My daughter's resting heart rate was 180 bpm. Will she just grow out of it?

[mrs-b]

....because that's what her cardiologist said, and I was never more gobsmacked in my life. Eleanor has great difficulty sleeping - she has night after night with 5 hours sleep or less. She does the whole sleep-hygiene thing, good sleep habits, no caffeine, alcohol, drugs, etc etc. She mutes her phone and puts it away - all of it. But still - utterly crap sleep. We've wondered if that's what has been effecting her heart.

For the last year or two, I've been aware that she has an arrhythmia. I've felt her resting pulse at 130...135 - but completely irregular. I had afib for some years a while back, and it feels EXACTLY like that. She went to a cardiologist and I went with her. The woman was completely dismissive but ordered a few tests. Didn't explain them - but there you go. Eleanor had some blood tests, which showed high LDL cholesterol and high total cholesterol (Eleanor is not at all overweight and also exercises regularly). She also had an echo and an ultrasound (showed nothing), a couple of EKGs (both showed arrhythmias), and a halter monitor for 2 weeks, which showed multiple episodes of racing heart. At one point, due to a problem with the machine, Eleanor spoke to the office of the place that issued the machine, and they said they could see multiple events, and that they had seen a resting pulse rate of up to 180, but multiple resting heart rates in the 120's and 130's. She also had an at-home sleep study, We're unsure of the results of that as yet.

She then had a follow up appt with the cardiologist who said there was nothing wrong with the structure of Eleanor's heart. Didn't refer to her high cholesterol. Didn't mention the sleep study. Said the racing heart was a function of Eleanor's age, quite common, and that your heart at 21 was different to your heart at 30, or at 50, and that she'd grow out of it. Told her she did not need a follow up appt.

If anyone out there actually knows anything about normal heart health and 21 year olds, PLEASE PITCH IN. I'm getting ready to do the second opinion thing, but I want to gather the test results first.

Apart from anything else...I mean...this isn't normal...right? Right?? I know the normal heart rates, but the cardiologist has me totally off balance.

Thanks.

 

[marymm]

Has Elinor's thyroid been checked? Hyperthyroidism can cause cardiac effects similar to what you've related here, as well as insomnia and high cholesterol levels. And maybe have the rest of the hormones tested as well, if they haven't already been checked.

I hope this is resolved soon. Best wishes.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Hi @mrs-b !
I am so sorry to hear about how dismissive the doctor was.
I am 28, so a tad older than Eleanor. I am 5’2, 120lbs. I have never had a health problem in my life, I don’t drink or smoke…. I am not overweight. And I get looked over by ALL doctors too. Trying to get any doctor to acknowledge ANY medical concern I have is infuriating.

My resting heart rate is also high. It was 115 at the doctors the other day. They didn’t bat an eye. I have always had a high resting heart rate, 100 if I am sitting down is normal for me.

However, A few years ago when I was closer to Eleanor’s age, I went through a bout of tachycardia. My heart rate would spur to rapid speeds for no reason. It didn’t matter if I was sitting in place, standing or walking.

I don’t have any answers as to if this is normal or not. But I wanted to tell you that being dismissed by medical professionals as a young healthy woman is (NOT OKAY) but sadly normal ….
No one wants to take us seriously.

I still have issues with getting my heart rate down, but it hasn’t caused any problems besides the occasional dizzy spell.

I was told that elevated heart rate can weirdly be a symptom of PMS. I have PMDD and track my cycle, and notice elevated heart rates during my PMS.

So sorry hugs to you both

 

[mrs-b]

Has Elinor's thyroid been checked? Hyperthyroidism can cause cardiac effects similar to what you've related here, as well as insomnia and high cholesterol levels. And maybe have the rest of the hormones tested as well, if they haven't already been checked.

I hope this is resolved soon. Best wishes.

This is EXCELLENT advice - thank you so much, @marymm. I'll give it a whirl!

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Hi @mrs-b !
I am so sorry to hear about how dismissive the doctor was.
I am 28, so a tad older than Eleanor. I am 5’2, 120lbs. I have never had a health problem in my life, I don’t drink or smoke…. I am not overweight. And I get looked over by ALL doctors too. Trying to get any doctor to acknowledge ANY medical concern I have is infuriating.

My resting heart rate is also high. It was 115 at the doctors the other day. They didn’t bat an eye. I have always had a high resting heart rate, 100 if I am sitting down is normal for me.

However, A few years ago when I was closer to Eleanor’s age, I went through a bout of tachycardia. My heart rate would spur to rapid speeds for no reason. It didn’t matter if I was sitting in place, standing or walking.

I don’t have any answers as to if this is normal or not. But I wanted to tell you that being dismissed by medical professionals as a young healthy woman is (NOT OKAY) but sadly normal ….
No one wants to take us seriously.

I still have issues with getting my heart rate down, but it hasn’t caused any problems besides the occasional dizzy spell.

I was told that elevated heart rate can weirdly be a symptom of PMS. I have PMDD and track my cycle, and notice elevated heart rates during my PMS.

So sorry hugs to you both

I also wanted to add that I specifically had my thyroid checked. All thyroid functions were normal. I had slightly elevated cholesterol levels too, despite eating a raw diet and healthy foods (I am food Intolerant to processed foods). It sounds like me and Eleanor have a lot of similar symptoms. I hope you can find answers

 

[mrs-b]

Hi @mrs-b !
I am so sorry to hear about how dismissive the doctor was.
I am 28, so a tad older than Eleanor. I am 5’2, 120lbs. I have never had a health problem in my life, I don’t drink or smoke…. I am not overweight. And I get looked over by ALL doctors too. Trying to get any doctor to acknowledge ANY medical concern I have is infuriating.

My resting heart rate is also high. It was 115 at the doctors the other day. They didn’t bat an eye. I have always had a high resting heart rate, 100 if I am sitting down is normal for me.

However, A few years ago when I was closer to Eleanor’s age, I went through a bout of tachycardia. My heart rate would spur to rapid speeds for no reason. It didn’t matter if I was sitting in place, standing or walking.

I don’t have any answers as to if this is normal or not. But I wanted to tell you that being dismissed by medical professionals as a young healthy woman is (NOT OKAY) but sadly normal ….
No one wants to take us seriously.

I still have issues with getting my heart rate down, but it hasn’t caused any problems besides the occasional dizzy spell.

I was told that elevated heart rate can weirdly be a symptom of PMS. I have PMDD and track my cycle, and notice elevated heart rates during my PMS.

So sorry hugs to you both

I completely hear what you're saying, @Sprinkles&Stones. Eleanor is 21, 5'3.5" and 122 lbs. Dr's take one look at her and think she's the picture of health. Believe me, tho, as an older woman, they don't take you any more seriously, and it's a pain in the neck. I think these days most doctors come at the patient with a "You're probably making this up and I know more about your body than you do" mentality, which is the hard road block against good medicine. It's very disappointing. There are plenty of good doctors out there - one just has to really look to find them.

 

[bright&shiny]

Has anyone checked for HCM? Hypertrophic Cardio Myopathy. It takes several forms. My husband has it, as does his mother. 180 seems high for a regular resting rate.

 

[Sprinkles&Stones]

Yes!

I completely hear what you're saying, @Sprinkles&Stones. Eleanor is 21, 5'3.5" and 122 lbs. Dr's take one look at her and think she's the picture of health. Believe me, tho, as an older woman, they don't take you any more seriously, and it's a pain in the neck. I think these days most doctors come at the patient with a "You're probably making this up and I know more about your body than you do" mentality, which is the hard road block against good medicine. It's very disappointing. There are plenty of good doctors out there - one just has to really look to find them.

Eleanor is lucky she has you as her mother to help navigate the medical world…. I am sending prayers and well wishes that you find some answer that is treatable! Not knowing WHAT is wrong is the hardest.

 

[Rfisher]

This may not help - but here goes.

Does she have a separate gyno than her PP? If so - is the gyno of the same impression as the PP/specialist as it being no big deal?

My experience is gyno/NP are more in tune to looking further in depth for questionable symptoms relating to overall health, advising when to go to specialists ( or in this case a different specialist) or not.

Does she have full/complete knowledge of her 2 generations back hereditary paternal/maternal health history? I think if not - I’d be more apt to push for more info.


Best wishes

(Edited for clarity. I hope)

 

[mrs-b]

This may not help - but here goes.

Does she have a separate gyno than her PP? If so - is the gyno of the same impression as the PP/specialist as it being no big deal?

My experience is gyno/NP are more in tune to looking further in depth for questionable symptoms relating to overall health, advising when to go to specialists ( or in this case a different specialist) or not.

Does she have full/complete knowledge of her 2 generations back hereditary paternal/maternal health history? I think if not - I’d be more apt to push for more info.


Best wishes

(Edited for clarity. I hope)

I'll look into this. @Rfisher, you are, as always, a font of information! Thank you! <3

 

[mrs-b]

Has anyone checked for HCM? Hypertrophic Cardio Myopathy. It takes several forms. My husband has it, as does his mother. 180 seems high for a regular resting rate.

She has an appt with her PCP this afternoon. I'll bring this up - thank you!

 

[marymm]

@mrs-b, just realized I misspelled Eleanor's name in my post (#2) above, my apologies

 

[wildcat03]

This does not sound normal, but it may not be a primary heart issue. The cardiologist also sounds dismissive. Hopefully she's had her thyroid checked?

 

[TooPatient]

I would think that is very NOT normal and unsafe. There was a bicyclist in the last few years died after their heart rate went to something like 204 bpm. When mine was around 100-115 resting, they did all sorts of tests because when moving around it was getting way too high. I would definitely check with primary and even get a different cardiologist involved if needed.

 

[Karl_K]

I know of someone who had all that going on,, she changed birth control methods and it went away.
I dont know from what to what or other details.

 

[Demon]

....because that's what her cardiologist said, and I was never more gobsmacked in my life. Eleanor has great difficulty sleeping - she has night after night with 5 hours sleep or less. She does the whole sleep-hygiene thing, good sleep habits, no caffeine, alcohol, drugs, etc etc. She mutes her phone and puts it away - all of it. But still - utterly crap sleep. We've wondered if that's what has been effecting her heart.

For the last year or two, I've been aware that she has an arrhythmia. I've felt her resting pulse at 130...135 - but completely irregular. I had afib for some years a while back, and it feels EXACTLY like that. She went to a cardiologist and I went with her. The woman was completely dismissive but ordered a few tests. Didn't explain them - but there you go. Eleanor had some blood tests, which showed high LDL cholesterol and high total cholesterol (Eleanor is not at all overweight and also exercises regularly). She also had an echo and an ultrasound (showed nothing), a couple of EKGs (both showed arrhythmias), and a halter monitor for 2 weeks, which showed multiple episodes of racing heart. At one point, due to a problem with the machine, Eleanor spoke to the office of the place that issued the machine, and they said they could see multiple events, and that they had seen a resting pulse rate of up to 180, but multiple resting heart rates in the 120's and 130's. She also had an at-home sleep study, We're unsure of the results of that as yet.

She then had a follow up appt with the cardiologist who said there was nothing wrong with the structure of Eleanor's heart. Didn't refer to her high cholesterol. Didn't mention the sleep study. Said the racing heart was a function of Eleanor's age, quite common, and that your heart at 21 was different to your heart at 30, or at 50, and that she'd grow out of it. Told her she did not need a follow up appt.

If anyone out there actually knows anything about normal heart health and 21 year olds, PLEASE PITCH IN. I'm getting ready to do the second opinion thing, but I want to gather the test results first.

Apart from anything else...I mean...this isn't normal...right? Right?? I know the normal heart rates, but the cardiologist has me totally off balance.

Thanks.

I hope you find out what's causing it, and hopefully find a fix. I can't imagine how she ever gets to sleep - my heart rate would go up to 110 a few days before my period, and I found it very hard to sleep. I can't imagine 180! Poor thing.

 

[Demon]

I was told that elevated heart rate can weirdly be a symptom of PMS. I have PMDD and track my cycle, and notice elevated heart rates during my PMS.

I just replied to the OP, and was going through the thread.....I don't think its all that weird, since we both had that problem.

 

[Snowdrop13]

A heart rate of 180 unprovoked by exercise would likely give rise to physical symptoms- palpitations, dizziness, possibly chest pain or breathlessness and is definitely not normal. Did you see the Holter report? There are many causes for a milder resting tachycardia, overactive thyroid, as mentioned, anxiety, fever, caffeine, plus many other causes for intermittent increases in heart rate, such as problems with the heart electrical “wiring”. I can’t believe a cardiologist would have not provided some sort of explanation. At 21 she is an adult and not likely to “grow out” of anything!!

 

[mom2dolls]

My daughter is 21 and her resting heart rate is also very high. Sometimes up to 180.

We have been to multiple doctors, as this started about 5 years ago. She has been diagnosed with SVT- Supraventricular Tachycardia, her electrical system within her heart does not function properly on the under side of her heart. She has episodes, we call them, where her heart rate will get up over 230. Straight to the ER she goes. They have had to stop her heart before to stop the episode, because the medication wasn't working. She has chosen to not have the surgery to cauterize the wayward nerves.

Please get a second, even third opinion. One question I have, if you don't mind, is she vaccinated for C-19?

After my daughter was vaccinated she had cluster episodes for two months. It was bad. Thankfully they have subsided now and she has not had another one in about 7 months.

 

[diamondringlover]

my son is 25 and healthy (other than asthma) he doesnt smoke, do drugs or anything like that, he does drink some, he is 5'9" and weights about 135 lbs....his resting heart is around 110 or so, doctors dont seem to worry about it...180 sounds a tad high to me, when mine was that high I was put in the hospital but I was also 47 years old....

 

[Lookinagain]

I can't speak to the heart rate but I can tell you that when I was in my early 30"s in the hospital for something unrelated, the doctor told me I had arrhythmia but not to worry because it was normal for a young, thin, female (I was thinner then). I assumed he knew what he was talking about.

 

[Bron357]

Definitely have her thyroid levels checked, certainly could be Graves disease (overactive thyroid). Other symptoms would be fine hand tremors (stretch arms out front and see if fingers tremor) over emotional at times, difficulty sleeping and occassional heart palpitations.
Easily treated if it is.
Also check Adrenal levels, there are syndromes associated with that.
In any regard, she should stop using computers/ phone/ iPad etc at least 3 hours before bed. Also practice calming breathing exercises daily. Yoga is also good.
I have been taking melatonin which has definitely helped my sleep cycle.

 

[qubitasaurus]

That isn't just the heart rate, it's a cluster of symptoms which are potentially connected. You need a second opinion from a different cardiologist and some of the other specialists mentioned above. Someone needs to think about the extra factors in combination.

A few probably less than helpful thoughts, (1) do you have a defibrillator? You can buy them, it's quite common. I think my parents bought one for my brother as he has episodes where his heart stops (which was also shockingly diagnosed as something he will grow out of -- provided it doesnt kill him. But it lands him in hospital all the same and it continued for many years.). (2) can you buy her one of those Garmin watches, they're pretty, fun to wear and they track your heart rate. Obviously not going to be a silver bullet but it may help her get a baseline or see if that baseline is shifting (3) can you look into any supplements she is taking, and keep a journal including amount of sleep, temperature, food she ate and supplements and medication (I.e. the pill) she took and her resting heart rate and maybe blood pressure? I actually don't know if this is a good or a bad idea but when I can't work something out I reach for more data. I have never tried to trouble shoot something this big though (in the interest of full disclosure I did this for a year but for rosacea which was known to be driven by environmental factors, I dont know if its a good plan for other conditions where its not so clear its being caused by her environmnet).

 

[Sunrises Sunsets]

mrs-b, I have followed Pricescope for years but didn't join until about a year ago and haven't posted much. But I feel it would be remiss if I didn't speak up regarding this thread.

First of all, I was thrilled to read your announcement that Eleanor was officially your daughter even though she actually has been just that in your heart for years. I am also concerned about her heart rate issue. We haven't heard an update on her PCP visit but I hope that the PCP was able to help or direct you to further tackle that issue.

From personal experience, if you haven't been directed to do this to this point and the issue hasn't been resolved, please make an appointment with a highly recommended electrophysiologist for Eleanor to be evaluated. Cardiologist are heart plumbers and electrophysiologists are for the wiring or electrical portion of the heart. I have heard of more than one instance where someone presented in the ER with arrhythmia and after their heart was converted back to NSR (normal sinus rhythm), they were sent on their merry way with the advice that this may happen again and they should come back when it does and they'll treat it again. See an electrophysiologist asap with the hospital record of your arrhythmia.

Arrhythmia can be very serious. If one is in arrhythmia, the left atrial appendage at the top of the heart may not be emptied when the heart is beating incorrectly. When the heart beat is returned to normal rhythm, a clot that may have formed in this appendage could be loosened and cause a stroke. This is not to be alarming but cautionary for anyone who has an erratic heartbeat. It need to be evaluated by a competent EP. Quite often the problem can be treated with medication, ablation or cryotherapy. I am not a doctor but have dealt with this issue for many years and hope to provide insight into this medical diagnosis. Don't contact a plumber for an electrical issue, although the two of them may work hand together to solve the problem. Best of luck to both of you for an answer.

 

[LilAlex]

I did not read all the posts. There is too little info in your initial post to give other than the most generic help. Mostly you need a second opinion at a respected medical school. I don't know what country you're in but that's what I suggest of you are "in the West."

A 21 year-old is not some special beast; that's an adult. Different things are seen more commonly at different ages.

There is a world of difference between a persistently elevated resting heart rate of 150, say -- which is bad for the heart -- and an episodic, asymptomatic elevated heart rate (think running for the bus). The thread title made it seem like your daughter had a steady heart rate of 180 which means ER and hospitalization.

 

[Dandi]

My first thought when I read this @mrs-b was SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia). It's generally a benign condition, and can present in young and otherwise fit people with no comorbidities. Has that been mentioned at any stage?

 

[mrs-b]

Thank you to everyone who commented - I really appreciate your comments and read all of them more than once.

Eleanor had her thyroid tested, but I'm thinking about sending her to a functional medicine dr to have it more closely tested and in more detail. There are also other issues which suggest the thyroid might be an issue - such as hair thinning etc, so I think more thyroid testing is the place to start,

Whatever this is, I think it will take some time to nut out. Since the original cardiologist was of no help whatsoever, we are, of course, going to go elsewhere, but the first thing we need to do is retrieve all of her medical records and test results - which we haven't seen as of yet. The cardiologist gave us a very offhand general opinion, but I want to see the raw data. most dr's offices, in my experience, are very slow movers when it comes to this sort of thing, so that might take a while.

I'm back in Boston as of last Saturday, but she had another episode on Friday while we were out to lunch, and the whole thing is unnerving. We'll keep plugging away. In the meantime, she's cut back on all the things that could exacerbate these symptoms and will retest bloods and cholesterol in 6 months. She heads back to college in a couple of days, so we've probably done all we can do in the short term and will pick it up again over her Christmas break.

As far as her sleep goes - when I say she's practicing good sleep hygiene, she's doing everything we can think of, and has been for some time. She also only drinks decaffeinated coffee and eats a reasonably low carb diet. We also bought her the best mattress and pillow we could find for the issue and, altho she is now supremely comfortable, she is still hugely restless during the night. The PCP prescribed her sleeping tablets, and she's still very restless and wakeful during the night, and can't seem to get beyond about 6 hours.

Thank you again, one and all - I'm out of my depth on this, so your comments were incredibly helpful. <3

 

[wildcat03]

Thank you to everyone who commented - I really appreciate your comments and read all of them more than once.

Eleanor had her thyroid tested, but I'm thinking about sending her to a functional medicine dr to have it more closely tested and in more detail. There are also other issues which suggest the thyroid might be an issue - such as hair thinning etc, so I think more thyroid testing is the place to start,

Whatever this is, I think it will take some time to nut out. Since the original cardiologist was of no help whatsoever, we are, of course, going to go elsewhere, but the first thing we need to do is retrieve all of her medical records and test results - which we haven't seen as of yet. The cardiologist gave us a very offhand general opinion, but I want to see the raw data. most dr's offices, in my experience, are very slow movers when it comes to this sort of thing, so that might take a while.

I'm back in Boston as of last Saturday, but she had another episode on Friday while we were out to lunch, and the whole thing is unnerving. We'll keep plugging away. In the meantime, she's cut back on all the things that could exacerbate these symptoms and will retest bloods and cholesterol in 6 months. She heads back to college in a couple of days, so we've probably done all we can do in the short term and will pick it up again over her Christmas break.

As far as her sleep goes - when I say she's practicing good sleep hygiene, she's doing everything we can think of, and has been for some time. She also only drinks decaffeinated coffee and eats a reasonably low carb diet. We also bought her the best mattress and pillow we could find for the issue and, altho she is now supremely comfortable, she is still hugely restless during the night. The PCP prescribed her sleeping tablets, and she's still very restless and wakeful during the night, and can't seem to get beyond about 6 hours.

Thank you again, one and all - I'm out of my depth on this, so your comments were incredibly helpful. <3

Restless during the night makes me think of iron. You can actually be iron deficient and have a normal hemoglobin/hematocrit (so not anemic). I discovered this during my 2nd pregnancy when I had TERRIBLE restless legs. I have two friends who are hematologists so when I discussed it with them they both suggested checking my iron labs. Sure enough, my ferritin (a measure of iron stores) was single digits (ideal is 50+, mine was 4). A single iron infusion over a couple hours (total time spent at the hospital was probably 4 hours) and within a week I was SO much better. I also was getting terribly winded by exercise, and my heart rate climbed with minimal exertion which I assumed was pregnancy but that all improved with the infusion as well!

The labs that are used to assess this are an iron panel, a ferritin, and a complete blood count (CBC).

 

[LilAlex]

Eleanor had her thyroid tested, but I'm thinking about sending her to a functional medicine dr to have it more closely tested and in more detail.

There is pretty much zero chance that this will be helpful.

Sounds like she had a decent work-up including a two-week event monitor.

No one ever wants to hear this but there may be a significant anxiety component, especially if the racing heart and the sleeplessness are both new. Alternatively, whether or not she has accompanying hypertension with these episodes (presumably someone has checked), she can get labs to rule out a "pheo" -- which is rare and very treatable. But this will be negative, too.

Mostly, glad you are getting a second opinion -- and bravo on collecting the data first since otherwise this will all need to be repeated.

 

[candy]

Mrs-b, your motherly instincts are right and there is no way that this is normal for a 21 year old. I’m sorry that doctors have been so dismissive.

I rarely post here but wanted to echo what some others have said about SVT (supraventrical tachardia). I was diagnosed with it in my 30s, although I had episodes of it throughout my life but never knew what it was. Apparently it’s fairly common and it sounds very similar to what your daughter is experiencing.

I was only diagnosed after having an extreme episode that landed me in the ER, and they put me on monitors while it was happening. I think that’s the main reason I was able to get a diagnosis and not have it dismissed as anxiety (which happened prior to that).

A few thoughts:
- As another poster said, get an appointment with an electrophysiologist and not a cardiologist.
- The newer Apple watches have EKG capabilities that are reliable, according to my electrophysiologist. Documenting the episodes may be of help so they can see what is actually happening.
- For me, lack of sleep (usually caused by stress) can trigger episodes. It took me a while but I’ve figured out some of my triggers, which has helped greatly reduce the episodes.
- SVT (and I’m guessing other heart issues) can be exacerbated by pregnancy. Only mentioning it because your daughter is young and may want to keep that in mind in the future.
- Your daughter may want to research “vagal maneuvers” which are simple ways to trick your heart back into a normal rhythm. This is how I’m usually able to stop my episodes, but it may not apply to your daughter if her issues are being caused by something else.

I don’t mean to give medical advice here because your daughter might be experiencing something entirely different. Just wanted to help if i can.

You are doing great, mama. Your daughter is lucky to have you!