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Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else??? (Read 27970 times)
bluewillow
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Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Jul 02nd, 2008, 1:10pm
 
Hello everyone,
I'm new to this forum but definitely not new to palpitations.   :'( :'( (Hi Seffie and thanks so much for the link to here!) I have had them off and on for about two years and, after a complete cardio work-up about a year and a half ago, was told by my cardiologist that they were definitely hormone related (I am definitely menopausal).  So, I don't really think they're dangerous (but there are some scary times), the palps are really driving me insane.  Going along with them is a vibration in my chest, with or without skipped beats.  It is almost like my heart is jerking in my chest.  Does anyone else have this vibration thing and what is it and what can I do???   :'(  
Thank you very much and Happy Fourth of July, everyone!!!
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RLR
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #1 - Jul 2nd, 2008, 5:03pm
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. You'll find the members here to be very supportive and helpful. They are a fine group.

Let's talk a minute about your symptoms. If you haven't already done so, I'd like you to visit the general forum section and read my postings entitled HEART PALPITATIONS 101, PARTS 1 through 6. This will give you a little better idea of what's actually happening when palpitations of this type occur.

So, let's examine your specific complaint. The sensation that the chest is vibrating can come about for many reasons. Sometimes it's due to what we call paroxysmal atrial tachycardia or PAT. It's harmless, but can cause strange sensations and sometimes dizziness or light-headedness. Many people with thyroid conditions, hormonal changes, anxiety disorder, even those without such disorders can infrequently experience a run of PAT.

Benign palpitations that are associated with vagus nerve stimulation can also produce a similar, but less lengthy, sensation if the atria are primarily affected. The atria are smaller, less forceful and less muscular than the ventricles and serve mostly as resevoirs in serving the ventricles. The heart should always be regarded as a muscle first, and organ second, in order to realize what kind of impact palpitations can cause.

Lastly, another common cause is muscle spasm of the fast twitch variety. Chest muscles tend to be very large and can experience spasm just as easily as a leg cramp, although the sensation is more precarious because it is providing a sort of tympany drum effect by exerting the vibration onto the torso that is cavernous to some extent.

So to differentiate, it's mostly a matter of duration. If these sensations are extremely brief and occur irregularly, then it's likely due to vagus nerve stimulation. If they are more lengthy, say 60 seconds or longer and occur with more of a tempo, then it's more likely to be from PAT and only an ECG can more properly differentiate. Muscle spasms can follow either pattern. The fact that you've had a complete work-up would tend to make them more likely the cause of simple vagus nerve stimulation or secondarily, muscle spasm. If you've had a thyroid profile performed as well, it would be of diagnostic value as well since the thyroid can cause this type of disturbance to occur and particularly if a person is undergoing significant change in hormonal levels.

So it would be beneficial here to know more about the specific nature of the events; how long they last, if they are interrupted by anything such as belching, drinking liquids, changes in body position etc., and what, if any, other symptoms you experience at the time they occur.

I'm glad to hear that you don't regard the instances as dangerous, which is a real head start to overcoming their effects.

We'll talk more.

Best regards and Good Health
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Best Regards and Good Health
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bluewillow
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #2 - Jul 2nd, 2008, 6:52pm
 
Hi RLR! Thank you so much for your response and for directing me to your posts in the Heart Palps 101 section-- I will definitely read them carefully.  I am excited about finding this board and look forward to exploring all the helpful things here.

Wow, you have really opened my eyes about the heart being a muscle first and organ second!!   That is a great way to look at it.

The vibrations are irregular and don't last very and don't happen constantly.  And I don't always have the skipped beats with the vibrations, and vice versa.  So often I find myself engrossed in something and I will stop and realize, "hey, no vibrations or palpitations in a while".  A change in body position, especially at night, definitely has an affect on the palps, as do the easing of GERD symptoms, with which I was diagnosed a couple of years ago.  And could very well be a muscle, in fact that is what my cardiologist suggested after a holter monitor thankfully revealed far less irregular beats than I expected.  

My palps (and possibly the vibrations) are most definitely related to menopause and hormonal imbalance, as well as anxiety.  I have heard from other ladies in menopause that they have a "buzzing" sensation, which could be what I am experiencing.  I will mention that I just recently finished chemotherapy and radiation for early stage breast cancer-- quite an anxiety-producing event in my life!  (Whew, I have a lot of things involved in these palps, don't I?)  I am also having regular echocardiograms to make sure no heart damage has occurred from the chemo, and so far, I've checked out just fine.  And because of the breast cancer, I can no longer take HRT, which truly worked wonders for my palps up until I had to discontinue it.

The road to convincing myself that the palps are harmless was a long and difficult one, as many here can relate.  I guess you might say I've backslid somewhat when the vibrations seem to be amplified recently.  But I succeed in reminding myself that I am still ok and don't have that "am I going to drop dead" feeling nagging me constantly.

Thank you again for providing me with some great resources and information, and I bet I will sleep better tonight than in a long while...

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seffie
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #3 - Jul 3rd, 2008, 7:46am
 
Hi Bluewillow!
just wanted to say welcome to this forum & I hope it helps you!
Good to see someone from PS posting here, maybe some of the other girls will post too!!
Hope you're feeling better after RLR's post!
love Seffie xx
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kiwiblue
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #4 - Jul 3rd, 2008, 6:29pm
 
Hi, Seffie...I am from PS.  I was so glad to have found this site thru PS.  I am feeling and thinking about things soooooooo much better.  

kiwiblue
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seffie
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #5 - Jul 4th, 2008, 8:12am
 
Hi Kiwi!
welcome to the board too!! I just wish we were able to give details of this site on PS so that other women could benefit too!
Glad it's helping you!
love Seffie xx
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bluewillow
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #6 - Jul 4th, 2008, 8:53am
 
Hi Seffie and Kiwiblue, my PS buddies!!  
This IS a great forum and I have been helped already in the short time I've been here!   Kiwiblue, glad you're feeling much better!  And Seffie, like you said, I wish more info could be posted on PS about it-- it would help so many ladies like us!

Take care and have a great weekend!  

Mary Jo  Smiley
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carol
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #7 - Jul 15th, 2008, 10:00pm
 
Hi bluewillow, I just wanted to say that I share the heart vibration sensations! The drs. have ruled out anything serious with me, although my thyroid numbers are jumping around a bit and I'm perimenopausal (I'm 50). I personally believe my symptoms are related to fluctuating hormones, although I don't know for sure. I seem to feel better when I'm having my period, which isn't often these days! I can have whole days (and nights) of feeling these vibrating / trembling / heart beating sensations in my upper body, which are sometimes very uncomfortable and scary. Physiologically, I don't really know what's happening in there, though. I no longer have the ectopics and severe tachycardia events that started this all for me which is definitely a blessing. Interested in how the HRT helped your palps? So far my Dr. hasn't suggested this. I think the magnesium I'm taking helps a bit, although I don't want to stop taking it to check!

Best wishes, Carol
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bluewillow
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #8 - Jul 17th, 2008, 6:29pm
 
carol wrote on Jul 15th, 2008, 10:00pm:
Hi bluewillow, I just wanted to say that I share the heart vibration sensations! The drs. have ruled out anything serious with me, although my thyroid numbers are jumping around a bit and I'm perimenopausal (I'm 50). I personally believe my symptoms are related to fluctuating hormones, although I don't know for sure. I seem to feel better when I'm having my period, which isn't often these days! I can have whole days (and nights) of feeling these vibrating / trembling / heart beating sensations in my upper body, which are sometimes very uncomfortable and scary. Physiologically, I don't really know what's happening in there, though. I no longer have the ectopics and severe tachycardia events that started this all for me which is definitely a blessing. Interested in how the HRT helped your palps? So far my Dr. hasn't suggested this. I think the magnesium I'm taking helps a bit, although I don't want to stop taking it to check!

Best wishes, Carol


Hi Carol! Wow, it's very reassuring to know someone else has this crazy vibrating thing.  I too am convinced it is hormone and stress related.  Since I don't have periods any more thanks to my hysterectomy four years ago, I have learned to keep a mental record of when I have these spells and they do come at certain times of the month.  I have begun taking my magnesium supplements (actually a calcium/mag/zinc combination) again and I have seen an improvement already.  It has even helped the ectopic beats calm down.  I was taking this supplement for a while then stopped when I got my breast cancer diagnosis last summer-- mainly because I was taking so many meds I had to leave off something!  Roll Eyes  Before I got the BC diagnosis, I was on HRT--began with Premarin in various doses and it helped for a short while then I started feeling worse.  My gyn switched me to the Vivelle Dot patch and it worked wonders for me, and I noticed results very quickly.  Even though my breast tumor was not estrogen-fed, I just don't want to risk using HRT now.   Shocked But I highly recommend it to anyone who can take it safely.
I wish you the best and I hope this helps you, because you've helped me!  Take care and good luck!
Mary Jo
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carol
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #9 - Jul 18th, 2008, 2:05pm
 
Thanks Mary Jo! I'm reluctant to start HRT as I keep reading of women trying to wean themselves off of it. But it might be worth exploring as I've been having horrible symptoms for about 4 days and nights now ... all I've read from RLR and elsewhere indicate that the bouts should be of shorter duration. I don't mean to hijack this thead Smiley but if RLR is reading, he wrote:

"If you've had a thyroid profile performed as well, it would be of diagnostic value as well since the thyroid can cause this type of disturbance to occur and particularly if a person is undergoing significant change in hormonal levels."

Could being on the hypo side (T3 and T4 at the very bottom of the range, although I have NO hypo symptoms) plus being perimenopausal cause these continuous heart symptoms?? I have no skipped beats, just a relentless awareness of my heartbeat in my upper body, in my ears (esp. at night which stops me sleeping), and a tremulousness in my chest and arms. My heartrate is usually normal or just slightly elevated. I really am vibrating -- if I try to keep my front teeth close together but not touching I can't do it, they jump together all the time!! I am just longing to wake up and feel normal ...

Carol
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seffie
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #10 - Jul 19th, 2008, 2:22am
 
Hi Carol,
just wanted to say that internal vibrating sensations are common amongst women in peri. I'm not sure if you've ever visited the site but the menopause site 'Powersurge' has a thread for this very symptom.
I have experienced this too, it feels very odd but I don't let it worry me too much now. Not sure what causes it though, some women say magnesium supplements have helped.
Hope this helps!
love Seffie xx
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #11 - Jul 19th, 2008, 9:06pm
 
Hi--yes, I have and am experiencing this, too.  Had some of it today.  Almost sent me into a full-blown panic attack.  Had to really talk myself down.    Hope you are all doing better.  I am actually doing a lot better this evening.  I am so grateful for RLR who has made a huge difference in how I get thru these episodes.  Thanks again, RLR--

K
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #12 - Jul 20th, 2008, 8:54am
 
((((Blue))))


I'm so thankful that Seffie brought us over here, it's a wonderful place to beSmiley

I'm sorry that you are having these dreaded palps as well, they're unnerving arent they?!  Though I haven't experienced the vibrating (yet), I can totally relate to the palps, HATE THEM!

I hope you're feeling better soonSmiley

Hugs,
Karen
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bluewillow
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Re: Vibration in chest with palps-anyone else???
Reply #13 - Jul 22nd, 2008, 3:14pm
 
Karen03 wrote on Jul 20th, 2008, 8:54am:
((((Blue))))


I'm so thankful that Seffie brought us over here, it's a wonderful place to beSmiley

I'm sorry that you are having these dreaded palps as well, they're unnerving arent they?!  Though I haven't experienced the vibrating (yet), I can totally relate to the palps, HATE THEM!

I hope you're feeling better soonSmiley

Hugs,
Karen


Hi Karen!  And hugs back to you too!  Yes, big thanks to Seffie!

Since I have started taking my magnesium again, after being a slacker (oooh I hate taking medicine, even more so now!), I must say mine have improved a lot.  But I still get the vibrating and the skipped beats-- it's like they still have to let me know they're still there!  Roll Eyes

I hope you are doing well and it's so nice to hear from you!  Take care......

Mary Jo
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