Women's Hormone Health · Kingwood, The Woodlands & New Caney
Heart Palpitations in Menopause
A racing, pounding or fluttering heart can be scary. Palpitations are common during perimenopause, but they always deserve a careful check.
Why it happens
Why palpitations happen
Fluctuating estrogen can affect heart rate and the nervous system, and palpitations often show up alongside hot flashes. Caffeine, alcohol, anxiety, poor sleep, thyroid problems and anemia can also trigger them.
Common signs
- Racing or pounding heartbeat
- Fluttering or skipped beats
- Palpitations during hot flashes
- Palpitations at night
- Feeling anxious or jittery
What can help
Ways to feel better
Everyday steps
- Cut back on caffeine and alcohol
- Stay hydrated
- Practice slow breathing
- Note when palpitations happen
See a doctor sooner if
- Chest pain, fainting or shortness of breath (call 911)
- Palpitations that last more than a few minutes
- A very fast or irregular heartbeat at rest
- History of heart disease
Treatment options
Getting to the cause
We check thyroid function, blood counts and other labs, and may recommend an ECG or a cardiology visit. When palpitations are tied to hot flashes and hormone shifts, treating those symptoms may help.
When symptoms are driven by falling or fluctuating estrogen and progesterone, hormone replacement therapy for women may help. Options include bioidentical estradiol, progesterone and, for some women, low-dose testosterone, delivered as creams, patches, pills or EvexiPEL hormone pellets. Women who still have a uterus need progesterone along with estrogen.
We treat heart palpitations for patients from Kingwood, The Woodlands, Porter, Humble and across the Lake Houston area at our New Caney office. Your first visit starts with lab work and a real conversation about your symptoms.
Questions
Common questions
Are heart palpitations a symptom of menopause?
They can be, especially during perimenopause. Heart and thyroid causes still need to be ruled out.
When are palpitations an emergency?
Call 911 for palpitations with chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath or confusion.