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Symptom or stress? Weird heart beats.

CathyN

Well-Known Member
Messages
248
Location
dorset
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
prejudice, racism, complacency, ignorance
Hi

Only just sorting myself out here! I have been borderline type 2 for a good few years I think. Now diagnosed type 2. Diet control and at the low end of scary. Diagnosed Dec 2011. Only just really engaged with the fact that I have to do something about it. I wonder if anyone else has experienced strange feelings of uneven heart beat - especially at night. I cannot say it's palpitations, just a feeling as if I'm very 'active' even when at rest. Like there's a factory in my chest!!! Ended up in casualty two weeks ago. ECG, chest x-ray etc. showed no problem with heart/lungs. In fact all was fine. Blood pressure ok. etc.

I'm aware that hypos can do this sort of thing, but I do not know whether I have ever had a hypo. It's higher glucose I have a problem with - but when I say problem, as far as I know, 11mmol/l is the highest I've recorded which was during the day, and I was feeling pretty bad - even though I know 11 isn't dreadful.

I'm fairly fit, not overweight and teach Yoga and meditation. The doctor says its stress. I am going to have a 24hr ECG thing, but I wondered if these weird fizzy feelings are attributable to blood glucose levels at all?

It is a little bit scary.

CathyN
 
Hi,

I'm new to all this so can only say from my experience. I too on a night usually when trying to go to sleep felt like my heart was beating very fast, even what I can only explain as a pause then it would start again. Had an ecg which was normal. Since changing my diet this has stopped so I'm assuming it must have been something to to with my blood sugar. Not sure if this is much help.

Jennie x
 
Hi Cathy,

A rapid pulse may or may not be a symptom of something else or could be stress. Either way if you have any other symptoms for example extreme loss of weight, shaky, sweaty, always hungry and possibly diorreah it could be an overactive thyroid.

Out of interest do any of these other symptoms apply and have you had your thyroid checked?

Hope you find out what it is as simply worring about it could make it worse.

Good luck and let us know

Lucy xxx
 
I also have the same thing, its as if my heart is racing, and I also get a fluttering feeling, mainly happens in the evening when I am resting, and also when I go to bed, I have had an ecg which was normal. I dont know whether its the diabetes or not, I also suffer terrible from night sweats, I seem to spend the whole night throwing the covers off, the sweat just pours from me, this has been happeing for quite some time now, I wish I could get it sorted. Good luck and let us know how things go.

Alison
 
Thanks so much for replying. It looks like we all did the right thing with the ECG tests. In answer to the thyroid question, yes - I had thyroid function checked and it was fine - but I know that these symptoms can indicate thyroid problems. At one point, I was convinced it was related to alcohol consumption. My consumption is fairly low, but these feelings seemed worse if I'd had a glass or two of wine. And as you say Jennie, I have thought that my heart suddenly stopped and started again.
You say that since changing your diet , it has stopped. Would you mind telling me if you are on low carbs?

Thanks again everyone who replied.

Cathyx
 
Hi,

I started by buying a diet plate and really cutting down basically doing the NHS suggested diet and in the last two months lost nearly 3 stone now. After reading on this website about the benefits of low carbs I changed - still smaller portions but have cut out bread and am trying to keep to about 90/100g carbs a day, still alot compared to some on this site, but so far I feel great loads of energy and go on the cross trainer for 20-30mins a day. and go jogging!
As yet I haven't got a blood glucose meter but am getting one at my next appointment (stupidly I declined one on my initial appointment because I thought I'd obsess) but I assume its lower because on diagnoses I just slept all the time and had every classic symptom going yet have had no symptoms since changing my diet. Fingers crossed


Hope this helps
Jennie x
 
Could it be a anxiety attack?
 
Hi Cathy,

I have the same problem - I ended up in A&E twice this month because my heart was racing. I was told I had mild tachycardia which one doctor said could well be poor blood sugar management.
My medication was changed, so now I have to see if that gets my B.S to go down and stay even and then I have to see if it stops the erratic, fast heartbeat.

It does get worse at night for me, so I fully sympathize with you.
I hope you get some relief from it soon.

~BF x
 
Thanks BlindFaith

And good luck with your new medication. I have had further advice that eating a high fat , low carb diet may bring on heart arhythmia - which I think is irregular heart rhythms. I've only done one week of relatively low carbs but am now completely confused. i'm still waiting for them to do this 24hour ECG - they stick a meter to you and you don't panic and carry on ............
Good luck anyway!

CathyN
 
I spent an hour or two in the Cardiac unit on Monday suffering from tachycardia... ECG, Stress test, scan done and all normal... Waiting for results of 24 hour monitoring on Sunday( weekend is Friday /Saturday here). It's scary isn't it? I'm also wondering if it's BS related or perhaps even hormonal? Will have to wait & see what Cardiologist says.
 
Cathy - although the diet calls for it, I try not to eat too much high fat foods as I don't tolerate it too well.
I think it's more a case of listening to your body and finding out what it likes and doesn't like - that's how I found out I can't tolerate milk or butter but I can have small amounts of cheese and natural yogurt. I can't tolerate wheat at all.
You'll find out pretty quickly what works best for you, though if you're impatient like me you'll want to find out sooner rather than later :lol:

I've just noticed you're from Dorset - hello from another Dorset girlie :wave:
 
Hello !!

Thanks for all the info and encouragement. At the moment, I'm trying to cut down on refined carbs and test regularly to see what other carbs are doing to my BG - today I'm testing Burgen Soy/Linseed bread, which gets mentioned on here fairly frequently. But I am aware that I need a well balanced diet, I could not tolerate a high fat/protein one either. Yes - I am impatient too , and I want to arrive at a diet that keeps me as close to normal as it's possible to get. Just done 7 days of testing before and after every meal etc.
I think I've got a bit of overload - too much info and how to sort out the best info for myself - because I'm beginning to see that dealing with it is a very individual thing and we all have different things going on. I'm touching wood and feeling blessed that at the moment, apart from not being able to have children, this is the only time that my body has not worked properly.

Bye from blustery Dorset x
 
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