When Your Heart Skips a Beat
Heart palpitations are common during the menopause transition, here's what to do about it.
Hello from Cancun, Mexico where my husband is attending a medical conference and my job is beach, which I’m taking very seriously. Because in a few days I go from this back to this, so what else to do but savor every single moment of my time here?
In honor of February being Women’s Heart Health Month, I dug into the newsletter archives to re-highlight a common perimenopause symptom: heart palpitations.
I’m working on getting past newsletters posted and organized by topic on Hot & Bothered, and part of that plan involves mixing past newsletters in with new ones. So enjoy this oldie but goodie - it’s just as relevant today as it was when I originally sent it.
(Also, that IG reel is still funny. If you don’t know what I’m talking about … keep reading.)
xo, Rebecca
Ever feel your heart skip a beat? Or maybe flutter in your chest?
It could just be the effects of watching this scene from the LOTR movies (OMG that reel made me laugh so hard. The cat! I can’t even!) but it could also be heart palpitations, a common-yet-not-commonly-talked-about symptom of perimenopause.
So how do you know if your heart palpitations are just an annoying perimenopause symptom, or a sign of something more serious?
Good question!
Thankfully, I happen to be married to a board certified cardiologist. So I asked Dr. Dan how you know if heart palpitations are NBD, or something to be worried about?
The short answer: you don’t.
Palpitations are common and can be totally harmless. But it’s hard to distinguish between palpitations related to stress, thyroid disorders, medications, hormones, and serious heart rhythm problems.
And unfortunately, risk for a number of heart conditions starts to increase around age 50, which also happens to coincide with most women being in the thick of the menopause transition.
Long story short: you need to talk to your doctor about any heart palpitations so they can help you determine appropriate next steps.
Dr. Dan also said that bringing data to your appointment can be helpful. An Apple watch can record changes in heart rhythm, so try to capture heart rhythm data after you feel palpitations, and bring that data to your appointment.
You can also use an over-the-counter, FDA-approved portable EKG device to record your heart rhythm as you’re experiencing palpitations. The device then transmits the data to an app on your phone for you to show your doctor. Super cool, right?
(Side note: we bought this one when our son was experiencing heart palpitations and it worked great!)
Ultimately, heart palpitations fall under the category of symptoms that “could be perimenopause, could be something else”. And since heart disease is the number one cause of death in women, it’s absolutely worth checking out. Your health and well being are always worth it, full stop.
So now I’m curious, have you ever had heart palpitations? They’re usually most noticeable at night as you’re trying to fall asleep. You know, fewer distractions and all that.
I was having a TON of them a few years ago, so Dr. Dan had me wear an event monitor for a few days (you can see it in the photo below). Turns out I was experiencing two different types of palpitations and both were harmless. My endocrinologist adjusted my thyroid medication and the palpitations stopped. Now I just get the occasional flutter, which I’m 100% sure is perimenopause related. The peace of mind is immense.
