Odd heart beats

[Nagswoman]

I tapered from 5mg preds to 4.5mg on 1st Feb. Usually odd for a few days but this time I got a weird butfairly regular heart beat that actually measured in the forties on 16th. Doc sent me to A&E. There, they said "rubbish, pulse is 85" but there is something odd and I need to be tested". Not then though. Told to go back to 5mg preds and take beta blockers. Well, I felt OK for 3 days then the erratic but regular thumping crept back in. Yesterday's doc was dismissive. I am due a cortisol test on 14th. Is what is happening due to the preds anyone? Getting cheesed off with listening to dub dub dub......dub dub dub...all night. Fitbit is not reading pulse most of the time now. Feels like a car running on 3 cylinders.

[SnazzyD]

Well, that’s a surprising attitude because some heart problems are intermittent. At the very least you should be getting a 24hr ECG done. The surgery where I used to work would do one as routine for any intermittent problem that didn’t show itself on examination.

[Nagswoman in reply to SnazzyD]

SnazzyD I clicked on more thinking there was more and it said report got it thanks. Sorry.

[SheffieldJane]

MyGP surgery has put a heart monitor on me to wear day and night to assess this kind of problem in the early days of PMR and Pred. That is not very satisfactory. Can you return to the original doctor who took it seriously?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I have atrial fibrillation - which is intermittent (thank goodness) and was almost certainly caused by the autoimmune part of PMR causing damage to the electrical cells in the heart.

Like Snazzy I'm a bit taken aback by their attitude - except I had a similar experience the other night. Flu has kicked my usually quiet-on-meds a/f into life and after rather a long dose I went to A&E here. The ambulance lads got a decidedly arrythmic trace but by the time I got to the hospital - zilch!!! Bah - knew I shouldn't have bothered!

However - one cause of yours could be lack of cortisol/adrenal function. But if it is getting worse and it goes on a long time - dial 999. Paramedics come complete with an ECG machine and are far more likely to get some evidence of what sort of malfunction it is. If it is an arrythmia, anticoagulants are far more important than beta-blockers IMHO. I wish I knew why the UK is so dismissive of such things.

[Patience47 in reply to PMRpro]

My blood pressure machine alerts you if you have an irregular heart beat. Half the time I have an irregular heart beat and half the time I don't. Irregular heart beat started soon after taking prednisone. My cardiologist said it was caused by the prednisone. He ran many tests, ie 24 hr. heart monitor,etc.

Hope you are feeling better.

Edward

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Patience47]

He might be right - I know mine is DEFINITELY NOT pred! Had been happening very occassionally right from the start of PMR though I was barely aware of it. But your sphyg will only show it when it is happening - and mine doesn't happen even every week, never mind every day.

[Lochy in reply to PMRpro]

Can I ask what you mean by sphyg? I get racing heart occasionally and sometimes get a weird sensation up my throat, as if it’s constricting but it’s not necessarily coinciding with heart racing.

It’s hard to remember all the weird things that happen especially when intermittent!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lochy]

Sorry - sphygmomanometer, the device you use to take BP.

You really should mention it to your GP and get it checked out - and don't take "it's from the pred" as a get out.

[Lochy in reply to PMRpro]

Ok thanks. I have mentioned it to GP in past but it never gets commented on. I should make more of it? BP has been within range recently but it doesn’t get checked regularly.

Can an aching sternum be related or will that just be linked to general shoulder, back PMR aches?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lochy]

My GP was very dismissive - mainly because when he felt my pulse it was fine. So I went around with a/f for several years. Arrythmias make you a high risk for stroke or heart attack unless you are on an anticoagulant - and frankly, I'd rather have the extra medication, just in case.

[Nagswoman in reply to PMRpro]

Unfortunately due to asthma I am not allowed aspirin. That was one thing they told me that people normally get told to take when on preds for GCA.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Nagswoman]

Don't worry about it - the recommendation to give low dose aspirin to GCA patients has been removed in the latest recommendations as the benefits do not outweigh the downsides even for otherwise well patients.

[Lochy in reply to PMRpro]

How do they diagnose arrhythmia ? And I assume it can be caused by Pred? I’ve never been aware of anything like this until PMR diagnosis.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lochy]

Find it on an ECG - which is why if you have an episode you should call the emergency services as paramedics arrive on site with an ECG machine and have a better chance of getting the evidence!

And while it can be caused by pred - it needs investigating. Doesn't matter why - it needs managing.

[Lochy in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks so much I appreciate your input. I’ll go back and see my GP. Can an ECG pick it up even if intermittent?

Got a good old covering of snow in Edinburgh now. Chaos ensues as ever.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lochy]

Only if it decides to happen while you are linked up to the ECG machine. But there are long term monitors - a 24 hour holter is the traditional option and you keep a paper record of what youa re doing at various times and if you feel anything but there are others that can be used for up to weeks and they report back via the telephone!

[Patience47 in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, could be PMR causing the irregular heart beat, and not prednisone. I certainly have my doubts as to the real cause. However, I had PMR for at least 6 months before being diagnosed, and never had an irregular heart beat. The irregular heart beat started soon after taking prednisone. Thus, the true cause is a mystery to me.

[northwesterner]

I have a pacemaker due to another medical issue that I have and about two months ago felt that flip floppy irregular heartbeat happening and so fortunately my pacemaker keeps a record of the last three months and showed several instances of atrial fibrillation so they put me on a mild beta blocker. It took a couple weeks for me to notice a difference but it is much better now. They should give you a holter monitor to wear for a day or two then they can get a reading of you heart activity.

[Digon7215]

This might sound strange but you mentioned a Fitbit.. Have you tried not wearing it to see if you feel better?.. I have one. After wearing mine for the first time, ok for a few days then felt really odd.. Heart butterflying, general feeling of being unwell... I took Fitbit off to charge it, started to feel better within a couple of hours.. Have done this three times and it happened every time.. At the moment I am leaving Fitbit off for a month or two.. Will try again then.. I did look online, and apparently this does happen .. Just a thought..

[Nagswoman in reply to Digon7215]

I have been wearing it for 11 months but only became unwell this month. I will do some research though. Thanks.