can menopause cause heart palpitations

Yes, menopause and the transition phase leading up to it (perimenopause ) can cause heart palpitations.¹²

Why It Happens

• Hormone Fluctuations: Declining and fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone affect the autonomic nervous system and the heart's electrical signaling (such as the sinoatrial node, which controls heart rate).¹²³⁴⁵
• Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Vasomotor symptoms often trigger a sudden surge in adrenaline and an increased heart rate, making heart flutters or a racing heartbeat more noticeable.¹²³⁴
• Sleep Disturbances and Anxiety: Insomnia, night sweats, stress, and mood changes commonly spike during midlife transitions, which can directly contribute to or intensify heart palpitations.¹²

When to See a Doctor

While heart palpitations are frequently benign and tied to changing hormones, it is important to have them evaluated by a healthcare professional to rule out other conditions like thyroid issues, arrhythmias, or cardiovascular disease (which increases during and after menopause).¹²³⁴⁵Seek immediate medical attention if your palpitations are accompanied by:

• Chest or back pain / pressure
• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
• Feeling faint, lightheaded, or losing consciousness
• Nausea or vomiting¹²³

You can read more about hormonal shifts and symptom patterns via Let's Talk Menopause or the British Heart Foundation.¹²To help narrow this down, could you share:

• How often the palpitations happen and how long they last?
• Are you experiencing other signs like hot flashes, anxiety, or dizziness?

Yes, menopause (and the lead-up to it, known as perimenopause) can indeed cause heart palpitations.¹²

How Menopause Triggers Palpitations

• Hormonal Fluctuations: As estrogen and progesterone levels rise and fall unevenly during perimenopause, it can affect the heart's electrical and cellular signaling, occasionally causing a fluttering, pounding, or skipped-beat sensation.¹
• Anxiety and Stress: Hormonal shifts frequently trigger or worsen anxiety, panic, and mood changes, which directly spark adrenaline release and rapid heartbeats.¹
• Sleep Disturbances: Night sweats and insomnia common during menopause lead to fatigue, stress, and dehydration—all of which are classic triggers for palpitations.¹²

When to Seek Medical Advice

While hormonal palpitations are very common and often harmless, it is important to get checked by a doctor to rule out other issues like thyroid imbalances or anaemia.¹

• See a GP soon if: Your palpitations are frequent, long-lasting, recurring, or if you have a personal or family history of heart conditions. You can book an appointment through your local surgery or check guidance via the NHS Heart Palpitations Guide.¹
• Seek emergency help (Call 999 or go to A&E) immediately if: Palpitations are accompanied by chest or back pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting.¹²

Would you like to share how long you've been noticing them or if you have other symptoms like night sweats or anxiety? I can share some common ways people track or manage them before speaking to a doctor.

Yes. Menopause and perimenopause can cause heart palpitations, and they are a fairly common symptom during the hormonal changes leading up to and following menopause.

Palpitations can feel like:

• Your heart suddenly racing or beating very fast.
• A fluttering or trembling sensation in your chest.
• Your heart skipping a beat or giving a big thump.
• A pounding heartbeat, even when you're resting.
• Brief episodes where your heartbeat feels irregular.

Why does menopause cause palpitations?

The main reason is fluctuating and declining oestrogen levels.

Oestrogen affects the cardiovascular and nervous systems. As levels change, this can:

• Make you more sensitive to changes in your heart rate.
• Affect the autonomic nervous system, which regulates your heartbeat.
• Trigger palpitations alongside hot flushes and night sweats.
• Increase anxiety or adrenaline surges, which can make your heart race.
• Disrupt sleep, which can also contribute.

Are they dangerous?

Usually, menopause-related palpitations are harmless. However, it's important not to automatically assume they're hormonal.

Other possible causes include:

• Thyroid problems.
• Iron deficiency or anaemia.
• Low blood pressure.
• Heart rhythm disturbances.
• Caffeine, alcohol or stress.

It's worth arranging a GP appointment, particularly if the palpitations are new, recurring or becoming more frequent. An ECG and blood tests may help rule out other causes.

(Seek urgent medical help)

If palpitations occur with chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting or feeling as though you might faint, seek emergency medical help.

Can I ask you three things?

I'd like to understand what you're experiencing.

1. Are you in perimenopause (periods becoming irregular) or have your periods stopped completely?
2. Do the palpitations feel like a flutter, skipped beats, or a sudden racing heartbeat?
3. Do they happen when you're resting, at night, during hot flushes, or seemingly out of nowhere?

I can help you work out whether what you're describing sounds consistent with menopause-related palpitations or whether it needs further investigation.