I went to my endo last week, and she was worried for my resting heart rate. My average is 105 bpm. I have in the past taken multiple ECGs to test for arrhythmia, and had my heart scanned 2 years ago to see if there were any abnormalities, like leaky values. I've also had a Holter monitoring test for 24 hours done 4 years ago. Everything came back fine, other than my heart rate being too fast.
Now she wants me to do another Holter monitoring test for 24 hours, because I've started coughing regularly (maybe once a week), when I feel my heartbeat in my throat. She says it's the bodies natural way to stabilize the heart rate - that and vomiting, which sometimes makes people faint due to lowering the heart rate too much. If everything comes back "normal" again, she will give me a "mild" drug treatment to lower my heart rate.
Does anyone else have this problem? I'm worried that it could have something to do with my diabetes. I've had type 1 for almost 12 years.
I was going to suggest Hyperthyroidism which is less common than Hypothyroidism. There are other reasons too, of course. A normal heart rate is between 60 and 100 bpm.
Like another post said, thyroid would have been my first guess. But considering it's your endo that is doing the workup I'm sure they wouldn't overlook an obvious cause like autoimmune Graves disease which can occur as a coexisting condition with type 1. It's the whole autoimmune thing. The cough may or may not be related to the elevated heart rate, but the cardiac and pulmonary system work together. 60-100 beats per minute is a wide range of normal for a wide age range and a resting heart rate of 105 for an adult should be investigated.
If your endo can't find anything maybe you can see a cardiologist to evaluate all of your findings. The mild drug is probably a beta blocker. In my experience it is a pretty benign medication that lowers heart rate but can mask feelings of low blood sugar because it doesn't let your heart rate elevate like it normally would when your hypoglycemic.
Almost always. If I'm lucky I can catch it at 90 or so. I could see in my journal that she has noted I have white coat syndrome, because my BP is always elevated when I go for a check up and my pulse is like 120. However, BP is normal when I'm at home, but pulse is not.
My endo did test my thyroid, as there is autoimmune Grave's in my family (mother's sister), along with other autoimmune problems, including type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. She even tested me for a rare autosomal recessive disease called systemic primary carnitine deficiency, due to me being from an ethnic group that is prone to that problem (Faroese), and there are both carriers and people affected on my mother's side of the family (distant relatives).
She couldn't find anything wrong with me, so she did refer me to the cardiac wing in the hospital, where they will test my heart rate over 24 hours, while I go about my normal life.
Are beta blockers effetive in treating elevated heart rates?
I guess this is not a common problem in diabetics then?
My normal HR is somewhere between 110-120. It annoys the heck out of my doctors, who always freak and do an EKG. My rheumatologist finally sent me to an arrhythmia specialist (this was after I had been sent to normal cardiology, where they did an echo and a stress echo just to be sure). The arrhythmia specialist said I have no arrhythmia, just sinus tachycardia, and that because I'm young (I was 21 at the time), there's nothing to worry about. So now when I go see doctors I just tell them up front that I have sinus tachycardia and it's been checked out to death and there is nothing wrong with my heart.
Is it a diabetic thing? It's possible but unlikely. My endo likes to tell the story of his sister, who had a persistent dry cough for years and no one ever found anything. One day he saw a patient who had neuropathy...in the nerves in the muscles of the lungs. He recommended to his sister that she start Lyrica, and the cough went away. It's extremely uncommon, which is why no one ever thinks of it, but my guess is that if your EKG is normal, you have nothing to worry about as far as diabetes is concerned.
I'm 25, which is probably why no one has given me drugs to control it yet. My endo is reluctant to prescribe anything other than insulin, unless it's absolutely necessary, which I completely agree with. :)
Lyrica is an anticonvulsant, isn't it? I'm already on an anticonvulsant called Lamotrigine to prevent frequent migraine attacks (2 or 3 a week). It hasn't affected my cough, though. Might be because of a different active ingredient, I guess. :)
Lots of good answers here. Mine varies from 90-100, and I've had all the tests. My internist said anything under 110 is okay. That seems pretty high to me, but the more you fret, the higher it goes.
I was just fishing for something that might be causing those headaches. Doesn't sound like thats it. They worry a lot about your heart, of course, when your diabetic. That's not a crazy high pulse rate, maybe they are just being cautious. Mine sometimes hits 180, and I get light headed, before a seizure, so they sent me for a cardio exam. Nothing out of the ordinary. Thats just me. Try stopping in at the fire station and having someone check, or check it yourself. You might be nervous in the Doc office. Mine often goes high when I'm there. They wanted me to go on BP meds, but I brought in a bunch of data, collected throughout the week, showing a pretty consistent 120/80. I'm 33.
Lyrica is approved for nerve pain and fibromyalgia. And if the tachycardia doesn't bother you, I'd leave it alone. Why take more meds than you have to?
It sounds like the cough is a direct result of your heart rate, which means that an anticonvulsant, which doesn't affect the rate of your heart, won't help it. I do wish you luck, though.
I often have a fast heart rate, and a few years ago (at age 29 or so) was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia, which basically just meants my heart rate will sometimes shoot from say 80 to 160 for no reason. For a while the doctors thought it might be inappropriate sinus tachycardia, which means my heart rate is always high, but I don’t think I have the latter because my heart rate is 70 or 80 a lot of times during the day. I had some tests to rule out anything serious, and took a beta blocker for about a year and a half when my heart rate was frequently 120-150 throughout the day. I was basically told both conditions are harmless as long as I don’t have a really high heart rate for hours on end and as long as I don’t feel dizzy or have chest pain during an episode. I have found that stress and coffee are major triggers for me, and my heart rate has gotten a lot more stable as long as I avoid those two things. My cardiologist (who I haven’t seen in over two years) also said that it’s not uncommon for young people to have these types of conditions, and that often they go away on their own after a few years.
Yes I have it. I have to watch what I eat, and stay away from salt. Hydrate a lot with plain water. Exercise. You will see a difference without medication. High heart rate is hard on the kidneys. Lisinopril is suppsosed to be protective of the kidneys. I take a small dose of that. I have felt my heart in my throat too. It is usually stress.
They are working on a study for a new medication that they think will protect diabetic kidney function. They are looking for diabetics to participate at the U of Minnesota. If you want the info, I’ll send it to you.
My migraine headaches are closely related to my BG, especially lows. When I feel a low coming on and I treat it, about 30 minutes later, it's like I was hit in the head with a hammer. It didn't even have to be that low - even a normal 4.5 mmol/l (72 mg/dl) would trigger it when it would rise after a meal. This made me keep my BG elevated to be able to have a functional life. This obviously wasn't a long term solution, so I had to get treatment from a neurologist. He said the anticonvulsant I'm on wasn't approved as a profylactic for migraines, but was very effective. He was right! :)
I get my endo consultations at a local teaching hospital, and the whole atmosphere makes my heart rate increase, but I do have a home BP/pulse measuring device, and my heart rate still is classified as "tachycardia".
I was basically told both conditions are harmless as long as I don't have a really high heart rate for hours on end and as long as I don't feel dizzy or have chest pain during an episode.
That was basically what I was told 4 years ago when they noticed it for the first time, but my endo has taken a renewed interest in it for some reason. I'm not entirely sure why... Lol
My cardiologist (who I haven't seen in over two years) also said that it's not uncommon for young people to have these types of conditions, and that often they go away on their own after a few years.
I do pretty well with the two first, but I'm lacking in the exercise department. I have started increasing my physical activity in my everyday life, like getting off the bus a few stops futher away from my school, to get some walking in. Always take the stair and stuff like that. I'm hoping it will do some good... Lol
