Hi there. I was wondering if anyone else with microscopic colitis has experienced any heart palpitations or PSVT (Parosxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia) that have been attributed to hypokalemia (low potassium).
My story:
On Friday I was at work when I bent over quickly to pick up something I had just dropped. As I came back up my heart jumped into a very fast rhythm (I'd say between 120 and 140 bpm) with very forceful beats. I felt slightly lightheaded and was afraid I was going to pass out. This has happened to me several times over the last few years and even a couple times as a child/teenager, however this episode it lasted for approximately 5 minutes. In the past my heart usually would beat very fast for < 10 seconds and the beats were not as hard/forceful. Having worked in an Emergency room before I knew I could try to "convert" my heart into a normal rate and tried to bear down hard on my abdomen several times. This didn't work. I called for assistance (I work at a high school) and just before the nurse got there on a golf cart I had burped and suddenly the pounding stopped and my heart slowly went back to normal.
I ended up driving myself to the ER after the nurse checked me out and had a few palpitations/skipped beat sensations on the way. They ran a whole slew of tests. They found my potassium to be 3.0 and some changes to my ECG which could be related. Everything else was normal. The doctor said he didn't think it was particularly dangerous but called my cardiologist and sent him the info (I saw this cardiologist for similar symptoms last year but of course these sensations were never captured on the monitors or tests). I was given potassium supplements, IV fluids, and they put me on a two-week heart monitor. I'll follow up with my cardiologist after that's done.
I figured other people in this group have dealt with low potassium before due to the nature of this disease and wanted to know if anyone has had a similar experience... I will also note that I have pectus excavatum (a dent in my sternum where my bones did not fuse correctly or something when I was just a wee fetus). My heart racing stints have only EVER happened when I have bent over quickly to pick something up or been body slammed in sports when I was younger. So I have always attributed it to my heart being bumped against my indented sternum or something, and not necessarily something like hypokalemia. I will also note that I typically have weird heart sensations and skipped beats during and after eating larger meals. Especially when I have heart burn or gas buildup.
Thanks in advance for your time and input!
-Sarah
Low Potassium and Palpitations/SVT ?
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi Sarah,
I'll weigh in here, but this probably won't be very helpful. Back when I was still reacting, I was diagnosed with low potassium on a couple of occasions, but I apparently didn't have any heart issues at the time. 17–18 years later, I've had a couple of episodes (about a year apart) of arrhythmias (bradycardia, due to skipped beats) not associated with low potassium. Recently (a couple of weeks ago) I had a tachycardia event where my heart rate was about 110–115 bpm for about 12–15 hours. The ER doctors could find no clues either time. But I have noticed that with each event, my eGFR was low (about 40), so I'm trying to figure out what is causing these occasional kidney issues.
The only time I had heart palpitations was about ten years ago when I tried to stop taking my hypothyroid medication (Armour 60 mg). The palpitations stopped when I resumed taking my regular dose. Four and a half years ago I was having symptoms of severe magnesium deficiency which my GP misinterpreted as symptoms of hyperthyroidism, so he cut my Armour dose in half. In the meantime I figured out that I had a severe magnesium deficiency so I corrected that. About a year and a half ago, I had my first arrhythmia. I decided I was taking too much magnesium (I had been taking over 600 mg for about a year), so I cut my magnesium dose in half. Less than a month later, I had a stroke.
I had another bradycardia event (with skipped beats) about half a year later. So we decided that my thyroid medication needed to be returned to 60 mg. The tachycardia event occurred a few weeks after that, but I'm thinking that my heart is just very sensitive to thyroid hormone and it was just getting acclimated. My heart rate (and sometimes my blood pressure) was a bit high during the adjustment, but it seems to have settled down now. This morning for example, my BP was 108/65 mmHg, heart rate 69.
A lot of things can affect the heart. Any electrolyte can make a difference, and so can thyroid function (or medication). And according to research, low eGFR is definitely associated with cardiac events. The bottom line is, I'm not sure that MC is responsible for any of this, but I have a nagging suspicion that it probably is, since it seems to be able to affect any organ in the body.
I realize this is rather rambling, but hopefully you can get something worthwhile out of it.
Tex
I'll weigh in here, but this probably won't be very helpful. Back when I was still reacting, I was diagnosed with low potassium on a couple of occasions, but I apparently didn't have any heart issues at the time. 17–18 years later, I've had a couple of episodes (about a year apart) of arrhythmias (bradycardia, due to skipped beats) not associated with low potassium. Recently (a couple of weeks ago) I had a tachycardia event where my heart rate was about 110–115 bpm for about 12–15 hours. The ER doctors could find no clues either time. But I have noticed that with each event, my eGFR was low (about 40), so I'm trying to figure out what is causing these occasional kidney issues.
The only time I had heart palpitations was about ten years ago when I tried to stop taking my hypothyroid medication (Armour 60 mg). The palpitations stopped when I resumed taking my regular dose. Four and a half years ago I was having symptoms of severe magnesium deficiency which my GP misinterpreted as symptoms of hyperthyroidism, so he cut my Armour dose in half. In the meantime I figured out that I had a severe magnesium deficiency so I corrected that. About a year and a half ago, I had my first arrhythmia. I decided I was taking too much magnesium (I had been taking over 600 mg for about a year), so I cut my magnesium dose in half. Less than a month later, I had a stroke.
I had another bradycardia event (with skipped beats) about half a year later. So we decided that my thyroid medication needed to be returned to 60 mg. The tachycardia event occurred a few weeks after that, but I'm thinking that my heart is just very sensitive to thyroid hormone and it was just getting acclimated. My heart rate (and sometimes my blood pressure) was a bit high during the adjustment, but it seems to have settled down now. This morning for example, my BP was 108/65 mmHg, heart rate 69.
A lot of things can affect the heart. Any electrolyte can make a difference, and so can thyroid function (or medication). And according to research, low eGFR is definitely associated with cardiac events. The bottom line is, I'm not sure that MC is responsible for any of this, but I have a nagging suspicion that it probably is, since it seems to be able to affect any organ in the body.
I realize this is rather rambling, but hopefully you can get something worthwhile out of it.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thanks Tex! Sorry to hear about stroke, I hope you aren't suffering from any long-lasting deficits.
In the ER they tested my thyroid and other things, so I think they narrowed it down to the low potassium. I didn't think about magnesium though, I know they didn't test that. I'm not taking any supplements. The only supplement I've been taking for the last year is 2,000 IU of Vitamin D3.
I also feel like MC might be related. I think I might have some very slight form of Ehler's Danlos Syndrome as well. I have MC, my joints are very mobile and 'pop' halfway in and out of place all the time, My heart races for a few seconds every time I stand up after sitting down for a while, and also after I've eaten a large meal. I have very thin wrists and ankles. I feel maybe this could all be connected when I read up on other people's stories am and wondering if it would be worth it to get tested, even if just for my knowledge. There's so much I am curious about!
-Sarah
In the ER they tested my thyroid and other things, so I think they narrowed it down to the low potassium. I didn't think about magnesium though, I know they didn't test that. I'm not taking any supplements. The only supplement I've been taking for the last year is 2,000 IU of Vitamin D3.
I also feel like MC might be related. I think I might have some very slight form of Ehler's Danlos Syndrome as well. I have MC, my joints are very mobile and 'pop' halfway in and out of place all the time, My heart races for a few seconds every time I stand up after sitting down for a while, and also after I've eaten a large meal. I have very thin wrists and ankles. I feel maybe this could all be connected when I read up on other people's stories am and wondering if it would be worth it to get tested, even if just for my knowledge. There's so much I am curious about!
-Sarah
Sarah,
I've recovered pretty well. I had to relearn how to do just about everything, though. I remembered how to do things, but my limbs forgot how to do them automatically. So whenever I tried to comb my hair, or type on a keyboard, or walk, or whatever, I had to think everything through while doing it. And it took many, many repetitions before my limbs relearned how to do everything again. But thank goodness the human body is very adaptive — I've recovered pretty well for an old codger.
It sounds as though you might indeed have Ehler's Danlos if you're exceptionally hypermobile. But your tachycardia when you stand and after you eat reminds me of a limited case of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Have you ruled this out?
Tex
I've recovered pretty well. I had to relearn how to do just about everything, though. I remembered how to do things, but my limbs forgot how to do them automatically. So whenever I tried to comb my hair, or type on a keyboard, or walk, or whatever, I had to think everything through while doing it. And it took many, many repetitions before my limbs relearned how to do everything again. But thank goodness the human body is very adaptive — I've recovered pretty well for an old codger.
It sounds as though you might indeed have Ehler's Danlos if you're exceptionally hypermobile. But your tachycardia when you stand and after you eat reminds me of a limited case of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Have you ruled this out?
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Sarah;
I have had at least 8 visits to the hospital for low potassium. Most of the time I was aware of it because of heart palpations. I also have eye issues, vomiting and just feeling like I can't move. When those happen it is because my potassium is either 3 or less. The other night I had my potassium crash again, but this time I just took some liquid potassium at home and after about 24 hours I was feeling better again. So far they haven't said much about my heart, although they monitored me in the hospital and said it did runs occassionally. No one can figure out why my potassium tanks. They always check my magnessium levels in the hospital, so I would imagine they also checked yours. Apparently the two go together. I wish you the best of luck and hope you can get regulated. Vivian
I have had at least 8 visits to the hospital for low potassium. Most of the time I was aware of it because of heart palpations. I also have eye issues, vomiting and just feeling like I can't move. When those happen it is because my potassium is either 3 or less. The other night I had my potassium crash again, but this time I just took some liquid potassium at home and after about 24 hours I was feeling better again. So far they haven't said much about my heart, although they monitored me in the hospital and said it did runs occassionally. No one can figure out why my potassium tanks. They always check my magnessium levels in the hospital, so I would imagine they also checked yours. Apparently the two go together. I wish you the best of luck and hope you can get regulated. Vivian
Hi Sarah, I just got blood test results showing my potassium was low (I don't know the number) but I haven't been experiencing anything like you have. I have always had a higher than average heart rate and get palpitations fairly regularly, but I saw a cardiologist for it several years ago and my heart was fine. My palpitations, I think, are just being hyper-aware of my heart beat though.
Hi Sarah-
As a school psych for 20 years (now retired) I have noticed that school staff are susceptible to health issues like heart arrythmias or high blood pressure in September/October due to the increase of stress in their lives with the start of the school year. That and with the fast pace and greater demands it’s more difficult to keep
up good self care (a good diet, vitamins, adequate rest, exercise, stress management, etc). When you mentioned you saw a cardiologist last year it reminded me of that trend. I’m not saying that your potassium level didn’t play a role but I know the various stressors of a new school year are very real
and I’ve seen it play out repeatedly.
I have also researched POTS. I dealt with an almost constant feeling of light-headedness for the first 4 years after my diagnosis. I often felt dehydrated even though I probably wasn’t. I had to be sure to take my time getting up after laying down. Even simple yoga was not so simple to go from down dog to standing. I seemed much more sensitive to caffeine. I felt I was having some symptoms of POTs on a more mild scale but it can obviously be severe and problematic. I agree with Tex that POTS should be ruled out in your case.
Best wishes,
Carol
As a school psych for 20 years (now retired) I have noticed that school staff are susceptible to health issues like heart arrythmias or high blood pressure in September/October due to the increase of stress in their lives with the start of the school year. That and with the fast pace and greater demands it’s more difficult to keep
up good self care (a good diet, vitamins, adequate rest, exercise, stress management, etc). When you mentioned you saw a cardiologist last year it reminded me of that trend. I’m not saying that your potassium level didn’t play a role but I know the various stressors of a new school year are very real
and I’ve seen it play out repeatedly.
I have also researched POTS. I dealt with an almost constant feeling of light-headedness for the first 4 years after my diagnosis. I often felt dehydrated even though I probably wasn’t. I had to be sure to take my time getting up after laying down. Even simple yoga was not so simple to go from down dog to standing. I seemed much more sensitive to caffeine. I felt I was having some symptoms of POTs on a more mild scale but it can obviously be severe and problematic. I agree with Tex that POTS should be ruled out in your case.
Best wishes,
Carol
“.... people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou