Dealing with heart palpitations, fatigue, and weakness: any advice?

Dear forum members, I am seeking some advice... I am 22 years old, and ever since returning from my summer vacation back in August, I have been struggling with constant fatigue and exhaustion, accompanied by intense heart palpitations and occasional bouts of dizziness... Since then, I have had to visit the ER six different times due to these symptoms. I have undergone every possible test—CT and MRI scans of my brain, an MRI of my cervical spine, thyroid hormone panels, a thyroid scintigraphy, and comprehensive blood work. Everything comes back normal... The only outliers are borderline potassium and magnesium levels, and my iron is at 12. They also diagnosed me with H. pylori, which leads me to wonder if this bacterium could actually be causing these issues. If anyone has dealt with similar symptoms or might know how to resolve this, please let me know... Thank you.

Megan Adams53 said:Hey everyone, I could really use some advice here... I'm 22, and ever since I got back from my beach trip last August, I've been feeling this constant, crushing exhaustion. On top of that, my heart starts racing out of nowhere and I get these dizzy spells. I've actually ended up in the ER six different times because of this. I feel like I've done every test under the sun—brain CTs, MRIs of my brain and neck, thyroid panels, scintigraphy, full blood work—and everything comes back totally normal. The only thing is my potassium and magnesium are borderline, and my iron is sitting at 12. They also found H. pylori, so I'm wondering if that bacteria could be causing all of this? If anyone has dealt with something similar or knows how to fix this, please let me know... thanks!

You absolutely have to treat Helicobacter; if you leave it alone, it can lead to some seriously nasty health issues. That said, I don't think it's directly linked to the symptoms you're describing.
Go back and re-test your thyroid levels and your reproductive hormones.

Thanks! Do you think sex hormones could be the culprit here? That’s really the only thing I haven't had checked yet...

Megan Adams53 said:Alright, thanks! You think sex hormones could be behind this? That's the one thing I haven't ruled out yet. :/

A chemical imbalance in the brain can trigger just about anything. Think of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland as the command centers; they influence the entire physiological landscape.

Angela Wright said:Chemical imbalances in the brain can lead to all sorts of complications. You also have to consider how the hypothalamus and pituitary gland influence the overall clinical picture.

I’ve had my T3, T4, and TSH levels checked twice now, and everything came back within range. So far, no doctor has been able to pin down the actual cause; they all just point toward stress. It seems a bit hard to believe that simple stress could be causing these kinds of issues for six months straight...😕>

You might want to look into how sex hormones and cortisol levels interact.

..by the way, have you checked your blood sugar levels? Like, both while fasting and after you've been active?? It might be worth a try.. I went through something pretty similar myself, and it turns out I actually had type 2 diabetes.

gentlecrane31 said:..but have you checked your blood sugar? Both fasting and after exertion?? You should try... I had similar symptoms once and it turned out to be Type 2 diabetes

I have... they've run several blood glucose tests on me and everything comes back normal... My heart just races all day long; my pulse never drops below 90, and when I walk or even do minor activities, it climbs significantly higher... I've already had an EKG and an echocardiogram, and they claim everything looks fine... I am quite perplexed 😕

nimblemoose40 said:Look into testosterone and cortisol levels.

Oh, and I completely blanked on the adrenal glands.

Could someone please outline the symptoms associated with progesterone deficiency and general hormonal imbalances 🤷

Megan Adams53 said:Can someone tell me what the symptoms for progesterone deficiency are? Or just general hormonal imbalances... in general... 🤷

My progesterone levels came back low. I actually called it... figured this would happen. My cycles average about 22 days, so I suspected my luteal phase—that window between ovulation and my period—was just too short. Low progesterone was the obvious culprit...

Progesterone at day 21 is 12.9. Reference range is 14.5–55.8...

silentbison17 said:My progesterone levels came back low. I actually suspected this would be the case... Given that my cycles average about 22 days, I had a feeling my luteal phase—the window between ovulation and my period—was running short, likely due to low progesterone levels...

My progesterone level came back at 12.9 on day 21 of my cycle, though the standard reference range is listed between 14.5 and 55.8...

Could you tell me if those deficiencies are typically linked to symptoms like persistent fatigue and an elevated heart rate...

Megan Adams53 said:Could you tell me if those deficiencies might be linked to symptoms like constant fatigue and a racing heart?

Those particular symptoms are textbook indicators of an iron deficiency; perhaps it would be prudent to have your doctor check your ferritin levels, UIBC, and TIBC?

A progesterone deficiency, on the other hand, would likely manifest as a shortened luteal phase—specifically, when the window following ovulation lasts fewer than ten days. Spotting prior to a period is another classic sign of low progesterone, along with potentially light menstrual flow, which occurs because the uterine lining fails to fully develop during the second half of the cycle.

goldenskipper13 said:Those symptoms are classic signs of an iron deficiency. It might be worth having your ferritin, UIBC, and TIBC levels checked...

A progesterone deficiency would typically present as a short luteal phase—meaning the window after ovulation lasts less than ten days. Spotting before a period is also a common indicator of low progesterone, or perhaps even lighter periods, since the uterine lining doesn't fully develop during the second half of the cycle...

I actually did get my iron checked... it was at 12, which isn't incredibly low, yet I feel exhausted all the time and my heart races even after minimal exertion. My doctor suggested looking into my reproductive hormones, but honestly, I'm at a loss as to what else needs testing...

If your ferritin level is sitting at 12, then you are looking at a deficiency, plain and simple. We aren't actually talking about having healthy, robust reserves until that number hits at least 50 or higher. Anything beneath that threshold should be considered low, regardless of whether your other markers—like iron, hemoglobin, or red blood cell counts—appear to be within the normal range.

goldenskipper13 said:If your ferritin is at 12, you're running low. We generally don't consider reserves to be healthy until ferritin hits at least 50. Anything below that is insufficient, even if your other levels—iron, hemoglobin, red blood cell count—appear to be within range...

I think there was a misunderstanding. My iron level is 12, but I haven't had my ferritin checked yet. I'm glad you mentioned it; I'll make sure to get that tested... What is typically recommended if iron stays within the normal range but ferritin remains low?

Megan Adams53 said:I think you misunderstood my point; my iron levels came back at 12, but I haven't actually had my ferritin checked yet—thank goodness you mentioned that, because now I know I need to follow up on it. What kind of supplements are typically recommended if the iron levels fall within the standard range but the ferritin remains low?

What are the standard reference ranges for iron levels?
One cannot simply look at iron levels in a vacuum; essentially, a "normal" reading doesn't necessarily mean your actual iron reserves are sufficient.

goldenskipper13 said:what are the standard ranges for iron levels?
iron shouldn't be viewed in a vacuum... a "normal" reading doesn't necessarily mean your actual reserves are sufficient...

standard iron levels typically fall between 8 and 30... mine sits at 12

Megan Adams53 said:Standard iron levels typically range from 8 to 30... my reading came back at 12.

And even then, I’m sitting right on the lower edge of what's considered acceptable.
Generally speaking, if you're dealing with low ferritin, iron supplementation becomes necessary.
In my own case, things are a bit skewed; while my iron counts look fine, my ferritin is running quite low, despite my hemoglobin and red blood cell counts remaining perfectly within the normal range. Furthermore, I struggle with a rapid heart rate—even when I am completely at rest, my pulse never dips below 84, and it frequently hovers somewhere between 90 and 100.
I have started supplementing with iron, so we shall see how it goes. I actually ended up having to receive an IV infusion as well.

goldenskipper13 said:...which is still on the lower end of the spectrum..
Generally speaking, if ferritin levels are low, iron supplementation becomes necessary.
I am experiencing similar issues; my iron levels appear normal, yet my ferritin remains low, even though my hemoglobin and red blood cell counts are fine. I also deal with a rapid pulse—it never drops below 84 even at rest, usually hovering between 90 and 100.
I have started supplementing with iron, so we shall see how things progress. I even had to undergo an IV infusion once.

I am in the same boat. My resting heart rate sits around 84, but the moment I move—even just chopping vegetables—it spikes to 163. I have been feeling utterly exhausted and drained for seven months now... it is driving me to the brink. I have gone through a thousand tests, yet no doctor seems able to pinpoint the cause. I am desperately hoping it is just the low ferritin, so I can finally put this ordeal behind me...