Heart Flutters

[WillowsKnot 71]

So, I went camping and boating this holiday weekend. It was HOT out. I did a lot more drinking of Water than I did eating. I did make sure to take in at least 2 30g. Protein Drinks a day. I had some cheese to snack on and I cooked dinner every night and ate some of that. I noticed that when I went to lay down to sleep my heart would flutter. I have had palpitations before and they are usually kind of hard feeling, like I really know I am having them. This was different. This felt like a light flutter. I still did the cough thing to help get it back in rythem, but has any one else experienced this since having their sleeve? I am wondering if I just did way too much in the heat, way too soon. I was sleeved April 16, 2012.

Today I am back at work and after I ate lunch, I felt yucky. I ate it (tuna mashed with mayo, light ranch and a sprinkle of cheese on top). I have had this a lot before and it never bothered me. In truth, I have felt kind of yucky all day. I did email the nurse, but would love to hear from anyone else who might have gone through this or is going through this.

It is like I am feeling worse, not better. I still can't eat very much food either. I cooked some salmon that was very tender and good. I got down about 4 bites or about 4 tsps. and that was it and I felt full. I know eating less if part of the plan, but I, in no way am getting in enough calories. It is a constant struggle.

[Webchickadee 716]

Do you have a fever? Diarrhea? Vomiting? Nausea? It could be the flu, which when it causes fever can also cause "heart flutters". Could also be anemia (when was the last time you had blood work done? Are you taking Iron supplements since your VSG surgery?).

These are some benign causes of heart flutter, but there are more serious ones (heart disease, overactive thyroid, etc.).

So I think you might want to get checked out. And I probably wouldn't wait around....sooner rather than later is wise where heart questions are concerned. Especially if it turns out to be nothing serious.....and you spend time worrying for nothing!

If you do have the flu, you might need some medical care, as you can get dehydrated quickly this early following your surgery and that will probably land you in the ER to get an IV.

So be proactive! And feel better soon. Let us know how things go.....

[Rainydayz 27]

You should get this checked out. I was having flutterings/palpitations and got it checked. Turns out I have premature atrial contractions which are not dangerous but just annoying. They are usually not associated with heart disease, just something that happens in a lot of people who are otherwise healthy. There were annoying enough that I elected to take medicine for it. I take metaprolol. It's cheap and I take 2 a day.

If I hadn't went to the cardiologist and got checked out I would be very stressed out and worried. Do yourself a favor and get it checked. Better safe than sorry.

And btw, this had nothing to do with the surgery. I was having episodes way back before surgery, but they had stopped for a while.They just came back after surgery but I don't believe it had anything to do with it.

[WillowsKnot 71]

Well the surgeon's nurse was no help, so I sent an email to my PC. That was last week. His nurse called me today. He just read my email. He is seeing me tomorrow and wants me to stop by the lab before for blood work. It has gotten better, but I am glad I get to see him tomorrow. I'll post what happens.

[Newfoundlove 95]

I am having this too, totally unrelated to the surgery. Mine is peri-menopause symptom. Very annoying but my doc checked me out and I'm fine. Don't mess around with that though. Glad you are going to see your PC.

[Caradina 65]

I have reactive hypoglycemia since my surgery. If I eat anything too carb heavy, sugary, or fatty (mayo) It'll make me have all sorts of nasty symptoms such as headache, heart flutters, pounding heartbeat, weakness, blurred vision, dizziness, sleepiness, and sliming. I have to really watch that my eating is balanced, and then I feel great. I wonder if you had a touch of this? My doctor says it is because the smaller stomach empties faster into the intestines than the normal stomach, which means the body may produce too much insulin, swinging you low after you eat.

[lml32937 65]

I have them too and was diagnosed with innapropriate sinus tachycardia- not surgery related either- i feel i'm too young for a pacemaker and so far the medicine combination is working to control them- not be rid compeletely but manageable. You really need to get it checked out. better to be safe than sorry.

[mrsnate 55]

It's interesting that you mention this, because before surgery I have always had heart palpitations but now they feel "light" like you said. I have to think its diet related or something. I see my cardiologist every year so maybe I'll schedule that soon.

[WillowsKnot 71]

I just got back from seeing my doctor. He did an EKG and it was abnormal. Turns out, your heart should beat between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Mine only beats 50 beats per minute. My blood work looked good. Potassium, sodium, magnesium, white cells, red cells, Iron, etc. all in great shape. Although my white cells are only 4.5. The range is 4.5 to 11, so I am on the low end of this one. The rest are all middle of the road. So he gave me a referral to the heart clinic, ordered an echo and a Holter (the devise you wear for 24 hours so that they can do monitoring). I go back to see him in two months, or sooner if I need to. He also wants me to bring my food logs with me to my next appointment. He was a bit miffed at the bariatric nurse and their department for not following up on this and turning it over to him. He is happy to help me, but thought I should get better treatment from that team. He is going to give them a call and have a talk with them. I have to agree with him. So, I will wait for cardiology to give me a ring today or tomorrow and then we will go from there. Once I learn something else on this subject, I'll post it here for those following this thread.

[deltadawn817 106]

I am glad that you got to a Dr that was wanting to help you. I would be a little upset with my office too if they did that to me. Sounds like you are in better hands

[WillowsKnot 71]

So, I am back from my echo this morning and it has been read and posted (I work at a hospital). So, here is the report (and I have not yet talked to my Dr. about the findings). I have trivial aortic regurgitation, mild tricuspid regurgitation and no hemodynamically significant valve disease. So, basically, nothing wrong on the echo as the first two are extremely common in most of the population. It also shows the thickness of the valves and heart walls and they are all at a 1 - which is normal, so that is good to know. I also got the holter monitor put on and I wear that for the next 48 hours and see if it shows anything.

I am starting to think that all of this is really food and hydration related. I have not had the problem at night for the past several evenings, BUT, then I have had a Protein type of snack before bed (a cheese stick, a Protein Drink, a tablespoon of cottage cheese, one of these or something similar). That has seemed to really help me feel ok at night and also not wake up feeling shaky. I think my blood sugar is just bottoming out too much. Since I have gone to drinking the Gatorade low calorie instead of Water, I feel much better as well.

So, I will post what the report has to say about the heart monitor I am wearing when that is posted to my chart and we will go from there.