Hi-
I'm new to MC- I have a doctor appointment in a little more than a week. Has anyone noticed their heart racing?
Pauline
Question About Symptoms
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Pauline,I haven't experienced a rapid heart rate specifically as a symptom of MC. The effects tend to be more in the area of diarrhea and the resultant fatigue.
I did have a rapid heart rate whilst in the period between tests and waiting for results for some of my other medical conditions, however. The way doctors drag the process out is no help to patients at all! Being a natural health nut, I used rescue remedy and meditation to help cope.
Do you find the colitis and the diagnosis process is getting you a bit down? It is pretty stressful being diagnosed with any medical condition and, if you are like most of us, getting very little information from your doctors on how to manage it. Coping with going to the toilet so often, and the accidents when you don't make it, is a major stress by itself.
Reading the posts here and asking questions is a great way to learn more about MC, and knowledge can give you strength and confidence. I find talking with people who have "been there" is wonderfully comforting.
If you wanted to tell us a bit more about your upcoming doctors visit, we might be able to help with perhaps a few suggestions on questions to ask etc. Or just check out the old posts.
Sorry you had to get this condition, but glad you have joined us.
Lyn
thanks
Thanks for the welcome.
I guess maybe it's menopause both conditions hit together. I'm going to ask the doctor when I go.
I am quite a bit down. I've had MC for a while but I've had a lot of other stressful situations going on at the same time- it took a while to work on my health. I pretty much just stopped eating so I've lost a lot of weight. The only call I had from the doctor was to tell me about the results of the colonoscopy and that a change of diet wouldn't help and that they could only manage the symptoms. I've started a list of question for my upcoming appointment and would love some help with questions. I'm taking care of some family problems right now and I'll be able to focus on me again by Sunday.
I did find a book 'Breaking the Vicious Cycle' by Elaine Gottschall and 'Healing Foods Cooking for Celiace, Colitis, Crohn's and IBS' by Sandra Ramacher. I've been reading them for the last 2 days and have looked at this web site. I think I have and idea of what to eat so I started to eat. I'll see what the next few days bring.
Now I'll be positive. I live in Southern California and have a spectacular garden. I'm growing lots of vegetables which I didn't think I'd ever be able to eat. Now I know I'll be able to eat them and that makes me really happy!
Again- thanks for being there for me!
Pauline
I guess maybe it's menopause both conditions hit together. I'm going to ask the doctor when I go.
I am quite a bit down. I've had MC for a while but I've had a lot of other stressful situations going on at the same time- it took a while to work on my health. I pretty much just stopped eating so I've lost a lot of weight. The only call I had from the doctor was to tell me about the results of the colonoscopy and that a change of diet wouldn't help and that they could only manage the symptoms. I've started a list of question for my upcoming appointment and would love some help with questions. I'm taking care of some family problems right now and I'll be able to focus on me again by Sunday.
I did find a book 'Breaking the Vicious Cycle' by Elaine Gottschall and 'Healing Foods Cooking for Celiace, Colitis, Crohn's and IBS' by Sandra Ramacher. I've been reading them for the last 2 days and have looked at this web site. I think I have and idea of what to eat so I started to eat. I'll see what the next few days bring.
Now I'll be positive. I live in Southern California and have a spectacular garden. I'm growing lots of vegetables which I didn't think I'd ever be able to eat. Now I know I'll be able to eat them and that makes me really happy!
Again- thanks for being there for me!
Pauline
Hi Pauline,
My MC hit at menopause time as well. Hard to cope when the sweats are sending you around the twist anyway.
It's close to criminal the way some docs will give you bad news and leave you to deal with it by yourself! There are a lot of people here who have found a change of diet DOES work. Hopefully some of the others here can tell you how they have handled their doctors on this - mine was pretty good. They can also discuss the meds in more detail. If you decide to take something for menopause, make absolutely certain it is gluten and dairy free - ask before they prescribe it.
What questions do you have for the doc so far?
Your garden must be starting to flourish as spring hits the northern hemisphere. You most certainly will heal enough to eat your veggies, but don't overdo it until the healing has started -OK?. Do you just grow edibles, or decorative plants as well? I am doing a renovation, so in a few weeks my whole garden will be ripped out to make way. I don't think I'll be able to watch. At the end of the process it will be recreated in a totally new style, so that is something to look forward to as I have never had a chance to do a garden from scratch.
Sounds like you have a lot on your plate at once, but you have a positive attitude so you'll get through it.
Lyn
My MC hit at menopause time as well. Hard to cope when the sweats are sending you around the twist anyway.
It's close to criminal the way some docs will give you bad news and leave you to deal with it by yourself! There are a lot of people here who have found a change of diet DOES work. Hopefully some of the others here can tell you how they have handled their doctors on this - mine was pretty good. They can also discuss the meds in more detail. If you decide to take something for menopause, make absolutely certain it is gluten and dairy free - ask before they prescribe it.
What questions do you have for the doc so far?
Your garden must be starting to flourish as spring hits the northern hemisphere. You most certainly will heal enough to eat your veggies, but don't overdo it until the healing has started -OK?. Do you just grow edibles, or decorative plants as well? I am doing a renovation, so in a few weeks my whole garden will be ripped out to make way. I don't think I'll be able to watch. At the end of the process it will be recreated in a totally new style, so that is something to look forward to as I have never had a chance to do a garden from scratch.
Sounds like you have a lot on your plate at once, but you have a positive attitude so you'll get through it.
Lyn
Hi Pauline,
Welcome to our internet family. I hope you don't mind, but I moved your post, so that more members would notice it, and possibly respond.
Am I correct in assuming that your MC was diagnosed from biposy samples of your colon, that your GI doc took during your colonoscopy exam, and sent to a pathologist, to be examined under a microscope? The reason I ask, is because, to my knowledge, at least, tachycardia, (racing heartbeat), is virtually never mentioned as a symptom of MC, but it is somewhat common with UC, (Ulcerative Colitis). If you had a colonoscopy, though, surely the doc would have noticed the markers of UC, since most of the indications of UC are visible to the naked eye, during a colonoscopy exam.
Your doctor's statement that MC cannot be cured, is correct, but as Lyn pointed out, his or her claim that "a change of diet" won't help, is totally incorrect. As you can learn by reading old discussions here, many of us achieved remission, and continue to maintain it, by diet alone, with no other treatment. Many others here, used both diet and a med, such as Entocort, to achieve remission, and then were able to discontinue the Entocort, and maintain remission by diet alone. Other than our diet changes, we are able to lead pretty much normal lives, with no symptoms, unless we slip up on our diet.
Again, welcome aboard.
Tex (Wayne)
Welcome to our internet family. I hope you don't mind, but I moved your post, so that more members would notice it, and possibly respond.
Am I correct in assuming that your MC was diagnosed from biposy samples of your colon, that your GI doc took during your colonoscopy exam, and sent to a pathologist, to be examined under a microscope? The reason I ask, is because, to my knowledge, at least, tachycardia, (racing heartbeat), is virtually never mentioned as a symptom of MC, but it is somewhat common with UC, (Ulcerative Colitis). If you had a colonoscopy, though, surely the doc would have noticed the markers of UC, since most of the indications of UC are visible to the naked eye, during a colonoscopy exam.
Your doctor's statement that MC cannot be cured, is correct, but as Lyn pointed out, his or her claim that "a change of diet" won't help, is totally incorrect. As you can learn by reading old discussions here, many of us achieved remission, and continue to maintain it, by diet alone, with no other treatment. Many others here, used both diet and a med, such as Entocort, to achieve remission, and then were able to discontinue the Entocort, and maintain remission by diet alone. Other than our diet changes, we are able to lead pretty much normal lives, with no symptoms, unless we slip up on our diet.
Again, welcome aboard.
Tex (Wayne)
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.
Welcome Pauline, All my mc and thyroid troubles started with menopause. It's taken awhile to put it all together. I have trouble with racing and skipping heart, but I've had it for 20 years and is attributed to mitral valve prolapse which runs in my family. It was the only real health problem I had until menopause. I manage it with atenolol. I think the stress of mc does aggravate it at times. I was in pretty bad shape until I found this board last Dec. Since then, I was tested through enterolab and found that I'm gluten, dairy, egg, soy, and yeast sensitive. By changing my diet and taking entocort, I'm doing really well now. It has been the advice that I've received here that has helped me the most. My gi is OK, but they really don't get the diet connection. I'm hoping that in a couple of months I'll start tapering off the entocort and see what happens. You're in good hands with Tex and all the others here. Good luck, JoAnn
Don't forget me
Hiya-
Could you all check in with me on Monday? My daughters car burned down south when she was moving (her car was totalled) and I have to rent a car and pick her and her family up (they are all OK). Between that and work I'm having a hard time focusing right now.
I really think that stress has played a major role in MC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just keep thinking of my garden - my California poppies are blooming!
Pauline
Could you all check in with me on Monday? My daughters car burned down south when she was moving (her car was totalled) and I have to rent a car and pick her and her family up (they are all OK). Between that and work I'm having a hard time focusing right now.
I really think that stress has played a major role in MC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just keep thinking of my garden - my California poppies are blooming!
Pauline
Sure,
This thread will be waiting for you, whenever you're ready to come back to it.
Sorry about the extra problems. Good luck - I hope everything goes smoothly with the trip. I'm glad to hear that no one was hurt.
Tex
This thread will be waiting for you, whenever you're ready to come back to it.
Sorry about the extra problems. Good luck - I hope everything goes smoothly with the trip. I'm glad to hear that no one was hurt.
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.
welcome pauline....
my mc started not long after i got menopause....my menopause started pretty early too. I believe the mc triggered early menopause for me... ..
cant say the mc has caused my heart to race unless im feeling stressed or anxious..
sorry you have been dx with mc and i know it will be tough for you ,but dont despair you will find a wealth of knowledge and support from our special family here...we have all been through more or less every level of mc...regarding symptoms and diet...
i hope things go well at your doc appointment and good luck with your diet...its still a journey for me with what i eat and dont eat....
look forward to reading your posts...,
my mc started not long after i got menopause....my menopause started pretty early too. I believe the mc triggered early menopause for me... ..
cant say the mc has caused my heart to race unless im feeling stressed or anxious..sorry you have been dx with mc and i know it will be tough for you ,but dont despair you will find a wealth of knowledge and support from our special family here...we have all been through more or less every level of mc...regarding symptoms and diet...
i hope things go well at your doc appointment and good luck with your diet...its still a journey for me with what i eat and dont eat....
look forward to reading your posts...,
Angy ;)
Hi Pauline and
I hope things have calmed down a bit for you.
You have already received lots of good advice. Stress and anxiety are probably the main causes of rapid heart rate. I recall my heart racing when I first got MC but had not yet been diagnosed. I was going crazy trying to figure out what I had. I remember sitting at the computer late at night and poring through medical texts while my heart raced.
Also, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance from all of that diarrhea can cause changes in heart rate. Don't forget the caffeine in sodas and coffee/tea. Medications can do it too, and of course, other problems, like hyperthyroidsim (although most Mcers seem to suffer from hypothyroidism, which can slow the heartrate) or atrial fibrillation.
Here is a really good way to slow your heat rate. Sit quiety and take a deep breath while counting 3 or 4 seconds. Then, exhale over a period of 6-8 seconds. Keep this up for a while. You will feel your H.R decrease. It is very calming. Be sure to do abdominal breathing - that is, make sure your abdomen is nice and soft and fills out during each breath in - that ensures that deep, full breaths are taken into the lungs.
Love,
Polly
I hope things have calmed down a bit for you.
You have already received lots of good advice. Stress and anxiety are probably the main causes of rapid heart rate. I recall my heart racing when I first got MC but had not yet been diagnosed. I was going crazy trying to figure out what I had. I remember sitting at the computer late at night and poring through medical texts while my heart raced.
Also, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance from all of that diarrhea can cause changes in heart rate. Don't forget the caffeine in sodas and coffee/tea. Medications can do it too, and of course, other problems, like hyperthyroidsim (although most Mcers seem to suffer from hypothyroidism, which can slow the heartrate) or atrial fibrillation.
Here is a really good way to slow your heat rate. Sit quiety and take a deep breath while counting 3 or 4 seconds. Then, exhale over a period of 6-8 seconds. Keep this up for a while. You will feel your H.R decrease. It is very calming. Be sure to do abdominal breathing - that is, make sure your abdomen is nice and soft and fills out during each breath in - that ensures that deep, full breaths are taken into the lungs.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
-
barbaranoela
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 5394
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 6:11 pm
- Location: New York
WELCOME--
Hiya Pauline-----great to have U with us---
I never had racing heart beats-----so I am no help with that issue----but will add that GOOD OLD STRESS can play different roles in ya body---
That I can *swear* to---
In time--with all that U ingest here--lottsa stuff will sort out --
Wishing U *a wellness road* for U to follow--
Barbara
I never had racing heart beats-----so I am no help with that issue----but will add that GOOD OLD STRESS can play different roles in ya body---
That I can *swear* to---
In time--with all that U ingest here--lottsa stuff will sort out --
Wishing U *a wellness road* for U to follow--
Barbara
the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control
I'm back
Thanks for all of the responses.
I do forget to relax my stomach when I breathe- thanks for the reminder.
I have been eatting very little for a while- don't most people with MC lose weight? How come it's not a symptom? How can you eat when your stomach is upset and you know it'll come right back out?
Does anyone else's stomach have a more pronounced heart beat? I was laying down and put my eye glasses on my stomach and it really beats- much more than when I put my glasses over my heart.
Is the gastro doctor the one to ask for food allergies?
I have been on 3 mg of entocort- I usually walk a lot but found that I was more tired, couldn't catch my bresth and had some pains in my chest- we dropped down to 1 mg. Maybe it's not the entocort and it's just panic attacks.
It's hard to figure it all out!
Pauline
I do forget to relax my stomach when I breathe- thanks for the reminder.
I have been eatting very little for a while- don't most people with MC lose weight? How come it's not a symptom? How can you eat when your stomach is upset and you know it'll come right back out?
Does anyone else's stomach have a more pronounced heart beat? I was laying down and put my eye glasses on my stomach and it really beats- much more than when I put my glasses over my heart.
Is the gastro doctor the one to ask for food allergies?
I have been on 3 mg of entocort- I usually walk a lot but found that I was more tired, couldn't catch my bresth and had some pains in my chest- we dropped down to 1 mg. Maybe it's not the entocort and it's just panic attacks.
It's hard to figure it all out!
Pauline
Hi Pauline & welcome.
I started about 20 years ago with a rapid heart rate that wouldn't convert back to a normal rhythm.
Actually, when I went to the ER is was beating 180 times a minute, to the point that I was what I will call panting, to get breaths. I was diagnosed with PAT, which is where part of the electrical part of the heart muscle misfires and triggers me to have a rapid heart rate. It has been successfully controlled by 2 medications.
Does yours eventually convert back to normal?????
If by chance, I do get a breakthrough, I sit down, take a big deep breath in, hold that breath, and then bear down. This works for me every time.
Let me know when you seem to have the rapid heart rate, like is it all the time, sometimes, everyday????
Have you taken any meds yet for your MC????? I'd suggest asking for Entocort when you see your GI, and also share with him about your stomach being upset?? Is it a symptom of the MC or are you feeling pretty anxious about the whole ordeal????
I gained weight after I was diagnosed, then when I had to give up all dairy is when I really started dropping the pounds, plus dealing with alot of family stress......
Dee~~~~~~~
I started about 20 years ago with a rapid heart rate that wouldn't convert back to a normal rhythm.
Actually, when I went to the ER is was beating 180 times a minute, to the point that I was what I will call panting, to get breaths. I was diagnosed with PAT, which is where part of the electrical part of the heart muscle misfires and triggers me to have a rapid heart rate. It has been successfully controlled by 2 medications.
Does yours eventually convert back to normal?????
If by chance, I do get a breakthrough, I sit down, take a big deep breath in, hold that breath, and then bear down. This works for me every time.
Let me know when you seem to have the rapid heart rate, like is it all the time, sometimes, everyday????
Have you taken any meds yet for your MC????? I'd suggest asking for Entocort when you see your GI, and also share with him about your stomach being upset?? Is it a symptom of the MC or are you feeling pretty anxious about the whole ordeal????
I gained weight after I was diagnosed, then when I had to give up all dairy is when I really started dropping the pounds, plus dealing with alot of family stress......
Dee~~~~~~~
"What the heart gives away is never gone ... It is kept in the hearts of others."
Hi Pauline,
You're experiencing what I did with Entocort. I'd exercise then have to lay down for an hour or two to recover. Chest pains sent me to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. After I stopped taking it, everything was o.k. Going df and gf has been the answer for me.
I found my post back in June. Here's what I wrote:
Hi Everybody,
I've been away as my computer crashed. I have a loaner now until I get a new one.
Check this one out the last few days, I've been feeling funny, a bit anxious and tense. I can tell when my bp is going up and last night it hit 163/104. That's high for me. The last day or so I've also started having strange chest sensations. I wouldn't say pains, more like pressure. Last night it scared me pretty bad. This morning it was still the same so I went to Prompt Care. The doc did an EKG and said my heart is perfect. These are side effects of Entocort. He wants me to call my GI Monday. (I tried to call him first this morning because I suspected Entocort but his messaging service wouldn't transfer the calls or something). It was pretty scarry but glad to know my heart is fine. Anyone else had this experience?
Anyway - my blood pressure came back down to noral coming off the Entocort. I'm glad it works for some, unfortuately, I'm not one of them.
You're experiencing what I did with Entocort. I'd exercise then have to lay down for an hour or two to recover. Chest pains sent me to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. After I stopped taking it, everything was o.k. Going df and gf has been the answer for me.
I found my post back in June. Here's what I wrote:
Hi Everybody,
I've been away as my computer crashed. I have a loaner now until I get a new one.
Check this one out the last few days, I've been feeling funny, a bit anxious and tense. I can tell when my bp is going up and last night it hit 163/104. That's high for me. The last day or so I've also started having strange chest sensations. I wouldn't say pains, more like pressure. Last night it scared me pretty bad. This morning it was still the same so I went to Prompt Care. The doc did an EKG and said my heart is perfect. These are side effects of Entocort. He wants me to call my GI Monday. (I tried to call him first this morning because I suspected Entocort but his messaging service wouldn't transfer the calls or something). It was pretty scarry but glad to know my heart is fine. Anyone else had this experience?
Anyway - my blood pressure came back down to noral coming off the Entocort. I'm glad it works for some, unfortuately, I'm not one of them.