Irregular heartbeat relating to pernicious anemia

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have pernicious anemia and osteoporosis. i have been taking vitamin b12 injections for a few years now. in the last few months i have been having spells of dizziness, irregular, pounding heartbeats and sometimes it feels like its stopping for a moment, sometimes with pressure or sudden headaches and kind of pain in the neck and shoulder area. we live in a remote northern community which has a doctor only one and a half days a month but they did not seem to see this as a problem. my question is: is this normal for the anemia disease or is it something else wrong?

Dear Marla: Anemia can certainly cause rhythm disturbances of the heart. The symptoms that you've mentioned, dizziness, irregular pounding heartbeats and headaches may be the result of anemia but it is important to rule out other serious diseases of the heart like heart block and myocardial infarction. You will need to see your doctor for an electrocardiogram or a 24 hour Holter to monitor any irregularities of the heart rhythm. A cardiologist may need to see you if any abnormality is detected.