posted
i understand how hearbeat issues can be a part of lyme and/or babs.
that is my most worrisome symptom despite the fact that is not always there, and i do have pretty active days of some exercise and things like gardening without issues (and some days with the heartbeat issues, but usually when i am getting tired or hungry).
before i finally got positively diagnosed with lyme, i had been to the er twice and urgicare once with the heart/chest pains and weird beats. everything turned out ok with all the tests (one hospital is considered to be in the top few in the usa for cardiac issues). my pulse seems normal all the time. chest xrays revealed nothing each time.
what i am wondering is...
can an increase in this symptom be a herx reaction?
and
has this symptom gone away in people with treatment? (please don't post the "no" answers because i don't need to be freaked out any more than i am already)
btw, i have had a thyroid ct scan and thyroid blood tests, all normal in range. i do have hypoglycemia symptoms incl lowish blood pressure and low body temps and have for years. actually i have total hyperthyroid symptoms but no positive tests for the condition.
i am exercising ok, actually better and stronger than i was before my pos diagnosis. i have been on abx for a total of 6 weeks- 16 days of doxy (which treated me not so well), then a new doctor and started cefruoxime axetil, which i have been on one month today.
thanks everyone.
john in upstate ny
-------------------- do your best to educate the rest because 9 out of 10 doctors don't know jack about tick borne illnesses Posts: 437 | From shawangunk mountains, ny | Registered: May 2008
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tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10276
posted
John,
What you are discussing sounds very similar to the first symptoms I started with on my long journey of not knowing it was really lyme.
My chest pains were so horrid, I'd be sweating bullets, they would have me in the ER, hooked up on monitors and said it wasn't heart attack like, but that it wasn't necessarily normal either. I ended up even being given a heart catherization and told it looked fine so it must be anxiety and treated it as such.
Things continued to get worse and worse, but sticking with your actual question....I've been on treatment for 18 months now for bart, babs and lyme and have to say that the chest pains, the blood pressure issues, and the crazy heart beats have DEFINITELY improved on treatment.
That's not saying that everything in life is wonderful since most of us had many more sypmtoms, but since this one was my most severe and worrisome, it was a focal point for me.
I'm not really sure WHICH medication I was on when things started turning around the most as far as the chest issues, so I imagine it was an accumulation.
It's definitely scary stuff and my heart goes out to you since this was such a nightmare for me and I KNOW how horrid it is. My best advice is stick to treatment and although it does get worse before it gets better, it does settle it down.
Long hard road, but I understand it's worth it in the end. Good luck to you.
Cathy
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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I am only 3 months into tx, but have the heart issues you're talking about. Chest pain, palps, weird beats...sometimes if feels like it will jump out of my chest.
I too exercise/run and it doesn't seem to give me problems. Only once in awhile I feel a little short of breath - when it's really palpitating, and then I think it's from the anxiety it causes me!
I did go to a cardiologist. My EKG, was NOT normal. Packed full of PVC's. When I told him I have Lyme and co-infections (3 of them) I pretty much got a blank stare (duck). Anyway, I went through the stress test, echocardiogram and heart monitor. I didn't wear the monitor as much as I should have.
My stress test and echo came out fine, the few readings from the monitor I did send in were okay. I am starting Babs tx next week. I am hopeful to get some relief from this...I really understand how concerning this can be.
I have so many terrible symptoms, some more uncomfortable than this; however, of course, being the heart - this one gets me pretty freaked out, just like you, I understand. I hope you see improvement soon. Mine has not improved, is a little worse today...I just never know. I also have no idea if it's a herx or just an infection having its way, ugh. Good luck.
Posts: 566 | From West Coast | Registered: May 2008
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randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
I get these wierd palpitations, skipped beats, and often it beats so hard I swear it's coming out of my chest.
I've been in ER so many times and they can't find anything. My heart doctor just said "MVP" and nothing to worry about.
It's worse when I lay down at night.
No one can figure it out, but me. It's lyme....
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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posted
I have heart symptoms too. They drive me crazy!! Before being dx'ed with LD I went to a cardiologist and had a full work up even going as far as wearing a heart monitor for ONE WHOLE MONTH. They found nothing abnormal... then I found out I had Lyme Disease.
I'll go quite a few days feeling fine... then bam I start having heart palpatations, pain in my chest, an/or a congested feeling in my chest.
It's so frightening. Lately I've noticed a vibrating feeling in my chest. It's hard to explain but it feels like my heart isn't fully beating. Scary!!
I sure hope it goes away soon... I've been in treatment for Lyme disease for almost a year. For a little bit during that time I treated babesia, but I don't think I gave it long enough.
I'm going to try babesia treatment again and I'm praying that alleviates the heart symptoms. I know it has to get better... it just has to!
I do go through long periods where my heart acts normally.. but then every now and then it starts doing crazy things.
I know what you are going through.... hang in there. I'm sure further down the line that symptom will go away.
Posts: 248 | From Tejas | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
Oh yeah, I always wonder if it's a herx or not... I hope it is. I hate to think it's just the live bacteria messing with my heart.
I know when I was on babesia treatment my heart symptoms were a lot worse. I was thinking that was a bad thing at the time and stopped treatment. Now looking back I think it was just my body herxing. A lot of the spriochetes obviously like to hang around my heart, so it would make sense (at least to me) that when the bacteria die off I would have more heart symptoms.
Posts: 248 | From Tejas | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
btw, i have had a thyroid ct scan and thyroid blood tests, all normal in range. i do have hypoglycemia symptoms incl lowish blood pressure and low body temps and have for years. actually i have total hyperthyroid symptoms but no positive tests for the condition
All of this can be "normal" and you can still have a thyroid problem. Body temperature is one of the better indicators for this. The fact that you have hypoglycemia, low BP AND low body temps are HIGH indicators of adrenal issues, which is pretty common from the stress of Lyme and Co's.....
I had HORRID cardiac issues before I went into treatment in Oct 07; at one point if I sat up in bed my heart would beat 170 to 180........it is quite a bit better thus far, and the air hunger and chest pain is also......this is one of my most worrisome symptoms as well, and many of us know how freaking scary it is........
Hang in there; herxes can cause ANY symptom to worsen.......
-------------------- TL Posts: 365 | From OK | Registered: Jul 2007
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lymielauren28
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 13742
posted
I've had this for a looong time. My heart starts beating funny and it's usually when I'm drifting off to sleep.
I've also noticed that it does it when I'm changing positions or bending over.
I can't find any rhyme or reason to it. It has gotten better with treatment but still flares from time to time.
Hope it gets better for all of us!
-------------------- "The only way out is through" Posts: 1434 | From mississippi | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
This is the scariest symptom for me. I am always afraid of this happenong to me. Last time I went to ER heartbeat was 130. They said all my tests were normal.
I think the anticipation of this happening to me is bad too. thanks Teresa
Posts: 115 | From warwick, new york | Registered: Mar 2008
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i wonder if this is my adrenal glands or babs? i haven't been tested for babs because of cost and unreliability/false negs...
i get the sweats/feverish here and there but not soaking sweats... my most prominent symptom by far is the heart stuff. i feel ok if i am active but notice the heart stuff when i am not. not very fast beating, like this am it was 90/60 which i guess is not that scary by comparison, but i am sill afraid it will get worse if i don't get treated for babs or other coinfections.
how do i know if i have adrenal/thyroid issues for sure?
thanks again
-------------------- do your best to educate the rest because 9 out of 10 doctors don't know jack about tick borne illnesses Posts: 437 | From shawangunk mountains, ny | Registered: May 2008
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