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Just trying to live and cope with these heart palpitations!

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Posted 10/25/2010 12:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi!  I am new to the forum but have made a few posts on an old thread, so I wont repeat everything except that I am so thankful that I ran across this site.  To have others that are experiencing the same feelings as I am, is very comforting.  Its amazing how stress can affect the body (as I have been told by many that stress is the main, if not the only, cause).  It's frightening when its the heart that shows signs of stress, as you only have one.  Even though they say its not harmful, the mind can sure play tricks and add more worry that this is going to end your life.  After experiencing this for over 15 years, Im still here thankfully.  This doesnt mean that a day goes by that I dont think about when the next palpitation or skipped beat will happen.  Im lucky that I at least have a couple days here and there that they leave me alone!  Unlike others that feel them 24/7.  I couldnt image.  Feeling them 24/7 for a couple weeks at a time is more than enough for me.  The past couple of weeks have probably been my worst in a long time.  So bad that I have been searching and reading all that I can to find comfort and ideas to make this go away.  I am on medication for this (12 years now) which has eased them,  but I continue to educate myself on getting rid of them altogether.  Im not sure they will ever go away, but I try to think positive! 

Just recently I decided to try a hormone supplement since I am at the age for peri-menapause.  I was thinking maybe this was what triggered my bad past 2 weeks.  For one day I didnt feel skips and thought I found the answer.  Nope!  I do think they helped just to make me feel a little better, just not the heart.  I saw on an old post about taking magnesium or magnesium malate or magnesium glycinate.  I dont know what the difference in the 3 are (have heard more people using magnesium glycinate).  Two nights ago I was having it bad, so I went to the pharmacy and got some magnesium 500mg (was all they had...it says on bottle for bones and muscles and the hearts a muscle so I figured I might as well give it a try).  Took one that night.  An hour later...no palps.  Took one late the next morning...still no palps.  Woke up this morning and have had a few palps.  Took my magnesium...still waiting to see if its the magnesium thats working or just a coincidence!  Wondering if I took one in the morning and one at night (along with my toprol at night) instead of just one in the morning, if that would help or hurt.  Well, thanks for listening and many prayers to all of you who have to deal with this.  Its definitely not fun!!  May you have a great and palpitation-free day!    

Posted 10/25/2010 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning and glad to see you started a thread of your own.

There's nothing like an off-beat ticker to scare the daylights out of you. Some irregularities in heartbeat are considered harmless and self-correcting. You may sense that your heart has skipped a beat, a condition known as ectopic atrial heartbeat. Or your heart may suddenly speed up, a condition called tachycardia. Sometimes this kind of arrhythmia passes quickly, with no serious effects.

But--and this is a big but--only a doctor can say with certainty that your heart palpitations are nothing to worry about. If you have any question about what you are experiencing, the safest thing is to have it checked out.

As important as the amount of the stress is whether it is occasional or unremitting. The human body simply isn’t designed for constant stress. I know you have posted that you tried HRT and things seemed to get worse for you.  I tried this years ago and found I felt more anxiety on the medication then off of it. 

You mentioned you have been on a medications for 11 years,  would you mind sharing what the medication is.  Perhaps it is time for a switch in this medication ? 

Have you ever seen a therapist to help you learn how to deal with the anxiety that your palpitations are causing you ?  This also may be a good thing to look into.

Sending you best wishes and hope you will stick with us.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 10/25/2010 2:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi!

I just posted on the heart forum about my beginning to take magnesium supplements. I hope you continue to get relief from them.

percycat
Posted 10/25/2010 2:25 PM (GMT 0)
Percycat....soooo funny....I must have been posting a remark on your thread at the same time you were posting on mine!!!  I hope the Mg does good for you as well.
Posted 10/25/2010 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hi and welcome! Love the name! (how many times have I said "I just want to feel good"? lol) I have had the palps too, and my Dr. said that they are harmless. Kitt is right though, a check-up if you haven't had one recently would be needed to tell for sure. Mine are now only after I eat a big meal, or if I'm really stressed and/or tired. You will probably find that as you get the anxiey a litttle more under control, that they will fade out gradually. Let us know how it goes.
Take care,
Scaredy Cat
Posted 10/25/2010 2:41 PM (GMT 0)
I started out on Lorazepam and then a few years later was put on Toprol XL.  My Toprol is now up to 100mg (50mg twice daily). I also take Lexapro and occasionally a Klonopin (used to take Xanax before Lexapro, but it ran its course).  I got laid off from my job of 25 yrs in sept 09 so I no longer have insurance. Right before my insurance ran out I had all my check-ups done, etc.  Everything was "normal".  Needless to say, Im on my own to try out remedies...no money!!  Yes, along with the everyday stress of life, I feel that I have had more than my share of extra obstacles placed in my way to compound that stress.  But that is life for a lot of us, and it will get better...eventually.  As long as I can truly believe that these palps/skipped beats are harmless, then I will continue to cope.  For now, I need to learn how to not let it run my life like it has been.  Well Im off now to run a few miles, workout at the gym, wash my dogs, mow the lawn, clean the house............yeah right!!!!!  Lol!
Posted 10/26/2010 12:48 PM (GMT 0)
Just, suffered the same thing for a long time.  Do go to your Dr. and get checked out, my heart palp's were not a dangerous thing but still annoying.  Mine completely stopped when I gave up caffeine.  That in itself is not easy, almost as hard as Xanax withdraw, ha ha ha, but well worth it.

Hope you find what works for you!

Gem

Posted 10/26/2010 1:10 PM (GMT 0)
Been to the doc many times for my heart over the past 15 years.  Have had many tests...holter monitor's, EKG's, stress test, x-rays, cardiac cath, blood work, medications, etc.  All "normal".  I too have cut out caffeine (didnt make much of a difference with the skips when I did).  The magnesium seems to be working so far.  Yahoooo!  With the magnesium working, it makes me wonder if I really needed/need to take the heart medicine for all these years.  I would never just quit taking my meds...but it makes me wonder!!
Posted 10/26/2010 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
I am glad the  magnesium appears to be working.  You may want to make sure you are getting enough Potassium in your diet as this is important for heart health.

Good sources of potassium include bananas, citrus juices (such as orange juice), avocados, cantaloupes, tomatoes, potatoes, lima beans, flounder, salmon, cod, chicken, and other meats.

Take care,

Kitt

 

Posted 10/26/2010 3:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hi justwannafeelgood!

Looks like you're getting a lot more support now from the others - great to see!

It would be great if the Mg does the trick and I hope it does. Have you been able to determine the difference between the different types? I just did a quick Google search and came up with this site: http://www.ehow.com/about_6538439_difference-magnesium-glycinate-magnesium-malate_.html that briefly talks about it. I'm sure there are more comprehensive sites out there as well.

You mentioned having had blood tests done. Do you have copies? You may have had your Mg levels tested without even realizing it. I had a holistic doctor prescribe Mg to me once, but in my case it actually sped up my heart. I started cutting back and things improved. My bloodwork showed that my Mg levels were where they should be and so I moved on to a different approach. But hopefully the Mg will work for you as it has for so many others.
Posted 10/26/2010 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
Ive been trying to up my potassium intake by having a banana a day.  Well...can only eat about 1/2 a banana before it gets yucky so I tend to go for a banana shake!!!  A few more calories, but much better taste!  There are a couple things on the list of potassium sources that I like enough to add to my diet....thank you for that list!

I will check out the site you mentioned Fugs, for the differences in Mg.  To be honest,  Ive been concentrating more on the Mg Ive been taking and whether it was going to work or not before I moved on to the next!  As long as it continues to work, I dont think Im gonna try to change it to anything else!!!  One thing I am trying now is...the Mg Im taking is 500mg and I was taking one tablet every morning.  I seemed to have a dull headache the past couple days...but the skipped beats stopped.  So.....this morning I broke the tab in half and will take the other half this evening.  250mg in the a.m. and 250mg in the p.m.  So far....no palps and no headache.  Yahoooo...Im so darn excited!!!

As far as blood tests...yes I have a copy of the bloodwork results and Mg was on there.  It was within normal range as was all the others.  So I hope Im not messing anything up by taking Mg even though its in the normal range....but taking it has made the palps STOP!!

Thanks to all of you that reply with your support.  It means the world so please keep them coming!!  Just because the palps have stopped for now, doesnt mean I dont wonder when/if they will start again.  Knowing that you all are out there to talk to helps lots! 

Posted 10/27/2010 3:42 PM (GMT 0)

justwannafeelgood said...
As far as blood tests...yes I have a copy of the bloodwork results and Mg was on there. It was within normal range as was all the others. So I hope Im not messing anything up by taking Mg even though its in the normal range....

That's the only reason I brought up the blood test thing. I don't recall the dosage I was prescribed, but I know it was a lot. When the blood test showed I was already in the normal range I wondered if I was essentially overdosing. But we're all individuals. Hopefully you're on to something that can work well for YOU.
Posted 10/28/2010 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
 I can't believe there are so many of us having these crazy jumping rolling blips in heart rhythms!! Until I found this site I thought I was a weirdo! I have been thru enormous stress in the passd 11/2 yrs. Palps and rock n rolls have just really come into my life!! I have more when at rest and if I think about them they become constant. I am going to try magnesium. I feel like I am going crazy

Posted 10/28/2010 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
  I have read all your comments and I too have had holter monitor, stress tests, ekg's etc. The holter showed the unusual funny beats and the Dr. said they are benign just like others have posted!! The doctors called it "nervous heart" from all the stress and anxiety I have lived with in the passed.  I have a question that only those suffering with this can answer. "Do they wake you up at night and do you ever feel like your buzzing or your whole body feels like BRRRRRRRRRRR???? Justwannafeelgood what about u?
Posted 10/28/2010 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Dancinheart!

I am new myself and am soooo thankful that I found this forum.  Everyone is so nice and very supportive.  I was very surprised too of the number of people that experience the heart palps.  It was comforting to know that I wasnt "weird"...well I might be to some!!  I wish I would have found this forum sooner.  For so many years I have been having awful thoughts of what was happening to me.  With all my doctors visits and tests, the doctor never told me that lots of people have these.  That alone would have made me feel a little better.  If I would have known that I wasnt alone, things might have been so much different for me.  Let me explain...To start though, try to find (whether it be a doctors visit for possible medications, or the magnesium) something to calm them from the start.  This is why I say this...from my experience...when they first started happening to me 15 or so years ago, it took awhile to sink in that they werent going away which prompted a doctors visit.  I was scared and even though tests were coming back normal, I just knew I was going to die.  I started taking prescribed meds but I should also have gone to therapy.  Even though the meds helped, it didnt make them go away completely and at times they hung around for a couple weeks before they would subside some.  I lived all these years with the thought of death every single day.  I began to be unmotivated to do anything.  I was scared to leave the house or go out of town.  When I wasnt feeling them, I was thinking about them.  Wondering when the next one was going to happen.  It totally consumed my life........for 15 years.  I have 3 kids and the oldest is 22.  I was able to be a fun mom for the first few years of my kids lives, then it went downhill.  I would go to their ballgames and get excited and holler for them and cheer and laugh, then my heart would start up.  So I stopped being the fun mom for fear of making my heart freak out.  As I stated in one of my earlier posts, my heart started really acting up a couple weeks ago and would not calm down.  Worse than it had in years.  Horrible.  Thats what got me searching the internet.  I found this forum.  I found out about all the other people having the same problem.  I found out about magnesium.  I totally feel like a new person.  Just a couple skips here and there (and not even every day) and not even as intense as they used to be.  My family can see a huge difference in me already and its only been 3 or 4 days on the magnesium.  Sooo, my point is to nip it in the bud.  Go to the doc and make sure its nothing else.  The magnesium is helping me, but I would never tell someone to just go out and get some.  That is up to you.  All I can say is it sure helped me, but everyone is different.  If you get on the right track now with this, it will help save you from missing out on some of the best things in life if depression were to follow. 

Posted 10/28/2010 1:27 AM (GMT 0)
Dancinheart...I must have been typing a reply during your last post!!!  A long time ago they would wake me up, and of course I would be up the rest of the night worrying, and that would make it even worse.  I think I have to describe myself as a worry wart!  There have been many times that my legs would feel weak because my heart was really acting up.  Sometimes it would make my whole body just feel weird or maybe a weird tired.  Right before I started the magnesium, I had spent the whole weekend in bed.  Body just felt weird because these things were non-stop.  And they say it is harmless????  I guess so since Im still alive and kickin after 15 years!!!  But man do they make you crazy!!!
Posted 10/28/2010 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hi dancinheart. I know that you and justwannafeelgood are still new and I hope you'll find this site as helpful as I have. There are a couple of prior posts about panic attacks that strike at night that you might want to read through. Of course dancinheart you are also encouraged to start your own thread so that more people can offer you support.

Here's two (and I know there are more):
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=1877574

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=1924839
Posted 10/29/2010 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
   Hi  Justwanafeelgood,  thanks for answering me.  I have had all the tests possible and these palps seem to have begun as minor little blips every once in a blue moon!! With ptsd u never know what will be the next problem your body will exhibit from the strain of pphysical and mental trauma.  The doctors say they are benign. Under extreme stress and adrenalin rushes they aren't present only when the traumatic situation is diminished and the adrenalin has dissipated do they appear as the heart is so used to my living on the brink of disaster for many years'the loss of constant need for adrenalin; like police officers that retire, or domestic violence survivors that have gotten away from there batterers, or pow's, our bodies go thru traumatic withdrawal from adrenalin( starvation!)!
Posted 10/29/2010 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
 The palps seem to happen mostly when at rest or relaxed.  It does help to meditate and deep breathe. I think it is amazing how many people suffer from this unusual and abnormal heart rhythm. I didn't realize you are all out there until I found this site!!! I am grateful to know I am not alone.  I also want to say it seems the subconcious holds memories that fire reactions we have no control of and the heart reacts to these when there is no apparent motivation at the time!! I am definitely speaking to my Dr. to try magnesium and see what she thinks?? Something has to help!! Therapists all agree that time is the only healer. I hope they are right.

Posted 10/29/2010 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
There are so many times that I ask myself "why is my heart freaking out right now?" (after a calm 3 or 4 days).  Nothing has happened out of the ordinary to make it start up again.  Maybe the subconscience does play a part and throws "reminders" periodically, of days gone by!!  I don't know.  I find myself trying to compare....Like, why is this happening to ME.  Things arent any worse in my life than they are in probably a lot of others lives.  Almost like the stress I endured wasnt enough to cause these palps.  Arghh!  I just dont know. But I will say...I'm going on 4 or 5 days now taking the magnesium and...knock on wood...no palps.  Thank you God...please let it continue!!!!!!

Dancinheart...are you taking any meds at this time for your palps?   If so, have they helped at all?  Keep me posted and let me know what your doc says about you taking magnesium.  

Posted 10/29/2010 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
 How often do u take magnesium Justwannafeelgood? I took a 250 mg. tablet this morning with food. I will see what happens??
Posted 10/29/2010 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
I take 250mg in the morning and 250mg at night.  Its working GREAT so far!!  I have my regular heart med, toprol 100mg (50mg in the morning and 50mg at night) HOWEVER...since I got laid off from my job a year ago and lost my insurance, I started cheating and only taking the 50mg at night.  When the palps started going crazy again (just a few weeks ago), I started back up on 50mg in the morning and again at night.  Now that I am taking the magnesium Im back to just the 50mg of toprol at night.  This is my choice...I didnt ask the doc as I cant afford the doc appt. etc.  So far though, Im very pleased with what the magnesium is doing.  Now my heart beats at an even pace, between 70-80 beats a minute, which is good for me.  I hope it works as well for you....just remember as I stated in an earlier post....it made someone else's heart race and they couldnt take it.  Let me know how it works for you!   
Posted 10/29/2010 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
 I have alot of problems with medications which also, especially antibiotics, that seem to effect the heart to jump and flutter and roll.  I am hyper sensitive and have allergic reactions to antibiotics and cant take pain meds at all!! This leaves me in alot of stress if I get sick!! This would be a normal reaction for anyone dealing with this.  Even the Dr.s worry what they are going to give me when or if I am sick!! I am very very careful with everything I take. I can't see how a mineral like magnesium could cause a reaction adversely but I will see?? Thanks for answering me Justwannafeelgood.
Posted 10/30/2010 3:26 PM (GMT 0)

  I spoke to Dr. and was advised to slowly add Mg to vitamin regimen as 250mg at a pop can cause an adverse  reaction specifically rapid heart rate etc. She said add 75mg at a time so cut the 250 into 4's. I did that this a.m. We shall see?? Each day is a new thing I will try!! Now its  exercising walking jogging w/a dvd.  I feel much better after, less anxious, then I take the dogs for a big walk in the forest, Autumn is beautiful!  Meditation breathing and Yoga is next ! CALM is essential. If u  have any other ideas please post

Post Edited (dancinheart) : 10/30/2010 5:26:07 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/30/2010 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
Oopsie!!  I jumped in head first with full 500mg...maybe thats why I was having dull headaches!!  Since I have broken it up to 250mg a.m. and 250mg p.m. the headaches have subsided.  With things going so well with the Mg...I may even cut it down a little more.  I sure dont want it to cause something else to go wrong!!!  Im still feeling great...hope it does the same for you dancinheart.  I would think it would have already shown adverse effects if it were going to happen to you.  Let me know!
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