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Heart Palpitations
Hi, I'm 42. I began noticing palpitations (one or two very strong or misplaced heartbeats) back in I think 2008, 5 years ago. But I shrugged it off. I chalked it up to being tired, my hormones possibly changing, stress, etc. Back then this only happened MAYBE once in a blue moon, so I didn't allow it to bother me and I just carried on as though it didn't happen at all.
I have had anxiety since 2004 when I was attacked in the subway in NYC. It took me 3 years but I was able to manage my anxiety to the point where it didn't bother me any more, using Yoga and very small amounts of Valerian root when I was at my worst - apparently it bonds to the same receptor cells in the brain as Valium. I dropped all caffiene intake such as sodas, coffee, etc. However, I continued to eat milk chocolate and white flour products because I was addicted to them, and eventually I could "get away" with eating some without having an anxiety attack although I wasn't altogether comfortable after eating it.
4 years ago I got into a stressful work situation AND a stressful relationship, which were connected (I work with my bf). I began living with him and working with him. I began feeling anxiety symptoms return within 6 months, but continued managing them and I didn't feel that I had anxiety because of how I managed my symptoms.
Around 1 year ago I began to feel a "flashing" sensation of heat on the left side of my head, and sometimes up my back. I assumed these were "hot flashes" and were due to my hormones changing as I had turned 40. In addition my periods speeded up so that sometimes I had only 3 weeks in between instead of 4. This lead me to believe that I could be having "hot flashes" due to perimenopause. I was also diagnosed with a small fibroid in my uterus, which the Dr. assured me is another symptom of changng hormones and not to worry about it unless it got much larger.
Flash forward- around January of last year I felt a loooong heart palpitation. I had just been arguing with my bf and I walked out into the cold to get the mail. I was agitated, annoyed and overworked, tired with not enough sleep. I had never felt such a long palpitation before, it was a series of strong, too fast beats that didn't belong with my normal heart rhythm. I was terrified. I came home and spent the rest of the afternoon having an anxiety attack which I fended off with meditation. I chalked it up to our arguement. At this point I dropped ALL alcohol, ALL chocolate, ALL white flour and unnecessary sugar, corn syrup, etc from my diet. So far (it's been since Jauary) I have lost 15 lbs without increasing my exercise, just from diet alone. Wish I could have done this WITHOUT the palps:)
*to be continued in the comments section- it exceeded the "8000 character limit".*
I have had anxiety since 2004 when I was attacked in the subway in NYC. It took me 3 years but I was able to manage my anxiety to the point where it didn't bother me any more, using Yoga and very small amounts of Valerian root when I was at my worst - apparently it bonds to the same receptor cells in the brain as Valium. I dropped all caffiene intake such as sodas, coffee, etc. However, I continued to eat milk chocolate and white flour products because I was addicted to them, and eventually I could "get away" with eating some without having an anxiety attack although I wasn't altogether comfortable after eating it.
4 years ago I got into a stressful work situation AND a stressful relationship, which were connected (I work with my bf). I began living with him and working with him. I began feeling anxiety symptoms return within 6 months, but continued managing them and I didn't feel that I had anxiety because of how I managed my symptoms.
Around 1 year ago I began to feel a "flashing" sensation of heat on the left side of my head, and sometimes up my back. I assumed these were "hot flashes" and were due to my hormones changing as I had turned 40. In addition my periods speeded up so that sometimes I had only 3 weeks in between instead of 4. This lead me to believe that I could be having "hot flashes" due to perimenopause. I was also diagnosed with a small fibroid in my uterus, which the Dr. assured me is another symptom of changng hormones and not to worry about it unless it got much larger.
Flash forward- around January of last year I felt a loooong heart palpitation. I had just been arguing with my bf and I walked out into the cold to get the mail. I was agitated, annoyed and overworked, tired with not enough sleep. I had never felt such a long palpitation before, it was a series of strong, too fast beats that didn't belong with my normal heart rhythm. I was terrified. I came home and spent the rest of the afternoon having an anxiety attack which I fended off with meditation. I chalked it up to our arguement. At this point I dropped ALL alcohol, ALL chocolate, ALL white flour and unnecessary sugar, corn syrup, etc from my diet. So far (it's been since Jauary) I have lost 15 lbs without increasing my exercise, just from diet alone. Wish I could have done this WITHOUT the palps:)
*to be continued in the comments section- it exceeded the "8000 character limit".*
After reading about LPR all of yesterday, I switched to a GERD diet today and used GERD techniques - sleeping with upper body elevated, small meals, non-irritating foods ( so far oatmeal, soymilk, almond milk, quinoa, dark rye bread and turkey slices). Well guess what? No damn palls. COULD THIS BE IT??? I have a lot more energy today and no anxiety seems to be plagueing me. I sure hope I've found the answer.
no more palps today, but I got that sensation that it MIGHT palpitate as I was standing in the flourescent lights trying to get my prescription filled for Xanex. Flourescent lights always affect my anxiety negatively. Great. What the hell is making my heart so "jumpy"? COULD it "just be my nerves"???
I noticed that when I have anxious thoughts, my "hot flashes" come back. They are on the left side of my head only. Interesting - I was assuming they were caused by perimenopause, however they could very well be caused by my anxiety.
I was again screwed over by the low-cost community clinic I tried to visit (the Ryan center in upper Manhattan). They had me on hold so long to talk about financial issues that I had to reschedule my appointment. So this brought on some stress. While on hold with them I browsed websites of symptoms of heart conditions which made my anxiety increase. I also browsed websites that discussed new findings that "hot flashes" may indicate heart trouble. I have had hot flashes for a year or more, but they seem to be subsiding very noticably in intensity and duration after faithfully taking my supplements now for a week.
I went home after attempting to get to the Ryan center, and was sitting on my bed browsing websites propped up on some blankets in a "bucket" position when I felt a gurgling come up from my stomach toward my esophagus, felt like gas bubbles. As soon as it got to my esophagus I had a medium intensity heart palpitation. At least now I have some evidence that it is indeed being stimulated by stomach events!
After this happened I again went though my usual anxiety reaction. Only this time I popped a Tums and some Valerian root powder in water right away and put on a relaxation YouTube. I noticed my right hand twitching most probably due to anxiety. I dug out the prescription for Xanex I had been given at the Emergency Room and called a couple of pharmacies to see if they could fill it - I'm going to start taking doctor's advice re: my anxiety and start treating it, no matter what I have to do. I also called the National Association of Health Underwriters but it was too late in the day, they had left. I want to find out a great health plan for cardiology in NY where I live and start paying for it - I was against this before but now I feel like I should do it, it's come to that. I need to have aaallllll the tests done and I am getting absolutely nowhere with low cost clinics - I've come to realize that they will kill you if you have a serious problem. Manhattan has incredible doctors so I will have to pay if I want to really make sure I am well to the fullest extent that I can. It's not fair but what else can I do? I don't want to have a real problem and not know it.
So that's where I stand right now - I'm getting to the bottom of these palps no matter what.
I went home after attempting to get to the Ryan center, and was sitting on my bed browsing websites propped up on some blankets in a "bucket" position when I felt a gurgling come up from my stomach toward my esophagus, felt like gas bubbles. As soon as it got to my esophagus I had a medium intensity heart palpitation. At least now I have some evidence that it is indeed being stimulated by stomach events!
After this happened I again went though my usual anxiety reaction. Only this time I popped a Tums and some Valerian root powder in water right away and put on a relaxation YouTube. I noticed my right hand twitching most probably due to anxiety. I dug out the prescription for Xanex I had been given at the Emergency Room and called a couple of pharmacies to see if they could fill it - I'm going to start taking doctor's advice re: my anxiety and start treating it, no matter what I have to do. I also called the National Association of Health Underwriters but it was too late in the day, they had left. I want to find out a great health plan for cardiology in NY where I live and start paying for it - I was against this before but now I feel like I should do it, it's come to that. I need to have aaallllll the tests done and I am getting absolutely nowhere with low cost clinics - I've come to realize that they will kill you if you have a serious problem. Manhattan has incredible doctors so I will have to pay if I want to really make sure I am well to the fullest extent that I can. It's not fair but what else can I do? I don't want to have a real problem and not know it.
So that's where I stand right now - I'm getting to the bottom of these palps no matter what.
Well done! My mother suffered severe GERD and severe LPR for almost 6 years. To cut a long story short, a simple home baking soda test showed her stomach acid was severely low. I took her off acid blocker nexium and onto betaine HCI with pepsin supplements (to increase stomach acid) and digestive enzyme supplements (to improve digestion). GERD and LPR were gone in weeks.
Other issues that caused her acid reflux but resolved treating the problem - magnesium deficiency (magnesium is needed for nerve transmission), zinc deficiency (needed to create stomach acid), iron supplements (side effect) and a 2cm colon poylp (almost blocking the bowel!). There are many other listed reasons but acid reflux is guaranteed to never be due to a drug deficiency! :)
Other issues that caused her acid reflux but resolved treating the problem - magnesium deficiency (magnesium is needed for nerve transmission), zinc deficiency (needed to create stomach acid), iron supplements (side effect) and a 2cm colon poylp (almost blocking the bowel!). There are many other listed reasons but acid reflux is guaranteed to never be due to a drug deficiency! :)
Hello All, I have been delving into the reasons I could have been having heart palps.
Some online are saying it could be GERD, a problem in which stomach acid comes up from a faulty valve and irritates the esophagus, through which the Vegas nerve passes - causing an irregular heartbeat, palps, etc.
It's 2 days later. No heart flips yesterday, none today so far. Changes I have made:
1) Sleep must be adhered to religiously. If you miss getting 8 hours one day, you MUST get it the next.
2) vitamins and minerals. Oh, I thought I was being really smart for taking Source of Life liquid vitamins but I think some of the herbs in it were actually stimulating (it advertizes "guaranteed burst of energy" on the lable and that's not good- if you have a nerve problem you can't have any "energy producing" herbs whatsoever). Medical grade vitamin supplements must be what you take. *ESPECIALY* the minerals CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND SODIUM. Dr. Christiane Northrup provides a list of vitamin and mineral supplements in her book "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom that is right on target. The list applies to men as well.
3) sitting up straight - I realized that I was slouching my way through my life. The way I was sitting with my computer I was slouching in Indian style. Then I'd go and slouch in my car's bucket driver's seat. When I was tired of Indian style sitting, I'd lean to the side on my elbow propping myself up and putting additional pressure on my spine and solar plexus (esophageal) area. NO. Get an ergonomic computer chair and remind yourself to sit up straight ALL THE TIME. Got to retrain your back and neck muscles in the healthy way that isn't going to damage your vegas and other nerves and misalign your spine. At no other point in history have we sat still SO MUCH. Our bodies can't take it for years and years and still remain healthy.
4) there are Vegas nerve exercises like putting chin to chest and so forth that I have just started to delve into. As soon as I did them I felt a "twang" in my chest and felt that I could be on the right track. We shall see if they help.
5) drop the arguing. Racheting the stress up will not solve any of the problems you are trying to solve, but it WILL harm your body and mind.
6) a GERD diet which avoids "trigger foods". Start a food journal to see which foods are the worst at triggering the acid, indigestion, etc. Some people online were calling this syndrome "steakhouse disease" because people were showing up at emergency rooms after eating hard to digest, acidy foods like steak. Also, no really hot or cold foods - basically, stomach acid has eaten away the lining of the esophagus, exposing the Vegas nerve and other nerves, so you can't eat or drink anything that will irritate these nerves.
7) no alcohol, no nerve stimulating stuff like chocolate unfortunately.
IN THE WORKS:
1) tomorrow, a physical and a doctor's appointment. They are going to fit me with a holter monitor.
2) a return to my beloved Yoga class which I had forgone so that I could have more time for my stressful job and more money - bad choice! I needed that Yoga class and should have made time for it no matter what.
3) more study about natural cures for nerve irritation
4) more study about movements that will aid my nerves rather than irritate them, such as neck exercises etc.
5) more free time and time spent on stuff for me, less dwelling on things that irritate me and make me upset
6) more searching for the correct diet to follow, I still don't know that much about the GERD diet
Some online are saying it could be GERD, a problem in which stomach acid comes up from a faulty valve and irritates the esophagus, through which the Vegas nerve passes - causing an irregular heartbeat, palps, etc.
It's 2 days later. No heart flips yesterday, none today so far. Changes I have made:
1) Sleep must be adhered to religiously. If you miss getting 8 hours one day, you MUST get it the next.
2) vitamins and minerals. Oh, I thought I was being really smart for taking Source of Life liquid vitamins but I think some of the herbs in it were actually stimulating (it advertizes "guaranteed burst of energy" on the lable and that's not good- if you have a nerve problem you can't have any "energy producing" herbs whatsoever). Medical grade vitamin supplements must be what you take. *ESPECIALY* the minerals CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND SODIUM. Dr. Christiane Northrup provides a list of vitamin and mineral supplements in her book "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom that is right on target. The list applies to men as well.
3) sitting up straight - I realized that I was slouching my way through my life. The way I was sitting with my computer I was slouching in Indian style. Then I'd go and slouch in my car's bucket driver's seat. When I was tired of Indian style sitting, I'd lean to the side on my elbow propping myself up and putting additional pressure on my spine and solar plexus (esophageal) area. NO. Get an ergonomic computer chair and remind yourself to sit up straight ALL THE TIME. Got to retrain your back and neck muscles in the healthy way that isn't going to damage your vegas and other nerves and misalign your spine. At no other point in history have we sat still SO MUCH. Our bodies can't take it for years and years and still remain healthy.
4) there are Vegas nerve exercises like putting chin to chest and so forth that I have just started to delve into. As soon as I did them I felt a "twang" in my chest and felt that I could be on the right track. We shall see if they help.
5) drop the arguing. Racheting the stress up will not solve any of the problems you are trying to solve, but it WILL harm your body and mind.
6) a GERD diet which avoids "trigger foods". Start a food journal to see which foods are the worst at triggering the acid, indigestion, etc. Some people online were calling this syndrome "steakhouse disease" because people were showing up at emergency rooms after eating hard to digest, acidy foods like steak. Also, no really hot or cold foods - basically, stomach acid has eaten away the lining of the esophagus, exposing the Vegas nerve and other nerves, so you can't eat or drink anything that will irritate these nerves.
7) no alcohol, no nerve stimulating stuff like chocolate unfortunately.
IN THE WORKS:
1) tomorrow, a physical and a doctor's appointment. They are going to fit me with a holter monitor.
2) a return to my beloved Yoga class which I had forgone so that I could have more time for my stressful job and more money - bad choice! I needed that Yoga class and should have made time for it no matter what.
3) more study about natural cures for nerve irritation
4) more study about movements that will aid my nerves rather than irritate them, such as neck exercises etc.
5) more free time and time spent on stuff for me, less dwelling on things that irritate me and make me upset
6) more searching for the correct diet to follow, I still don't know that much about the GERD diet
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