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Bananas and palpitations

I have noticed that after every time I eat a banana, my heart has fairly strong palpitations for 1-2 minutes. It is the oddest thing. Does anyone have any information about this? I have never had a food allergy, but for some reason these episodes happen like clockwork immediately after I eat a banana.

I currently take atenolol 50mg once per day to deal with another minor arrythmia, but this seems much different.

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Avatar universal
I honestly think it's all in your head. Come on think about it. Bananas causing palpitations?

Here's my opinion on that.

Palpitations seem to happen with people under certain stress or certain situations, especially if it's due to an anxiety/phobia disorder. So what could have happened is, one day in the distant past, you got a palpitation after you ate a banana. Your brain associated banana with palpitations and from there forward, it would happen at the same time (while eating a banana).

I noticed that I started to get palpitations after I walked a flight of stairs and it took a long time of going to docs and knowing I was okay to realize that it was just exercise induced palpitations. But it was more mental than physiological.

You don't need to stop eating bananas. You need to get over your fear of eating bananas. Fear, anxiety, etc. is what causes some people to never leave their house or in your case...may cause you to never eat another banana.

There is absolutely ZERO way possible that the bananas nutrients are metabolizing in your bloodstream in just a few minutes. The only way that is physically possible is if you liquified the banana and gave yourself a banana shake enema. Your colon would absorb the nutrients directly into the blood stream.

Stop obsessing over banana palpitations. It's ridiculous. Yes, I also suffer from palpitations and weird stuff that happens. It's all stress related, hypochondria related or generally obsessing over the palpitations. You seriously have to change the way you think or you're going to have to deal with a life long problem with stuff like eating bananas, or being in confined spaces or whatever the hell it is that might trigger your attacks.

There's NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU except your brain and obsessing over stuff like this. I know because I've been there.
Helpful - 0
996946 tn?1503249112
To tell you the truth, there's nothing left that I can eat....between diabetes and watching blood sugar levels, and taking the blood thinner warfarin because of the a-fib, and a statin ( no grapefruit).  For every yay, there's a nay.  I was wondering if anyone out there feels like the palps build up over a few days and then they break into an episode of a-fib or some other equally aggraving arrhythmia?   After my a-fib is over I feel free for several days, really goood, till the whole cycle starts all over again.  Does anyone else sense that?
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Yes, I do.  Although I can sometimes go quite a while with out rapid heartbeat session.  I'm Type II diabectic als. But I don't think the sugar makes the count go up as much as carbs.  I just think some people get a bad reaction from anything that has substantial sugar in it.  
Avatar universal
Standard Process Products are available at Holistic Pharmacies as well - like People's Pharmacy in Austin.  I am a nutritionist who also suffers from potassium induced palpitations, and yes, they happen within minutes of eating a banana, drinking coconut water, or OJ.  It's uneducated to say that anything you ingest can't affect you instantly.  People who get near peanuts go int shock within minutes.  People who inject heroin feel the effects within seconds.  So yes, if a banana is the cause of your palpitations, you would know it right away.  Anyone with a sensitivity or allergy knows that it doesn't take days to feel a reaction.  It basically throws off your electrolyte balance and that can be VERY dangerous to the heart - not from eating one banana, but from long term dehydration.  It is agreed that this all takes place in the kidneys, however, that doesn't mean that the blood balance of potassium wouldn't then immediately affect the heart - it would.  Avoid potassium rich foods if they are bothering you and work with your doctor or practitioner to determine the cause of this issue.  
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Avatar universal
They are made by Standard Process.  I get them from my naturopathic doctor, but they are available online from Amazon.  Keep in mind that I am taking these in concert with several other supplements as part of a regimen developed by my doctor.  So before you start taking anything, it would probably be a good idea to talk to a doctor.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi again, where do you get the organically bound minerals from?

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was taking Atenolol for about 8 years for my arrhythmia.  The Atenolol completely drained my energy, so I decided to give the naturopathic route a try.  My doctor put me on a couple different supplements, but the palptations started up as soon as I completely quit the Atenolol.  He thought that a low potassium level might be the problem and it seems that he was right.  I've started taking organically bound minerals which contain potassium and magnesium among other things and haven't had a single episode since.
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