Fast heart beat

[momander]

I had a double cabg in late January and am recovering well with no complications. I saw my cardiologist a few weeks ago and asked him all the questions I had in relation to all the little things that are worrying me slightly. He said that everything I described was perfectly normal and natural, ( including the fast heart beats) and was part of the side effects of the operation and subsequent recovery. All my post op test were good and he told me I had a clean bill of health.

I have definitely felt a "shift" in the past few weeks where things just seem to be settling down and more stable. I used to go to bed and have this weird sensation of my heart having hiccups? almost like a butterfly being stuck in my throat? My cardiologist explained it as ectopic beats and as a result of the heart getting back to normal, also the position I was lying in .That has all settled down now.

At 3am this morning I was woken with my heart beating really fast? No pain, sweating, nausea, tightness of chest etc etc. I sat upright for a few minutes and breathed in and out and it settled down.

When I went back to bed I lay on my back propped up a wee bit and it returned to normal?

Is there anyone else here that has had this operation and has experienced this?

[Tos92]

Hi  momander

I hope you’re looking forward to the weekend.

The sensation that you describe in your throat “almost like a butterfly being stuck in my throat” sounds very similar to heart palpitations. These are harmless for the most part, so your cardiologist is probably correct in saying that they could be as a result of your procedure, and it is quite normal.

Although I’ve not had a CABG, I have previously experienced waking up in the night with a racing heart and found that propping myself up on some pillows, and lying down on my back at a tilt or sitting up decreases them. I’m not quite sure why that is but I did notice when this was happening, it was almost always happening when I was lying flat on my back, not necessarily on my side.

Sometimes, heart palpitations can be as a result of other factors such as stress, diet, anxiety and so on.

I also find that vagal manoeuvres can help me get out of an episode of a fast heart rate such as coughing, pushing down on my abdomen, or splashing my face with ice cold water.

I hope others come by and explain perhaps some of the possible reasons for this.

All the best.

Tos

[momander in reply to Tos92]

Thank.you so much Tos92. I hope the sun is shining whete you are and that you have a lovely weekend.