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Waking up to a racing heart in the mornings

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Posted 8/31/2015 1:16 PM (GMT 0)
So I was slowly improving over the past few months. I thought I actually turned that elusive corner people talked about. I still had issues and some days were better than others, but I overall was better than I was. Then last week I woke up at early, around 5am-ish to go to the bathroom, and I felt my heat racing fast and hard. I felt it through my whole body, just terrible and aweful feeling. It was really scary. I took a couple aspirin, tried to cool down, laid down and just tried to control my breathing. Eventually it slowed down but I felt just off all day. My stomach felt bad and I didn't have a ton of energy for anything. The next couple days went better, I thought it was just a random episode. But then it happened again. Then the next couple days were ok again and then it happened it again. I've had about 3 straight days of this. The only good thing is that my recovery time seems to be faster. Since my stomach has been off, I don't take aspirin right away anymore, instead I lay down, control my breathing and rub the front of my neck.

I'm on a customized herbal and supplement protocol. I did become lax with a couple of them, but didn't expect any reaction like that. My only other new symptom that I think is connected is that my throat has felt a bit sore lately. I don't know if I have strep throat or some other infection or if this is related to my Lyme or anaplasmosis at all?

I'm trying to see my primary, but can't until the end of september. Right now I'm debating if I should just try to walk in and get an appointment or just go to urgent care.

I know there are people on the forum with heart issues, but has anyone experienced anything like this? I think it's weird that they tend to happen when I'm asleep around 4:30-5am. Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!
Posted 8/31/2015 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear of these issues!

When was the last time you had your thyroid checked? And, if it was checked, did the doctor run the FreeT4 and FreeT3 tests?

Lyme is famous for causing hypothyroidism and the issues you describe are common with that.

Also, some of the supplements we take can actually lower thyroid function. ALA is one of them.

Does increased detoxing help? If so, you have your answer.

It certainly wouldn't hurt to go to urgent care for a throat swab and possibly an EEG. Always better to be safe than sorry.

No matter what, I hope you feel better soon!

D
Posted 8/31/2015 3:05 PM (GMT 0)
Lyme can also cause tachycardia. It is a symptom with babesia and lyme.
Posted 8/31/2015 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
One of my first symptoms after being bit was a heartbeat I could feel throughout my whole body. I am now 4 months since my bite and my heart is still racing at times. I have a blood pressure monitor and my b/p will be 117/67 and my pulse will be 105. I am relaxed, calm and resting in my fav chair. It can happen at all times of the day or night. Try as I may to make it calm down, I can't control it. It is on the list to ask my LLMD at the next visit. Right now being relaxed and typing I can hear my pulse in my head.

Oh and the sore throat. I got that too and yet I knew it wasn't from sinus infection, strep, etc. It felt different. My doc said it was swollen lymph nodes from the Lyme. Then I got the swollen ones under the arm pit.

I'm not a doc, but just wanted to share what my symptoms are. We are all so different and we all will have different symptoms. My LLMD says that Lyme loves a weak spot. If you have an injury or an organ just a little compromised it will head right there to cause havoc. I obviously have a weak spot on the back of my head because I have had head pain (I refuse to call it a headache) for 2 months.

Wish I could be more helpful. I think with any treatment you can't get lax. Maybe start back up on your herbs until you can get into the doc in Sept. But, if you look in your throat and see white or gray patches on a very red throat, then use urgent care and see if it is strep.
Posted 8/31/2015 3:50 PM (GMT 0)
My thyroid was an issue for a while. My TSH was really high but then I changed some of my diet, I think I was eating too much kale, and it came down. It was still high but a "normal" high. My thyroid is on my theory list.

I just think it's strange that it always happens around the same. One of my other theories is herxing, cause my detoxing was one of the things I became lax in. I'm taking BLt, which has some detoxing ingredients in it, plus pinella and burbur, my diet is as clean as I can get it, though very boring and repetitive. I ran out of mustard for my foot baths and I know I should, but I don't take a binder.

I'm also wondering if its related to my stomach in any way. I'm noticing a connection with that. If my stomach is better than everything else is okay. But if my stomach ain't feeling right, then I have a lot of issues. I've been burping and feeling some heart burn lately. And in a weird way, before I go to the bed the night before, I feel off in way that tells me I'm going to have one of these "episodes." I thought maybe anxiety , but I've had anxiety attacks that put me in the ER before, and this isn't like those.

Sleep Apnea also came into the discussion, but I know that would require some sleep studies.

It's just sooooo frustrating because I felt like I was making progress.

PeteZa, I also had that weird head ache for a long while. it got a little better after I stopped my abx. Then it get even better when I started addressing my neck and back issues. I have some serious trigger points.

*Sigh* I miss me.
Posted 9/1/2015 2:48 AM (GMT 0)
Cheetahjade,

That's no fun. I'm things are rough for you right now. I don't know a lot about it, but have you heard of POTS? Standing up can trigger heart symptoms (an irregular heartbeat). You said this happens when you wake up in the morning. So, that is why I wonder about POTS. I don't know a lot about it.

My worst racing heart / irregular heartbeat symotoms have happened when taking Levaquin (Yikes!) and Serrapeptase / Nattokinase. I think I had major herxing going on. I have heart symptoms at other times too.

I definitely believe some chest pain (not all) might be related to the gut. Are you taking Nystatin or anything to prevent yeast / fungal issues?

I would recommend calling your LLMD and getting a cardio referral to check things out (if you have not already). If you already have a cardiologist, I would call and let them know what is going on.

I am so sorry you're going through this. It is very scary when my heart starts pounding out of control. I know what it feels like. shakehead

I hope you feel better soon!
Posted 9/1/2015 1:25 PM (GMT 0)
At the beginning had this more--waves of heart racing.
Posted 9/1/2015 5:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Cheetah J,
I'm sorry you're going through this. I can only tell you that , I now have the heart racing/palpitations almost daily. Mine started about 5 months into being on Banderol and Cats Claw although I don't think this was the cause.
Once it was so bad that my husband took me to the nearest E.R. Nothing alarming was found other than an arrhythmia and my usually low BP skyrocketed.
After a thorough follow up with a cardiologist he could find nothing to explain it.
My Lyme doc switched me to Beyond Balance BB-1 which Ive been on for 2 months with no change in the heart palpitations.

I agree with Sarah M , from what Ive read about Babesia this is a classic symptom.

Re sleep apnea, I was tested for it after the heart problems began and definitely had a moderate to severe case of it. I came short of getting the CPap when my apnea started to disappear.

Although what you have Sounds like Lyme, you should first get a full cardio work up to make sure there's nothing more serious happening. When it comes to the heart we have to listen to any possible warning signs.

And as a last note, you can expect your cardiologist to think you're a little kooky when you ask him if it could be related to Lyme Disease, lol. I think mine did.

Pls let us know how this turns out. Ill be seeing a new LLMD next week so if he finds a way to relieve the heart racing I will let you know. Best wishes.
Posted 9/3/2015 1:26 AM (GMT 0)
awe, sorry to hear this, its aweful I know. I had severe anxiety when i was first sick with lyme, and didn't know it yet. I would wake up with my heart racing as well, but it was more of a panic attack issue. So it could be a "symptom" of lyme and you may want to try the baths as CD mentioned. I am leaning towards it possibly being a panic issue with you as well, especially since it happens around the same time every morning. The more it happens, the more the subconscience worries that it will happen again - especially in your sleep, we all know our subconscience takes over while we sleep!!


My heart also would race and palpitate when I drank alcohol (didnt know I had lyme yet at this point either)!! Finally, I had my heart palpitate every time I took something that just didn't agree with me. When an herb or a dose was too strong for my body, or didn't agree with me, I would either get a pounding headache, or my heart would palpitate. Just sharing my story to see if you can relate to any of this. did you start taking anything new recently? especially around bedtime?

otherwise I think the others have great suggestions - getting an EEG, a strept culture and your thyroid levels checked! take it easy!!
Posted 9/3/2015 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all. I did go to Urgent Care yesterday, where they did an EKG and blood work to check for anemia and TSH. The EKG was normal and the doctor said my heart sounded good so she thinks its my thyroid. So I'll have to wait to hear the results from that. Oh and my throat looked normal when she checked that too.

It does feel like deja vu. I remember going to the doctor multiply times last year and after having all these tests and blood work, everything was normal. Which makes me wonder if this is again part of my lyme or anaplasmosis. I recently read that the only abx to get rid of amaplasma is doxy, which I was never on. I was on amoxicillin for four months, but never doxy. So I'm going to talk to my LLMD about that during our next appointment at the end of the month. If that is the case, I'm really not looking forward to going back on abx, after doing herbals for the last 8 months.

Just to be safe I would like to see a cardiologist. Problem is I need a referral from my primary who won't see me til the end of the month either. I hate these health insurance games.

I just got back from food shopping and in the middle of the store it hit me. I felt something like a jolt in my stomach and that strange sensation in my arms and legs. I suddenly felt terrible. I didn't want to lay down in the middle of the store so I just pushed through it, positive at any second I was going to fall over. I couldn't believe I was able to form coherent sentences to the cashier. This definitely feels like I'm reliving my early pre-diagnosis days. Honestly, I don't know how much of it I can stand.

Post Edited (Cheetahjade) : 9/3/2015 9:58:35 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/3/2015 3:53 PM (GMT 0)
Just because you only tested positive for lyme & anaplasmosis doesn't mean you don't have other infections. The tests are unreliable. I would just ask your LLMD about that possibility.
Posted 9/3/2015 3:59 PM (GMT 0)
That's true, I am going to bring that up to her too.
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