Heart Flutters

[Paullyb25]

I live in sunny Dorset with my wife, two children and our dog.

I'm relatively active although ongoing back issues and surgery scupper my plans for long walks etc.

Had a few health 'bits and bobs' over the years.

Most recently I was diagnosed with hypertension. This was noted when I went for a procedure on my back.

I was prescribed Ramipril (2.5mg). I also have high cholesterol so am taking 20mg of Atorvastatin, along with Levothyroxine for an under-active thyroid.

I get a multitude of aches and pains now, more so I believe, since starting the latest two meds (Feb 2023). I have also experienced heart flutters etc which are quite disconcerting to be honest. They do come and go and I can go a few days/a week without symptoms.

[Tos92]

If there is an abnormality with your heart rhythm, a holter monitor can help pick it up. An echocardiogram can also be useful in some arrhythmias. I have palpitations and ectopics regularly. If they increase in frequency accompanied by worrying symptoms, I usually consult my GP. Perhaps discuss this with your doctor and see if further testing is required.

All the best.

Tos

[Cavalierrubie]

I would go and have a one to one with your GP. We are not medics on here so can only give you a shot in the dark. All medications have side effects so you need to be monitored with new meds. It will also be an anxious time for you, with all this happening at once, so stress will play it’s part. I am sure it will all settle when you get stabilised on the right drug regime. There are alternatives if you think a drug is not tolerable so don’t be fobbed off. As Tos has said you probably need a few checks as well. Wishing you well.

[Plum44]

Hi Paullyb25

Always best to get “ heart flutters” checked, I would go to see your doctor or the practice nurse. I’m not saying your problem is the same as mine, I had similar, but with extreme tiredness and breathlessness. I went to the doctor about the last two symptoms, I was usually very fit, but due to a knee injury , was not able to run, sometimes even walking was difficult. Long story short , my mitral valve wasn’t working properly, and 8 weeks ago had surgery to have my valve repaired at Southampton.

As I said yours may not be anything like mine, but certainly worth getting checked 😊

Good luck and let us know how you get on

[Engineer46]

Welcome to the forum!

I have never understood why doctors prescribe two new drugs at the same time for non-critical conditions. It is far better to take one drug only for a month or more, to see if that presents any side effects, before starting the second drug.

Both Ramipril and Atorvastatin have a number of common and similar side effects, so perhaps talk to your GP about discontinuing one of them for a while.

Have you confirmed that you do have hypertension when you take your blood pressure while resting at home? If your hypertension was diagnosed as mild/borderline it may have been higher than usual in the surgery due to "white coat syndrome". Home measurements are often more representative.

Best wishes,

Paul

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Your doses of Ramapril and Atorvastatin are relatively low. As suggested you need to discuss this with your GP.

As rrfsrddcthe heart flutters friends with ectopic beats and arrhythmias have found certain foods can be a trigger. One friend with ectopics now is off medication and very rarely experiences them after eliminating coffee, alcohol, chocolate and spicy foods from his diet. Might be worth a go particularly if you have more than two cups of coffee a day and/or drink more than a couple of units a day. Good luck.

[2425constance]

Hi Paul, I’ve been taking Levothyroxine for almost 20 years. In recent years I started experiencing palpitations that would come and go. After seeing a cardiologist and ruling out a heart issue, my cardiologist suggested that they were likely caused by my thyroid but was prescribed Propranolol to take as and when. My endocrinologist also agreed that the palpitations would likely be as a result of my Levothyroxine needing adjusting - considering as the thyroid has a huge role in regulating heart rate. Maybe speak with your thyroid specialist and have a blood test and see what the results say. As much as my GP can be great, he openly admits the best person to review the thyroid hormone levels is a endocrinologist. I also haven’t consumed caffeine or dairy for many years and still have these issues, but definitely go back to your thyroid doctor. Good luck and hope this can offer some reassurance ☺️

[hamptonian]

I used to have high blood pressure and cholesterol which was well managed with Ramipril, metatoprol and Crestor. More recently I had increasing heart irregular beats - PVCs - for which I had an ablation.Ablation worked pretty well but added Flecanaid and now close to perfect rythm. I also had a period of increased fatigue and depression- found to behypothyroid - which was fixed with 50mcgm of Levothyroxine.