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.
hey all… first off id like to say a huge thankyou to everyone that asked how i was etc etc, sory i havent replied, just had a few problems :/
So how is everyone doing?
I have been reading all the messages that id missed..
At the moment id say im having quite a terrible time of it and to be honest this hole thing is just one vicious circle and i dont no where to go from here.
Hope u are all doing well , keep us informed 🙂
Floey, I’m glad to hear from you. I was getting worried! Justin, I’m sorry you’re still having a rough time. I hope you can find something that works for you. You’re right, anxiety can become a vicious circle. For me it seems like I get one thing taken care of and something else comes up. The Buspar is still continuing to help me. It keeps me from going into a full blown panic attack. My palps have been a little better too. Right now I’m just worried about my daughter. She had a bad headache Friday at school and then kind of a dull one all weekend. Of course with my health anxiety, I automatically think the worse! She gets checked out by her doctor tomorrow. So I would appreciate positive thoughts and prayers!
Hi justin i know you going thru a tough time like all of read my comment above and compare yousself ok when you think about your broblem youll find it easier and treatable
Waiting for you replay
All the best justin
Hi amylt im duffering from health anxiety too and eveything happen to my kids l get paranoid and stress my son had a bad headache for a week coz he was sick with a throat infection snd of course with my health anxiety i thought he have somethings bad take it eazy my dear hopr the resault come back fine
Hi there all
Justin you need a plan.Anxiety is such a nasty piece of work that just waiting for it to recover and trying to ride out the storm doesn’t work.I tried for a year when i was first diagnosed and ended up still at square one, one.Do you have a really good Dr who is helping you, are you seeing a psychologist? Cognitive behavioral therapy was a huge help to me as is challenging the anxiety/panic attacks as we discussed earlier. Medication has its place too as we talked about earlier but you need to be comfortable with that as i am a medication phobic i understand how important that is.It doesn’t happen overnight my recovery took over a year .But you need to start now.
This will get better believe me i have been where you are now and apart from my little setback now( I was over 7 years symptom free )you will look back and go ugh that was a really crappy time but you know what you will NEVER go back there again. Once you tackle the anxiety and learn not to fear those panic attacks it never comes back anywhere near as bad. Why? because you realise it is a sensation, a feeling not something that is going to harm you.You lose the fear.I know you know all this already as you aid you have done lots of reading about it but now is the time to put it all into place and make that plan!See your Dr or psychologist and say ENOUGH,I need a a plan and i need one now.Get empowered and proactive and don’t let the anxiety win, You are way too young and have so so much living to do.
My heart goes out to you it really does and i wish i had that bloody magic wand,where is it!But know that we are all here for you and truly understand the hell you are going thru.
Hi Amy we are so good at catastrophising aren’t we.My thoughts and prayers for your daughter, hope she is better soon.xx I am sure it is probably a viral thing but always important to get it checked. They are our world aren’t they and such big love.Hope all goes well at the dr tomorrow. Let us know how she gets on.I am so happy the Buscopar is helping take the edge. it really helps you to start being able to take control and see how irrational our thinking is, that is what i found.Great to hear from you.Have a good day.
Sorry Justin reading back i sound pushy. It is just that i don’t want you to got thru what i did. You are so young and a wonderful world awaits. You just need to get over this hurdle and you will. Sorry again .
Hi everyone. I’m still around lol. I haven’t been on as much lately. I had my own battle with the sickness for a week or so. All good now. I just found out that i didn’t get my medical card (shocker, not so much) so i can’t go to the specialist anytime soon for the chest pains i was having over the summer. I was reading someone above mention GERD and i was trying to get to a specialist to see if i had it and if that was what was causing the daily chest pains.
My palps are still in the very few a day zone, which works for me. I’m also proud of myself for sticking with the potassium/magnesium/calcium/d3/hawthorn berry regiment as long as i have. I have a tendency to take these kinds of things for a month or so and then just stop, but i’ve been on it for as long as i’ve been coming here and writing, so quite a few months. I’m getting ready to try and ween myself off of the heartburn meds i’ve been on for so long, Nexium and Dexilant. I read a really disturbing article about them recently and just decided that i need to try to live without the meds. Also ever since i have been on them from a few years ago, they make me go to the bathroom–a lot :/ I know for a fact it’s the heartburn meds and i’ve tried switching meds but they all have similar side effects. Anyways, hi to everyone, congrats to some of you for new additions to family or moving, etc!
hi jude, first off u arent being pushy at all! 🙂 infact perhaps thats even what i need! i have just changed docs but can honestly sayill be going back to the 1 i had in the first place..
saw this woman doc the other day who practically had a go at me for going to hospital on a few occasions coz i was so terrified of these panic attacks coz i didnt really no what was going on and didnt understand it all, therefore didnt realise anxiety could be quite so powerful! for this reason i am not seeing her again and will go back to my old doctor coz compared to her he is great!
i am very concerned about having to take medication as i work full time etc and dont want the side affects of the med to stop that or get in the way for the first couple weeks… the doc wants me on ”citalopram” ever heard of it? its got a different name in the USA though..
i have had 1 one on one councelling session and he has sent me to these classes for anxiety and panic which start on monday night, im guessing there like once a week but not sure, did u find this sort of thing helpful? i dont just want breathing techniques etc i want rid of panic full stop? can this ever happen?
i also believe alot of my panic is related to me worrying about my heart rate as im forever checkng my pulse (annoyingly) but sometimes i feel something isnt right and thats the 1st thing ill check n then when i notice its a little quicker than perhaps it should be im panicking!? its really annoying, hoping it doesnt come to meds n things, id like to think i can do this without all that to be honest, but thankyou for all your kind words and hope u are also feeling better or are atleast ok! 🙂
Hi Justin, thanks for that and your understanding.yes I would definitely go back to your other Dr,that one sounds like a witch and very insensitive to anxiety disorders anD the terror of panic attacks. Of course you go to hospital when you are first experiencing them, you feel like you are dying. What did she expect you to do ? Stay at home and wait to die!!I took me three goes to find the perfect Dr and 9 years on I still have her.
I definately found anxiety classes so helpful and grounding and inspirational. Mine was taken by a lady who had recovered. She was of the generation where little was known about anxiety and she spent ten years isolated in her own home venturing no further than her letter box for 10 years,major agrophobia.So sad ,but hey look at her now, last I heard she was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle around Australia.She recovered all without medication.Aside form professional help she used Bronwyn Fox power Over Panic.I am from Australia (here in the uk for a year) and this lady is from South Australia but her stuff is availaible on the net. She too suffered from anxiety and look at her now!I found cognitive behavioural therapy very useful too.
The other thing I got out of the classes was seeing the everyday people like you and me afflicted with it.All types of people all walks of life it is not selective!Makes you realise that you are not alone and also that you are not going crazy!!
Would love to hear how you find it,let us know. Now with the pulse checking my Dr gave me some very good advice and i still use it now.STOP CHECKING!!!!!I can tell you that your pulse may be just fine but as soon as you check it it will speed up or your palps will increase!
To be totally honest Justin it never goes away completely.It just sort of lurks in the back of the cupboard.Not affecting your daily living but every now and then when a major life change or stresses happen it may rear its ugly head but never ever like it is now.you will never ever feel this scared by it again I promise. You will recognize what it is, accept it is anxiety and use the tools you have learnt and it is so much more manageable and passes.I was 6 years without a panic attack and then they only started as i had some sad and some wonderful change happen last year. I know it will pass again.
I was diagnosed 9 years ago and the first year was crap till i started my recovery. But then i haven’t stopped doing anything. I have several remote four wheel drive trips in the Australian outback hours a few days drive from the nearest hospital!I have moved from Aust to the uk for a year,did the long haul flight with palpitations a plenty.I actually find things that scare me so i can prove to myself that there is nothing wrong with me!SO yes you will get rid of it and that can happen and you will lead the fantastic fun ,life you deserve!!!
Justin as for the meds that is really a decision you need to feel comfortable with and can only be made by you. Some people have no problems but others have terrible time on medication. Medication helped me a lot,It was a lifesaver as i was drowning! A friend warned me the first few weeks would be yuk so I was prepared.My kids were little at the time and i wasn’t working so it was easier for me as i had no work commitments.If you do decide to take them start of slowly,work up to the full dose.Your dr should advise this anyway.I only needed to stay on them for one year and weaned off very slowly. This is incredibly important.Although my anxiety has flared again i don’t feel i need medication or will ever again as i know what it is now but at the time it helped me start to think rationally and take away the fear.
Sorry my long rambling but hope it helps.Thinking of you and go kick this anxiety in the butt!!
Hi Josh.so good to hear from you.I have been thinking of you.sorry to hear you have been sick though.bummer about the card why is that.? I don’t know a lot about GERD but I do know my heart palps are worse with indigestion for sure.i hope all goes well with weaning off your meds. And a big well done for sticking to your palp regiment.that is great!i tend to get slack too with that.
wow thanks for all the kind words once again jude 🙂 i dont check my pulse as much as i used to but as soon as i start to feel odd i think straight away ‘heart!” then there i go check check check and yes ur right as soon as i think about it or check it sure enough it speeds up!!
still not sure what to do about the meds, might just go to a few classes etc and see how they go and then make a decision?
How are yo anyway? u havent said for a while?
Where abouts in the UK are u visiting?
I would love to go to oz! couple years ago i was gonna go on a visa and backpacking and wish i had now coz i do believe if i had then i wouldnt be having this trouble now lol..
do u find ur anxiety alot easier to cope with now than all them years ago? like it gets easier as time goes on maybe?
Hey Justin.Thats a great idea waiting to see how it goes before making a med decision. if your not 100% comfortable with the decision best to wait!
Thanks for asking how I am i really appreciate it. Doing quite well really. the palps have decreased a lot which is great.Mostly get them in the evening or when lying down sometimes or after a big meal so that is much better than they were!!So fingers crossed they are heading south!!My asthma has been playing up a bit and that plays on my anxiety quite a bit but all good.
We are loving it here so much. beautiful countryside,amazing history and places and heaps to see and do.We are in Weymouth. My partner has been transferred for work for a year , a too good opportunity to pass up. We are grabbing it with both hands and running with it!we are very lucky!
Australia is a beautiful place too for sure. I am sure you would have loved your backpacking there and you can still go another time!My sister married a backpacker form England that she meet in Australia, that was 24 years ago and he stayed!He and a few mates brought an old Holden car and drove around Australia.A lot of fun and a very relaxed lifestyle ,scenery gorgeous and the weather is wonderful although they are having a heat wave at the moment. 42 degrees Celsius there today where we live,ouch!
And yes it definitely does get easier to manage and deal with the anxiety,no doubt about it. I live a very happy,fulfilling and wonderful life. Sure I have my bad days like the other day!!where i am just plain angry,sad or tired of dealing with it, but that is okay too.I then have my temper tantrum, take a deep breath and move on!!(I was reading somewhere that 1 in 10 people will suffer forma mental illness sometime in their life so hey I have saved 9 others from it!)It will never affect your life like the way it is now ever again.Once you lose the fear it really does help.I am so happy you are doing that course!
hey,, that is brilliant to hear about ur palps etc 🙂 happy for u… i am lucky and only get palps after eating quite a bit or to many cups of tea so thats kind of all down to me lol..
Weymouth is nice, i live like 1 hour from it so not far ahah… is it snowing there? lol… its supposed to be bad tomorrow!
i really do hope it does a disappearing act for every 1 of us sooner or later coz if its driving u lot as mad as it is me then wow u must be going crazy! coz its doing my head in, especially this continuous dizziness n heavy headed feeling! nothing worse im sure
Jude-over here you basically have to be blind or disabled to receive a medical card. Over the summer i was experiencing chest pain almost every day for months, and that’s when i had an ultrasound and cat scan done on my chest/stomach. But they said if i had GERD that i would need to see a specialist to get the proper treatment, but i can’t afford to make a consultation. Luckily, i haven’t had these pains for a very long time, but i would still like to figure out what was making the pains come about and also in case they ever come back.
Hi All. JOSH, I’m so glad to hear that your palps are slowing down. Mine (were) slowing down and just yesterday they’ve come back a little more frequent. I am so dissapointed! I’ve been trying to swim about 20min twice a week to see if that would help any, but it doesn’t really. They actually started a bit after I finished swimming the other day. I wonder if my heart rate is trying to normalize itself? Anyways, I need to check out that hawthorne berry that you recommended.
I was taking magnesium for about 2 months consistently and then stopped bc it was kinda giving me diarrhea, but I think I’m going to start up again.
Praying for some relief for all of us!
JUDE/AMY how are you???
Hi guys my doctor diagnose my palps to irregular heart beat does hawthorn berry help to reduce palpitation my palps comes all day and afternoon stoped whats that mean 🙁
Susan, did your doctor suggest medication or anything? If not, he doesn’t seem concerned about it which is a good thing! Even though it is driving you crazy. Maybe you can find some reassurance in that he isn’t concerned about it.
Floey, I’m good. Thanks for asking! My daughter had a good visit with the doctor on Wednesday. He wasn’t concerned with her headaches based on her symptoms and exam. Might be migraines or from the fluid he saw in her ears. So we are relieved. And I am NOT going to question his diagnosis! I went to a new counselor yesterday and I think she is going to be good for me. The Buspar continues to help me be a bit calmer. My heart doesn’t race near as much anymore which leads me to believe it was just from anxiety.
Jude, you are such an inspiration to all of us! Thank you for all your kind words and encouraging spirit! I laughed when I read your comment that since 1 out of 10 people get some sort of mental illness, you saved 9 people from getting it! 🙂
Justin, I’m pulling for you and hope you find some relief soon.
Thinking of all of you!
Hi Amylt no the doc didnt prescribe nothing he ssid no treatment for it you have to live with thats what my cardiologist said and my gp the same but he gave me cipramil 10 mg to take everyday i was stress sboyt it just start today ill see if its going to work this is my first time taking medication
Happy to hear you daughter ok all the best with the new counselor
Hi guys. Wonderful to hear from you. Susan, I am so sorry to hear that. Your situation sounds so much like mine. My Dr. caught my PVCs but said there really wasn’t anything I could do about them. He didn’t even offer any temporary relief aside from beta blockers, which he didn’t suggest because I’m still in my 20s. =/
@ AmyIt, I am glad to hear that your medication is helping! I was on Prozac for about a month but I didn’t see any huge effects, but I think I’m going to ask my Dr. to go back on it because my palps are getting worse.
Yea, my palps started up again after being gone for a week. I am so frustrated!!! I was just beginning to fully enjoy life again. It felt so peaceful. Do you guys think it’s anxiety if it comes for a few weeks and then leaves for a few days?
Praying for us all!
Hi floey
First of all sorry to hear that things are bad for you again, i no its so frustrating when u think u havent had any symptons n u fially start to think u may have cracked then either IT comes back again or ANOTHER sympton pops up and u r back to square 1!
I am 22 and i get very bad panic attacks and daily, maybe a couple times a day and wake with them also, to a point that my heart reaches like 210 bpm…SCARY!
The doctor put me on beta blockers and ive been on 2 types now the first one ”bisoprolol” which was 1 tab a day but that wasnt quite enough to cover 24 hours so they changed them to ”propranalol” which i have to take 3 tabs a day and these ones also help with the anxiety…
bisoprolol i had no side affects with at all but the propranalol just made me feel a little spaced for a week and more than anything just tiredness but they DO work and both tabs i have mentioned keep ur heart rythm regular.
I really reccomend u push for them and atleast give them a go for a couple weeks, Also i get palps after ive eaten but now im on these tablets they dont seem to allow the palps to occur, its great! 🙂
hope this helps and all the best
HI ALL
Can some of u guys please tell me any drugs u have had for depression / anxiety / panic and ones that u have had success with please?
I no here in the UK some drugs have got diferent names to the ones in USA… i believe :/
Thanks
Hi Justin. I’m so sorry you are having such a time with panic attacks. Those things are monsters! I’m glad the beta blocker is working for you. There are so many prescription drugs out there but for me the ones I have found to work are: Zoloft, Prozac, and Buspar. (I am in the USA so I don’t know if they are called something different in the UK.) Good luck. I hope you find something that works.
Hi Justin,
This is so interesting. I’d like to talk to you about it more. I’m scared to take beta blockers because I’m in my 20s too and they mentioned that the side effects could be dangerous for me. Do you have an email that you wouldn’t mind me reaching you at?
Thanks!
yee sure its ”jblake30@hotmail.co.uk ” 🙂
Hi amylt, yes they r names differently, the zoloft here is known as sertraline” i have some of that, how did u feel on it?
im to scared to take it due to side affects?
thanks
Hi Justin! Thank you 🙂 I’ve messaged you! My email is from my gmail account
ok i will look now and no worries 🙂
Justin that’s the generic name for zoloft and it’s what I take. Have you taken it? What side effects did you have?
thats right yea, i havent even taken 1 pill coz before i was prescribed ”citalopram” and i had 1 pill and oh my god! i have never felt so of my head and strange in my life so i threw them away! lol
now i got these sertraline and im to afraid to try 1? they started me on 50mg does this sound right or should i snap em in half? aha
How do u find them?
50 mg is a normal starting dosage. If you feel safer doing so, it’s perfectly fine to take 1/2 of one. I’ve never had a problem with these but obviously everyone’s body acts differently so I’m not telling you that you won’t feel strange but why not take the chance and maybe they will actually work for you and you will feel better. If they do make you feel strange, that feeling will pass soon and then you’ll know. Let me know!
thankyou so much for ur avice 🙂 i will try them but must see about taking them with my beta-blockers first?
i see a doc on friday so will let u no, thanks again n hope ur ok????
No problem! Not a bad idea to make sure there is no interaction. I don’t think there will be though. Thanks for asking, I’m doing fine. Fighting a cold which doesn’t help with anxiety when you don’t feel good! But I’m ok.
awww bless… if ur anything like me then feeling not 100 percent makes me abit panic like?
Hope u feel better soon!
Hi amylt and justin please before u guys decide to manage ur pills dose u need to get a doctor advice first to dont get into bad side effect 🙂
All the best
Hi everyone
We have been away for the weekend so just caught up!
Josh I find it so sad the medical system in America.Health and medical care should be a right and everybody should have access to it.I hope you are doing okay coming of the GERD meds and that the pain is easing.
Justin we are almost neighbors! the snow has been awesome hasn’t it!We drove up North to find some to play in …tourists hey!Actually my kids first time in snow so exciting!!How is the medication going?I was on the antidepressant fluvoxamine (Fluvox) my biggest side effect was a slow pulse and tiredness initially.I would personally snap the sertraline tablet in half!I actually snapped mine into quarters initially and gradually increased.It meant it took longer to kick in but I felt more comfortable doing it that way.I gradually worked up to the dosage.Hope your course goes well to let us know how you get on!
Hi Amy i am so happy that all is okay with your daughter,great news xx Also that you have a good feeling about your counsellor, it can make such a difference.I remember the one i saw was so honest and abrupt and confronting she scared me but god she was good!My first visit to her a newbie with the whole panic attack thing so I was absolutely terrifed and didnt understand them,she said ” i bet i can make you have a panic attack right now”You bet she could have but it was to show me how it was all thought related not a physical health threat.I ended up really liking her though!Thinking of you and wishing you happy anxiety free days,
Floey so sorry to hear the palps arent going so well but maybe it is a pattern of them easing?With the magnesium just take smaller doses throughout the day until your body is use to it. that should settle the diarrhea.Or A friend of mine also has a bath with epsom salts, the magnesium is absorbed thru the skin and doesn’t give diarrhea and he also has a magnesium spray you put on your body and it absorbed with similar effect.Big hugs.
My palps are still settling but with this cold weather here in the UK my asthma is playing up and as i have stopped taking my preventer ( it made palps heaps worse) I need to take ventolin which is known to cause palps and increase anxiety! Shheesh !And anxiety can cause asthma symptoms ,keep smiling I keep telling myself!!I only need the Ventolin once a day so that isnt too bad at all but i will go back to the drs to try a different preventer.All is good.
Hi to everyone else,hope all going well.
haha yes we are neighbours lol… where up north did u go? we have had quite a bit of snow actually and to be honest this is unusual here ahah, glad u enjoyed it 🙂
the medication i havent started yet as im still on the beta blockers so im gonna see me doc first, how have u been?
thanks for ur advice
Hey Sammy just a note to let you know i am thinking of you and hope you are dong okay.keep fighting my friend you will win this.
Hey Justin we actually went to Cornwall for the weekend but we stopped on the way and had snowball fights and did snowangels at a field near Dorchester. it was a lot of fun!!we heard the snow is unusual here so we thought we better take advantage of it!It sounds like it caused a lot of mayhem and chaos on the roads and the airport etc.Cornwall was lovely weather cold as you would expect but even blue skies!good idea to check with dr re the antidepressant and the beta blockers.Have a great palp and panic attack free night please!
hey… yes cornwall is very nice in the right time of year:) snowball fights cant beat em eh? ahaha..yes it caused alot of chaos! everything gets closed from roads to schools to airprorts etc etc lol… it all comes to a grinding halt!
hoping i can continue to take beta blocker as i dont want my heart speeding up coz thats enough to cause anxiety n panic!
thankyou and same goes for you 🙂
Hiii JUDE. Thanks for the reply. Yes, I am taking magnesium again but I don’t see much of a change. I am also trying 1oz of aloe gel 3x a day. It’s GROSS! Has anyone else tried it? I haven’t seen any effects of it yet on my palps, but I’ll try it for about a week. I definitely have to take it with juice because it’s yucky 🙁 haha.
How are your palps going Jude? Also, I was wondering — do your hands get sweaty and do you feel kinda head-achy when you experience palps?
JOSH – How’s everything going for you? Are you still watching kiddies sometime? Hope all is well.
JUSTIN – Thanks for letting me contact you!!!
AMY – does zoloft help with your palps?
To the ladies suffering out there! Are your palps worse close to your period? if so try upping your calcium. My dr suggested this and it has helped.I have an extra dose of calcium in the afternoon,yoghurt or a soy milk smoothie.I dont drink milk but a glass of milk would be good. i found it has made a difference so thought i would share.
Regarding beta blockers, i had a bad experience with them. Initially the cardiolgoist put me on a week of minimal dosage Betaloc. It settled my anxiety substantially. About a couple of months later i noticed some sharp painful beats. It is basically attributed to vitamin B deficits. I did not realise it and took a singular pill of betaloc. Within a week it rebounded into a tachycardia and i had to visit the cardio on a emergency basis. The EKG was normal and he put me on lorazepam to calm me down and another dose of Betaloc to normalise everything. After a week of betaloc, i found a severe exercise intolerance that lasted for several weeks together. Only after i started magnsesium available in shelcal tablets as 30 mg of MgO2 and Bcomplex capusles did the intolerance go away. The intolerance is felt by all and it will make you unable to take even a few steps. You will literally feel like a patient with a substantial coronary block.
If you must take a beta blocker take it under the supervision of a cardiologist. Else pls try vitamin Bs, it will calm down your cortisol. Try fish oil and aerobics to burn the cortisol. Thanks.
Regarding the ladies, pls take a diary of any OCPs or subcutaneous contraceptive drugs that you are on. Since these contain phytoestrogens they will mess up every inch of your body including your stress management system. For instance depo provera which is 100 percent effective is highly dangerous. Depoprovera will give you adverse psychological reactions and give you severe anxiety disorder. I have experienced this in my family itself. Depo is a leading cause of divorce because of its psychotic effects. There are several forums that warn you against this drug. Any questions on this drug pls do drop me a line on this forum. I will try and clarify your queries.
Hello: Can’t remember if I gave an update or not. I had the ultrasound done on my legs and everything came back clear. The doc couldn’t provide me much help after that and a blood test everything was clear. My wife however, being the intelligent being she is, suggested that with my cardio regiment that perhaps the pain could be from a protein deficiency, even though my blood tests showed the levels were normal. I started eating a protein bar for breakfast and then having a shake with lunch and a shake after my workouts. This has helped a ton! My leg pain is practically gone. It’s taken about two to three weeks I think but I am much more comfortable.
The anxiety still looms though. The past few days have been fine, but a couple days before that I was having random PVCs again, which as usual cause the anxiety levels to increase, which for me led to the taking of .25 mg of Xanax, which ultimately led to me relaxing. I’m just glad I know that the small dose works wonders for me.
JUDE: I’ve been thinking about you. from all the comments you seem to probably have to most frequent palps. On the flip side you seem to have the best handle on managing them mentally and through a great attitude. I was just curious, how many do you feel in a given day, or how frequent do the come?
JUSTIN: I never mentioned this before. I was prescribed Citralopam (generic Celexa). The doc wanted me on something daily for 6 months to get the anxiety under control. When I first started taking them my anxiety levels were insane. I felt totally weird and tangled up. I had an enormous impending doom sensation. The doc reduced the dose and everything seemed to balance out. I stayed on the drug for about a month just wanting some relied. I did feel better but I didn’t want daily meds to be a way of life for me. I consulted the doc and he said I could come off of them if I wanted and said to take half my normal dose for 7 days then I could stop altogether. I took a half dose for 4 days and then just forgot about the meds altogether. About 4 days after that I got the worst headaches ever, almost migraine-ish but they were centered between my eyes. I dealt with these for about 10 days before the subsided. I was told it was a withdrawal symptom… Did the med help me through my time YES! Would I take the Citralpam( however it is spelled) again, I really don’t know. I’m glad I am off of it and if you can make it through without it that is always the best option. But if you feel you need the extra help medicine can provide then be all means try it.
I’m still taking the natural calm magnesium before bed. I use 2tsp and I must say with it warmed up just right in a small tea cup the flavor is perfect.
SAMMY: Where are you my friend? Please check in.
GARY: My guess is you’ve been quiet because you’re sleeping when the baby lets you. I’m glad all mine are old enough now to cooperate!
And to everyone else, Stay focused. We are each on our own journey yet we are not alone.
God Bless.
Does anyone notice a pattern to their palps? When mine stop for a day (rareellllyy) they always resume a different pattern when they start up again
Hi there, im a 21 year old male, i have suffered from heart palpitations since the age of 19, from the age of 16 i took illegal drugs such as cocaine and amphetamins on the weekends also a new party drug called mephedrone! how stupid of me?! luckily i grew out of it but i was left with heart palpitations, ive had every test done to my heart imaginable, all came back fine, the first time i got one was after a weekend of doing stupid things, i stopped it all right then (1 year ago). I know i have anxiety and that this is the cause but it gets to you after a year or so of on off palpitations. they are only isolated but once getting them i overthink it all and work myself up, im also in the process of undergoing kidney surgery as my left one is bleeding and in a lot of pain, im terrified that ive screwed my body up from immature decisions! i regret my past so much, has any one else suffered paliptations or anxiety due to stimulants?
Bransdenmoss
I cant honestly say… i get palps after ive eatan but thats it, however they are unpleasant!
i suffer bad anxiety and also get the most awful panic attacks and my heart rate goes off the scale, even more so if ive gone out drinking and the day after my anxiety hits an all time HIGH! and heart rate then is just like 200bpm from where i get panic attacks coz of the anxiety…vicious circle right?
so yee for me alcohol isnt good but slowly this anxiety seems to be lowering the amount of things i would like to do in life and the things i used to do which i no longer can because of anxiety! i hate it!
is this the same for anyone else?
just want a normal life again ”as im sure u all do!” but without meds if possible
i also seem to notice that sugar sends my palps going aswell so ive cut that down aswell
Hi everyone
Hi Stephan thanks so much for your kind thoughts my friend,I am so happy that your scan was clear. great news and how wonderful if your wife!!That is really good that the protein has helped.very reassuring.Sorry to hear the anxiety still looms but if you need the occasional Xanax it is so good that it works. probably knowing you have it there if needed would make more of a difference than you realise.Knowing you have a fall back if things get desperate would in itself reduce the fear and hence the anxiety.
You asked about my palps well i haven’t had a palp free day since October.Initially they were so full on. i was having episodes that would last for a couple of hours with several palps a minute sometimes two or three in a row then normal beats for a few seconds then palps again etc.I was too scared to count them but i would guess i had had a few hundred over a 24 hr period.I have read of people having thousands recorded on a halter monitor only to be told it was anxiety .I must confess it was scary as I have never had them so persistent and frequent before. But I figured given my circumstances ie: my beautiful, most loved and adored Dad had passed away earlier in the year after struggling in the last stages of Alzheimer for over 6 years, my most loved ,loyal and gorgeous dog that I had had since a pup over 13 years was really ill and were were struggling to keep him alive.We eventually had to have him put to sleep as he developed an inoperable tumor as well and he couldn’t walk,And add to that organizing to leave a hobby farm and lots of animals to head overseas for a year you could say 2012 was full of intensely sad and happy things.I was so excited about going overseas and wasn’t going to let the anxiety stop me.So i wasn’t surprised it presented itself in the form of palpitations!!And forgot to mention a fear of flying but that was more worried about having a panic attack on the plane!!
So i am putting the palps down to that but i have also found that an asthma med I was on was making them heaps worse as they have settled since i have been off it.Now i get them mostly in the evening or after a big meal.Tonight they have been yuk don’t know why.It could be the Ventolin i am taking. I have a cold at the moment and as i am not taking my preventer ( because it makes my palps worse! i need the occasional Ventolin which can cause palps ahhhh….!!I have had them for about 5 hours on and off .I get a couple a minute for a while then none then they start again.I can honestly say i am a very happy content person and don’t feel anxious but the palps are there!yep they do get me down some days and I just want to cry but hey i figure i could curl up in a ball and not live the life i want to and the palps will still be there or i can do what I am doing now which is grabbing life with both hands and living the fun happy life I want to.Either way the palps are there so I know which I choose!
I wouldn’t for a minute begin to understand anxiety. i think some of us have a genetic predisposition to it and are travelling in life nicely when an incident, or a trigger occurs that sets it off with the panic attacks and anxiety symptoms and life is never quite the same again.But having recovered before I know and truly believe i will again as you are.It can just take time which i am giving it. i feel mine are definitely easing so that is encouraging.So good to hear from you Stephan,keep fighting you are winning this one for sure.
Hi Bransdenmoss.I truly am sorry for what you are going thru. I have said this to Justin and some of the others you guys are way to young to be have to dealing with this crap..Be kind to yourself, you made mistakes and unfortunately they have had crap consequences but you are so young and time will heal and repair your body and mind as it should.It takes time for it to heal from the abuse and a bit of TLC needed. So start now.Obviously going thru kidney surgery is traumatic on its on without the palps but see it as a first step in the healing process. Get this fixed and then start over.Your future is waiting for you!!
I know anxiety can be so overwhelming and consuming but take is step by step.With the palps steer well clear of any alcohol ( I am sure you are anyway )and even the normal stimulants like energy drinks and tea and coffee.How is your food intake? You really need a well balanced and regular meals which i know can be hard when you are feeling so awful but it will help the body to heal. Exercise once your well is a huge benefit as it uses up all the excess adrenalin we produce when anxious.I am sure you probably know all this already but just in case!(I tend to get a bit mother hen like as has been said on these posts before!)Have you got a good gp or seeing a counsellor? Please keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on.
Sammy as Stephan said it would be good to hear from you.Thinking of you.
Hi there Plutoproserpina. Gosh it sounds like you had an awful time with the beta blockers glad all okay now. Thank you for the info on the OCPs I have been on triphasil forever, do you know much about this one?
Hi jude Thanks for the advice! I exercise daily and have been a vegetarian my whole life! I think this has benefited me in a large way, yes i am steering well clear of alcohol and have recentlly given up nicotine i think this may have been the cause for my palpitations the last few days?! I have overcome the initial hurdle of anxiety (not feeling able to leave the house, constantly overflowing with adrenaline, Palpitations throughout the day,) That all ended a couple of years back, i have a full time job and am currently studying to become a hospitalitly manager, but i cant seem to get over the last hurdle to recovery, i have a good book called “At last a life” that is helping me, but i am struggling just to get to how i used to be!. The best frase i have seen is to simply ” give up the fight ” and it is helping, but when you get another onset of symptoms like this it brings it all back again you know! : (
Hi all, I’m catching up on some of these comments. Been fighting a cold and spent the last few days just resting. Justin, I really feel for you. I know exactly how you feel about not being able to do things you use to do and enjoy your life. Only a month ago I felt almost house bound other than going to work. Just the simple trip to the grocery store made me nervous! Now I look forward to dinner out with friends, etc. I certainly don’t want to sound like a drug pusher or anything but I really think it was the Buspar I started 3 weeks ago. The doc started me on a very low dose and I did feel weird for the first week but now I’m fine. Even though I felt weird I decided to stick with it because after the 2nd day I could tell it was making me calmer. After a week he increased my dose, which I thought would make me feel weird again but it didn’t! Like I said, I’m not pushing medication and I completely respect one’s preference to not take any but I just wanted to share my experience. I still have the occasional palp and anxiety but I seem to be able to control it again. And I’m actually somewhat happy again! I was in a very dark place back before the holidays. Or maybe all my praying worked and God decided to heal me! 🙂 Or, maybe He did it through medication; I don’t know. Anyway, don’t give up. Keep fighting! Have you tried any books that address panic attacks? There are some good ones out there. Aren’t you going to the doc Friday? I hope you get some answers!
Amy – I am so glad to hear that your medication helped!!! So the anxiety meds severely decreased your palps? That’s awesome. How long did it take to kick in? I was on prozac for about 3 weeks, but have yet to see any changes in my palps. I suppose I should keep on it for awhile longer.
Jude – Glad to hear you’re doing well.
Josh – how are your palps doing?
bransdenmoss- hello! what did you find useful in helping relieve your palps? I’ve had consistent palps since october!
Wow I got really excited in my last post but let me back up and clarify that I’m not healed but I would say 10 times better than a month ago. Floey, I think buspar is in a different class, not exactly like prozac and zoloft but not like xanax and ativan either. I think prozac and zoloft are anti-depressants that also are used for anxiety. If I’m not mistaken buspar is just for anxiety. I’m taking it with my zoloft. So hope that clarifies. Also, I don’t plan on staying on it long term. I have my follow up with my cardiologist on Monday and I’m going to ask her more about it but it has seemed to help with the palps but hasn’t eliminated them completely.