Symptoms
Can endometriosis cause heart palpitations?
The short answer
Yes, some people with endometriosis report heart palpitations, especially during pain flares, stress, or hormonal shifts. Palpitations are not specific to endometriosis; new or worsening palpitations, or those with chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting, deserve prompt evaluation.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Steven Vasilev MD
Advanced Endometriosis Minimally-Invasive Robotic Excision Surgeon, Director of Lotus Endometriosis Institute · Updated Oct 2026
Yes, some people with endometriosis (and adenomyosis) report heart palpitations, especially during pain flares, high-stress periods, or around hormonal shifts. This isn’t only anecdotal: in a large Australian longitudinal study of women’s health, women with endometriosis had roughly twice the odds of reporting palpitations compared with women without it, and small studies have found an autonomic imbalance in endometriosis (more sympathetic “fight‑or‑flight” drive, less calming vagal tone). One reason is that chronic pelvic pain and inflammation can keep the nervous system in a more “alarm” state, which can affect autonomic regulation (the balance between fight‑or‑flight and rest‑and‑digest) and make your heart rate feel more noticeable or irregular. Palpitations can also show up alongside other whole‑body symptoms some patients describe, like dizziness, temperature intolerance, fatigue, and sleep disruption.
At the same time, palpitations aren’t specific to endometriosis, and we don’t assume they’re “just endo.” Our approach is to look at the whole picture (your cycle pattern, pain history, medications/hormonal treatments, anemia from heavy bleeding, thyroid issues, and cardiac risk factors) so we don’t miss a separate (and treatable) cause. If palpitations are new, worsening, or tied to chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, or significant lightheadedness, that deserves prompt evaluation; if you’d like, reach out to schedule a consultation so our team can help you sort out what’s driving your symptoms and how to address both the disease and the nervous-system component.
Where to go from here
Understand it, compare it with what you're feeling, then talk it through with us.
Step 1 · Understand
Understand the condition
Step 3 · Speak with Us
Don’t ignore palpitations and pelvic pain
If your heart races during flares or hormonal shifts, endometriosis or adenomyosis may be part of the picture. Our specialists can evaluate your symptoms, rule out related contributors, and build a plan to reduce flares and stabilize whole‑body symptoms.
Questions people ask next
All symptoms questionsWhy do I sweat during an endometriosis flare?
Sweating during an endometriosis flare is often your body’s stress response to pain and inflammation. Pain can trigger a fight-or-flight response with sweating, chills, and shakiness, while inflammation can also disrupt temperature regulation.
Can endometriosis cause shaking or trembling?
Yes, some people with endometriosis report shaking or trembling during flares, often related to the body's pain and stress response rather than the lesions themselves. Shaking is not specific to endometriosis, so its timing and accompanying symptoms matter.
Can endometriosis cause chest pain?
Yes, though uncommon, endometriosis can cause chest pain when it affects the diaphragm or, more rarely, the chest cavity. Pain is often cyclical, flaring right before or during a period, but chest pain has many possible causes and needs careful evaluation.
Can endometriosis cause shortness of breath during your period?
Yes, endometriosis can cause shortness of breath that worsens around your period, most often when it involves the diaphragm and, more rarely, the chest cavity. Symptoms flare before or during bleeding and ease afterward, but breathlessness can also have other causes.
Further reading
Dysautonomia in Endometriosis and Adenomyosis: Can HRV Help Explain Chronic Pain?
Explore how dysautonomia affects endometriosis and adenomyosis pain. Understand HRV: what it reveals and its limitations. Discover reliable research updates.
Should You Worry About Heart Health With Endometriosis?
Living with endometriosis may affect more than pelvic pain. Learn how inflammation can impact heart health and steps to support long-term wellbeing.
Endometriosis Fatigue : A Practical Guide to Relief
Understand why endometriosis drains energy—chronic pain, hormones, poor sleep, anemia, inflammation—and get practical tips for fatigue, pain, stress, and daily function.
