My heart muscle is worrying me!

February 26, 2009 2:25 PM

ExerciseFilter: I've been doing the gym thing at least 3x per week for about 3 or 4 months now. Strength training and cardio mix. About 6 weeks ago, I started Trileptal as a mood stabilizer (I am not epilectic). I am on no other meds. It's the type of drug where you ramp up your dosage over a period of time. In the last two weeks, my low THR feels like my heart is pounding as if I'd just been in car accident.

If I swim a length of a pool, I have to stop for about 30 sec to a min until my heart goes back to feeling normal. I've had to leave the gym the last several times I went because I just couldn't do the cardio machines at the same settings I had been using. My heart feels like it's just racing and pounding.

But when I take my pulse, It's just at the 60% range of my THR. I've noticed my morning pulse is a bit fast, but I've just started taking note of it at the advice of my SO so I could get a better metric.

In the mean time, I'm a little freaked out. I don't have a GP to go to right now (I'm on a waiting list to get a new patient appt!??!!). And I have a few more weeks till I see the psychiatrist again. This hadn't been happening long enough to warrant alarm the last time I saw him.

It's not like I get out of breath, but my heart beating like that scares the bejessus out of me! I have never had any health problems.

Oh right...30 yo, female, 5'6", 170.

Is it the meds? Is this some weird exercise thing? I've tried google searching and mefi but just come up with how to calculate and stuff about "my heart rate is too low". Please direct me if I have overlooked something. Meanwhile, I'll be walking very slowly on the treadmill at 0 incline.

posted by sio42 to health & fitness (8 comments total)

You should discuss this with your psychiatrist. Serious side effects with mood stabilisers are rare, but they do happen. Managing this stuff is part and parcel of prescribing them. Nobody here can do anything but speculate. (It could be the drug, or it could be coincidental. It might be cause for concern, or it might not.) Your heart is important and a doctor needs to make the decision about how to manage this, so give them a call.
posted by xchmp at 4:24 PM on February 26

Tachycardia is one of the possible side effects of Trileptal, so it could indeed be the meds. Could be any number of other things as well. I'd try to see a doctor sooner rather than later.
posted by Thoughtcrime at 4:26 PM on February 26

Maybe ask your pharmacist.
posted by tiburon at 6:11 PM on February 26

Having possible odd side effects from your medication?

Call your doctor, and ask them. They're usually glad to tell you either "come in, we'll talk about it", "go to the ER now", or "sounds normal to me, don't worry about it".
posted by talldean at 6:34 PM on February 26

Call your doctor. This is what they are for. If they won't respond, then you have the wrong doctor!
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:42 PM on February 26

Yes, call.

FWIW I take Lamictal which is usually prescribed for epilepsy but in my case, off label as a mood stabilizer.. and I seem to be hypersensitive to caffeine, alcohol, etc. causing heart racing, just aware of heart rate more often than I ever used to be. Went through a barrage of tests (at cardiology) and everything was fine. Worrying about it intensely while waiting for tests to be scheduled caused it to happen more. Call your doctors. But I am just saying that worrying about your heart racing can.. make your heart race, so just do what you need to do and try not to worry, that doesn't help.
posted by citron at 2:25 AM on February 27

Definitely see a cardiologist. A day or so of cardio tests will determine whether your heart is having any difficulties, or whether it's a perception/sensing issue. But, this is the only safe way to tell. Please do it soon.
posted by Citrus at 8:55 AM on February 27

thanks for replies!

he had me drop back down a little on the meds (which were making me kinda sleepy too).

i'm so new to this med for the head stuff and anything freaks me out. i wasn't sure if i was over-reacting or not.

i'm glad he didn't tell me to go to the ER!
posted by sio42 at 2:43 PM on February 27