Palpitations

[Gerald Lively]

I may have made a mistake.

Watching TV Staurday night, my heart began to palpitate or flutter.  It happened once then it happened for five to ten seconds, a long time.  I was sitting, not moving at all, and I was getting dizzy much like the syncope I used to get.  Then it squared itself away.  We immediately embarked on a search for a reason.
I couldn't find an answer but my wife came up with my latest blood work sheet, and it said my postassium was on the low side of normal.  What the hell; she produced a few mouthfuls of high postassium food, I ate the whole thing, and the fluttering vanished.
What happened?

This can make more of my hair fall out.  Not good for old guys.
An aside, my fistula is buzzing.

[beachbum]

I get palpatations all the time. I never get used to it. Sometimes they are worse than other times. I went about 2 weeks recently with a crazy amount of palpatations, to the point where it disrupted my sleep. Before I started PD my potassium was always on the high side. My last labs said 3.7. I have never seen it that low! Still in the normal range but I find it strange that I now have to eat high potassium foods. It's hard to retrain myself.

I really don't know exactly what causes palpatations but certain foods do trigger it for me. I avoid coffee even though I love the stuff. I have found in the past if I'm having a really bad day of them or a couple days in a row, I fast for 24 hours and they subside. I wonder if it could be a buildup of toxins?

[malaka]

Get it checked out via EKG.  I developed strial fibriliaton with CKD.  In short, the top of your heart beats faster than the bottom.  The problem is that it can lead to blood clots and resultant strokes or pulmonary embolism--both of which can be disabling or fatal.

I'm not saying this is what yo elt, but it could be.  The "could be" is enough to get checked out.

If you have atrial fibrilation, you get medications for a quickie shock treatment and coumadin as a blood thinner.

[jeannea]

I get pvc's (premature ventricular contractions) and they're relatively harmless though annoying. You should describe what happened to your doc and see what he says. It could be consistent with low potassium. Just to be safe I would get an opinion.

[Desert Dancer]

Palpitations can also be caused by hyperparathyroidism. What's your PTH look like?

[texasstyle]

Here's how potassium works. Too high, or too low can have the same effect. Potassium in our cells helps to control your nerve and muscle functioning. Most is stored in your cells, but some is in your blood stream. When your potassium is out of whack it will effect both these issues. The main concern is that your HEART is a muscle. In my strongest opinion I would talk to your Dr. about this issue you have had. As a caregiver I know how difficult dealing with many of these issues can be. Please be careful and if it happens again do not be afraid to get checked out immediately. I see through the other replies it may also be linked to another cause. I hope you get everything straightened out soon what ever it may be.

[Gerald Lively]

I brought this up to my doctor and he agreed that my potassium was low.  He said that while my potassiuim was low bit still in the normal range, it might have been too low for me.  Yep, different strokes for different folks.  He advised me to modify my diet so that it includes some potassium. Everything in moderation. I did have an EKG two weeks ago, nothing there.

[*kana*]

The problem with getting an EKG for something that is intermittent is it wont show up anything.  An EKG takes a recording of 6-10 heart beats and that is all.  If you have a severe potassium issue then it would show on your EKG.  If this happens often I would ask to have a 24hr Holter monitor(basically a 24hr continuous EKG or 1mth Event Recorder(manually push during an episode).   Most palpitations are due to PVC's (premature ventricular contraction) which are harmless unless they become every other beat, 2 in a row or every third beat.  Mostly they are just annoying and a bit frightening.  Because it is so hard to determine what is causing your palpitations you should as for a cardiac consult with a heart specialist if they dont resolve with the extra K.   

[sullidog]

The old center I use to go to let my k get too low and when I complained of palputations they blamed it on stress until I went to the hospital and had an EKG. I still get very intermittent PVC's. I didn't know that PTH could cause palputations? How did you find that out?

[Hemodoc]

Palpitations with lightheadedness and inability to speak may be more than just the usual PVCs a lot of folks get with a lower potassium while on dialysis. I would let your doctor sort this out by calling him and describing your symptoms to him. An EKG might not pick up exactly what is going on, but it is the first place to start. There are many causes of palpitations, some quite benign and others not benign. Once again, I would think that letting your doctor know what is going on is the best place to start.

[Gerald Lively]

I did see my Doctor, Doc.  And, since that time I have not experienced anymore palpitations.  An aside, I see my Doc once a week.  If you toss in my time with my Oncoligist, I spend a lot of time with Doctors.  If my Urologist and GP get wind of all this Doctor attention, I'll be in a world of hurt.

I still feel like crap everyday.

Just a grumbling Old Fart who has seen too many things;

Gerald

[Gerald Lively]

Hemodoc;

Is Southern California still in the United States?

Message from Northern California;

Gerald

[Hemodoc]

I don't know, it seems like it left a long time ago, at least since the first time I saw it in 1961.