anemia and pounding heart?

My twin sister and I have been battling with endo of the diaphragm, which causes our lung to collapse during menses. After unsuccessful thoracic surgery/pleurodesis, I had a full hysterectomy last month. My sister's is scheduled for April. She seems to be having more problems with a pounding heart, which starts in the afternoon and continues until late evening. It is also worse after she eats. She has been bleeding heavily since Depo Provera, and her iron is around 14. We are wondering if this may be due to low iron, heavy bleeding or high cortisol levels. Does anyone have symptoms of pounding heart, and heart palpitations?
Thanks for your help. This site has really been a God-send.

Hi Lynn,

Welcome to Hyster Sisters! I'm glad that you found us and posted, although I am very sorry it's because both you and your sister suffer from such a rare disorder. I hadn't heard of it until I went to your web site and read about it.

I haven't got any personal experience to share with you as far as the pounding heart and palpatations, but hope that she has been in contact with your doctor. If not, please have her call him tomorrow. She may need to see a cardiologist to rule out any heart-related problems. It may also be stress-related, and that, too is something that she should discuss with her doctor.

I'll keep her (and you) in my thoughts and prayers. I hope that you are well on your way to full recovery, and that your sister's hyst will go well, also.

I hope that you will continue to post to let us know how both of you are doing.

S and Best Wishes to both of you,

((( Lynn ))). I love your site, it's very well done

I don't have any advice or info for you either but I did want to give you my best wishes and s

Hi ((Lynn)) & welcome to HysterSisters
I'm sorry to hear that both you & your ((Sister)) are having to suffer with this rare complication My heart goes out to both of you

At the site above, (((Karen))) posted, they share the following info on Endo & Anemia...these are some symptoms posted that can be related to the effects of Anemia:

	Quote:
Anemia is an important concern because it can present symptoms which are also common to CPT, most notably shortness of breath, dizziness and fatigue. Other symptoms include: lightheadedness headache pounding heart beat / heart palpitations weakness / tiredness a general sense of malaise pale skin / brittle nails memory loss / confusion / poor concentration depression irritibility pica (desire to eat ice) ringing in the ears restless leg syndrome (unpleasant sensations in legs with the urge to continually move them) Iron deficiency anemia is the type most often seen in menstruating women. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can be confirmed with a blood panel which can show iron deficiency as low values of serum iron, serum ferritin, hematocrit, hemoglobin and a low red blood cell count. Although iron levels can be easily tested, it is important to know that a serum iron level toward the low side but still within the "normal limits" can still cause symptoms of deficiency. http://catamenialpneumothorax.com/id20.htm

Here is another source of info they listed:
Medline Plus: Iron Deficiency Anemia

I do hope you each can find some answers & relief to this condition & the symptoms you suffer
Good Luck..I hope you will keep us posted on how you both are doing.........((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))

Anemia can often lead to irritability of the heart, and also a faster heart rate; since there isn't enough hemoglobin to get oxygen out of, the heart goes faster to compensate. I had a lot of tachycardia (fast heart rate) b efore surgery, when my hemoglobin was 8.

I had something similar to what you guys had; I used to cough up blood during my periods, always from the same "spot" that I could feel in my lung. On an accidental chest CT, they found a "granuloma" which is scar tissue covering over some previously inflamed tissue. No one had ever believed me that I had it in my lung; they always said it was due to my asthma that I had these problems. Getting this result from the CT scan finally validated what I'd been complaining about all these years!

Back to palpitations: your sister should probably have one of those 24-hour monitors (a holter) and an echocardiogram -- if she's not already done so -- prior to surgery. Low estrogen can also trigger palpitations, which is why it's good to know what sort of palpitations she is having; the treatment can be very different, depending.

You guys have been through so much -- I sure hope the surgery is the beginning of new, healthy lives for both of you!



Audrey

Hi - I'm new to this site - (like 2 minutes new!) but saw your post and it hit home. I'm being treated for iron deficiency anemia (think my levels were a little lower than yours) but after they did a second blood test (an anemia profile) they found my B12 levels to be really low - almost at the deficiency level. I had to take B12 injections for a week and will continue them once a month - for life. I was getting out of breath VERY easily (like loading the washing machine would do it) and my heart would pound like I'd just finished an hour's worth of high intensity aerobics (which, BTW, I haven't been able to do for a really long time!) I can't imagine what THAT would've done to me!! But I did have to have heart tests done (to rule anything out) and a pulmonary test as well. I'm on iron supplements now, have had 6 injections since Jan of B12 and am on a folic acid prescription as well. I don't feel near as out of breath and my heart doesn't seem to be pounding as hard. But I haven't tried exercising yet - plan to start this evening, actually. Just bought Windsor Pilates - thought maybe the less-impact style of exercising might be easier. I'm losing muscle tone!! Hopefully I'll be able to get my iron up - my LAVH is planned for the 9th - 15 days!
Hope this helps!
Lee