Rapid Heart Beat?

[grace's voice]

Sorry... I'm just freaking out today.

For the past 3 or 4 weeks my heart has been beating fast and hard, like I can look down and see my shirt shaking from it. Is this a normal pg thing or something to worry about? I'm also really dizzy and feel like I can't get enough air.

[pantufla]

You should really go get checked out. But in my personal experience, I always go through a phase in pregnancy where my heart beats rapidly and I breathe heavily at the slightest exersion -- I always put it down to my body trying to make extra blood for the baby. But you really should get checked out.

[Dabble]

It's called tachycardia, and it warrants a prompt and thorough medical exam. Most of the time, it is nothing, and there isn't a specific reason to be found for it, but it is something that needs to be looked into and noted by your primary care provider.

Throughout my first pregnancy, I had sporadic bouts of tachycardia, and it was important that my midwife was aware of it. Just so happens I had a significant hemorrhage at my son's birth, and my heart rate shot to 160 bpm. Had my midwife not been aware of my history, there would have been far more intrusive intervention to bring it back into normal range. As it was, she was able to focus on controlling the bleeding and understand that I was having a simple tachycardiac episode.

[nuwavemomma]

Just popping in because I saw this thread. Have your thyroid checked out. Mine went a *little* hyperactive during the first tri and resolved on its own, but it did need to be monitored. I was waking up with a heart like a race horse in the middle of the night. It was scary, but ultimately not a problem at all. HTH

[~Mamaterra~]

Unfortunately, I am the resident expert on this. It is called sinus tachycardia and it is totally benign (meaning not harmful). The hemodynamics of pregnancy increase the base heart rate of all pregnant women and can cause up to 40% of woman to have bouts of sinus tachycardia.

If you need reassurance that you are OK, go seek medical advice. But I can tell you as a woman with a congential heart defect that is severly exacerbated during pregnancy, I am tachycardiac all the time and the cardiologist isn't worried. It is totally normal.

But just because it is totally normal doesn't mean it feels good. Trust me, somedays it freaks the sh!t out of me....

[Funny Face]

Although it's likely benign I would have a physician check it out. They should check your oxygen saturation. Pulmonary embolism is a slightly higher risk in pregnancy and although it's rare I've seen it happen. It doesn't sound like PE but you should talk to a doc to screen for that or a few other possible problems.

Hope everything checks out A okay!

[fiveyearsapart]

Are you keeping fluids down? I get this way when my nausea prevents me from drinking enough. Hope you feel better soon.

[grace's voice]

Originally Posted by fiveyearsapart

Are you keeping fluids down? I get this way when my nausea prevents me from drinking enough. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm DEFINATELY dehydrated... I've only been able to get down, maybe, 20 ounces of water per DAY. I normally shoot for half my body weight in ounces.

I got a chiro adjustment today and my back was out in an area that used to cause me to have PVC (premature ventricular contractions). It hasn't happened since the adjustment, so hopefully that was it. Now that I'm thinking about it, I believe I did have some of this during my last pg too.

Hopefully it'll be okay, cuz I don't have a primary care provider, or a midwife, or health insurance:... yeah, this pregnancy was SO not planned.

[Funny Face]

I hope that was it, glad you're okay!

[~Mamaterra~]

Originally Posted by grace's voice

I got a chiro adjustment today and my back was out in an area that used to cause me to have PVC (premature ventricular contractions).

Just for your reassurance, PVCs are totally normal too. Just as long as they are not back to back to back causing you to go into Ventricular Fibulation. I have thousands of PVCs and PAC (premature atricular contractions) daily. Again, a really shitty feeling but well within the realm of normal...

[grace's voice]

Originally Posted by ~Mamaterra~

Just for your reassurance, PVCs are totally normal too. Just as long as they are not back to back to back causing you to go into Ventricular Fibulation. I have thousands of PVCs and PAC (premature atricular contractions) daily. Again, a really shitty feeling but well within the realm of normal...

That's what my doctor said when I first started having them. It's scary though when they're happening every other beat and you're thinking your literally a heartbeat away from fibulation! When I used to get them I would get so tired the only thing that kept me awake all day was the panic attacks I would have out of fear that I was dying. I'm sure you can sympathize. Scary stuff.

I had some rapid beating today, but only after I put in some laundry and climbed the stairs, and it got better when I sat down and deep breathed for a few mintues.