Tamoxifen and Heart Palpitations

graphicsgirl

Has anyone here experienced heart pounding/palpitations after starting Tamoxifen? I have been on it almost 3 months and the palpitations and heart pounding started about a month after I first started taking the medication.

I asked my oncologist if the heart symptoms could be caused by Tamoxifen and she said, "No, that's not one of the side effects." She suggested I have my primary care doctor check it out. So he's having me wear a Holter Monitor for 48 hours to see what my heart is doing (I'm wearing it now).

I should also mention that I do have a mild mitral valve prolapse from a bout with rheumatic fever as a child. Through the years, a heart murmur could be heard on occasion. Now the doctors are saying they hear a definite murmur. I'm wondering if the chemo and/or radiation (right side) exacerbated it.

In the meantime, I've scoured the Internet to see if there is any info about these kind of symptoms in connection with Tamoxifen, but I'm not finding much. Then, about three weeks ago, I started having throat tightening sensations with the heart pounding. I can tell when a hot flash is coming because my heart speeds up and now this! But it seems to occur at random times, even when I'm NOT having a hot flash. Aaaghhh!

Today I did another Internet search and read that heart palpitations are common before and during menopause because a woman's hormones are all wonky. From what I read, the heart symptoms can last 2-3 months before tapering off, presumably because the hormones even out. If that's the case, I wonder why my oncologist or primary care doctor didn't mention it?

Anyway, if anyone has had these kind of symptoms, I'd be interested to hear from you.

Thanks, ladies!

idaho

I had the exact same thing... mine felt like it was skipping a beat sometimes and beating really fast other times....  It makes me so angry that Onc's don't recognize this as a side effect- it happens just like you said - when your hormones get out of whack - it effects  your heart rhythms.  I stopped taking tamox for a month just for that reason- started again a month later and have not had those symptoms-  I read on here that starting tamox during your periods is helpful - so I did - and have not any symptoms other than hot flashes.... hope you can get things straightened out... Tami

KEW

I had the same thing.  I've had palpitations, or Preventricular Contractions since my late teens (49) now.  I get them all the time and was on medication for them in the early 80's until they realized that that meds were more dangerous than the beats.  What you feel is the compensatory beat, in my case, my ventricle beats before my atrial chamber, and when they sync up again you get that thud in your chest.  Mine increased about 4 weeks into Tamoxifen, did a 48 hour Holter, same old stuff, and since I knew menopause could increase this I wasn't too surprised.  It corrected itself after a few more weeks and I've since had an ooph and remain on the Tamoxifen, but have no increase in funny beats. 

Karen

HelenaJ

Graphicsgirl - the same thing happened to me about 2 months in as well (I'm premenopausal).  It was more noticeable when I went to bed and I could feel the blood pounding in my ears.  Then the heart would do a funny skip every now and then.  It really scared me as I have never had any problems with my heart/blood pressure.  They did taper off pretty quickly and they have totally disappeared now (6 months down the track). Sometimes Oncs don't know all the nuances of this drug and asking here is a good idea - so is the heart monitor.  Hope it all reads OK and the heart palpitations ease off for you.

big hugs

Helena

dash

Actually my heart started acting up right before I started taking tamoxifen but right after chemo and my heart doctor said it can happen to women during menopause. I was premenopausal before chemo. I was having a lot of scary symptoms-the numb/tingling jaw, neck, arm, etc. I went on beta blockers for over 1.5 years and just recently got off them. I still get a racing heart sometimes and I'm hoping that's all I get! I do notice a hot flash sometimes can go along with a racing heart. I just wouldn't blame it all on Tamoxifen but on the crazy hormones----- from chemo, from the stress hormones, menopause and from tamoxifen, too--all of the factors that are making your hormone levels bounce around. In fact, my cousin's wife did not have breast cancer or chemo. She just started menopause and had similar issues as me and went on the same betablocker.

PLaRee

Just so there is a record of this issue (as I too was told by my Onc that this was not connected to Tamoxifen) I wanted to log my experience.  I started having crazy heart palpitations about a month after starting Tam, was totally concerned about it, and did the Holter Monitor thing - they found nothing alarming.  I am 42 and show no signs of being near menopause yet.  I did not have to do chemo or radiation (just 5 surgeries), so this can not be related to those at all.  Anyway, the heart pounding had subsided after a few months but just started up again and I'm 10 months into Tamoxifen now.  I was feeling like I was done with this annoying issue.  Nothing like feeling like you're doing a good job at leading a calm life and putting the chaos behind you, just to have your heart start pounding out of your chest!

rgiuff

Graphics girl, there is one way to find out.  Stop the tamox for a month or so and see if the symptoms subside.  Then you can decide whether to restart back on it maybe gradually working up to the full dose or try something else.  It can take over a month for it to completely clear out of your system.

ladybond

I am so happy to read all your mails. I am on tamoxifen, have heart palpitations and was made to feel like i was crazy. I wore the holter monitor for a month, and visited the cardiologist. He made me feel like it was all in my head. But changed my blood pressure medication and put me on a beta blocker. This has helped some. I feel vindicated reading your messages. Thank you !!

cycle-path

I haven't taken Tamoxifen, but one of the menopause symptoms I had early on was palpitations. I had this feeling there was a little fish in my chest that was flopping around.

I think sometimes my heart would skip a beat or two and would then beat a few extra times, sort of to "catch up." I talked to my OB/GYN about this and she said it was a normal but somewhat unusual menopause symptom. She also said (and I've never tried to get this verified) that it was an indication of a healthy heart rather than an unhealthy one. (I'm pretty sure I *do* have a healthy heart -- I've never smoked, have excellent cholestorol levels, low-normal blood pressure, have never been overweight, have no family history of heart disease, and many female relatives who lived to be 90 or more.)

But anyway, I went on HRT and the palpitations stopped dead cold. After BC I went off HRT and I think I might have experienced the palpitations a couple of times (hard to remember) but they're not currently a problem.

Anyone who thinks changing hormone levels and palpitations are unrelated must not have access to a computer:

http://www.epigee.org/menopause/palpitations.html

http://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/yourhealth/symptoms/heartpalpitations.aspx

http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Be-Aware-for-Perimenopause

Edited by Mods to update link

nanapam

YES!!! I have stage IIIc ovarian cancer, not breast cancer, but I started hormone therapy after my chemo ended in 2010.  I was on Femara for 2 years.  Heart palps started within 30 days of starting it.  I had my heart checked out, nothing serious, just extra atrial beats.  I didn't associate it with the Femara.  I switched to Tamoxifen in January 2012 due to bone pain.  I still had palpitations that drove me crazy.  constantly.  Because of high tryglycerides, I quit my Tamoxifen for a month in December 2013 and my heart palps cleared!  I restarted Tamoxifen to test my discovery, and the palps restarted.  I stopped it, and the palps stopped.  I tried a pill every other day, and even a half pill every other day but still had palpitations.  So, I stopped it after 3 years of hormonal therapy.  I still have an occasional palps but nothing like before.  IF ONLY I had known that palps were a possible side effect, I would not have accepted treatment for them with beta blockers, which permanently slowed my heart rate, so I had to have a pacemaker implanted.  Heart palps should be recognized as a possible side effect of hormone treatments!!  They are recognized as a response to low estrogen, so why not as a response to estrogen lowering meds?!

Harmon25519

So relieved to hear that I'm not alone.  I've always had an irregular heartbeat, but it has definitely become more prevalent since I started taking Tamoxifen. 

ceanna

I find that specialists, like an MO, know only the basics of medical issues outside of their expertise.  It's not surprising they know little about heart palpitations.  Searching research literature, which often is above my total understanding, it helpful, though.  A quick search of Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com/ brings up research literature and you can read the latest research on a topic.