heart palpitations?

[Angga Andrio P]

I hope I'm posting this in the right area...

I'm an obese (310lbs), 18 year old girl and last friday my mom noticed that my face looked red but we didn't think anything of it, since I didn't have a fever.
Later that night though, I started having heart palpitations that were constant and we're also up by my neck and lasted all weekend so she made an appointment for my regular doctor.
I went to the doctors on tuesday and I was still having them but he said that my heart sounded normal but it could be mitral valve prolapse or from caffine.
I was tested for my thyroid early last year and nothing came up with the blood test.
He didn't do a blood test just listened to my heart and my blood pressure was 130/92 but he didn't say anything about it.
He told me that I could schedule an ultrasound just to make sure.
So I went home and we decided to wait until this huge snowstorm ended to schedule anything and wait a few days to see if it stops.
So yesterday afternoon the palpitations finally stopped and haven't return and it's friday 4pm here.
My parents think it could have been anxiety because my dad just had triple-bypass surgery.
The only symptoms I've had are the palpitations but i did a decrease in appitite (i think because I was scared and anxious), and I was shivering a little bit but it was twenty-something degrees and snowing most of the time.

So after that long story, I have a couple of questions if anyone else had experienced anything like that.

1) Should we still do the ultrasound?
2) Can you have palpitations for days and it be something like anxiety, pms or caffine that cause them?
3) Could it still be my thyroid even if I took a blood test last year?
4) Could the fact that I'm obese and have an unhealthy diet cause heart disease when I'm this young?

I know you guys aren't doctors but I appreciate any advice!
Sorry about the ramblings.
I'm just driving myself nuts with google and making myself paranoid.
Thank you for reading.

 

[soccergrl]

It will be hard for members here to give you advice because they cannot relate to the problems of an 18 year old towing 310 pounds around from experience. Do you expect to
have a healthy body - typical of most 18 years old- with 310 pounds? You need to enter a program like NBC's "The big loser", or one of your own with support from your family, to pare down your weight. All the problems you mention are side effects of your excess weight, and they will get worse with time. Also expect the excess weight to ground the cartilage tissue between the bones in your knees, and have difficulty and pain walking later in your life as the bones there will grind on each other. And of course your heart is struggling to supply all those 310 pound s with blood, and may become enlarged with time. The fact that your "diastolic" blood pressure is 92 - for an 18 year old- attest already to the strain. That is why Michelle Obama has started an initiative to reduce obesity in children. Pardon me for being so straight -that's why I selected the "Straightguy" pseudonym, but I want to ring the bell in your mind, and tell you your "weight" [I see you suspect it already] is the "whole" problem. If you tackle it, you can have a vivid and wonderful life ahead. The alternative is just awful - in very way- and plain dangerous! Good luck, and I keep you in my prayers.

 

[The Dragonslayer]

Thank you.
I know that my weight is most likely the cause of it but it's scary when something happens to your body like that.
I delt with depression after losing everyone on my dad's side of the family within 2 years which sent me from being a little overweight to where I am today.
I've put myself on a diet since this whole thing started and I've lost 11lbs since then.
I am trying my hardest to lose weight but it's not easy.

 

[junglemonkey0097]

Hi retro!

Some answers
1) I personally would. There are benign causes of palpatations, but if it is mitral valve prolapse you need to know this as you can have complications during medical procedures if you have it. I would get it to rule this out. It's a very easy procedure. I get heart palpatations and had it done for that reason. Thankfully no mitral valve prolapse. The diagnosed me with Supra ventricular (sp?) tachycardia which is annoying but harmless.
2) Yes!
3) Sounds like it's pretty doubtful this has anything to do with your thyroid.
4) It's rare but it can. Your biggest risk at your age with weight is the threat of high blood pressure which puts stress on the heart and developing Type 2 Diabetes.

As for diet, actually the fastest weightloss technique is exercise. If you restrict yourself too much, it will backfire and you will fail. I suggest little changes. For instance eat similar food, but cut out all sodas and fruit juice and drink water or sugar-less drinks. People would be surprised that alone can often cut out over 500 calories! Then get moving. Make it a goal to walk 30 minutes a day. In the beginning you may not be in shape to go far but thats OK! ANY amount of exercise, even if you can only handle 10 minutes around the block, gets you on the path to increasing your metabolism and burning calories. Slow but steady is the best method. Good luck!