Missed/Skipped Heart Beats?

[Melaniejm92]

Does anyone know what could be causing missed heart beats? I am a 25 year old female and have been getting missed beats since January 2018 everyday (very rare that I don't have any in a day) they mostly happen when I am sitting doing nothing e.g watching tv, playing on phone etc. I have had an ECG done which showed my heart rate was a little bit fast (not sure how fast as doctor never said) but it did not show any missed beats as I didn't have any at the time and I have had bloods done which were normal apart from her saying my iron was borderline?! (Not sure what that means). The only medication I am on is the pill (microgynon 30) could this cause missed beats. I am waiting for an appointment to be fitted with a 24 hour holter monitor. The only other symptom I get is being a little unbalanced whilst bending, lying down and sometimes sitting? Any help? Thanks.

[shaws Administrator]

I had missed beats etc before I was diagnosed as hypothyroidism and had quite a number of heart checks particularly after being diagnosed.

If you haven't yet had a blood test for your thyoid hormones (not one doctor took mine) but they gave me diagnoses for things I didn't have and many doctors only look at the TSH result if they do take it.

TSH stands for thyroid stimulating hormone, and if our thyroid gland is failing it can cause symptoms in the heart. The brain and heart need the most thyroid hormones to function normally and we have millions of T3 receptor cells in our body which need T3 in them for our body to work properly.

Request a blood test for your thyroid hormones. It has to be at the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow 24 hours gap (if you were taking thyroid hormone replacements) .This helps to keep the TSH at its highest as it drops throughout the day. Ideally you need:-

TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies. (antibodies are important).

Even if your doctor requestes these they may not be done if TSH and T4 are in range. You can get a private test from one of our recommended labs that will do all of them and they are home pin-prick tests. Doctor should definitely check B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as deficiencies in these can cause symptoms too.

Always get a print-out of your results with the ranges. Ranges are important as labs differ and it makes it easier to comment. I shall also give you a link re clinical symptoms:-

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[Melaniejm92 in reply to shaws]

They did a blood test checking my thyroid, and it came back normal. The only thing they said was my iron was borderline (not sure what they meant by that).

[shaws Administrator in reply to Melaniejm92]

If you get a print-out from the surgery of your blood test results (we are entitled to by Law) and some charge a nominal sum for paper/ink. Mine charge 30p per sheet.

'Normal' just means we are somehwhere in range - it doesn't mean we are optimal. If we have clinical symptoms which we used to be diagnosed upon you:

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Re iron - if you do get a print-out of your results it will have the iron on it I assume so put all your results/ranges on a new post.

[Melaniejm92 in reply to shaws]

I will try and get a print out of my results and post them in here. Thanks for your advice

[shaws Administrator in reply to Melaniejm92]

Put results on a new post so that you will get more responses as this post will have gone further down the list.

[trelemorele]

Low potassium causes skipped hear beats.

If you are/were on diuretics, had diarrhoea, take laxatives, have poor potassium diet or health issues causing potassium loss, that may cause low potassium.

Try supplementing with potassium tablets (not food) for a week to see if resolves.

Mine resolved within three days. I took double stated dose for a week.

Diuretics and laxatives are primary cause of loss of potassium.

[Melaniejm92 in reply to trelemorele]

I have had problems with my stomach for a few year where it's got a lot more sensitive than it used to be. Not sure if that would cause me to have low potassium? Would low potassium show up on a blood test as I have one done a few weeks ago and it came back normal?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Melaniejm92]

Many hypo members have digestive problems due to not having sufficient stomach acid but doctors assume it is l.

Did you tick off any symptoms you have on the list above as there are many different symptoms.

[trelemorele]

Yes, if you're low in.potassium and they did potassium test then it will show low.

See blood tests results for yourself first before accepting doctors "all normal" statement.

It's not going to harm you to take potassium in the meantime anyway and see if it helps. Too much potassium is it's removed by kidneys.

[Melaniejm92 in reply to trelemorele]

What kind of things have potassium in them e.g foods or is there supplements etc.

[trelemorele]

Bananas and spinach comes to.mind.

Check out draxe.com/top-10-potassium-...

Potassium in tablet as a supplement will have more strength than food so if you want to quickly replenish deficiency, tablets would be your best choice.

Food's good too but you'd probably have to eat 20 bananas a day to get the same value you get in a pill. Not sure if physically possible to eat so many bananas a day though....

[Clarrisa]

Hi, Have you asked your parents if they have irregular heart beats? I've had them & both of my parents did too! I made a appointment to see my father's cardiologist who told me "You have no idea how many nurses I see." Are you a nurse by any chance? In addition to what others have mentioned stress can cause irregular heart beats, & occupations like nursing can be on the stressful side. If you are really concerned as I was caffeine doesn't help matters & even chocolate is said to have some caffeine in it. Patient information on microgynon should list side effects. If you don't have this I nformation ask your pharmacist. When I was your age birth control (if that's what that microgynon is) could decrease vitamin B6 if I remember correctly. You might ask the Pharmacist if any deficiencies can occur. I changed jobs, went into blood bank nursing & my heart preferred it.

[Melaniejm92 in reply to Clarrisa]

No I'm not a nurse, I work with children. I asked my doctor if she thought it could be the microgynon (contraceptive pill) causing it but she just dismissed it straightway saying she doubt it would be that causing them. Neither of my parents have had missed beats.

[Clarrisa in reply to Melaniejm92]

The only thing else I was able to think of (aside from others thyroid posts) was heavy drinking can lower magnesium levels, but that does not sound like your problem at all.

[Melaniejm92 in reply to Clarrisa]

No I don't drink, so it wouldn't be that. I'm. Going to try and get my blood test results from the doctors and post on here to double check as I never actually got to see the results she just said they were normal. Thanks for your help.

[Gillybean1]

HI Melaniejm92,

Did you have the skipped beats before taking Microgynon ? If not, tell your GP that, or try a different GP in the practice You could check the leaflet information/contraindications in the packet they come in and see if anything like that gets a mention.

For myself with immune-thyroid disease i got heart stopping (not sleep apnea, as was suggested " i must mean") strangely only at night between 1-3am and lying flat, ironically it didnt happen the night i had the 24hr monitor because i was propped up as it was a bit bulky the attachment. However the 'heart-stop' sensation which felt like an electric shock ,very unpleasant, stopped once i was on the thyroid medication.

If what your feeling is more fluttery misses, that 24hr monitor will give you answers and help put your mind at rest.

Every best wish, G

[Melaniejm92]

No didn't have them before taking the mircorgynon, I asked my doctor if she thought it could be that but said because I've been on them a year and abit she doubts it could be the tablets. Will double check on the leaflet and see if it's say anything about it causing heart flutters (I do know it can cause blood clots). Im waiting for a hospital appointment to get a 24hour holter monitor, I get heart flutters/thuds throughout the day so hopefully it will pick them up on the monitor. Thanks for your help.

[SA375]

About a yr ago i started bio identical hrt and had what you are describing. Both parents and sibling have heart issues so this made it more scarry for me. I had 24hr ecg which showed ectopic heart beat. I was under a consultant for womens health. (Dr Sarah Gray) she said one of the possibilities was fluctuating hormones. It subsided after I got used to the hormones.Try breathing through the episodes.

With regards to Potassium I understand you will have high potassium with high cortisol levels and vice versus. I have low cortisol or adrenal fatigue at the moment and occasional flutters in the heart. I am no longer on bhrt.

I think with the heart you must see a cardiologist or at least have ecg results.As there are so many conditions and causes. I purchased a blood pressure monitor so I can check when concerned. It often tells you heart rate.

I have been told that "Heart Math" is a good practice to adopt.

Good health to you.