Side Effect of Medication? Heart racing

[Skempins]

Hi, everyone! I've only recently been diagnosed, and have started on 30mg of prednisone and 25mg of methotrexate once a week. I've noticed I've been getting chest pain (not that unusual since I have a restricted bronchus) and my heart has been racing more than usual, especially at night. Has anyone else experienced this? Perhaps it is related to one of the medications or perhaps it's to do with anxiety (prednisone tends to make me anxious and agitated).

Thank you,
Sarah

[Pete]

Hi Sarah,

You might want to check your med containers or the Internet about your rapid heart rate. I'm betting it's the pred. We weggies blame pred for most side effects...

[MaxD]

Sarah,

Heart burn is a common side effect of prednisone. I had similar symptoms (heaviness in chest) and these went away with a regular dose of protonics. When prednisone was tapered down, I switched to zantac, as the protonics can have unpleasant side-effects over a long term.

Hope this works for you, and that it's not something more serious. As for the rapid heart rate, best to have a doc check that out. Good luck!

[Green Grass & High Tides]

To counteract the prednisone side effects of heart racing and hippocampus atrophy my doc gave propranolol. It also helps a little with Anxiety. A rn told me about it and mentioned it to the doc who confirmed its use. Its one of the few that doesnt trigger my wegs.

Took a long time to get the right counteracting meds for prednisone. 17 years.

Saw lots of doctors. Lots. Some are ignorant of current research data on how various meds affect autoimmune disorders. But many nowadays are very savvy to glucocorticoids and the permanent damage they can do to the endocrine system.
The
At 25mg excercise is essential for me if I can physically do it. Today was fatigue at a 7 out of 10 on fatigue and weakness (left over from wegs stroke) but i managed a little excercise any way. What a struggle to get started! But afterwards it helps all the endocrine and systems that the pred hurts.

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[annekat]

The prednisone sounds like the culprit, all right. Although 30mg. is not that much to be on at initial treatment. Many of us have started at 50-60mg. or even higher. But some are more sensitive to it than others. Also, if your breathing is restricted, as it sounds like it is, that can easily cause a racing heart. I can't address the chest pain particularly. But it could be that these things were already happening but the pred is adding to it and magnifying it. I'd check all this out with your doc, whom I assume you'll be seeing fairly often at this stage of the game. And if you get into anything that feels like a crisis, I wouldn't hesitate to go to the ER.

[Birdie]

I've noticed I've been getting chest pain (not that unusual since I have a restricted bronchus) and my heart has been racing more than usual, especially at night. Has anyone else experienced this?

I've had both, chest pain and erratic heart beat. Sometimes my pulse goes from 65 to 150 for no reason, when I'm just resting. A couple years of tests and I gave up on the doctors. They had me running a treadmill, wearing a heart monitor 24/7 for a week to a month at a time, scans, etc. The only thing I got out of it was a diagnosis of aortic valve disorder. Claimed it's a mild case and not getting worse. Assumed to be caused by Wegener's.

For the last two years I've had little problem with it. Pops up once in a while for a week or so, then nothing for a couple months.

So.... don't want to be alarmist but if your Wegs is not yet controlled then it could be causing heart damage. I would get the issue looked at as soon as possible. Monitor the symtoms very closely and go to the ER anytime you're concerned about it.

[Alysia]

Hi. It can sure be an anxiety. But you need to check all options. I would have ask them to check your heart AND your lungs. Sometimes chest pain and heart racing can be connected to issues in the lungs. Sending my prayers. Please update us.

[Skempins]

Thank you ALL so much for the advice. I think you are correct that it is the pred giving me anxiety. I've been having a not-so-great time on it. I hope that once they eventually taper me down, I'll notice a difference. That's interesting that chest pain and heart racing can be connected to issues with the lungs, Alysia. I've had my heart checked, but I'm getting another bronchoscopy in just over a week, so I'll be sure to mention it, just in case.

I wish you all well, and again, thank you for the advice! It's interesting to be a newbie.

[Alysia]

Thank you ALL so much for the advice. I think you are correct that it is the pred giving me anxiety. I've been having a not-so-great time on it. I hope that once they eventually taper me down, I'll notice a difference. That's interesting that chest pain and heart racing can be connected to issues with the lungs, Alysia. I've had my heart checked, but I'm getting another bronchoscopy in just over a week, so I'll be sure to mention it, just in case.

I wish you all well, and again, thank you for the advice! It's interesting to be a newbie.

good luck. please update us.

[Birdie]

I think you are correct that it is the pred giving me anxiety.

30 mg of pred is not so bad, but it's bad enough. Just don't be in too big a hurry when it's time to reduce. When it's time you'll see almost immediate improvement in the pred related side effects with each reduction. Till then just report everything to your doctors and deal with it rather than pushing to get it reduced, prednisone is an important part of the treatment.

[Tanya]

I've never been on methotrexate but had similar experiences with prednisone at 30mg. I also got hot flashes.
My doc did a 48 hour holster monitor to make sure things were ok, which didn't show any abnormal rhythms, but I was having periods where it felt like it was skipping beats. Both have stopped since lowering prednisone. Such a nasty drug!