigh* I don't know. Last night I was fine.. the night before I was a wreck. We'll see what tonight brings I guess..