Covid-related rapid heart rate?

Update - the hospital said he needed a Holter monitor to monitor his erratic heart rate and to go see a cardiologist. He went to the VA about two weeks ago and they are supposed to be getting him the monitor, but as too often happens, the VA wheels turn WAY too slowly. This is something they should have available. And this is a new (VA but in a small town).

The hospital told him they could get him one today but they weren't sure if the VA would cover it, so now he has to reach out to the VA once again to get approval to get the monitor from the hospital. This is how we treat our vets. Pretty damn sad.

I can well understand that your friend is terrified, he has obviously led an active and healthy life and now he is having so much anxiety with his symptoms. I think he’s in the right place and he will get helpful leads from others who have and are going through the same thing…one can only get so much comfort from relating to other people. It’s good to get thoroughly checked out to rule out other things, these are the first steps to make and from there he will eventually get well needed help. I still have palpitations after a year and other issues similar and different, I had tests done too and nothing showed up which is what I read a lot about other people, perhaps we’re not getting all the answers right now but at least you can put your mind at ease when you’re not hearing back from your tests, it’s about all we can do until better options come along.

It is good that he is getting a cardiac workup. I first noticed that my heart rate would increase when i was doing things that should not cause an increase. This happened a few months after my first bout of Covid. I had a case that felt like the flu. I just took over the counter meds. I was out of town and went to an urgent care the NP said even though imet the age requirement for getting Rx for covid since i was relatively healthy and vaccinated, she « liked to save the Rx for people either with multiple health problems or not vaccinated ! « When i got home and saw my PCP and reported symptoms, i was referred to a cardiologist. They did a work up- ekg, carotid ultrasound and Holter monitor. I did not have a stress test and when i return for my chekup this year, i am going to request one.The ekg and ultrasound were normal. The golter monitor showed leaky heart valves and a few PVCs . Since my resting heart rate is very low, the dr. didn’t want to put me on medication. I still randomly will have my heart rate go up to the 90s after a shower or when doing laundry. I hope he can get examined soon.

I had trouble with a high pulse and my normal low blood pressure… I had a lot of tests done, and finally one of my doctors, my heart doctor, concluded that my heart is healthy but I do have autonomic dysfunction caused by Covid… seems that the communication between the brain and the heart that tells the heart to beat got damaged.. it was really really bad at some point while I was hospitalised for covid two years ago.. moving one finger will raise my heartbeat by 10 points, thinking or listening to someone talk was getting my Heart beat to 130-140’s.. now two years later I am doing much better but I still have to monitor my oxygen level. I also still need to use oxygen at night … it seems that there is a correlation between low oxygen and my heartbeat so I am continually working on making sure to breathe and not let my oxygen drop below 90 especially while outside or while I am active, ie not sitting still.. I recently did a six minute walk test with my pulmonologist and I qualified for a portable oxygen because my oxygen drops on exertion. I noticed when it’s hot or humid outside I get lightheaded too so I don’t go outside at all when the temperature is above 75-80F and humidity above 90%. If I have to get outside I use my portable oxygen because when the oxygen drops my heart starts beating fast again causing anxiety and shortness of breath. I hope this helps. I know that when people share it also helps me in some ways. God bless you.

Thanks for the feedback from everyone. People are going through a lot with long Covid, with no real answer to their problems. I'll update you once he's worn the Holter monitor and talked with his cardiologist (nothing lined up yet).

I went through all the tests for almost 3 years. It took a long time to diagnose my issues. It was a long frustrating process. I am now with a long COVID clinic. My dizziness continued to get worse. I have to wear an abdominal binder or I black out while sitting or standing. Through the long COVID clinic I have been diagnosed with POTS and COVID is attacking my autonomic nervous system. I would recommend seeing if your friend can be referred to a long COVID clinic. I would also recommend in the mean time seeing all of his doctors. I would also recommend trying compression socks or an abdominal binder to help with the dizziness. Part of my long COVID is extremely high anxiety. I can't take anti anxiety medicine due to the medicine I take for neuropathy. Through a physical therapist who specializes with this, there are only a few, I have learned breathing exercises that help me calm down. I would also recommend that your friend not try to exercise. I recommend not doing things that increase anxiety and frustration. For years I would have to nap after getting up and taking a shower. Unfortunately Long COVID does impact your energy level and cause exhaustion. I can now only do 20 minutes of anything physical, for me that is laundry or washing dishes. I don't have any heart damage and it did not damage my lungs. I was told by my Long COVID clinic coordinator that what they are seeing is that COVID is turning on all of our bad genes so not everyone will have the same symptoms or have more or less symptoms. I wish him good luck. I hope he can be diagnosed and find help much faster than I did. And hope he can find a way to relieve his anxiety. Mine was so bad that any little thing had me in an anxiety attack and hyperventilating. I really thought I was losing my mind. Let him know he is not.

I have been trying to figure out why my heart is beating so hard and quickly. I thought maybe it was a certain medicine so I stopped that. Then I thought am I anxious about something. Then when I joined this discussion group because of other symptoms and to see if there were similarities, I saw someone who posted about heart palpitations. So that IS another Post Covid symptom??

I hope you informed your doctor that you stopped using your medication. Stopping a medication (cold turkey?) is going to make you sick..
I had covid twice , 2 friends of mind died we think because they were anti vaxxers. I’ve had fast heart rate once in a while but I had it before my 2 covid diagnosis so I doubt Covid causes heart palpitations. Although I’m not a doctor I can say that what I have is a--fib and I don’t believe covid had anything to do with it. Check with your doctor regarding a-fib. Although my experience shows that my rate of Affib has never increased or changed in any frequency or not. It remains the same for me.

I haven't had a rapid heartbeat as a post Covid symptom, but I have had problems with episodes of rapid heartbeat trying to get over RSV. The episodes are are also inclusive of a sensation of extremely weak legs. I had an episode at my PCP's office, so he did an ekg, and I assume it was ok because I got kind of rushed out of the office after also an ear irrigation, and he never went over the ekg with me. I guess I had used up my slotted appointment time! 😆😉
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I've had fast heart rate since I had COVID in 2020. I recently started taking flecanide per my cardiologist. It really helps, but it's super scary when my heart is beating so fast and hard that my entire torso is rocking. I pray it will go away one day