Does either (or both) Steroids/Amitriptyline cause heart palpitations/anxiety attack?

[Sandy1212]

Hi guys,

I just spent the past 25mins feeling my heart beat faster and faster, i stopped doing work and turned on a 5mins meditation video and my heart beat normalized thankfully.

Looking back i have noticed that when I am higher steroids I sometimes get random increased heart palpitations but i feel like this time was slightly worse than before so I am wondering if amitriptyline may also cause it as well.

They do kind of feel like anxiety attacks because my mind is racing at the same time which doesn’t help the palpitations lol.

Not sure what to do, ill mention it to my drs (i think i did once before but ages ago) but is it something i should wait to tell or should I say now?

[PMRpro]

It can be a common side effect of pred - I, on the other hand, find my atrial fibrillation is worse at lower doses of pred!Amitriptyline can cause what is called "long QT" syndrome - it stretches a part of the ECG trace. If your palpitations are worse on it, it would be advisable to get it checked out but not usually helpful unless you get a tracing while it is actually happening and getting a multiple day heart monitor isn't easy anyway and heaven knows what it is like at present!

Other than the fast heart beat - did you have any other symptoms during or after the episode?

[Sandy1212 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for the information! I have an appointment next Tuesday and I could tell them then; but I also can email nurses today and get a reply later today or tomorrow. I don’t know if it’s as urgent to message...what do you think?

During the episode i was getting warmer and my breathing became irregular; i had to focus on my breathing to slow it down. And as said above my mind was racing with a million thoughts making me nervous.

[PMRpro in reply to Sandy1212]

How often does it happen? You don't have a dizzy spell after the tachycardia finishes?

[Sandy1212 in reply to PMRpro]

This is the first time it has happened since my increase of steroids last week. And not that I have noticed, no.

[PMRpro in reply to Sandy1212]

It's probably not an emergency - or wouldn't be classed as an emergency. But I would mention it and if it gets worse don't ignore it

[Sandy1212 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for your advice! I will probably leave it until next week for now but yes definitely if it gets worse I will tell them

[DJK99]

Hi Sandy. Sorry you are having these reactions... quite frightening I know. I cannot go on high dose or injection steroids as my heart goes i sane, I’m jittery and cannot sleep... so yes, it’s a definite side effect and one I won’t put up with unless something occurs that means I absolutely MUST take the high dose. Glad you can talk to your clinicians.. always best asap if you’re having a reaction like this as they’ll know what to advise/do etc. Oh and I couldn’t take amitryptilline as I felt like i’d been poisoned/someone had hit me over the head. Basically the combo sounds a little like uppers and downers so the bod might be a little confused... Good luck and I’d get on to them as soon as, just in case... Hope things improve, keep safe as poss etc. D

[Sandy1212 in reply to DJK99]

Hi DKJK99, thanks for posting! Yeah it is quite frightening since I feel out of control of my body during the episode. Sorry to hear that you have such adverse reaction to steroids and amitriptyline! And that makes sense now about my body being confused. I think I will keep an eye on it for now as it has only happened once, first signs it is getting worse i will tell them asap but i will definitely mention it in my appointment next week. Thank you for your advice and thanks, i hope you are keeping well enough too!