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.
HI.. @Jackie
I had the same problem but i finally went to the doctor and suggested to put me on Nadolol but if you are already have good Blood Presser they wont put you on it… but the Nadolol medication slows heart rate and palps.
I’m 29 years old….my palpitation started as a result of fear attack…have been suffering from it for the past 10years,I feel healthy physically,I exercise without getting tired at all…I got ecg done and the doctor said I have sinus arrhythmia….I was placed on propanolol,but d drug seems not working….am so scared for advance test at d hospital….pls what is wrong with me ?I need help..
This site has made me feel much better….I’m not alone.
I’ve had pals for years, I’m really healthy and work out all the time. I’ve been trying to find that magic bullet that tells me “if you do/eat this then you’l get palps” , but it’s not easy.
I kno for sure they come on if I had even 1 glass of wine…so stopped the wine, but still get them…Annoying and scarey!
Every once in a while I just go to this site so I feel better when I am really having a bad week. I have no heart disease, but that does not make the stress any less. But I have learned to cope with almost all of what I have, and after a while, when I have tried most everything over time, the palps become less, and eventually go away. But it is not the medication that makes them go away, it is the deep breathing, calming myself, knowing the truth about why I have them and eating and drinking and exercise to help me to get rid of them, but no, not forever. Sure I want them gone, but first I have to realize what brought them on, and sometimes it takes a week of stress, and then I get three days of irregular heart beats, and they bug me, I hate them, but I can live with them, until I do something about them, let go of the stress in some way. I don’t have money to go get a massage, but hey, that is one wonderful way to keep stress levels down if you can afford it. The minute I start thinking about what it is that is taking me down that path, the tension builds, and letting go is not always easy, but so far after all these years it has not killed me.
I take an extra half of a beta blocker, and as little anxiety medicine as I can, drink a little milk which I do not drink, but for this it helps, warm it up, stick a little butter in it, and yes, it does really help. Do we really need stress, no, but the times now bring it on big time. No job, older, no money and fixed incomes, ill health, moving, divorce, death, all these plus family and friends in our lives that have their problems, brings to us stories that we process in our lives, and from that comes stress. It comes in many forms, I work each day to keep it out of my time zone, but sometimes, it kicks my butt, and then, I have to fight back and get myself together again. We all have our stress and anxiety, some more, some less. I will take less please! Good luck all you out there, glad to read about you and what it is you feel and fear, as we are all trying our best to cope. Life has so many lessons, and I thought by now I would be done with them. Go see a movie, read a good book, and watch something old and funny on television, that too helps you to forget for a little while what is going on in that brain that rains down havoc on your body. Glad I can talk to people who know what this is, and want a little comfort now and then.
J Arianne
I started having skipped heart beats 12 weeks ago and was worried I had the start of heart disease- my mother has recently undergone quadruple bipass heart surgery. I visited my GP who performed a snapshot ECG which was normal but offered no explanation into the cause of my palpitations. They increased in intensity and frequency and I became so scared I visited A/E. After performing another snapshot ECG I was told that everything was ok but I would be referred to the diagnostic unit for further investigation. I felt so stressed that I had a week off work and tried to relax. Still my palpitations presented. I had a 24 hour ECG and waited 4 weeks for the results only to be told that everything was normal and to go back to my GP should my symptoms persist. As I work in the hospital where my tests were performed I asked an ECG colleague to look at my 24 hour tape. He told me that I had unifocal ventricular ectopics that were considered to be normal for lots of people. I decided to have private CBT counselling for my ‘new found’ stress and they are helping me sort out other issues in my life but I am still having constant missed heart beats that make my stomach flip and I’m finding it difficult not to let them get me down. I have recently started taking magnesium supplements and I’m using relaxation techniques that are helping me to sleep. What I would like to ask if my missed heartbeats could be caused by my anxiety. I am not on any medication for this problem. GP refused to prescribe me anti-depressants but I have learnt alot about giving into the way I feel from reading your experiences but I am finding that my palpitations are dragging me down. Any advice or suggestions would be gladly recieved. Many thanks
After reading almost everyone who is out there talking about this, I have to say it does make me feel better. What I do for my problem may not work for you. But the fact that we all have the same problem makes it easier in some ways to address it. By the way, maybe this could work for you, I sleep almost sitting up, I have a bed that goes up and down, and so when I have a bad day or night, the bed goes higher, less stress I can sleep lower. No, I never sleep flat, as that is what seemed to bring on heavy duty arrhythmia, so, I figured out when I sat up somewhat they went away sooner. I just hit and miss most the time as to what will stop them. Sometimes I hit it right on, sometimes they last for days no matter what I do. But, an anxiety medicine does help a lot because having these episodes causes more anxiety!
The doctors are not worried about them, unless they come with pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, etc. You can have a hundred a day or more and still be normal. If you have gone and been tested, next, learn how to manage stress….sure! Not enough sleep can cause them, not eating right, not getting the magnesium and other minerals you need, and oh so many other reasons. I have had it long enough now that I sometimes forget I have them. But we always know when they are there, but after a while I just quit trying to figure out what to do next, and read a book, and if it gets so I just cannot handle it, I take an anxiety medication, a very light one, but sometimes just the idea, or thought that it will calm me down helps. Good luck everyone, this too will pass. Take a deep breath, or, read The Miracle of the Breath, it really helped me a lot.
Cheers, J Arianne
I found learning to change the reaction I have to my palps helped stop them developing into a panic attack.
When you have your first palps it’s so scary because you dont know whats going to happen to you..so you panic
Finding out that it is actually panic/anxiety that’s causing your weird bodily sensations can really help you learn not to react with fear when you get them …
I found that getting the doctors all clear really helped ..
Cheers
https://AnxietySolutionsCenter.com
Many thanks for your advice and support.The strange thing is is that i sleep well at night following some relaxation. I wake up and feel ‘ok’ but then my mind kicks into overdrive- worrying about work related issue primarily- and then BANG! my heart starts to play a rhythm of its own. I know it will take time and I think I will be revisiting my GP to see if I can have a stress test to put my mind at rest. Thank you
hi every body i have palpitation every day . i went to the doc and gave me beta blocker low dose which seems not working i still have palpitation . last ten years i had panic attacks may be this due to ibs i dont know but am scared
Well, I been exercising for the past 2 months at least 4x a week for 30-45min a day and what I’ve notice is my palpatations have gone down. Ya I still get it even if I’m sitting watching tv but it’s not as bad as it use to be. I’m still working on it for me to be stronger I quit smoking for 8 months now and don’t drink any caffeine or soda because of the high suger.. I’ve started eating healthy too… But what I don’t get is, why I still have anxiety? Yesterday I was working out and when it was time to get on my exercise bike I’ve notice my heart rate was pumping a little too fast even though I haven’t started the bike yet… I started to panic quit a bit and got off an for some reason needed to catch my breath like I just ran a race…. I decided to lay on the couch and I took a nap… But as soon as I woke up BAM, high anxiety and a slight palp! Today isn’t as bad but my brain is focusing on what happened and it’s making me get anxiety. Has anyone had this before? Also, what I’ve notice is when I do have bad anxiety days there are people who post on this site saying they feel palp and anxiety too like some of us get it at the same time. I wonder……. Please reply if you guys have felt something like this or any feedback would be great! Thanks
I suffered from anxiety 10 years ago and had my first panic attack on a cross trainer. It has taken me all this time to pluck up the courage to get on one again. I now listen to my body when it tells me i’m tired and i have a nap. I do wake up feeling anxious, heart racing mainly because i feel guilty for sleeping when i should be cooking or cleaning. My counsellor has told me not to use ‘should have’ or ‘what if’ but instead say ‘what’s the worse thing that can happen?’. This has helped me. I also need to realise that I am not super human and i don’t need to prove myself. The only person who puts pressure on me is ME. My palpitations have improved over the last few days and i think this is due to the fact that I have tried not to pay them too much attention. If i’m tired I rest, if i feel anxious i say ‘hey do your worse, i’m not going to let you get the better of me’. I find stress at work more difficult to deal with but i am trying very hard to change my attitude by not trying to be liked by everyone and not trying to jump through hoops. Yesterday i spent nearly all day in work crying. I saw my counsellor last night and she helped me move on. Today i feel more positive and i believe that has helped my palpitations. Recovery will take as long as it needs to but i think what i’ve learnt is that feeling sorry for myself is not a beneficial and that worrying about things you have no control over is completely pointless. Yes i’m sure i’ll have more bad days but i’ll get through them. We can get through this!
after suffring from malaria parasite and typhoid for past 2 to 3 months now I have been experiencing heart palpitation pls I dont no what to do each time I notice it I became afraid pls how will I cope with this symthoms. somebody help me pls.
I am 71 and get palpitation for last 10 years. Recently, I get almost once in a month. Pulse rate racing to 160 and some times for hours. Its exhausting. All my basic medical tests are normal. No, heart disease but very annoying. Doctors say I should go for ablation. Should I do that…? Would it be safe and sure…? Otherwise I am fit Can climb 4 stairs easily and would get my breathing normal in minute. Doctors say it is electrical misfiring. But I am really worried. Please guide me how to control it. Preferably in a natural way.
Ashween, I am bothered by them as well, on a daily basis for about a year. No other health problems and the Holder monitors more or less say: They’re benign, don’t worry. Yeah, right. Try stress relief in the form of yoga. It keeps arteries supple and is relaxing.
I went to the hospital today being told the same diagnosis from my previous visit….heart palpitations. I mean Im so upset that I feel my heart pumping now as I type this. This is the most torturous thing I’ve ever had in my life. Not fun at all. Im only 22 and I feel like a freaking old lady. Yes im overweight but only by 10 pounds so what the crap? I’ve been this size almost all my life and have never had such problems. This entire heart palpitations thing started when I drank a powerade and took an aleve for pain. (I work at a store standing all day, who doesn’t take pain relievers?) Does anyone know if simply loosing weight will cure this? Because I honestly don’t think weight has anything to do with it. There are healthy people who suffer with this crap and it extremely pisses me off when they say” just loose weight”. So what do they tell the skinnier people then…I mean really
Ive just started getting the palpitations. I’ve just turned 40. I have a pretty stressful job but never had anything like this until now. I’m vegetarian, I cut right back of caffeine and I don’t smoke and drink maybe twice a month. I’m not on any medication other than birth control. I do not exercise so im thinking maybe that’s what I need to do. Some nights I have them so bad I’m too scared to go to sleep in case I don’t wake up. I’m sitting here right now wishing it would stop. Hence looking up info and here I am. it’s freaking me out. I thought I was having a heart attack the first time and almost woke my daughter to tell her I loved her because I thought I was having a heart attack. Dr hooked me up to ECG but of course nothing showed up. It seems to only come at night time. I have to sit up and stay awake as long as I can so that I’m just so tired that I can’t stay awake any longer. I’m just really sick of feeling like this and appreciate all the comments here and hope I can find something that will at least reduce the severity if not stop it all together.
Best way is run-walk for 40 minutes a day and half an hour of yoga. I almost cured myself with this method. Your stress will be released and energy level will rise. Start slowly if you wish.
Thanks Ashween I will give it a go. Summer is on its way. I’ll be more motivated!
Morning All,
Well after several tests (that all came back negative)(even going to an oncologist) my doc prescribed clonazapam for me and I will tell you what – I AM BACK TO NORMAL!! I take 1mg in the morning and 1mg at night. I can now continue on with my daily life like I use to and not be afraid of having heart palps or heart pops!!! 🙂
Of course I know this is just a bandaid – but atleast it’s working!
I have not had palpitations in years then all of a sudden they started up again. Had the ticker checked, so it’s not heart disease. Most likely stress and too much caffeine which I adore.
My solution is usually to pop aspririn just in case(!) and cough hard several times (also what you are supposed to do if you suspect a heart attack).
Glad to know the pinched nose method.
Thanks
Hi everyone, I’m sick of my bloody anxiety and worry can’t manege my life to feel better I joined gym but still not confident :((
What an awful symptoms of anxiety
I feel so much better ready everyones comments. I have no one to talk to about my anxiety and heart palpitations. I have been dealing with this for over 8 months now. It’s an every day occurance. I thought I was healed for about 2 weeks (and let me add, it was the best 2 weeks ever). But they came back with a vengance. I live in fear and I don’t know why. I have a great husband, children, family and friends. Living like this makes me snap at my children and not want to be touched by my husband. I feel like I’m confined when he holds me at night. I want the old me back. I read scriptures that seem to help. I meditate on them. I pray for God to deliver me from this self torment that goes on day after day.
Dear All,
Its really good to read all the messages on this site as it ease the palpitation and anxiety but not really gone as the anxiety really keeps on toes and does not let you do anything
Feel so bad at times that even if you want to do things you are not able to due to your anxiety thing, i have done all the test and good A.HLAL they are negative, many times of ECG, Treadmill test and blood test and many things inluding xray of heart chest and lungs, cervical, spondalise etc
as per Doctors all is well but still i have problem
Also when i have problem i go to doctors they do check up and i m ok well and feel good for another 3 days or till i think i am ok well i do take medicine i;e inderal since 3 months nowi knw its anxiety but still i
I feel good for day or 2 then the anxiety is back i am having Inderal 10mg thrice a day with relaxanon for pain
CAN ANYBODY HELP ME ON THIS PLEASE!
WAITING FOR YOUR REPLIES
Hi All,
The past 5 1/2 weeks of my life have been a roller coaster. It all started after coming home from the gym after playing four hours of racquetball (nothing Un-normal for me). After being home about an hour my heart rhythm went absolutely nuts. I had felt palpitations many years ago when I was morbidly obese but since then I’ve lost almost 100 pounds and have been quite fit for almost 7 years now. After my heart went crazy (Palpitations, flutters, the constant feeling it wasn’t beating right – heart feeling like it was flopping around in my chest) I tried to calm myself down but it didn’t seem to help. The sensations got worse and after about 30 minutes I decided I would drive myself to the doctor. While enroute my hands started going numb and I was convinced I was having a heart attack. I got to the doctors and quickly told the front desk worker what was going on. I was taken back rather quickly and as I was going into the exam room my symptoms stopped completely. They hooked up an EKG which showed a perfectly normal heart rhythm.
About 6 hours later I felt it again, the flutters, the racing pulse rate now, the heart flip flops. This time I went straight to the ER. Again, after getting there the sensations seemed to stop and all the ER picked up on were several PVC’s which I was told were benign.
I was referred to a cardiologist which I spent the next two days with. I had a full work up done (echo, stress test, and wore a 24 hour monitor). Everything came back clear even all the sensations I felt while wearing the monitor. Over the next week every time I tried to do anything my heart would act up. Panic and fear began to overtake me to the point of having several emotional breakdowns over this. I went back to the first doctor at the request of the cardiologist (since everything per them was normal). This was the first time I was told that perhaps I was having panic/anxiety attacks.
I refused to believe them. I am a police officer and have been for 7 years. Everyone would tell you I am a laid back, down to earth guy that doesn’t freak out or get upset about anything. However, the more I talked to people the more I began to realize that even with my confident self the subconsciously perhaps the years on the force had worn on my body.
3 weeks into this with several ‘moments’ as I began to call them my doctor gave me some Xanax, which I filled but refused to take.
I am a spiritual person and wanted to beat this through my faith and spent the next week praying more and meditating on scriptures then I had done in my whole life. I was finding peace and felt like I had my victory.
Well just as I hit my fourth week I woke up one morning with a heart rate well over 100. The flutters and heart flip flops were the worst I had felt so far. I decided it was just anxiety and I would keep my calm and go on into work. ( I have to pause right here and say to date I had 5 EKG’s done, had 5 separate blood screens and 2 urine screens done and everything was clear). 6 hours into my shift last Saturday, having felt my heart race all morning, and felt all the other sensations I decided I would go over to the fire station and get hooked up on the 12 lead for my 6th heart check. Well what do you know, they actually found an abnormality! I was actually glad, it was a relief, I wasn’t going crazy and there was really something wrong with me. I ended up going home sick and called the on call cardiologist to speak with him about the EKG reading (they said I had a stage 1 AV blockage – an electrical misfire of the heart basically). So what did the doctor do, he said that too was benign unless it was a stage 2 or 3 there was nothing to worry about. What he said next really caught me off guard though. He said I’ve had a full work up, all those EKGs, and all that blood work done and asked if I’d ever been seen for anxiety disorder. Now this doctor I spoke to was not the one who did my whole work up, he was just the on call one. I told him my physician had suggested that it could be an issue and prescribed me Xanax and that I refused to take it because of all the dope heads I see I work I didn’t want to end up like that. The doctor asked me to trust him and to just try one pill and see what happens.
I got off the phone and talked to the wife and spent a good half hour debating on taking this pill, keep in mind I’d now been experiencing the crazy heart rhythm for over 8 hours. I decided I would do it, I took the Xanax (0.5mg tablet) and waited…. for about 15-20 minutes and then the magic happened. My heart was beating normal again… it was magic. I took the pills as prescribed three times a day, well, I only did that for two days. The 3rd day into this I only took the morning dose and forgot to take anything in the afternoon and guess what, that heart rate shot up around 6pm that night. The flutters came back… Of course I wasn’t home so had to make the 30 minute trip back and take my pill. Within 20 minutes of taking it all the symptoms were gone again.
I’ve had no real side effects from the Xanax, my mind is clear, I haven’t been dizzy or drowsy, and I have been sleeping great. I don’t like being on the drug but it is definitely helping.
I’ve been down the dark road over these past 5 1/2 weeks. I’ve spent nights on the ground crying knowing I was going to die and leave behind a wife and my precious daughters. I’ve gone to check on them in the middle of the night in case it was the last time I would see them. The fear has been crippling, it was more the fear, it was terror. What brought it on to me is still a mystery. I still feel a few PVC’s every day. Occasionally the heart flip flops for a few seconds but I disregard it and keep going. I know I’ve typed a lot but I wanted to spent the last part saying what I’ve done to self heal.
1) Get busy helping people. For the past three weeks I’ve focused on caring more about other peoples problems then my own. I’ve found ways to minister to and serve others. It’s amazing how much other peoples problems can overshadow our own.
2) Get active! I was terrified to exert myself for the first 3 weeks of this. I usually would work out 3-4 times a week but stopped cold when I had the first episode. In the past two weeks I’ve been back at the gym running and playing racquetball. I’m still apprehensive to play rball because this was the last thing I did prior to the first episode was that, but it is getting easier the more I play. When I run on the treadmill or use the elliptical I can feel my body screaming that I am nuts and going to die but I push through, I run as fast as I can and force my body to respond. When I get my heart rate up into the 170s or 180s I ease off and just go until I get tire. I feel great when I’m done!
3) Take your medication. I don’t like taking it three times a day. I did so for 5 days and then backed off. I’ve actually been able to tell when an anxiety attack is coming on and thankfully the Xanax works quick and I haven’t had a real issue since the episode a week and a half ago.
4) Find other people who have gone through something similar and talk with them almost daily. I’ve been astonished how many people I thought had it together who have been down this same dark and road. It may be dark, but it doesn’t have to be lonely.
There is much more I could say but I’ve hit the highlights. Anxiety is a butt hole and the heart issues that seem to accompany it are no fun either. Just remember we are all on this planet for a purpose. Use your talents and gifts to help others and make the little ball in the universe worth living in. It WILL make you feel better!
-God Bless ;o)
Hi to all,
I have been dealing with palpitations (palps I call them) since I was a teenager. I am now 43. When I hit 40 and found I was in pre-menopause I have such an episode of palps. They were one right after the next. That lasted for about 20 to 30 min. I was so scared and almost passed out because I didn’t understand it. I ended up getting into my van and rushing myself alone to the ER. Big mistake to do. Never drive yourself while having any kind of panic disorder. Well everyone in my house was asleep and the hubby didn’t understand and shrugged it off. So I drove.
Okay now after I arrived at hospital I passed out onto the front desk trying to tell them what was wrong. I came to and saw doctors and nurses around me. They couldn’t understand what happened just knew this woman passed out and was grabbing her chest. They checked my heart and did test and ekg ecg all of it. Well everything was fine. I was upset at myself and was also confused. I knew something in my body wasn’t right to make me go threw that. I set up a visit to a Cardio and went next day. They did stress test and other test as well. Nothing wrong just a palpation. Which the doctor told me that just about EVERYONE in the word has. I just smiled and said ok. He then told me to go to a Gyno so I set up an appointment. He told me that it was the menopause kicking in. So I asked what to do. He wanted to give me meds for the menopause. I had herd some stressful things about that type meds and refused them. I have breast cancers in my family and other female cancers as well. So he told me he understood and told me that I can just take other things like Xanx. I told him no on that too but he went ahead and gave me a prescription.
I then filled the drug and have it to the side just encase. It worked for my panic but not for the female problems. lol But what I am getting at is this. I went online and read and read and finally found a website that talked about Magnesium. I felt …why not? It is something the body already take in everyday when you eat. Just that the foods now days don’t have the full amount of magnesium in them because of all this processing. Well anyways I started taking a pill a day but had bathroom visits too much. lol Well found that you should only take half in morning and half at night. So I did that and it worked better. I still had bathroom visits but BUT no palps. Or they weren’t noticeable anymore. Now don’t get me wrong. I had to take them right for at least 6 to 9 months to see a big difference. But now I don’t have them as bad if at all. I feel better. But one things has changed. I had stopped those Xanx pills when I found out about the Magnesium. My heart was on track and I was able to do so much. As time went on so did the menopause. I just didn’t notice the symptoms of the menopause. But for the men that have these palps? Just take magnesium you will be fine. lol Women? Were not so lucky. The magnesium doesn’t help as well after I took them after about 2 or 3 years now. I don’t have Palps like before by no means so it does help. But now I have a worse problem. Hot flashes. They make my heart rate go up and fast. I get so scared cause i have been doing great up til now. So went to er by way of Ambulance. Which I hate cause I HATE IV. lol Sorry if I am all over the place with my thoughts.. part of menopause. lol Anyways I might have to go back to taking the Xanx if these panics don’t stop soon. I so do not like taking drugs. I have re-flux as well and now my tummy isn’t handling things well. I am taking fish oil to help keep my brain’s chemicals in check. It helps with other stuff as well. I also started taking Multivitamins. I don’t eat as well cause well no van anymore so no way to buy groceries and also I have no job cause no one is hiring. If they were not sure if I could with my heart acting like this. But there is no jobs in my area. (Everyone is hiring teens) Again sorry being all over the place. lol
Now back to my main reason for my commenting. There are many things to handle things. Like breathing and taking things. Working out and other stuff as well. Yes. But when your in a panic?? lol That stuff is no wheres in our mind. Only thing there is just the “fight or flight”. So I just wanted to say that is your having palps? Which feels like a skipped heart beat? Magnesium for at least.. a year or two will help. but have to keep taking them or it wont work. Drink plenty of water like it says. I got 3 years of my life back until my menopause kicked in. I wish I were a man cause I believe I would still be fine with the Magnesium. These hot flashes cause my heart to pick up and scare the world out of me. So now I am in search of something for women that will work with magnesium still. lol Good luck and I do hope my mind didn’t confuse you too much. lol Stay well all.
Hi guys. Been reading through a few comments. Can’t believe so many people are going through this.
I recently been getting heart palps n feeling anxiety. I’ve had an ECG which shows my heart beats are fast. Blood tests are all okay (border line anaemic) .. So I’m being referred to cardiology for further tests. Hate how this is controlling my life ! Anyone got tips on how to control this ? Or what to do to whilst ur having palps .. I start shaking and feel bit light headed but no chest pain! Please email me if you would like to talk about this issue thanks .. Twirl126@yahoo.co.uk
I’ve had them since I was around 10 (I’m 19 now) and they come on and off all the time. There was a time where i didn’t have them for a year or so and then i would have 1 every 3-4 beats. I’ve got them really bad at the moment where I have about 1-4 every few minutes for the past 2 days.
A few years ago I had an ECG done and blood tests but they found nothing. As that was a while ago I’m thinking of going back and getting checked again as they have never been this bad.
I am also at my heaviest and not been doing much exercise due to my new job of sitting at a computer for hours on end. I will try losing weight and see if that helps.
I HAD BOUTS OF PALPS FOR HOURS….SOMETIMES 8 TO 9 HOURS AT A TIME…!ULTIMATELY AS EVERYTHING WAS FOUND NORMAL BUT DOCTORS ADVISED ABLATION THAT I DIDN’T WANT SO, I STARTED ON EXERCISE AND YOGA PROGRAMME. ABOUT SIX KMS OF BRISK WALKING DAILY AND CLIMBING 4 FLOORS 4 TIMES IN A DAY. PLUS 1200 STROKES OF ‘KAPALBHATI’ A BREATHING EXERCISE WHERE YOU HAVE TO EXHALE FORCEFULLY. FOR LAST 10 DAYS, I HAVE FORGOT WHAT PALPS IS…!I FEEL VERY FIT AND CONFIDENT.HOPE THIS WILL BE USEFUL TO MANY…
Personally as I said before taking my anxiety medicine and working out seems to help me the best. Even this evening I could feel my heart starting to act funny and could feel myself wanting to panic so I drove myself to the gym, did cardio soft for about 10 minutes then once I got the heart rate up a little I maxed it out for about 8 minutes, did my cool down and have felt fine for the past several hours. I’m convinced after talking to a lot of people with the same anxiety/heart rhythm issues that the two are usually related and if you can control the anxiety the heart issues resolve themselves.
I still have no clue why I am having the anxiety attacks but I am and I’m refusing to let them control me. You must live your life, get busy doing something, follow your doctors advice, find some counseling, or come to places like this to talk about your problems and get advice. Just know there are hundreds of thousands if not millions of people with similar issues and most everyone lives a normal life once they find a treatment that works for them.
Try diet changes, eliminate caffeine, find ways to de-stress, etc. Hope we can all work our way through these difficult times.
@Stephen, does your heart start palpitating when your doing cardio? It’s what stops me from exercising because everytime I get my heart rate to up it starts acting up and palps are all over the place… Even lifting something really heavy I’ve gotta set it down relax the breathing then try to continue again. I wanna be active I wanna workout because I wanna be healthy and lose weight! I’m just sooo afraid because it really gets to me. When the palps are bad then anxiety hits then panic and when I’m in that panic mode It’s hard to think, I get tunnel vision etc. I know where my anxiety comes from because I’m afraid to have a heart attack and die…. I don’t take meds because my body is weak and I can’t handle it so I take fish oil and I do very light workout. Can someone please give me pointers any advice about always thinking a out I’m going to die. I’m so afraid and I keep googling about it which I shouldn’t but its all I have because I have no insurance. I’m 33 a mother of 4 and a stay at home mom. Please any advice would be good. I been fighting for over a year now I just wanna be able to smile and laugh again instead of being so worried if today would be my last day of living. Thank you
Good evening all from a sunny at the moment Mullion Cove Cornwall.
Sorry to hear you are all going through this, a bit of sympathy always helps : )
Just thought I would pass on some thing that helps me.
Tap your chest just to the right of the left breast with two fingers at about 3 taps per second.
Also if bad press the thumb to the top left of you left breast at the same time.
I have found it is not a cure but relaxes me and helps stop the erratic beat.
Some times I tap harder if it is particularly bad : )
I am 66, happily married, run a lot but do suffer from stress, also on Citalopram at the moment after a breakdown and anxiety.
I have had the palpitations for a few years on and off now, some times they are caused by having to talk to people I really would rather not talk to, or having to do some thing I would rather not do : )
Hope you are all feeling better soon, Good luck
God Bless Allen
Trisha,
I’ve only been going through this for 2 months now, I can’t imagine what a year has done to you emotionally. A good friend of mines wife actually recommended the cardio to me. She used to have random panic attacks which caused her heart rate to sky rocket (tachycardia). She decided if her heart was going to go crazy she’d give it a reason to race, she would run up and down the stairs in her home for 10 – 15 minutes until she couldn’t do it anymore and everything would normalize. She didn’t want to go the medicine route and found this method to bring a kind of self healing. She never experienced the PVC’s though, just the fear/anxiety from a racing heart.
After my first episode 2 months ago I was terrified to do anything physical. I tried working out after the first week had passed and my heart was nuts, it was flip flopping in my chest and beating out of rhythm, etc. I tried this a few times with the same result. I ended up back at the doc who prescribed Xanax which I was more terrified of taking then the symptoms I was having. 4 weeks later I had the episode that lasted about 9 hours where my heart was constantly fluttering, got hooked up to the machine and they discovered an abnormal rhythm. That’s when I called the cardiologist who asked if I had been seen for anxiety(The cardiologist had given me a clean bill of health). I told him the story of being prescribed the Xanax and being scared to take it. He basically convinced me to try it which I did which caused the symptoms to go away within 20-30 minutes. It’s been 4 weeks since that episode and I find when I don’t take the med’s I really start dwelling on the thoughts of dying from a heart attack or a-fib,etc. I’m a police officer and I see families torn apart by the sudden death of a father and every PVC or weird sensation caused images to flash through my head over every death I’d seen and every sobbing wife and crying child because dad was no longer there. Even though I’ve always been very chill about life the doc just thinks my years on the force have done a number on my body similar to soldiers going through PTSD.
But back to the cardio. Even after I started taking the medication I was terrified to run again (I usually do 5-10 miles a week). The medicine was getting me through my day and getting my mind off of things and most importantly got me back to work (I missed 4 weeks due to all of this). But the thought of running after someone, fighting with some punk, etc all caused me to still DWELL on the what if’s.
I am a man of faith, the Bible says in Psalm 91 that God will satisfy us with a long life. There are many other similar promises throughout the scriptures.
So I decided 4 weeks ago that I was either going to beat this or die trying. I told my wife, who thought I was crazy, that I was going to the gym and I was going to run 2 miles. She thought I was nuts. On the way to the gym my heart was PVCing like crazy. I got there and my heart was flip flopping. I stared at the treadmill and probably could’ve passed out from the overwhelming fear. I put on my head phones, cranked up the loudest hard rock music I had and got on and started running… It was horrible at first, but as my heart rate increased I actually began feeling normal again, where I was before I had the first episode. As I passed the 1 mile mark the PVCs decreased tremendously and by the time I was finishing up I wasn’t feeling them at all. It was like climbing a mountain. The way up is tough, rugged, and scary sometimes because you don’t know what the summit will show on the other side, but once I realized I wasn’t going to die my heart just went back to doing it’s thing and I felt free. I’ve been back at the gym several times and even this past Thursday I ran 5 miles for the first time in 2 months. I pushed myself extremely hard. As I ran when I thought about my heart I would have PVCs, if I could get lost in the music and running it was as if they went away.
I know you say you don’t have insurance so I’m not sure how you would go about seeing a doctor and trying medication. I am on the lowest dose they give and it is helping me out more then I can explain. If you can find a way to get something I would try it, if it doesn’t work then so be it.
Anxiety is a mental thing. Find something you enjoy and get lost in it, really consume yourself and maybe you’ll forget about life for awhile.
Try walking, then increase your speed, try slow jogging and go from there. Find ways not to think about it. For me the cardio helps so much. Thursday when I did the five miles I was having a rough day dwelling on it even with the meds. I was having a ton of PVCs and that’s what prompted me to go all out. Even today I got into a scuffle at work and felt some PVCs, but the doc promises me they won’t kill me.
I know this sucks, and this message board has helped in my healing. Know you are not alone. Know that anxiety is a mental thing and the physical symptoms are the bodies response. I hope you can find healing. I hope you can find the courage to get active and live life. I too have 4 kids and I am almost 33 years old. Life is but a vapor, live it to it’s fullest. Those dark moments when you’re crying and feel like death is at the door knocking, I’ve been there, the people who have written before us have been there, and those who will come here for help have been there. Funny thing is, so far death has not won.
I HATE having anxiety…as soon as things aren’t going smoothly in my life…palps start and I can’t function. You would think I would get used to it by now (I’ve had palps for over 40 years) I think it started when I hit puberty along with a lot of other crap that most kids didn’t have to deal with! I have never been diagnosed, but I did see a heart specialist 6 years ago and never got much of an answer. I know it’s anxiety because I relate to so many stories on this site…anyway, I’m having a bad day and just had to vent. Thanks for being there!
@Stephan, thank you so much for the reply! Your job is a lot harder then me being a stay at home mom so I will definitely keep my head up and repeatedly tell myself that ” I can do it ” and when my days are down I’m going to try to push myself. I fully understand what you are saying! Keep pushing and don’t stop! Easy to say hard to do but I will keep trying. I know at the end it will be all worth it.
Hope everyone is doing well. No one has posted in over a week. I’m still fighting my battle trying to not let my mind consume me and control how my body responds. It’s been a struggle. I read the net and find others who have recorded over 10,000 PVCs in a day and realize that I’m not that bad off. Keep fighting, stay strong, and keep your heads up!
Hello, Hope everyone is having a great day! I have lived with palpatations, chest pains, etc. for many years. I have spent many hours in the ER, had every test done under the sun! My heart rate goes up to 180 and my blood pressure will also go sky high, and I normally I have a low pulse rate and low blood pressure. Your advice is all very helpful, and I will be using some of these! Some things that I have found that helps me is to drink some ice cold unflavored Pedialyte, I am guessing that when my electrolytes are out of balance it triggers attacks. Also getting enough sleep, lack of sleep will bring on attack for me. And I noticed if I don’t eat enough my blood sugar drops and that will also trigger attacks. Other things that trigger attacks in me are high acid foods, caffeine, and cold medicines. So it is good to see what your triggers are! Thanks for the great article!!
Hi guys i have the palpitations too they started after drinking too much caffeine too much stress in my life at that time and very intense workouts in the gym and some food supplies that contains extracts that boost the nervous system ….. since then i do about 10 ekg’s 3 heart echos 2-3 bloodtest a stress test and evryghin is absolutley normal now im on koaksil and beta blockers and the palp’s are almost gone but i still have a 1-2 palps in a 3-4 days period they are very scary when occur… and i cant train anymore in the gym becouse of this palps becouse when i go lift somethin heavy i got them… and i have in mind i can die from this palps….. and thats scares me a lot … cant understand how i got a healthy heart and got palps im like this from 10 months ….
Hey Bobb – I’ve always done a lot of cardio and that was my biggest fear after my episodes(dropping dead). I finally got back into the gym and took it easy at first, practically walking, then a slow jog and went until a freak out point and just did my cool down. I’ve had to build myself and my confidence back up. Perhaps you could do the same, just lift very light at first and slowly build the weight back up along with your confidence level. I’ve actually in the past week ran two of my best times ever and then two days ago I was running and had massive anxiety again and had to stop my cardio very short because of it. You’ve got to learn to fight through it mentally. Don’t let the palps scare you, it sounds like yours are very infrequent. Just live your life and convince yourself that your heart is fine. you’ve had all the work ups done and just need to get across that mental hurdle (I’m still doing the same thing). Praying for you all daily.
I’ve been struggling with palps, pvc’s, etc. on and off for several years now. Thanks to all of you that post on this and other site’s, it really does help. And a special thanks to stephan for all of your input…I can relate as I too am 33 and was in shape until one night I woke up and thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest. Clocked it at about 200 beats per minute. Went to ER and they diagnosed SVT. Basically cardiologist said don’t worry about it, but that didn’t stop a guy who had always been laid back and never nervous into becoming a guy with panic attacks and anxiety. Fortunately the panic attacks stopped after understanding them thanks to a great book, but then the PVC’s and fluttering started a few years ago and seem now to be getting worse! So, back to the forums I go, and here I am! I do somehow find comfort knowing others are going through it and fighing it. So again, thank you all for sharing. Maybe some day I’ll get back to normal. For now, I still worry about traveling, especially by myself, playing sports, working out, giving speeches (which I sometimes have to do for work) but like stephan says you have to live your life. Sure, I don’t do as much as I did before the episodes, and sometimes I’m scared to death when I do some of those things I used to do, but I still do most everything that I used to do. I’d rather be scared doing them then never leaving my house. Ok, enough rambling for me for now!…
Hi everyone, I have had heart palpitations on and off for over 11 years now and I have been on Toprol 25mg for a few years which has always helped, well until now! The last 3 weeks I have been having that flutter and that skipped beat feeling but no fast heart rate. These “episodes” tend to happen when I’m simply sitting or walking around! They seem constant and have been for quite some time! I went to my heart dr. in May of this year, had several tests performed and all came back normal! My neurologist recently increased my Toprol from 25mg to 50mg in hopes that it might help my migraines! I wonder if this increase could be causing these new frequent palps! They are so annoying as you all well know so Im very concerned and at a loss!
Thanks for taking the time to read my post 🙂
Gary – you’re my new best friend… ;O)
I actually tried not taking my Xanax today for the first time. Got home from work, went out back to work out and sure enough, about 20 minutes in everything went crazy… came inside, tried breathing, tried playing a computer game… nothing calmed me down…. took a half a pill and viola, in 15 minutes I was calm again and the PVCs stopped, haven’t had a single one for about an hour now. I’ve been doing a bunch of research on magnesium and think I might try the supplements. A lot of articles talk about how it can help the electrical signals in the heart…. I will post whether it works or not.
if you need some encouragement, a guy on this article talks about having 10K plus PVCs daily…
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=42&m=1681348&p=1&ord=d
Still praying for you all daily.
Stephan this is what happen with antidepressant they make everything worst pls stay away from benzo I was taking Valium xanax after I stop it makes my symptom ten times worst benzo will never treat the root cause these drugs are poison to your body
Naturel calm magnesium powder is the best it helps with the palpitation
Withdrawal from benzo is hell
Let me know if you feel any better
Well – I’ve never taken a prescription med prior to this and all I know is for now it helps with the PVC episodes. I did go and buy some magnesium supplement tonight and will see how that works. The Xanax is only a .25mg dose and I don’t think it’s any more poisonous to my body then the 2 to 3 Monster Energy drinks I was consuming working 17 hour shifts day in and day out. Working on 4 to 5 hours of sleep, managing a household, and everything else, it’s no wonder something in my body finally caved. I’m just glad there’s a forum here where we can communicate thoughts and ideas and provide support for each other.
Shirly, I suffered w/migraines for a couple of decades, then a doc put me on an SSRI, anti-depressant. The migraines and the marathon, weekend long headaches disappeared like someone flipped a switch. That was twenty years ago. My palps started when I withdrew myself from Effexor and went back on a maintenance dosage of Zoloft. They come and go and the dox say I have no problems. Am learning to live w/the palps, have started taking magnesium. Good luck.
Well you can such on benzo symptom list I’ve been taking .5 .25mg of Xanax and 5 mg of Valium they do work but once stop taking them for one or more day you will feel worst I’ve been there after stopping benzo I’m much worst till now my anxiety got worst I can even exercise now but think god all my test came back normal dnt mix magnesium with benzo drug that’s not a good combination Stephan I’ve been there with benzo drugs they mess up you heart severe chest pain shortness of breath these drugs dnt treat the root cause of anxiety search for benzo withdrawal symptom it doesn’t matter if you take it just for a week they make things ten time worst.
Doctor never told you if these drugs ganna mess you up they dnt work they a higher dose the longer you stay on it the worst things get
Maya try the natural calm magnesium google it really good since the day I’m using it till now I’ve been a lot better how are u feeling now dnt neglect exercise even walking for 15-30 min is good.
Hello Everyone,
I am also using natural calm magnesium, it is great, it has helped me a lot! I order mine online. I also am taking Klonopin and the beta blocker metoprolol. Before the meds, I would wake up from a sound sleep with my heart racing 180 BPM, and my blood pressure going sky high, along with chest pressure, nausea, etc. I was spending hours in the ER, and this went on for many years, since the 80’s. I have tried many other medications, but this was the only combination that has worked for me, along with staying away from triggers, caffeine, cold meds, high acid foods and drinks, alcohol, too much stress, etc. I had all the test done, and my heart was fine,just sinus tachycardia, with normal rhythm. They said I had a couple of leaky valves and a heart murmur, nothing serious, and nothing that should be causing the symptoms I had for all those years. After all those years of living with the palpitations, it will be two years this month since I have had any palpitations. I hope it continues to stay that way!
Exercise, drinking enough water, pedialyte or gatorade to replace electrolytes, keeping blood sugar balanced, and taking supplements have all also helped me. I also think breathing and relaxation exercise are very helpful at keep stress down.
Hope everyone is enjoying thier weekend!
Stephan- Nice to know I have a new best friend! I am seriously glad I found this forum and someone I can realte too!
You know, when I first was dealing with the anxiety and panic attacks I did have a doctor suggest Xanax or something similar. I refused as it made me more anxious!! But after hearing what you said, Stephan, I may use that as a last resort if nothing else works in the upcoming months…so please keep us posted to your progress with it, since Sammy seems to be worried about it. And I’ve heard the magnesium thing too, so I’m curious to see if that works too. I’d try the magnesium first of course. I’ve also decided I’m going back to the relaxation/meditation techniques I used to do when I first started the anxiety. I’ll keep everyone posted to see if they help again like last time.
Gary gentle greetings I’m glad you don’t to be on Xanax those drugs are pure hell try naturel calm magnesium after a week. 1/2 I dnt notice any fast heart rate take it before bed you can find it at whole food market its the best ever it’s good its only 250mg it help you sleep better as well keep me posting I wanna know about your progress
Vey nice Sylvia b you will be fine have been told I had murmur to it all gone I just have chest tightness and breathing problem cause of benzo withdrawal those crazy pills that mess you up
Hi Sammy, Thank you for your reply! I was given Effexor for awhile (it’s not a benzo), and it also did not help my anxiety, but the withdrawal from it was awful! I would never touch Effexor again! That is the only medicine so far that ever caused any bad withdrawal symptom for me! I hope you are doing well!