Anxiety Guru

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How to Stop Heart Palpitations

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Heart palpitations. Don’t these two words make you shudder with anxiety?

Well, maybe the words don’t, but the sensations caused by heart palpitations certainly do scare people.

In fact, it’s the main topic of emails that I get from people who contact me with questions.

And given that this anxiety symptom is so common among anxiety sufferers, I thought it would be helpful to do a “how to” article on palpitations.

First, a few basics. A heart palpitation is an abnormal beating of the heart AND your heightened awareness of your heart beat. Palpitations can cause your heart to beat fast (tachycardia), slow (bradycardia), flutter, or to even have ‘skipped’ heart beats (PVCs).

Heart palpitations can be caused by electrolyte imbalances, adrenaline, anemia, heart disease, arrhythmias, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and of course, anxiety disorders. There are more causes, but the ones listed are common.

Now, because heart disease could be involved, it’s always a good idea to see your doctor if you’re experiencing new or ongoing heart palpitations.

No need for fear, this is mainly a precaution to safeguard your health and your sanity. When you go to your doctor he/she will run an ECG and take some blood. If the results come back negative, then you can start your efforts to stop your heart palpitations without having to worry about having a heart attack.

How Palpitations Work

When related to anxiety, heart palpitations are triggered by the fight or flight response. If you’ve had problems with anxiety for any length of time then I highly recommend that you get acquainted with this term.

This is because the fight or flight response is the source of much of your misery, and a detailed understanding of it can help you to reduce stress. Because with knowledge comes less guess-work, more facts, and less anxiety.

So then, the fight of flight response is essentially your sympathetic nervous system gone wild. When you become scared, nervous, and worried, your brain will trigger a fear response, which, in turn, causes your body to undergo  a few changes, like:

  • Palpitations
  • Cold/Hot flashes
  • Dilated pupils
  • Urge to urinate
  • Diarrhea
  • Tunnel vision
  • Muscle tension

It’s also important to point out that palpitations are almost always accompanied by anxiety and panic.

Part of what also happens when the fight or flight response is triggered is that the brain signals the body to release stress hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol, in preparation for violent action. But, in your case, there is no action to be taken.

The adrenaline and cortisol however  still get injected into your bloodstream, where it acts on the nerves of the heart and causes palpitations. So, in most cases, it’s adrenaline causing all the havoc but, there could also be other causes.

One such cause is electrolyte imbalance. Electrolytes are electrically charged ions. They include elements like: sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, sulfate, phosphate, bicarbonate, and magnesium.

These elements are important in maintaining proper voltage levels in the body, and are also critical to muscle function. The heart, as we all know, is a big muscle. If these electrolytes become imbalanced then palpitations can occur.

This is because electricity and contraction are what makes your heart beat and keep a rhythm. If there is a disruption in the electrical impulse, or the contraction of your heart muscle, then you get things like a fast, slow, or weak heart beats.

How to Stop Heart Palpitations

There are several ways to stop palpitations. If you’ve been cleared of heart disease by your doctor the following techniques can be effective.

1. Balancing electrolytes: When it comes to matters of the heart, the four most important electrolytes are potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium. If any of these electrolytes become too high or too low then palpitations may result.

A simple blood or urine test will tell your doctor if this is the case. If you have excessive/deficient levels of electrolytes then you can speak with your doctor about how to bring them back into balance.

In general, this would mean taking supplemental vitamins or increasing/decreasing the consumption of certain foods.

List of foods rich in the four major electrolytes include:

Potassium – See full list here.

  • Bananas
  • Apples
  • Milk
  • Orange Juice
  • Potatoes
  • Raisins
  • Wheat bread

Calcium – See full list here.

  • Dairy Products
  • Almonds
  • Beans
  • Tofu
  • humus
  • Vegetables
  • Fruits
  • Oatmeal

Sodium – See full list here.

  • Meats
  • Dairy products
  • Frozen foods
  • Snack foods
  • Canned food
  • Spices

Magnesium – See full list here.

  • Nuts
  • Cooked soybeans
  • Peanut butter
  • Yogurt
  • Milk

2. Diet: Diet is an important part of any anti-palpitation strategy. Here are a few more examples.

Foods that you want to eat more often would include:

  • Grapes
  • Guava
  • Honey
  • Fresh fruit and Vegetables
  • Whole wheat foods

Foods and activities that you should try to avoid include:

  • Foods that contain caffeine like chocolate, soft drinks, etc.
  • Sugar
  • Alcohol
  • Smoking

3. Hydration: Water is a fundamental part of what you are. If you don’t drink enough water then even mild dehydration can create palpitations. You don’t need to go overboard and start walking around with a gallon of water, either. Many of the foods you eat already have water in them, but it’s still a good idea to drink about 5-8 8 oz cups per day.

4. Medication: You may also want to talk to your doctor about medications. Doctors will usually prescribe beta blockers, which block the effects of adrenaline on the body. This would be a good option after experiencing palpitations for a prolonged period of time.

5. Valsalva Maneuver: This technique can be used to stop a fast heart beat. First, pinch your nose and close your mouth. Next, breath out forcibly. The idea is to strain as if you were trying to defecate while holding your breath. This will cause a quick spike in heart rate, followed by a slowing of the heart rate. If you have heart disease, or are advanced in age, please do not try this maneuver.

6. Coughing: Coughing vigorously causes pressure to build in your chest, which “squeezes” your heart back into a normal rhythm. This is not a preventative measure, so do it when you’re actually having a palpitation.

7. Cold Water: Splash cold water on your face. This technique works well for palpitations and panic attacks. The idea behind this is that the cold water shocks your nervous system back to normal. The water should be as cold as possible.

8. Relax: Palpitations can strike at anytime, even while you sleep. As a result, they tend to startle you and make you feel as if you’re going to die at any moment.

This is why it’s important to not rush around in a panic, thereby adding stress to your racing heart. It’s best to have a seat, breath deeply from your stomach, and chill out for a moment.

9. Exercise: Exercise might sound like the opposite of what you want to do when you know that palpitations can occur. But after a good workout your blood pressure and heart rate will generally decrease.

This is why it’s not unusual for highly conditioned athletes – like Lance Armstrong – to have very low resting heart rates. A normal resting heart rate is between 70-80 beats per minute.  People that have conditioned bodies, on the other hand, can get their heart rates down in the 50’s or lower.

Let’s not forget that the heart is a muscle, and if it is worked, it will get stronger and more efficient and what it does. So despite the apparent contradiction, exercise is a great way to cope with palpitations absent any heart disease.

Caution: If your palpitations are accompanied by dizziness, blurred vision, chest pain or shortness of breath, then it could be something more serious. The unfortunate reality is that panic attacks and intense anxiety can mimic symptoms of a heart attack.

One of the tell-tale signs of something serious is severity and duration. If you have chest pain or the like continuously for more than a few minutes, and if the pain is severe, you likely have a problem. Always err on the side of caution though  and get checked out if you’re just not sure.

If, on the other hand, you’ve already been screened for heart disease and nothing was found, wait. Be patient and wait about ten minutes and the symptoms will usually die down on their own.

I know that heart palpitations can be frightening, but they are usually not dangerous. That’s why I encourage you to see your doctor if you haven’t already. Because once you’re cleared medically, you will have the confidence needed to cope with the fear tied to palpitations.

Understand that heart palpitations are a very normal part of having an anxiety disorder and stress in general. When they happen don’t over think things and start jumping to conclusions. Instead, try some of the techniques outlined above and try the best you can to not shock yourself with fear. I hope this helps.

 

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Comments

  1. Yeah, i haven’t really had candy or anything w/sugar overload in it. I don’t eat a lot of chocolate, i don’t drink caffeine..I don’t know. If i ever had to guess that my palps came from any certain cause, i would definitely guess it was from certain foods i eat.

  2. What a great support group here! I had gotten to where my skipped beats didn’t bother me but the last 2 times I’ve had one, I’ve felt weird afterwards. Not sure how to explain it but I guess it’s just a new form of my anxiety. I just feel kinda out of sorts and then I get really anxious and it lasts for a good while. I go back to my doctor on Thursday. I’ve had EKGs and blood work and she says everything looks perfect but I want to ask her to do some additional testing just to put my mind at ease. Maybe a 24 hour monitor and/or and echo. About 7 years ago, I did have complete heart tests done at the ER because of chest pains (stress test and everything!) So I don’t think there could be anything too wrong since that time. My anxiety is horrible and I’m so tired of it! I take 1/2 ativan when needed and just went back on Zoloft. I’ll be 43 in a week and am in good health, so the doc says. I don’t exercise though which is something I’m going to try in hopes that it helps. Thanks for your support!

  4. Sorry Floey :/ i know how exhausting that is to a person. I’ve had a few today. Yesterday i went shopping all day long and had none but as soon as i got home a had quite a few through the nite. I started finally keeping a food journal yesterday to see if i can find a potential cause to my palps.

  5. Hi Floey, just a thought but maybe you should just go to the ER now that your Palps are active and get thoroughly checked. It will ease your mind and maybe relax a bit. Tell them you are having chest pains , dhortness of breath and what you think may be Palps. Unfortunately you will have to exaggerate to get thoroughly checked. Ask the for an echo ( heart sonogram).Go to an ER not urgent care. Tjey have cardiologist in an ER and are equipped to thouroughly check you.You can set up a payment plan with them when the bill comes since you don’t hav insurance. Just my suggestion Hun.

  6. Hi everyone

    I’m a wreck today and I was doing great. As I mentioned earlier I saw a cardiologist he confirmed everything was okay just a few PVC and my blood word and holter monitor was fine. Well I got a call now from them asking me to go in 2 weeks because apparently my other lab work just came in for my advanced cardiac profiling and the doctor wants to see me. :/ I explained to them that I suffer from severe anxiety and 2 weeks was just too long and will ruin my Christmas and everything. I told her to please not worry me to just have the doctor say ok everything is fine. She said he needed to explain and speak to me. Now I’m a nervous wreck and anxiety at an all time high w new Palps :/ this is terrible

  7. Nicole-

    I know you must be very anxious right now, playing the “what if” game that I hate. Let me just say this…

    In today’s world where everyone can sue just about anybody for anything, doctors have to now be EXTREMELY cautious. So, if there was something that was wrong with you that could hurt you in any way over the next two weeks, trust me, the doctor would have told you to go to an ER stat!

    Think about it, if he told you two weeks and something happened to you in the two weeks, you could sue him for millions!

    So, try to take some solice in the fact that even if there is something, it is not life threatening. They would have found that on the holter monitor and initial blood work, as they screen for the important stuff. PLUS, even if it is something, you can work to fix it! Most of us suffer with no clue as to what may be causing it! Wouldn’t you rather know and be able to fix it?

    I think this is a good thing for you. I know the initial reaction is panic, I’ve been there, but when you step back a bit I think you will see this is a good thing, and nothing is going to happen to you in 2 weeks!

    Hope you have a better day.

  9. Hi Gary

    Thank you so much for your post. Unfortunately with most anxious people, we tend to not see the realistic views of certain situations when panic kicks in. You just reminded me of the ” reality” of it and you are right. Thank you for your encouraging words. I did request a copy of my results anyhow until I can meet w the doctor and it seems I may have high cholesterol from what I can tell. I’m in the ” red” area in a few blood test and the office manager did reassure me it was not life or death. Thanks again and I hope everyone else is managing and doing well

  10. Hi Amy, I’m not an exercise fan but I am surprised how much it really does help with anxiety when I do exercise. Not to mention palpitations. They go away and my panic attacks subside for a day or two( depending on the intensity of my workout). I would recommend to everyone to give it a try. Even if its 2-3xs a week. 🙂

  11. Hi .. I am so glad I found this website…. I have suffered with “heart flips” for almost 20 years. I was checked out completely about 10 years ago & was assured all was fine. I would live to be 120 years old.. but still I worry…. I was in the ER last week & they did an EKG which was fine, but I had no episode during this time. All blood work came back fine too but still I worry. I am now on Lexapro & Lorazipam for anxiety. Being anxious makes it worse. Some days I have none & days like today I am plagued with them… I am so glad to find support!

  12. also a side note.. I was also told that being in perimenopause will make them worse.. which I think I may be in….. also I never get pain with them, or feel light headed. I just startle very easilly when my heart flips & makes the anxiety worse which in turn makes my heart act up even more.. how can I get it through my head its OK?

  13. Hi everyone 🙂

    Jude- Thank you so much. I have been feeling better lately 🙂 My last palpitation was almost 5 days ago, so yay:)Thank you for your kind words. I agree, picking yourself up and moving forward is the best outlook. Hope you are doing well.:)

    Gary- I agree that it must be approached completely. I’ve noticed mine are worse a few hours after a highly stressful situation or a fight etc. Sometimes they’ll only pop up the next day for some reason. But I’ve started taking magnesium supplements again and started going to gym again so hopefully this will help. I don’t remember my first palpitations or if I was scared. But I must have been as any normal person would have been:), all I remember from then was lots of visits to specialists and ECGs and heart sonars and having to carry a monitor around at school for a day. I guess you just learn to get through it and give yourself lots of pep talks. 🙂

    Floey- I’m so sorry about the palps 🙁 I hope they start behaving themselves soon.

    Thank you all for your encouragement and support 🙂

  15. Nicole, thank you for your encouragement about exercising. I’m going to try and do just a little something tonight. I do hope you aren’t too stressed out about waiting to see your doctor. I hate when they treat us like that!
    Artsy, I think I’m in perimenopause too. I know what you mean about the heart skips making you anxious. I don’t know how to make our minds believe we are ok. I wish I did know because I’m so obsessed about my heart right now that it’s taken over my life! I’m hoping one more set of tests will be it and after that I’m going to stop worrying!

  16. does anyone else seem to think their palps are worse in the mornings? it seems like mine are & then it gets better throughout the day. I get them really bad when driving to work.

  17. When i am having a fit of palps, mine are the opposite-they start out faint in the morning and then get worse as the day goes on.

    I’ve been having weird chest pain again the last few days. It sucks because i’m still waiting to hear if i’m getting approved for a medical card so i can go to a specialist. I’ve had the ultrasound and cat scan to make sure i didn’t have gallbladder problems or anything like that. I got rid of the chest pain a few months ago, and as soon as my palps calm down here i am dealing w/chest pain again. It’s always something, i guess. I really think it’s GERD to the extreme that i have. There is no doubt that i have heartburn really bad to the point where i can barely miss a day of taking my nexium. But also i would like to find a way to get off of these kinds of meds as they can have long term effects in the end.

  19. Hello my brothers and sisters-

    I don’t remember if I mentioned this in one of my ancient posts, but maybe it will help some of our recent visitors.

    When I was having the really bad episodes I met with my pastor. After sharing him my whole story he asked me if I thought my doctor was stupid? This kind of caught me off guard and I quizzically tried to figure out what he was talking about. The gist of his story was that if there was something wrong the doctor/cardiologist would find it. That they’re in the business to make money and if there was something that needed fixing it would be found so I could become a source of revenue for their practice. It sounded kind of cold because most doctors are in the business of helping people and portraying them as money hungry seems odd, but if you think about it it is true. The doctor is in business. If you’ve had the tests, the blood work, the echo’s, the stress test, the holter monitor, and everything is clear we need to just believe that what we are experiencing in the heart is benign. If there was something that needed repair or treatment the doctor would find it to take you under their care and ultimately help you out and help himself out in the process.

    The other thing I wanted to add is that I am a firm believer in medication. I never thought I would utter those words, but it’s true. After finally listening to my cardiologist when I was having a 9 hour episode of PVCs every other beat, I took Xanax for the first time in my life and withing 30 minutes everything was normal. Two days later, another full blown episode, another Xanax, and withing a half hour peace. For the weeks following every time I felt an episode I would take the .25mg pill and it would calm me enough and the episode would just go away.

    I also believe the magnesium has helped too, I still take that every day.

    I still feel PVCs occasionally. I haven’t had a full blown episode since the beginning of October, I haven’t had a Xanax since then. I keep the pills on hand just in case.

    Don’t let these things control you. Are they vicious, yes! If your loved ones have never experienced them they just don’t understand the fear and mental turmoil they produce. Be glad we live in a time where we can utilize forums like this instead of suffering alone. Keep your heads up guys and gals.

    God Bless

  20. Hi Stephan. thank you for your interesting story. My palps have still been going since last friday. My doctor gave me some prozac 20mg to try to see if it really is anxiety. So far I haven’t felt much different. How long does anxiety meds take to work?

  21. Hi everyone.haven’t had a chance to get online it check emails all week.net packing and getting our stuff into storage and cleaning!also temporarily re homing much loved animals and

  23. Hi Floey and everyone else. I’ve been doing really good this last week. I’ve had less than 5 palps in about a week period. Feels pretty great (for now). I’m still having on and off chest pain though. Wishing i could figure out what is wrong. Still waiting to see if my application for medical card went through. May be a while. Have your palps let up any?

  24. I am having lots of palpitations specially when i am at work.
    Somethimes it’s so intense that i feel i can’t walk anymore.
    I went to the ER 5 times already last time they did the EKG they find a bunch of extra beats and stuff but after that they did all kinds of tests and while they were doing the tests i had no palpitations.
    They said it’s not the heart,
    I took anxiety medications before i have all kinds of meds available right now but still palpitations almoust every day.
    Went to 5 different doctors already everybody just guessing
    I mean no idea what causing this palpitations,can be stress acid reflux bunch of stuff
    When i am trying to blame on one thing than it’s happening from another thing…so it’s really hard to deal with it

  25. Hi JOSH. I am so happy to hear that!!! 🙂 🙂 How long did your last episode last? I’ve still been having palps on and off throughout the day. There are times when they don’t stop for a few hours and of course those are the worse.

    I have a cardiologist consultation on Wednesday that I can go to if I want. The only problem is that it’s going to be like $200 w/o the tests. I don’t know if its worth it or what.

    I’m not sure what he could do for me. Aside from potentially give me beta blockers or something…

  26. The last major one that i wrote about so much on here lasted about a month, longer than ever before. Then they stopped and returned fora day or two, but now they seem to be back to “normal”. If it makes you feel any better, when i was having my palps, they didn’t stop for days straight, not even for a moment. After yours stop for a few hours, how long do they seem to take to return?
    If the doctors give you beta blockers, i would take them. I’ve read mixed things about them. Some people say they’ve helped and others not so much. I’ve been on them for a years now and i still have my fits of palps, so i’m not sure if they do much for me or not. I have a faster beating heart to begin with, but after i recently starting taking hawthorn berry, my heart has slowed down a bit. At first i was taking it everyday, but then i felt it was too much, so now i only take it 3 times a week. It’s just weird to finally feel my heart slow down a bit instead of working so fast.

  27. I’m to glad to to hear you are using hawthorn josh it’s a very good her the extract is best for use

  31. I know, Sammy! Thanks to you or i probably would never have heard about it. And i can’t find it around here where in live in the extract form. Floey, i take it as a pill. I found some at Wal-Mart. After reading up about the hawthorn berry, it has been known to help the palps.In fact, when i looked it up it blatantly says that it has been known to help palps and other heart arrythmias. I had to ask my doctor about it since i’m taking a beta blocker (toprol) and sometimes those two things i guess can interfere w/one another because they can do similar jobs. Like the toprol can slow down a heart rate as can hawthorn berry, but i never noticed a difference until i took hawthorn in terms of the heart rate slowing down. The doctor said as long as i monitored my heart rate and my blood pressure and made sure everything was ok that i could take it.

  34. I guess I’ll have to try Hawthorn Berry then, since my palps are still consistent throughout the day. =/ hope everyone else is doing well!

  35. Hi all. For those of you whose palps stop from time to time, do they change in strength before they stop? Do they get softer or less hard? Just wondering — trying my best to find a pattern here. <3

  36. I did it, i did it!!!!I am so happy i conquered one of my greatest fears and it feels so so good!!I just spent 8 hrs then 13 hours on a plane flying and travelled from Aust to the UK!I am not scared of flying.I am aware how safe it is but i was terrified of having a panic attack on the plane or having my palps go to some weird rhythm and me dying.Guess what neither happened!!

    Yes the palps were there of course as they have been my constant companion everyday, for long periods each day for the last three months but no worse than usual in fact i think they were much less.I felt such a sense of control as i used all my thinking tools to nip the anxiety in the bud before it could lead to anything. Like if the palps started i just reassured myself that they are just palps harmless and will pass. They are just a sensation not a threat, Also when i felt panic attack feelings starting i reminded myself that they were just panic attack feelings,sensations not something that was going to harm me.Not only did i tell myself this but i really believed it.I knew i was walking off that plane in London.

    Sorry for rambling but i wanted to share as a way of reassuring you all. When i was first diagnosed with GAD if you told me i would do an international flight and move to another country for a year I would have cried and said that dream is gone. But here i am living the dream. I did something that scared me as I wasn’t going to let anxiety stop me living the life i want to and sharing seeing the world with my beautiful family.Yep it was terrifying to start off with but so worth it.

    I know I will always have anxiety and its symptoms but I wont let it stop me living the life i want to. I know how hard, scarey and tiring and tough it is.If “what doesn’t kill you make you stronger” saying is true then we are all Herculean as we have faced the fear of death so many times ( (although the threat of death was never real,only in our mind to, us it was and reading back on other posts i know we have all felt that fear) We are strong for going thru what we do. I guess i am trying to say you are all legends!

    Anyway also wanted to let you know that although i haven’t been able to post lately that i was thinking of you all and sending positive thoughts your way. we have internet connection again and so can keep in touch again. But I really want to thankyou guys heaps, without being able to share and learn from you all over the past couple months I am not sure i could have got on that plane. The reassurance and learning you give by sharing is priceless.So heartfelt thanks to all
    xxx

  38. YES JUDE!!!!!!!! I am so happy for you!!! We all knew you would be just fine, but most importantly, YOU KNEW! Awesome, you put a huge smile on my face, I’m so proud of you and you are right, it gives us all more strenth hearing how well you did. And also, we missed you the past few days, glad to have you back!

    Josh, super happy to hear the palps are going well!

    Floey, my palps and skips come in all different flavors. Hard to say what they feel like when getting better or worse. Hope you are doing ok.

    I’ve been doing ok, but am now at one of my busiest times of the year at work and child #2 is scheduled to be here in 12 days so we’ll see how I hold up. Probably won’t have too much time to post, but will be reading and thinking of you all.

    I hope everyone is doing well. And again Jude, AWESOME!!! YES!!!!!

  39. Those of that still having with intense symptoms if you taking vitamin that containt b12 or any b could worsen your symptom and you guys need to check your adrenal case suffer from adrenal fatigue or exhaustion could causes most of those symptoms pls have your adrenal check

  40. Cause mines are more from the benzo drug Xanax and Valium I was taking for anxiety and adrenal fatigue

  42. YAY JUDEEE!!!!!!!!!

    Update: I went to a cardiologist at they were able to catch my palps — he diagnosed me with PVCs.

    They still want to do an ultrasound to make sure the heart structure is okay. But for now — they’re PVCs.

    Who else has been diagnosed with those?

  43. Hi jude im glad to hear that i have a fear of flying i want to go see my parents ib sweeden but im scared to go by myself with the kids 🙁
    By the way im in melbourne where are u about and can i have yoyr email adress if u dont mind
    Wish we can talk

  44. Hi to everyone

    Thanks so much Gary I really appreciate your thoughts so so much!!Thank you so much for your support,logic and understanding over the last few months.You truly are a cup of chamomile tea to the soul!How exciting with baby no2 on the way,a really beautiful and special time. Yes you will be busy but at least you know if your symptoms flare up that it is temporary and a very good reason for it.

    Thanks to you too Corliss,how have you been going?

    Sammy have things settled a bit for you , they were pretty bad last time i checked in?I hope you are feeling much better now.

    Floey yes they caught them, that is great!Yes mine are also PVC’S too, had them for over 15 years on and off.But most importantly OFF for all of that!!!

    Hi Susan,we are from Adelaide but will be in the uk for at least a year now.I have learnt in my years of living with GAD that you have to do stuff that scares you to prove to yourself that you will be okay. You have to challenge the fears, You don’t have to start off big at all. It is the little daily things that are most important as they limit our ability in the now.It is the small stuff that matters.Like going to the supermarket knowing you would have a panic attack while waiting in the line,sitting thru school assemblies when your body is telling you to run.day to day stuff and then slowly but surely they start to become easier,symptoms decrease and after time you realize that your doing theses things without even thinking about it. It isn’t easy at all i know, but it has worked for me and i know that you can do it too.Keep in touch.

    Hey Josh so happy to hear that you are doing well!

  45. Hi Jude gentle greeting to you my friend I’m getting there I feel so much better now I’m happy for you and congrat on baby #2!!!

  46. I went to a cardiologist for the first time today and now I’m wearing a 30 day event monitor. I’m supposed to push a button when I feel a symptom (most of my symptoms are a fluttering or skipped beat). I’m so afraid that they are going to see something really bad. But I guess I have to focus on the very possibility that I will get reassurance that I’m ok and this is just related to anxiety, right? I’m just really scared.

  47. @amylt..i was like you when i had to wear the monitor. They told me to wear it and every time i felt a palp or anything to push the button. So, every other minute or so it seemed i was hitting the button and i was like, surely they will detect all of these and finally be able to tell me something scary and life threatening was occurring..However, even though they detected all the palps, they just said it was PAC and that i would be fine because they weren’t threatening in my case. It was hard to swallow that something of this nature couldn’t be fixed and that it would come and go whenever it felt. But within in a couple of days i appeared to be fine just from the reassurance. Now when i get them, and as i’ve documented on these pages for a couple of months or so now, my fits of palps can be pretty relentless from weeks straight, sometimes even a month straight, i’ve just learned to be okay with them. And it’s easier said than done. I still get a tinge of anxiety for a few seconds when i haven’t had them in a while and they first start back up, but the anxiety for me goes away.

  49. Goodluck AMY. They’re want to give me an ultrasound after they detected my PVCs. Just to make sure the structure of the heart is okay. You’ll be fine 🙂

    JOSH- how’re you doing?

  50. Well,I was feeling pretty good (very few palps) until I saw the Dr. today. I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a kidney infection…all with no symptoms…ugh! Iv’e never had to take so many pills in all my life.

  51. Josh and Floey, thank you so much for your comments. Josh, your response brought tears to my eyes because that’s how I’m feeling – like I’m going to be pushing the button all the time. I’m hoping after a few days, I’ll not be so worried about it since they are supposed to notify me if they detect anything serious.

  52. Amy, you will be fine 🙂 It’s very hard to deal w/this when you are first trying to figure every thing out. It was a long process for me. It took years to get to the cause of what i had and what was wrong and what it did and how it made me feel.

    I’m doing okay, Floey. I’m having 2-3 palps a day or none at all, but the last couple of days i’ve had just a few. Still better than all day long. I hope you can get some answers and relief soon. Do you know how many days this has been happening to you now?

  53. Hello everyone, I had a wicked run in with some chinese food a few months back, seems MSG does not agree with me, and was rushed to the Doc for a full screen of heart tests. Wore the holter for a day and had the blood, EKG, and ultrasound. It all come back fine. The stress of that and some work upheaval ended in my palps. I quickly came to the understanding that they will not kill me but a few chest kicks each night as i try to fall asleep followed by an adrenaline rush are taking their toll. To combat this i have started exercising, eating only natural foods, taking Mag, and trying to open my third eye to release my anxiety. I have found that reading calms me and this forum to be very enlightening. Hawthorn berry extract will be my next step because suddenly losing my peace of mind so easily has made me aware of how fragile that peace really was.

  54. Hi everyone

    Hi Amy, I am so sorry you are going thru this we all know the fear you are experiencing.But it is a positive that you have the monitor and can find out what is going on so you can have the reassurance.Please also be reassured by this site and the many other dedicated to living with palps that they are not life threatening at all.I have had mine on and off for 14 years and still alive and kicking!This bout has lasted nearly 3 months but I know they will pass ,they always do.I am not saying that they still don’t scare me at times but you wont feel the intense fear you have now.

    Also as Gary posted the other day there is no way that a Dr would send you home if he thought you had something life threatening.The cardiologist wouldn’t be so casual about it all.So please be reassured although they are a pain they are not harmful.I also suffer from anxiety and am constantly amazed at the symptoms it produces.So if you are able to work on your anxiety that may help your palps too.Please keep in touch and let us now how you are getting on.Big reassuring hug to you.

    Corliss oh no that is so unfair as i know it just makes the anxiety worse worrying about them but at least you have it diagnosed now and are receiving treatment. sometimes it feels like it is one thing and then another but be reassured as these are all treatable and good health awaits.I was recently diagnosed with IBS,ugh just another anxiety related thing!It likes testing our resolve doesn’t it!Please know all will be okay, the treatment will kick in and all will be good.

    Hi there Josh, your posts are always so insightful and show a lot of understanding,reassurance and sympathy towards living with the palps.Thank you so much for them.

    Hey there Floey,when is that scan happening?Are yours a bit better now?

    Hi Sammy keep fighting hey!You will win this

    Anyway thinking of you all.Happy palp free day to all!

  55. Hi to all
    My palps going crazy at the moment ,im moving house,cleaning,going in and ou. fustartin really
    Im going craxy of it i feel like i want to stab my chest to end it dont know if this is from my stomach acid o. something wrong with my heart,coz i frlt it after eating while im walibkg going dhopping aghhh its bad

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