posted
Over the weekend my heart started fluttering more than usual, and got to the point that I went to the emergency room. (The fluttering feels more like random electric shocks. It's hard to describe, it doesn't feel like a rapid heart beat.) Now, I'm not the type of person to go to the ER over anything, but when the fluttering would happen I felt very light headed. The fluttering would only happen if I was standing/sitting up and I would be fine if I was laying down. I was given an EKG and as I had predicted it was fine because I was laying down, and they only ran it for approx 5 seconds and all the blood tests came back negative for anything, however, I am still waiting on results for the thyroid test. I am currently on IV rocephin, oral zithro and mepron. I was just wondering if anyone has had similar symptoms/problems with heart fluttering/shocks.
Posts: 15 | From New York, New York | Registered: Mar 2005
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Don't have much to add except to say I took hubby to the ER last night for heart palpitations. Yes, his EKG was fine and his cardiac enzymes were normal. The monitor did pick up a missed heartbeat several times -- assumed to be within normal limits.
With him we are thinking the heart palpitations are due to med changes -- increased both Rifampin and Alinia and started pulsing Zithromax all within the last couple of weeks. Waiting for LLMD to return our call.
Hubby is already taking CoQ10, taurine, fish oil supplements and magnesium among other things.
Did find a good article on herbs for cardiac arrhythmias. May add back the gingko or something else. He has an appointment with both his LLMD and herbalist next week. Will let you know what they suggest.
I did make a hubby an appointment with an integrative cardiologist -- no openings til early July. It has been 3 1/2 years since he has had a cardiac workup and he does have a mild mitral valve prolapse murmur (probably from birth). Hopefully things will have improved before then symptomwise, but probably a stress EKG would not be a bad idea at this point.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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klutzo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5701
posted
It could be atrial fibrillation or some other problem, but the odds are in favor of it being an MVP. How long have you been ill?
About 75% of people dx'd with Fibromyalgia or Lyme Disease develop a Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP), almost always around or during the second year of illness. It often goes undetected for years.
Is the fluttering happening a lot more when you lay on your left side? That is almost always due to an MVP.
You would need to see a cardiologist and have him listen....sometimes docs who don't specialize in the heart have trouble hearing the telltale "click-murmur" sound an MVP makes.
You would then have an Echocardiogram done to confirm the MVP. That is a painless ten minute ultrasound of your heart. TIP: If you have an Echo done, remember to drink as little as possible for 12 hrs. before the test, as minor MVP's often don't show up if the heart is well-hydrated. (My MVP was missed for 12 years and through 3 Echos, because I did not know this, and like many of us, I am always thirsty and always peeing!)
MVP is a minor problem when treated properly. Daily Magnesium supplementation in several divided doses up to bowel tolerance, and drinking a quart of water daily per fifty pounds of body weight can help to stop most of the fluttering and sometimes even reverse an early MVP.
It is important to know if you have MVP, since you will need certain types of ABX before certain dental procedures and surgeries to protect yourself from a minor risk of bacterial endocarditis.
Also, in my case, not knowing I had it, and therefore not treating it with enough Mg in time, led to 2 other prolapsed valves, and all 3 valves are leaking. Once they start leaking, you can pass out from lifting even a basket of wet laundry, for example. (I have a friend who broke her arm this way).
In the opinion of many CAM docs, having MVP is a consequence of low cellular Mg, and we all know that Lymies have low Mg.
I am well aware that many LLMD's frown on Mg supplementation, but I think saving myself from valvular heart disease would have made it well worth it, if I had only known in time. Good luck to you,
Klutzo
Posts: 1269 | From Clearwater, Florida, USA | Registered: May 2004
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posted
You may need more magnesium. Low magnesium levels can cause that as well. That happened to me and went away when I upped my MagTabSR to 2 tabs twice a day from 2/day.
Posts: 975 | From California | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
I have been sick for at least 7 years that I know of. I was diagnosed with Lyme & Bartonella after I went on Zithromax for strep thought, I thought I was losing my mind. Any who. I had heart problems the last time I went on antibiotice, approx 3 years ago and they couldn't find anything. The heart fluttering has gone away since I went to the hospital on Sunday and only has been after every so often. I'm guessing it was all due to Lyme/Bartonella. Thanks again for the advice.
Posts: 15 | From New York, New York | Registered: Mar 2005
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Fortunately, it happened during my last LLMD appt and someone finally heard it!
Had a holter monitor test done last week, but haven't gotten the results yet.
I'd suggest talking to your doc about maybe getting this done too.
Better to err on the side of caution and all that.
Even if it's something like benign PACs, it's good to do more investigating and to know for sure.
Good luck and please keep us posted.
-------------------- If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. - Lewis Carroll Posts: 356 | From Body-PA, Mind-elsewhere | Registered: Dec 2007
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Cobweb
Unregistered
posted
Intermitant heart irregularities are so frustrating-because you know what you have experienced-yet, if it's not picked up at that precise time-the doctor's say you're fine
but the symptom is real.
If I were you I would continue to speak of the problem. If the IV Rocephin is the cause(and I don't know if it is or not) perhaps the line should be moved a smidge so as not to irritate your heart.
Fortunately my heart problems were diagnosed prior to picc line-so they did not place it as close to the heart as they would have in a person without heart problems.
Keep it on your symptom log.
I started wanting to tell you, but not scare you, that I complained several times about irregular heart beats-but office EKGs were always normal so it was dismissed.
Then I had an episode that just wouldn't quit-and I wound up in the ER in a rather dramatic situation.
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Cobweb
Unregistered
posted
Wanted to add, if you have a serious health concern and do not get much feed back from this site-
feel free to visit LymeNet Europe-another Lyme Discussion Forum . Post in Medical or General.
"* Lyme Disease Forum Here you can meet other Lyme patients and ask questions, post information and discuss it with others, share your story, and get support."
It was actually a poster from there that was alert to your questions and asked us to come give you support since there weren't many responses coming from here.
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posted
Thanks again for all your feedback. I had a 24 hour alter put on this morning. I do not have a PICC line, instead I go to the dr every morning before work an get stuck in my arm. The dr seems to think that it was part of a herx.We'll see is anything shows up.
Posts: 15 | From New York, New York | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Hubby's herbalist/nutritionist asked me to send her a list of his current meds. She is going to research to see if any of the meds could be depleting him nutritionally and causing his heart palpitations.
Will post back if she finds anything that could help you.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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