Amitriptyline thread

[sanguine_emma]

Dear friends

I've started having some problems and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar. I've always had a bit of a heart murmur and I used to get palpitations from time to time (sort of a flutter-thud-flutter sort of feeling) I had them checked out about 10 years ago and no-one seemed to be unduly concerned about them. My HMS has been on a bit of a downward spiral since then, and now I take a combination of Meptid (which is a synthetic version of codeine), paracetamol, diclofenac and amitriptyline to keep me functioning. Over the last 18 months, I've been noticing my palpitations a lot more - they seem to have got stronger and more frequent (3-5 times a day). Last night I was at the gym (being a good girl -- doctors orders) on the exercise bike and I suddenly got the worst attack I've ever had. I wear a heart rate monitor in the gym (it is a good way to make sure I don't overdo the exercise) and where I had been exercising at 150 bpm it shot up to 169 bpm. I stopped pedalling but it carried on for ages. It doesn't hurt, just makes me feel kind of breathless. It stopped after about a minute, so I carried on, only to have another one a bit later on, and then again when I got home. By this stage I was getting a bit concerned, but this morning I felt pretty normal again. The only thing I can think of that's changed is my amitrip. dose which I've just upped to //// But that's still quite small, right? Any ideas anyone?

modnote: title changed

[kezzykat]

Dear friends

I've started having some problems and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar. I've always had a bit of a heart murmur and I used to get palpitations from time to time (sort of a flutter-thud-flutter sort of feeling) I had them checked out about 10 years ago and no-one seemed to be unduly concerned about them.

Hi Emmafrith
I am a cardiac Nurse by trade when I am not falling apart EDS wise. There are two or three courses of action which you can take whilst the palpitations are not causing you any significant problems.

Are you still under the care of a cardiologist? I would think this unlikely..But some drs do have open appointments if you have an existing 'problem' such as a 'murmur'.

If you are under the care of a Rheumatologist from a HMS/EDS point of vview I would ask for a review if one is not periodically about to happen (in the next month or so) and at that I would ask for his opinion with regards to your palpitations and if it would be possible for you to be seen by a cardiologist. Doing it through your Rheumatologist may mean that he will be able to suggest a physician who has knowledge of HMS/EDS patients and is more likely to pick up on any autonomic disturbances which may be as a result of your HMS/EDS.


OR, and this may be the most convienient and appropriate, I would suggest that you go talk with your GP in the first instance and ask to be checked out by him/her. They will listen with a stethoscope. Then ask to be referred to a cardiolosist.

They may refer you for an ECG, or the drs practice may do one there and then. This will give them an idea of your rythumn and rate. BGe warned tho..if you are running high, they may admitt you for invgestigations.

Once referred to a cardiologist, you will probably be seen in outpatients and have a 24 hour ECG test also (wear sticky pads on like at the gym ) for 24 hours, measures your rhytumn and rate and gives a picture of any runs and what may cause or trigger them.

Finally, I have had episodes of these myself and in my case it was due to pregnancy. I also have thyroid disease and so I have an abnormal high rythumn b/c of that. So there are a lot of reasons and testing will help you to discover what is causing it. I wouls just urge you to go and find out as there are always some small concerns with existing murmurs that there is valve leakage etc (which is repairable!) but it is best to get sorted.

I wish you the best!

hugs

KezzyKat

X

[Guest]

Aha! I had been having palpitations and never linked them to the amitriptyline! If I was sensible, which I had to be with this thing then, I was ok but I soon knew if I pushed my boundaries and the palpitations would come on. I am saying this in the past tense because 2 wks ago I started to decrease and, now I come to think about it, I haven't had any palpitions.
So, you may be right in your link between the amitrip and the palps.
Hope you aren't suffering too much, Sparky

[Guest]

Dear friends

I've started having some problems and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar. I've always had a bit of a heart murmur

well my mom has heart murmers and I think she might have had or has HMS, but I'm not sure

[nonyanomemory]

anyone who is taking this medication and is having palpitations should let there doctor know. It is listed as a side effect and i would urge anyone taking it to read the info given by the pharmacist. Please check with your doctor. nonya

[haddy]

I'm on amitryptaline and get palpatations. Before I started taking it I had a heart murmur and some ECG changes, but when i was finally checked out by a cardiologist (after being on amytrip for about 10months) I had no murmur, no ECG changes or on Echo! The only thing I put it down to was the Amitryp. Hope it stays that way if i ever come off. Things like palpations etc Inever think to mention as there are so many little wired and wonderful things that happen I just think there normal!

[nonyanomemory]

Perhaps it would be worth reading Kezzykats post again explaining. She is a cardiac nurse afterall. I would hate to think that anyone wasn't getting palipitations checked out because they thought it was the medication only to find out they had a leaky mitral valve.

I am going to ask other mod's on the site if it would be possible to have a medical advisors opinion.

nonya

[bexg]

Hi
2 interesting points...

I read somewhere that people with HMS were more prone to palpiataions??

I have palpitations too, I am not on meds that can be the cause.
I phoned my GP one time who told me not to be concerned unless they lasted more than 30 mins.
KezzyKat, what do you think?

Be good...

[nonyanomemory]

Hi bexg, I am sure KezzyKat won't mind me saying but she is not too well at the moment so may be unable to answer your post quickly.

In the meantime, I am not a doctor but I would suggest you speak further with yours and explain that bearing in mind you have HMS and you have palpitations you would prefer that these be investigated. The suggestions KezzyKat makes in her post may benefit you - particularly if you have a history of any heart murmer - has your gp/rheumatologist identified this at all. Many of us with HMS have over the years been labelled as 'hysteric' or put down as suffering panic attacks/hyperventitlating etc - however explaining to your gp that you feel your palpitations are not because of these reasons - may help him/her to take you seriously. In the meantime -perhaps keeping a diary of how often - when - in what circumstances - for how long they are happening etc.... may assist both you and your gp in an appropriate course of action. Take care nonya

[Guest]

Hi,

Just tagging along in the conversation - Nonya is quite right.
Everyone is different and reacts differently, e.g. we all have HMS but we all have different signs and symptoms and in varying degrees. This is the same with anything else. It does no good to diagnose yourself.

As Nonya also said it helps the doc understand what is going on if you can say; when, where, how long and why. being this organised does make your visit and his job much easier......

I too have had bad palps. I have had palps for years on and off. But I suffer from probs with my thyroid and have asthma ahich can contribute. However..... my palps got worse early last year and I went to my GP. He sent me to the hospital for an immediate ECG as he heard a murmer (and I hadn't had one before). The ECG was done and showed an anomaly and I was referred to a cardiologist,but to my relief apart from high blood pressure I was given the all clear. So it does help to get the right advice from those who know....

By the way I take Nortriptylline which I believe (cannot find the pamphlet from the box) was instead of Amytripylline as Nortrypt.has less side effects such as palps. Again this may be worth raising with either your GP, pain specialist or whoever prescribed this in the first place if it is your meds causing them......

Take care

J xx

[sanguine_emma]

Update: The GP has had a listen and says there's quite a definite murmur. Before, the murmur was intermittant and faint, but it seems to have got a bit more pronounced. The palpitations are not likely to be associated with the amitriptyline at the low dose I'm taking, so I'm down for a ECG and some blood tests, and I've been referred to a cardiologist. Thanks kezzykat for your advice. I'm a bit reticent about doctors (I always convince myself that I must be making it up and that they are going to make me feel stupid), but your post made me resolve to get it checked out. I combined it with a trip to get my dislocated rib looked at! My GP (usually very busy and harrassed) was sympathetic on all counts (and a bit freaked out by the fact I can dislocate a rib without doing anything to it). There's a possibility of putting me on beta blockers, but I asked to wait and see what the cardiologist says before going down that line. Meantime I've got extra painkillers and some diazepam to try to help the rib.

Kezzykat - I hope you're feeling better.

Love Emma xxx

[LianneS]

Ok... I personally dont suffer with palpitations but my mum does.... now shes not been HMS diagnosed but we think she may have it...

Shes in the process of tests now to see what it possibly is but so far nothing has shown up...

Is there a relation do people think to HMS? I know palipitations and murmurs can be linked to different things but am just thinking if nothing shows up it would be good if maybe I could suggest it could be HMS related, at least to put her mind at ease???

What do people think?
Lianne

[jo-jo]

Hi everyone!

Up until last Friday I had never had a palpitation in my life! However, I was awake all Friday night with a 'fluttery ' feeling in my lower chest on the left hand side. I went to the GP out of hours service on the Sat. a.m. and they gave me an ECG - this showed a fast but regular heart beat. The doc told me to have a quiet day and to go to A & E if it got worse. It carried on all Sat ( despite a quiet day ) but had gone by Sunday a.m.. Last night it started again, this time I had some chest pain and felt dizzy. My Mum took me to A & E , I had another ECG - this confirmed that I was 'sinus tachycardic'. They took xrays and bloods. I was admitted and saw a hospital doctor this morning. He said that I could go home and they will send me an out-patien's apt. and will do a 24 hour tape monitor. No-one wanted to listen to my Mum about a possible connection with EDS 111/HMS.
I am going to the National Neuro Hosp in London on 14 Dec for a week - 10 days for neuro tests - I am hoping that they will listen to me. I realise that this thread has 'died' but thought I would add to it rather than start a new one - I do take Amitryptiline and have an underactive thyroid. I take thyroxin and have taken Amitryptilin for over 3 years so I wouldn't think there would be a connection. Can anyone say whether my experiences are similar to theirs, or have any thoughts or suggestions? I did wonder if it could be due to excessive choccy binging - my pain is sooo bad at the mo that I have resorted to this .
Anyway ,
painfree hugz
Xxx Em xxX

[Retro]

Sinus Tachycardia is when your heart is beating in it's normal rhythm but too fast. The fluttery feeling in your lower left chest is a bit strange tho', but I'm not a doctor just a highly trained first aider . If your heart is beating to fast then your blood isn't getting enough oxygen because it's not staying put long enough (to put it simply). I suspect your outpatient referral will come thru quickly but it could just be a one off. Have they told you how to deal with an attack like that if it happens again?

[jo-jo]

:bye: hiya
All they have told us,- and we had to ask them what to do if it happened again!, is to come back to the hosp.
Last nite i felt the fluttery feeling , but it was very mild and it has worn off now in the morning, so i just tried to ignore it and think of other things to get to sleep. I also got tingling in my toes and they went a sort of bluey colour my big toes were the worst, but when i got up to walk to my mums room to show her by the time i got to the end of the corridor, the blueyness had gone! When i was back in my bed for a bit though, i started to get tingling in my toes and they went a bluey colour again, but i just tried to ignore it because it went waway the last time.
Ho hum, just got to 'plod on' lol!!!
Anyway else experience/d anything simlilar? or got any adive or tips?! lol!

painfree hugz

Xxx em xxX