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Do Cough And Cold Cause Heart Palpitations?

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Posted on Fri, 22 Jul 2016
Question: I have a cold and cough. Can it cause heart rate to go up?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (19 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
yes...

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

this is common, particularly if you've got fever. Also if you use decongestants and/or antihistamines, they may elevate the heart rate too. If you're talking about huge elevations though (for example a rise of the heart rate from 70 beats per minute to 130 beats per minute) then other potential causes besides the cold should have to be investigated. If this is your case, then please describe your symptoms in detail including their timeline. It will help me to eliminate various cause and/or suspect others.

I hope it helps!
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (7 minutes later)
I dont have fever. Its that i have been coughing and sneezing the past two days. I dont know if its due to the pollen being up. My heart rate XXXXXXX to 115 because i had a Dr. Pepper(one can) today. I have not had caffeine in one month. The sneezing and coughing started yesterday.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (12 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
caffeine may cause fast heart rate

Detailed Answer:
Caffeine may indeed cause a rapid heart rate. Dr Pepper has almost half the caffeine content of an espresso (perhaps a little more), so we wouldn't expect serious heart rate elevations unless caffeine used to have that effect on you in the past. It may contribute to it though.

I've read the word pollen in your text. Do you have allergies or asthma? An asthma attack may also cause a high heart rate but this kind of effect is expected when the patient also has shortness of breath and wheezing. Did you take any drugs for the cold?

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (2 minutes later)
I dont have asthma. I didnt take anything for the cold because I am taking .5 Lorazepam for my anxiety. I did not know what to take for the cold.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (2 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
perhaps it's just anxiety...

Detailed Answer:
I intended to ask about anxiety because your symptoms do not suggest any organic cause. Perhaps this is the cause. The cold may cause a high heart rate but not that high unless it's pretty serious with high fever or pneumonia.


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (13 minutes later)
What can i take for the cold and cough that wont interact with the lorazepam.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (11 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
only the antihistamines may interact

Detailed Answer:
Only the antihistamines may interact with lorazepam and cause more sleepiness. There are no other significant interactions. The drugs you may take depend on your symptoms. If you only have cough then cough suppressants can be used unless you also have phlegm.

If you have a runny nose the antihistamine may help but may cause drowsiness. For nasal congestion the decongestants will help but will also increase your heart rate and blood pressure. They won't interact with lorazepam though.

Finally paracetamol may make you feel better if you develop body aches/joint pain etc which commonly accompany infections.

There are formulations with all (or some) of the aforementioned drug classes. You can ask your pharmacist about what's available locally.

Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (7 minutes later)
Does coughing make the chest hurt?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
it may

Detailed Answer:
Excessive coughing may indeed cause chest discomfort or pain, particularly when coughing. If you feel pain when taking breaths or coughing, you'd better visit your doctor to exclude more serious potential causes like pleurisy. Pleurisy may be caused by various important disorders including serious infections, vascular incidents (pulmonary embolism), heart problems (pericarditis), etc.

Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (9 minutes later)
I did feel pain earlier today but not as bad now
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (4 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
visiting your doctor is recommended

Detailed Answer:
Although I don't believe that you do have something serious, a visit to your doctor is recommended. Clinical examination data are of unprecedented significance to assess cases like yours.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (31 minutes later)
All this sneezing is making my back hurt but to the left a little. Is that normal?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (6 hours later)
Brief Answer:
sneezing may cause discomfort

Detailed Answer:
Too much sneezing may cause front or back discomfort. This is normal. It would be abnormal if you had pain when breathing.

Kind Regards!
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3817 Questions

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Do Cough And Cold Cause Heart Palpitations?

Brief Answer: yes... Detailed Answer: Hello, this is common, particularly if you've got fever. Also if you use decongestants and/or antihistamines, they may elevate the heart rate too. If you're talking about huge elevations though (for example a rise of the heart rate from 70 beats per minute to 130 beats per minute) then other potential causes besides the cold should have to be investigated. If this is your case, then please describe your symptoms in detail including their timeline. It will help me to eliminate various cause and/or suspect others. I hope it helps! Kind Regards!