Anyone else have experience with cardiac issues during pregnancy? « Back to Group Discussions

[J1379]

I'm hoping someone else has been through something similar to help me feel better about what is going on with me.  This is baby #3 (pregnancy #6) and this is the first time I'm dealing with this.  Randomly and without a noticeable cause my heart rate has been increasing to a very rapid rate - which then increases my breathing rate.  It has occurred at random times in the day when I am not doing any strenous tasks (e.g. having a shower, working on the computer etc.).  It really scared me the first time it happened....I wasn't sure what was going on!!  After about 15-20 min. my heart rate slowly began to go back to normal.  I consulted with my OB the next day after it first happened and now I have been referred to a cardiologist.  The cardiologist is sending me for a slew of tests next week which will hopefully shed some light on what is happening...or at the very least help to ease my mind that the functioning of my heart is good and that perhaps the issues are purely related to hormone fluctuations and increased blood volume (as my OB is hoping...but he was concerned considering my first episode was at 5W which is a bit early to see a major change in blood volume).  Anyone else ever experience something similar?

[GoBecGo]

I have more ectopic beats when i'm pregnant (palpitations).  If they last more than a few seconds i just do a valsalva and they stop.  Because they don't continue i assume they are benign, my mother had serious cardiac issues with irregular beats and tachycardia caused my atrial and ventricular fibrillation.  Valsalva did no nothing for her.  My friend has had a few racing arrythmia's too, she ended up in hospital, where they ran a few tests then gave her a syringe and told her to blow hard into the closed end (to do a valsalva) and it stopped.  She has medication just in case a valsalva doesn't work at any point but i don't think it's happened to her much since.

[LemonPie]

Yes, I get some tachycardia issues that flare up when I'm pg.  I was diagnosed with it in my 20s--went through the whole cardiac work-up (Holter monitor, echo, etc.).  A while later I was diagnosed with PCOS, and when that was treated it went away.  Now I just get it during the first trimester of my pregnancies, so I've sort of come to the conclusion that it's hormone related.
 

[tiqa]

When I was an inpatient last week they kept fussing about my heart rates - they even did an EKG.  Apparently my blood pressure keeps dropping crazy-low (like 50/30) and heart rate keeps speeding up, which is NOT normal for me, even during pg.  I really don't know what's up... =/

[J1379]

So I went to see the cardiologist and was sent for a battery of tests and have been diagnosed with SVT - likely brought on my hormones.  Right now the cardiologist is just going to monitor me every 6 weeks as he does not want to prescribe any meds if he doesn't have to - and I am 110% behind that thought.  Taking any sort of medications during my pregnancy would be awful - but in the end I also can't risk having some sort of cardiac event during my pregnancy.  So really its a risk benefit analysis here.  Good thing is that he thinks the issue should resolve once the pregnancy is over but said things could come back to haunt me when I hit menopause!  This is our last baby so that would be my next big "hormone change".  I'm definitely very anxious everytime my heart races, but thankfully he has shown me some vagus breathing techniques (basically you bear down like you are pushing your baby out!) which helps to slow my heart down.  I have been using my phone to track when one happens so that I can go back to my next appointment with a clear picture of just how frequently this is all happening.  I'm just hoping it resolves itself soon....maybe once I'm out of the 1st trimester and the major hormone fluctuations are out of the way?  Here's hoping!