Thalassemia Patients and Friends
Discussion Forums => Thalassemia-related Issues => Topic started by: olivia on June 22, 2008, 04:16:01 PM
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Hi,
I'm a Thal Major and recently I have been experiencing fast heart beat (heart palpitation) for no reason. It does not give me any signal and it just happen anytime and anywhere. The first time it occur was last yr when I was walking at my empty site. Eventually it occur quite frequent. It can happen to me anytime of the day. Whether I am at work or out having dinner or while sitting down at home watching TV. Every heart palpitation lasted for 2mins or so. I'm not a smoker but I am a social drinker.Could it be due to my social drinking?
I have checked with my heart doctor and they had run echo test, ECG test and even halter test on me. My doctor told me my heart is not enlarged and it's in a very good condition. In fact she told me that my heart beats actually improved.
Have anyone (esp thal major) experienced this?? Why did it happened?? Was it due to stress or anxiety?
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Hi olivia :
i i also fel like that many time some condition u mentioned in ur post i m experiencing .... same diagnose ..... but it happens ... when it will happen next even i cant gues .... i also want the answer y it happens ......... so wait for andy's reply
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Heart palpitations can be caused by several things in thalassemics. Iron overload in the heart which weakens the heart muscle is one possibility. This can be diagnosed by scans such as T2* and SQUID. Heart scans are highly recommended as even patients with low ferritin who have been faithful chelators can still find themselves with iron overload in the heart. An aggressive chelation program can reverse this overload. Low Hb can also lead to palps. Another important piece of knowledge for thals concerns what controls the electrical impulses in the heart. There are two sides to each heartbeat. One side is controlled by calcium and the other side of the beat is controlled by magnesium. Palpitations can occur if the balance between calcium and magnesium in the body upset. This sometimes happens when one takes calcium supplements without magnesium. When taking calcium it is best to take it with magnesium and vitamin D to aid absorption.
There is a difference between heart palpitations and what is called heart arrhythmia. If your heart suddenly starts to beat fast it may be an arrhythmia. From http://www.thalassemia.org/sections.php?sec=2&tab=10&sub=37 This whole page is good reading concerning the heart in thals.
Most people occasionally feel their heart beat very fast, experience a fluttering in their chest, or notice that their heart skips a beat. One of the most common arrhythmias is sinus arrhythmia, the change in heart rate that can occur normally when we take a breath. These experiences may cause anxiety, but for the majority of people they are completely harmless.
You should not panic if you experience a few flutters or your heart races occasionally. But if you have questions about your heart rhythm or symptoms, check with your doctor.
Your description sounds more like an arrhythmia than palpitations. These are somewhat common in thals and are not believed to be a problem in most cases.
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Thanks Andy for the info.
I think my problem might be due to the unbalance between calcium and magnesium or it might be arrhythmia. Either way I will check with my doctor.