Has anyone else developed irregular heartbeats? I've been T1 for over 20 years and have started experiencing them, espcially during lows. Everytime I've had an EKG done, my cardiologist has said it looks fine. He's prescribed me beta blockers for when I have episodes, but they make me feel sleepy and not myself.
I developed atrial flutter about two years ago. Neither my endo nor my cardiologist believe it’s attributable to my diabetes. Like other heartbeat irregularities, it’s not always present when the EKG is done. It’s irregular!!
Anyway, if you don’t like the side effects of the meds your doctor gave you, ask for different meds. Those meds are slowing down your heart, so it’s no surprise that you feel sleepy.
Terry
Six months ago I had an EKG and it was normal, but at my last two endo appointments, she has felt that my pulse has varied way too much. At check in it will be one thing and then when she checks it at the begining of the appointment it will be different and then again at the end of hte appointment, different again. I’m having an ECHO this week b/c she basically said that she just doesn’t feel right about that pulse thing.
She also started me on lisinopril for BP this week.
Adrenaline is often released in a hypo (or at least, if there’s some hypo awareness, that’s a different issue!)
It’s easy to imagine that adrenaline gets your heart pumping in ways that it may not otherwise. Does your cardiologist know about the adrenaline connection? Somehow doing an EKG while you are hypo, or at least with adrenaline running around, seems like it would be more useful.
The adrenaline and hypo can also alter your awareness of your heartbeat. Sometimes the “brain contracting” effects of a hypo can make me either completely ignore what my body is telling me, or result in me concentrating so hard on what my body is telling me that I cannot do anything else.
Tim, that’s exactly what my Endo told me, adrenaline & another hormone? whose name I have forgotten are both released for low BG & can cause rapid heart beat. Two summers ago I had a scary episode where my heart started beating so fast my whole body shook at times, I happened to have an Endo appointment that afternoon, as it was still beating really fast he sent me straight over to emergency. Eventually they brought my heart back to normal, still no reason for this, I had several much briefer episodes but none for the past year. But I did notice my heart beat went up when BG went down
I was having episodes of irregular heartbeats which did show up on a monitor. They were PACs (Premature atrial contractions, sometimes called PAC or APC, or premature supraventricular contractions: Another part of the atria sends an electrical impulse soon after the previous beat, causing the heart to contract earlier than expected. This is a very common occurrence in all ages and usually is not serious.) They lasted for hours at a time, sometimes for more than 12 hours, over a period of several weeks and were really uncomfortable. They have mostly stopped now and looking back, I think they were caused by being over medicated for my hypothyroid condition.
I have always skipped a beat so I don’t think I’m here yet.
It is hard to diagnose you need an EKG while it is happening. I pop some aspirin with milk when it occurs to prevent stroke. In my former bosses case ( a non diabetic) it became so severe he had a pacemaker implanted.
I also have a varied pulse as well, but my cardiologist didn’t seem too concerned about it. I wear a heart rate monitor when I exercise, and have also worn it when I’m not execising to see where I’m at. My pulse can go from 70 to 110 just from getting up from a chair and walking around. I’ve also found that during lows, my heart rate will get up over 100.
HI Doug,
I’ve had occasional PVCs (preventricular contractions) throughout my life. I started a statin and suddenly they were constant. (I had 5000 in 24 hours.) I went through the EKG, ultrasound, treadmill stress test, etc. and the cardiologist said they weren’t dangerous and I would be fine. But guess what, I stopped taking the statin and they went back to being just occasional. I do take a betablocker for blood pressure. It’s also used for anxiety and that’s the calm, slightly sleepy effect you can get. Your body will get used to it tho.
Before my open heart surgery, my heart was beating fast always near 96. Now I must take beta blockers and it’s 59 and when I walk 80 and when I walk in the mountains 98, 110. But I lived many years with a WPW (wolf Parkinson White or White Parkinson Wolf!)I think I got two electric impulses system(?) and with that my heart could beat 200 or more and it’s lethal. I never got this trouble in my childhood. I had an operation, six months after my big surgery, and the technology was coming from USA! (thank you, to help and save people!).
When I have lows my heart is a little faster and I remembered that it was irregular.
EKG sometimes does not catch a condition called atrial fibrulation when the arythmia is not constant. My husband has afib and I can tell you all of the meds he takes cause some fatigue. I think you need another sit down with the cardiologist to discuss ecocardiogram or even TEE (scope) testing to insure you are not at risk for blood clots or stroke. Take your meds until some other course of treatment has been discussed…I’m assuming you are already using asprin or some other blood thinner therapy. For my guy, a CPAP machine has reduced his overall fatigue. You should also have had a thyroid test as problems with your thyroid can cause irregular heartbeats. good luck!
My heart skips a beat occasionally, and beats pretty hard if i drop low, but that’s all.
Never seems to go much below 95 though. i think that’s just cause i’m so young though. Dr. doesn’t seem worried about it.