--- title: 'Palpitations in Menopause: What Is Happening and Why?' slug: palpitations-menopause-what-is-happening-when-to-act lifeStage: menopause category: Symptoms medicalReviewer: 'Dr Shree Datta, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist ' reviewerId: 'https://blog.bloume.com/menopause/medical-board.md#dr-shree-datta' lastUpdated: '2026-08-16' primarySource: 'Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause' wordCount: 922 readTimeInSeconds: 230.5 --- # Palpitations in Menopause: What Is Happening and Why? A fluttering, pounding, or racing feeling in your chest is a common part of menopause. In the years afterwards, when your oestrogen stays low, the systems that steady your heart rate can be affected, so palpitations may come more often. Most are harmless, though some are worth a GP appointment and a few need urgent care. This article explains why palpitations can carry on or show up after menopause, what helps, and when to act. **Q: Are palpitations after menopause always related to hormones?** A: Not always. Low oestrogen can affect the systems that steady your heart rate, but palpitations can also come from other things, like an overactive thyroid, iron deficiency anaemia, or a heart rhythm problem (an arrhythmia). If yours are new, keep coming back, or last more than a few minutes, a GP appointment and an ECG can help pin down the cause. A fluttering in your chest, a sudden pounding heartbeat, or a racing feeling in your throat. These are palpitations, and they often turn up during menopause. They do not always settle once your periods have ended. In the years after menopause, when your oestrogen stays low rather than rising and falling, you might keep noticing this sensation, or feel it for the first time. Knowing what is happening in your body, what helps, and when to act gives you a clearer way forward. ## Why low oestrogen can affect your heart rate after menopause When your heartbeat suddenly feels louder or faster, oestrogen is often part of the picture. It helps steady both the nervous system that controls your heart rate and the heart's own electrical signals. When your levels fall and stay low after menopause, that steadying influence drops too, and your heartbeat can feel more noticeable or come more often. Whether it shows up as a flutter, a thud, or a brief racing, it is a physical response to that lasting hormonal shift. ## When palpitations are hormonal and when they need a closer look Palpitations are common and usually nothing to worry about. Now and then, though, they can point to something else, like an overactive thyroid, iron deficiency anaemia, or a heart rhythm problem (an arrhythmia). These all share the same fluttering or racing feeling, so a GP appointment is the way to get the right checks done. Your GP might suggest an electrocardiogram (an ECG, which records your heart's electrical signals). It helps rule out anything underlying before putting palpitations down to menopause. It is a routine test, painless and quick, and a straightforward way to get some clarity. > **INFO**: Call your GP if your palpitations keep coming back, happen more often, or last more than a few minutes. It is also worth booking in if you already have a heart condition, or heart problems run in your family. > **WARNING**: Call 999 or go to A&E straight away if palpitations come with chest pain, shortness of breath, or feeling faint. Do not wait to see if it passes. ## What helps with palpitations in menopause ### Everyday changes that can help A few everyday things can make palpitations more likely, so easing off them often helps. Cutting back on caffeine and alcohol can settle how often they happen, and drinking less may take the edge off hot flushes too. If you smoke, stopping helps, since it can make palpitations worse. Finding ways to manage stress, whatever works for you, also supports a steadier heart rate. ### Non-hormonal options If palpitations come with a wave of anxiety, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT, a talking therapy that works on thought patterns) can help with that side of things. Relaxation practices like meditation and yoga may help too. If symptoms are really getting in the way of daily life, your GP can talk through whether medication makes sense. That is a conversation to have with a clinician, rather than something to try on your own. ### Hormone Replacement Therapy Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) helps with many menopausal symptoms, and because it works on the hormonal shift underneath, it can ease palpitations too. There is also evidence that starting HRT within 10 years of menopause and before the age of 60 can lower the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Whether HRT is right for you comes down to your own health history, and it is a decision to make together with your GP or a specialist. If you already have cardiovascular disease, the decision needs more care. Where HRT is needed for symptoms, the preferred approach is a low-dose, transdermal form of oestrogen (absorbed through the skin rather than swallowed) combined with a specific type of progesterone. This is a decision to make with a specialist, with the right support behind you. --- **Q: Are palpitations after menopause always related to hormones?** Not always. Low oestrogen can affect the systems that steady your heart rate, but palpitations can also come from other things, like an overactive thyroid, iron deficiency anaemia, or a heart rhythm problem (an arrhythmia). If yours are new, keep coming back, or last more than a few minutes, a GP appointment and an ECG can help pin down the cause. **Q: When should palpitations in menopause prompt a GP appointment?** Book an appointment if your palpitations keep coming back, happen more often, or last more than a few minutes. It is also worth seeing your GP if you have a known heart condition, or heart problems run in your family. If palpitations come with chest pain, shortness of breath, or feeling faint, call 999 or go to A&E straight away. **Q: Can lifestyle changes reduce palpitations after menopause?** To a degree, yes. Cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, stopping smoking, and finding ways to manage stress can all help bring down how often palpitations happen. These changes can ease things, though they do not replace a proper check with your GP if your palpitations keep going or come with other symptoms. **Q: Does HRT help with palpitations after menopause?** HRT helps with many menopausal symptoms, and because it works on the lasting drop in oestrogen, it may ease palpitations too. There is also evidence of a heart benefit when it is started within 10 years of menopause and before age 60. Whether it suits you comes down to your own health history, and it is a decision to make with your GP or a specialist, especially if you already have a heart condition. ### Clinical Sources - [Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause-and-perimenopause/symptoms/) - [Heart Palpitations - Menopause Symptoms](https://www.mymenopausecentre.com/symptoms/heart-palpitations/) - [www.nhs.uk](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/heart-palpitations/) - [www.nhs.uk](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/heart-palpitations/) - [www.nhs.uk](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/heart-palpitations/) - [www.nhs.uk](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/heart-palpitations/) - [www.nhs.uk](https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/heart-palpitations/) - [bhf.org.uk](https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/ask-the-experts/when-to-worry-about-heart-palpitations) - [Primary prevention of coronary heart disease in women](https://thebms.org.uk/publications/consensus-statements/primary-prevention-of-coronary-heart-disease-in-women/) - [Management of menopause for women with cardiovascular disease](https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/22-NEW-BMS-TfC-Management-of-menopause-for-women-with-CVD-JUNE2026-A.pdf) --- Reviewed by Dr Shree Datta, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist | [Medical Board](https://blog.bloume.com/menopause/medical-board.md) | August 2026