Hyperparathyroidism Support Group
Hyperparathyroidism is overactivity of the parathyroid glands resulting in excess production of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Increased PTH consequently leads to increased serum calcium (hypercalcemia) due to 1) increased bone resorption, allowing flow of calcium from bone to blood, 2) reduces renal clearance of calcium, and 3) increases intestinal calcium absorption.
I get heart palpitations quite often. Most of the time it feels like a fluttering. Lately it sometimes feels like my heart slows down and speeds up. I've never had these type of palpitations before. Are they normal for hyperparathyroidism? I usually just sit quietly and they eventually stop.
My palpitations which just started a few months back in May are disappearing after my surgery this last Monday in Tampa. I had been referred to a cardiologist who had done an echocardiogram, stress test and holter monitor. All of those were normal except he did see some ectopic beats on the holter. He was going to have me wear an event monitor for 6 weeks but he decided to see if surgery helped and it has so I now know that the high calciums were causing the heart palpitations. The heart palpitations felt like my heart was beating really hard and I could count my pulse by just feeling it beat in my chest--also sometimes it felt like my heart was turning over in my chest. It was very scary and that is why I self referred to Dr. Norman.