Heart palpitations

# 730

Posted: 04/03/2009 19:17

hello, ive been suffering from ectopic beats for the past 2 months which i think may be down to a mvp or an electrical disfunction. can either of these problems contribute to a physical anxious/tight feeling which is felt in my chest and only developed after the palps started?

regards

# 729

Posted: 04/03/2009 18:08

OK.. this is to SFFAR:... I got a reply from the folks at TRUVIA.. let me know what you think and how I should (if even bother to) reply!!

Here ya go:

Good Morning,

Thank you for your email in regards to Truvia Natural Sweetener. The ingredients in Truvia are Rebiana, which is a high purity extract derived from the leaves of the stevia plant. It has a sweetness potency approximately 200 times greater than that of sugar. The erythritol is added to the rebiana as a bulking ingredient to help add the right amount of Truvia to foods and beverages. Erythritol is naturally found in fruits such as grapes and pears. The natural flavors contain a proprietary flavor system that do not contain any of the major known food allergens such as, wheat soy, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish or shellfish. Truvia is caffeine free, gluten free, does not contain MSG and is safe for diabetics. Please visit our website for more information.

Thank you

Truvia Customer Service

www.truvia.com

# 728

Posted: 02/03/2009 09:26

Hi Newdoc, I stand corrected so - I would have thought 100/60 was dangerously low. By the way I work out five times a week 50 mins cardio X 4 + 1 hour swimming & weights and myblood pressure has never dipped below 120 or 121 over 80 or 79. That's regardlss of my weight

# 727

Posted: 27/02/2009 16:02

Oh my goodness, please don't ANYONE worry that a blood pressure of 115/70 is "too low"!! That would be a very nice mid-range blood pressure! It is absolutely FINE (for a person who is not taking blood pressure-lowering medications) to have a blood pressure even much lower than that - great down to 100/60! Many normal people have blood pressure that low, or even lower, and are simply doing a nice vigorous rapid walk 30-45 minutes per day - certainly not a "marathon runner" regimen!

Of course, if a person has a history of stroke, or serious vascular problems, and their blood pressure is too low, they can have symptoms - but that is something they should be discussing with their doctors!

Normal people, however, who take no medications to lower their blood pressure, and have no symptoms of hypotension (low blood pressure) shouldn't needlessly worry themselves!

# 726

Posted: 27/02/2009 15:39

A little note to everyone who is suffering palpitations, and can't figure out what is triggering them...check to see if they are related to TEA. Not coffee, TEA.

Coffee, of course, has much higher doses of CAFFEINE than tea...but TEA (and pure cocoa) have THEOBROMINE and THEOPHILLINE - two other stimulants that are NOT present in coffee (look it up and see).

Theobromine and theophilline are "methylxanthines" that are often considered to be weaker stimulants than caffeine, but that is NOT true for all people. Some people dont' "process" these stimulants, so are more greatly affected by them. These stimulants are very toxic to dogs - that is why dark chocolate is so toxic to dogs.

Apparently some people (like me!) don't break these down well (okay, I guess I am like my dog!), and tea and dark chocolate can give palpitations, while caffeine doesn't necessarily give palpitations.

# 725

Posted: 26/02/2009 14:35

You'd urge me to write to our legislators -- - well if you've been keeping up with the Irish news, maybe you haven't but the idea of legislators here actually doing something based on a letter from a concerned citizen is actually hilarious - seriously.

The guidelines for blood pressure here is 120/80, has been right since the 70's or maybe even further back.

115/70 sounds very low, ok maybe for a marathon runner or extremely fit athlete but low blood presure brings its own problems and can be harder to correct than high blood pressure. Which makes me wonder, what are the guidelines for cholesterol for you guys. Not LDL/HDL but just the number? And blood sugar? Just interested in how these things differ.

# 724

Posted: 26/02/2009 13:48

BeachWalker,

I am on your side of the pond on the Southeast Coast. I'll send an e-mail to the site. Tell me about the FDA appointment or give me a link to read. Will it be a House or Senate bill?

Did you know you can buy seeds for Stevia plants? I think you can even buy the plant. I'm going to add this one to my herb garden, hopefully, this year. Until then, I buy plain old, unadulterated Stevia from Whole Foods. Yeah, it's distilled from the plant. On reading the box, there isn't a lot of hype or rigmarole on it. I use the packets for my hubby. Just swap out your Truvia for it.

Keep writing!

# 723

Posted: 25/02/2009 22:49

I DID look at that site.. AND sent them an email.. maybe you can do the same? I rescued my Whole Foods receipt from the trash and it's going back. I bet even THEY don't know...Usually when you send a good comment they answer quickly..these sites..I know this is going to be one where the powers that be walk around trying to figure out how to answer me. AND if they google my name and find out I am a writer? Uh oh.. they'll really go nutty.

Too bad you are over there ...I'd urge you to write to your legislators... we have a new appointment coming up for our FDA here...

That movie WAS interesting wasn't it? Oh..and another thing that was interesting was something I got today from this site I joined.. http://www.realhealthnews.com/dailydose/freecopy.html

All about the AMA and Blood Pressure.. used have guidelines set at 140/90..and that was 6 yrs ago..and now the whacks have it as 115/70..WAY and FAR too low... see if you can drag that up!

# 722

Posted: 25/02/2009 14:53

Beachwalker...look at the Truvia website. Tell me what you think after you read the site. Is it natural or not?

I don't know for a fact that this is chemically altered, but I'd lay money on it that it is. With the hullabaloo they had about Splenda being 'from sugar', when, truthfully, it is so far chemically altered from sugar that it can't be classified as a natural item. I don't trust a branded anything anymore.

I watched the movie last night. Hubby watched until he fell asleep. I hope this makes a difference for him. It reinforces everything I've been trying to tell him. Thanks for that. I've passed it on to a few friends. We'll get this spread around.

Take care.

# 721

Posted: 25/02/2009 14:18

Hi Anonymous.. you are right about the water.. I use bottled and I try to get glass ones... our water stinks literally in NJ...

# 720

Posted: 25/02/2009 12:35

Hi SSFAR, sorry to hear both hormonal replacement and the OCP are both contraindicated for you. I know this can be the case for smokers and women who's family have a history of certain illnesses so of course it's best to listen to your Dr if she advises against it. Your palps seem to be diet related - mine were medication related!, now, like yours, thankfully resolved. I think it will be interesting to see if they return or disappear completely when I go back on the pill - which I'll need to do around 40-ish anyway.Hey, BeachWalker - maybe the water is safe where you are and it probably is but in Winter especially if we've hd flooding, ours smells like a chemialy disinfected swimming pool!! I always use a water filter for improved taste and when I make tea for the in-laws (we're coffee drinkers) you can actually see the difference in the clarity of the tea, instead of it being a murky colour!

# 719

Posted: 24/02/2009 22:57

Yikes!!! Now TRUVIA?? Is water (hardly) the ONLY safe thing???

# 718

Posted: 24/02/2009 12:36

hey guys, second post after going to the doctor. he medicated me for the panic attacks with lexapro, an anti deprresant, and havent had a pvc since. this could be due to the fact that i think mine were stress related. anyhow things are better and i wish you all the best of luck dealing with them, regards.

# 717

Posted: 24/02/2009 12:09

Beachwalker...thanks for the movie. I watched 8 minutes of it before work this morning. I have it saved under favorites to show my hubby tonight. From these 8 minutes, I've got a substantial amount of backup for what I and his doctors have been telling him.

As for the Truvia, nope. I won't do it. It's a chemically rearranged product. I use Stevia because it is from plants. I get it at Whole Foods and I've been switching hubby with his Kool-aid. He doesn't notice it a bit.

Anonymous...everyone wants to give me pills because I'm getting older. I've turned down all suggestions of this and revamped my diet greatly. HRT and BCs are not an option! I have been relatively palp-free since October 2006. Once in a while I'll get an episode which lasts five minutes because I ate something stupid earlier. It's not easy saying 'no' to all the goodies I had eaten before. The effect is definitely cumulative over the years. It will take years to get back to normal.

Take care, all of you.

# 716

Posted: 24/02/2009 12:01

Hi Beach walker. Thanks for the advice, but I'm actually back here in Ireland - so Truvia, unfortunately. I don't touch decaf - the decafinating process actually uses a chemcial that is a derivative of dry-cleaning fluid, Tuolene, so I take my chances with caffience :-). It doesn't seem to affect me anyway.., thankfully. Had no idea about the bipolar connection with soy, thanks so much for that. My niece had a baby before Christmas and when she was switched to the non-premie formula she had a reaction to it, so my MIL was suggestion soy-formula!! As for the coke adds - they seem to stop at nothing to make a marketting pitch

# 715

Posted: 24/02/2009 08:45

Hi SFFAR, if your hubby is not reacting badly to the artificial sweetners then there's probably no need for him to stop as his system is most likely not senstive to them. I have a friend who's the same. I hear ya as regards soy, it's totally contraindicated for me too as I have auto-immiune hypothyroidism which is now thankfully, perfectly mdically managed but soy consumption stiull has the potential to make me very ill. I usually end up shoppign in the same supermarket all the time becuase I am familiar with the contents of all their brands and know which ones to avoid for soy content. With regard to monthly hormone variations over your menstrual cycle, for most women this can be sorted out with the pill (unless you're TTC) - which is probably why women coming off the pill can experience palps. If you're approaching menopause and hence, I'm guessing somewhre in your 50's, then unless it is medically contraindicated, you may well be a suitable candidatefor HRT which should solve the menopausal hormone fluctuations - as well as other unpleasant menopausal symptoms.

# 714

Posted: 24/02/2009 01:13

Hi All it's been a while since I posted (June 2008). I was about to have a nuclear stress test. I had my test, they saw the PVC's but when they had me on the treadmill at my maximum heart rate they disappeared. My cardiologist said I passed with flying colors. I still have PVC's on a daily basis. Some days are bad some day's are good (They still scare the crap out of me though) I'm really worried about what I read on here that PVC's weaken the heart.

I'm not sure where to start to try and make these things disappear. I guess I could start cutting chocolate out of my diet and drop a few pounds. I quit walking/working out once these things started because I was to scared to and because I quit exercising I gained weight :(

Any other suggestions on where to start besides cutting out chocolate? I don't drink coffee, smoke or drink. Thanks for any suggestions.

# 713

Posted: 23/02/2009 20:38

To Anonymous: I agree with that! Seems to me... I don't get ballistic from Sweet and Low..the pink pack..but you know what? I am not taking anymore chances. I just went to an Organic Supermarket here in NJ, Whole Foods, and picked up a box of Truvia.. OMG! It's great!! It tastes just like sugar. I was getting so tired of tea and coffee (decaf) without it. I feel normal again! Great looking green and white flip box with strawberry on it.. look for it. You'll get rid of that sacharin fast!

Sffar:. Listen.. make your hubby just TRY the Truvia. I am not sure about Stevia being good or not..this is my first try of sweetness after Equal.. I LOVE this stuff! It's all over our stores now..where are you in the US? I also have a thyroid problem and they said to stay away from Soy.. whatever I do. They also say that it contributes to Bipolar...and my daughter was raised on ProSoBe..a once popular Soy Bean Formula for babies who had allergies to regular formula. Guess what she has... BIP.

I have GOT to do something to stop this Aspartame craze here... There was a coke commercial on the Oscars awards last night.. a new RED can diet coke promoting heart healthy women!! Are they WING NUTS OR WHAT? If this doesn't get you like it got me...pretty fast..it has a cumulative effect and WILL build up in your tissues..and sit and wait till your back is turned..and WHAMO.. it gets you!

You all have GOT to watch this movie on the computer..not a download..just starts up nice:

http://moviesfoundonline.com/sweet_misery.php.

A real eye opener!

# 712

Posted: 23/02/2009 17:50

Beachwalker, you're not nuts! Yeah, you do get looked at like you've grown another head when you mention this to anyone, including doctors. I found that my palps are brought on by too much soy, which is in everything. I believe my 'monthly' hormone change also plays a big factor. I tend to get the palps most often during this time - yesterday, for example (10 seconds worth - down from 12-24 hours). I try to watch very carefully what I eat. Also, I am at an age where 'the change' is going to take place. So, I can just imagine my life during this upcoming time. Luckily I have a cardiologist who has a similar problem. He is sympathetic.

I stay away from the fake sugars, too. That is nothing but poison, for sure. Can't get my hubby to stop, though.

I live in the States, as well. I agree there is a huge push for over medicating and keeping us sick for big bucks, here.

# 711

Posted: 23/02/2009 12:09

Hi brachwalker, great advice. You have probably done this already,but for others whon might be interested, not all artifical sweetners are the same - for example, I am fine when I use sacharin in coffee but have a bad reaction to aspartame (in every squash diet and non-diet on the shelves, except hi-juice varieties) and penyllanline. Honestly, if I can't spell it, I think twice about putting it in my body. I know that sweetners are poison and in hundreds of thousands of people they can tolerate them fine but I am one of those people who has a bad reaction to some sweetners but not others.

# 710

Posted: 22/02/2009 20:16

To the Hearty Palps poster...how many Mgs of Magnesium are you taking? I find that amazing that it helped with the palps... I love the candle blowing breathing business as well.. it works!

I am 61 and have been dianosed twice as A-Fib.. I somehow refuse to buy it. Simply because I have been to a few General Practioners here in New Jersey and not one of them inquired about my diet. Not one. I had to find out on my own...and it wasn't easy because it's in everything.. that I am allergic to Equal. I would take it in tea/coffee ...diet soda..eat diet jello...diet this..diet that and still managed to gain weight! We have it in cereal, candy, cookies, the coating on our Advil, on Claritan for Allergies, you name it. The Equal/Nurtra Sweet/ Spenda all kicks up carb consumption. What a roller coaster. I went off everything and was doing so great.. and then.. had a stick of Orbit sugarless gum and whamo...back into the shortness of breath and weakness. I could barely walk! I called an allergist and asked about a test for this and he said there is none..but what they do is have the patients re-challenge themselves...which I had already done with the gum. Then last week with honey wheat pretzels..it has something called Maltotame.. another word for Equal. Idiots!! This stuff is killing us.. AND our children...AND our senior citizens. Big bucks for big companies

I am so lucky I found out what was giving me these bouts...but no one believes that this is the case. A glazed look of boredom came over my doctors eyes... lol... I only hope they get the chance to experience this one day. DO an internet search...you will see heart problems are a result of this poisoning. How easy it would to wipe out an entire population hooked on this lousy sweetener. It's a slow poison.

I've had this for 4 yrs... and in three days it was all gone? amazing. But I am left A-Fib..and I am terrified. I don't want to do that Coumadin, I just lost an aunt to Coumadin Necrosis. Rare..but nonetheless..she was an Equal fan as well.

Gotta find good sympathetic MD's who know what they are doing.. good luck.. it's all about $$$ here in the States! And they are so afraid of getting sued.. lol.. if they knew what they were doing they wouldn't have to worry..People would be so grateful to be healed!!

PALPITATIONS? Check for artificial sweeteners!!

# 709

Posted: 22/02/2009 01:29

hey ...im relieved to have found this site! i suffer palpitations regularly. im 24 and it started bout 2 , 3 years ago! Basically its like a forced heartbeat between beats can be sore at times. But lately i had an episode where it lasted 10-15 mins! lessened to about 1 or 2 every hour. To be honest it scared the life out of me i really thought i was gone ...Got to A&E and surprise every thing checked out alrite. nothing abnormal could be found. bloods checked out grand too. This thing makes me really anxious. i need sedatives to keep me calm when i feel it coming on.....Thanks to this site i feel more reassured from the comments ive read!! Cheers.

# 708

Posted: 31/12/2008 06:39

Hi all 23 having what are probabley pvcs for about a year maybe more and to be honest they are ruining my quailty of life for example today well, i mean more tonight ive had one every hour all through the night that have sent me into several panic attacks and now waiting to go to the doc's in the morning to see what the fook he can do, never been to the docters about it but have done enough internet research to know thats probabley what he's going to say, but from reading these articles it sounds like there's nout to be done but change the way your living, which is pants, cause i'm quite fond of the way i live. Truth be told i've been living with the panic attacks since i was 17, do you think the pvcs could be a follow on from strain caused by frequent panic attacks??? Its a terrible thing to have and to live with and it's hard for people to understand whats going on with you, reading these storys has givin me insight into something i did'nt really understand, heart felt sympathy to all off the above people!, If anyone has feedback on treatments i would gladley appreciate it!

# 707

Posted: 25/12/2008 19:26

Im 25 years old and I work as a paramedic in Canada. Before July 31st of 2008 I was a healthy guy. I dont drink Caffeine coke or coffee (although i used to drink coke like water) Non smoker, and i eat very little fast food. I lifted weights 4 days a week on some pretty intense programs and took Protein shakes religiously. I ran all the time, whether it be Sprints, jogging or aggresive runs for conditioning. I play hockey, Roller Hockey, Rugby and broomball I also coach football.I drink occasionally but not often. Dont do drugs and never really was into them. I never ever had a problem with my heart, I had a resting heart rate in the 50's and rarely ever got tired during aggressive exercise. The only real health issue for me was Migraine headaches where I would get bad bad Nausea, I tried many different drugs for Migraines and nothing would work. I was put on Inderal @ 60mg (which is a slow release beta Blocker) for prevention of migraines 2 years ago. It has worked well most of the time, i still get the odd migraine but not as often as before. My Grandpa 87 years old is on Warfarin and is a permanent A fib for the last 30 years.My uncle who is 56 years old of that side has runs of Afib and is also on Warfarin for the last few years. Well on July 31st I went for a jog in the heat, and had a regualr physical with my GP. Everything was fine. I was out in the sun all afternoon painting a table and came in about supper time and had a shower. After the shower i just felt tired, but felt fine. I randomly checked my pulse like i did all the time and noticed something was different. My heart was slow but very irregular. I had played with 3 lead ecgs at school the previous 4 months and was very aware of different arrythmias. It felt to me like Atrial Fib. So alarmed but not scared i got my stethoscope out and listened to my heart. It was definitely irregular. So i went to the hospital explained what i had found and i was immediatly hooked up to a 12 lead ecg. I was right and i was in A fib with no symptoms at all, no pain, no SOB. So the ER drs advised the best treatment was Cardioversion to get my Heart rhythm back to Bradycardia. They cardioverted me and I have been sinus ever since. Here is the catch though, 3 weeks later i started getting palpitaions. Which turn out to be PAC's. I now get them every day for hours at a time sometimes. I also get some other symptoms that worry me like a tightness in my chest, an ugly feeling sometimes in my chest. Minor pain that may be gastric. I feel like i cant take a deep breath sometimes. I get very very fatigued and cant stay awake sometimes. I get dizzy and feel out of it like im literally drunk or something sometimes. Most people i talk to think its just anxiety that comes back in cycles cause there are good days and bad days. I had an internest test me with an Echo, ECG, Bloodwork, and a holter monitor(had a good day while wearing it). Everything is normal. He said i have no physical heart diesease. That the ectopics are benign. He also thinks it may just be anxiety. He ruled out Thyroid problems, HCM and other diseases. Im going to see a cardiologist(2nd opinion) in a couple weeks and im frustrated. I have no answers. I cant tell if it is just anxiety or something has changed me. I want my old life back, I havent weight trained since. I run and try to play hockey but i just dont feel the same. While im doing exercise i feel great and right after but later on i get spurts of this crap. I dont know what else to do, i keep getting them and they really bother me. But this is my story as i found reading other stories have helped me at times. anybody with suggestions are welcome.

# 706

Posted: 07/12/2008 04:34

I live in the U.S. I too suffer from heart palpitations, and they seemed to have increased dramatically after I discontinued birth control. I had all tests necessary by my cardiologists, blood work checked, thyroid, you name it. On a recent visit to my gyno, he said he never heard of anyone getting heart palps after quitting the pill. I beg to differ because hundreds of women have reported this same problem on many sites. I told my doctor that I did not want to get on any anti-anx med to control this. I asked him if he knew of any homeopathic type remedies, he simply told me to find some quiet time, breathe in deeply, hold my breath for a few seconds and breathe out as if I were blowing out a candle. Everytime I feel the palps starting, I do this and they go away. Yes, they do come back, but the breathing exercises seem to make them stop cold turkey. I read that magnesium supplements work. I purchased some and they have subsided; this was before the breathing exercises. So my advice, magnesium and breathing exercises. Remember after u take a deep breath and hold, breathe out as if you are blowing out a candle. One other note, I read online that many of us are magnesium deficient (especially exercisers,athletes) and we don't know it, blood tests won't show it, however, tissiue samples do....homeopathic clinics do this. Magnesium supplements seem to do the trick to make them subside...google: heart palpitations magnesium supplements. Good luck everyone, we will get through this, one of us will find the magic key to solve this nagging mystery..as soon as someone finds it let us all know!!!

Cheers from America!!

# 705

Posted: 24/11/2008 17:03

TAFF

It's possible to have a a long term heart monitor. Ask your cardiologist as the palps are so irregular they are not easily tracked down. But insist. This is not mental. Don't buy into this.

# 704

Posted: 24/11/2008 01:14

Hi, Im a 26yo male from Wales, had my first papl about 3 years ago. back then i smoked 20+ a day, they would normally last about a minute then just dissapear. during that minute i would feel a liitle faint but it didnt seem to bother me. About two yers ago i was driving to work when a palp came on, it didnt worry me to start but it didnt go away like the others after a minute this one stayed. I pulled over and lay down on the grass on the side of the road it felt as if my heart was trying to beat out of my chest, think i was up to 200+ bpm! I called myself an ambulance and my palps only stopped after they injected me with a beta blocker. After that day every palp i get now make me think im gonna die its the scariest thing ever. Ive been for tests and the doc said i was ok, stopped smoking straight away after that still drink a bit more than i should but i try and keep fit. A few months ago i was at work and i had another palp attack and it lasted about 2 mins, i started to think what bought it on and the only thing i could think of was coffee. The first major palp i had was after drinking a large coffe and another i had on holiday happened again after coffee. So far so good! I still think my heart is faulty but i think its all mental, its very hard to stop thinking about my palps but it will take time. The worst thing is though is when you think you have forgot about them and your cured and then bang out of nowhere a palp kicks in, and then its back to square one. Well thats it really keep leaving your posts its good to know im not alone in this. Hope this helps cheers.

# 703

Posted: 04/11/2008 21:14

Hi Flippy Flop;
I've been researching this issue since 2003. To make a long story short, I'll itemize my findings.

1. Aloe Gel - I found that cap are not really enough. I bought aloe gel by the gallon. I would drink 2 ounce in the morning and 2 ounces at dinner time.

2. DISCONTINUE ALL FISH PRODUCTS! - Some people will be alarmed at this warning but just recently I spoke with a local family whose two boys were quite sick. The family was mostly vegetarian but did eat a lot of fish. The test results were that the children had mercury poisoning!

The massive pile of garbage and plastics that is floating out in the middle of the pacific ocean is polluting the entire oceanic food chain. It's three times the size of Texas! No Oceanic food is safe.

3. Eliminate sugar: The inflammatory diseases that are building in your system are fueled by sugar. You must take yourself off things like Chocolate, sugar in tea or coffee, baked sweets, cakes, donuts, etc...

4. Lastly, reduce wheat products. Have yogurt and nuts or seed like sunflower seed, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Having a wheat breakfast sets you up for a really rotten day!

Chocolate contains a chemical called Theobromine". This is the element that kills dogs. Humans are said to be able to digest it just fine. However, I suspect it affects the vegas nerve and palps.

If you do all of the above, you should feel a lot better in two days.

I'm unable to post the full story in interest of bandwidth. Email me if you wish to read the full story. nick at lucidboomer dot com

---

Nick M. Walsh (http://phdrops.net)

# 702

Posted: 04/11/2008 13:29

I'm a 62 YO female in good health - a U.S. citizen. I've had heart palps for the last 3 years on a regular basis. They are continual and nagging all day, every day. I had a complete heart workup two years ago and the dx was PVCs. I was put on Atenolol and sent home rather puzzled, since my cardiologist seemed totally unconcerned. Living with these things is driving me crazy. I'm assuming I'd be dead by now if they were life threatening, but I'm wondering at what point in my life these things will become worrisome to any medical professionals. I cannot imagine a 75 year old having these palps and being ignored by their docs.
Also, Nick or George - I'm sure that you've done this a million times, but would you please itemize the remedies that have worked for you. I take aloe vera gel caps twice a day. The palps are better when I do take them, but they plague me still. I realize that you two have done much research on the subject and value your opinions immensely. Thanks in advance for indulging me with your recommended remedies.

# 701

Posted: 28/10/2008 17:18

Hello Andrew,

Sorry for the book... but there is a lot to cover...

Yes... I have heard of uses of Taurine and Argenine to help prevent palps or arrhythmias. I plan to do some more research into this. I have other news too.

Here in Vancouver, BC a family recently took their two young boys to the doctor. Both boy were quite sick with all kinds of problems including both had arrhythmia to one degree or another. They are family friends. They are vegetarians for the most part but eat lots of fish.

I've suspected fish for a couple of years now but after the results of this family's visits to the doctor, I am convinced that NO SEA FOOD IS SAFE! The kids had blood work done and they were both high in mercury!

I've been following the study of that mountain of garbage that is floating around the pacific ocean. It was measured to be three times the size of the state of Texas! Much of it is plastic! The early scientific reports on this floating mountain are that the plastics are breaking down in the sunlight and with exposure to salt water and other elements. The breakdown particulate matter appears to marine life to be "FISH FOOD"! This has a grievous consequence since much of the plastic is industrial plastic that formerly contained pesticides and chemicals (like mercury!!!).

The result is that the fish are eating this stuff and it is now well into that food chain. The two young boys had no other exposure to mercury. The parents also had high levels of mercury but did not exhibit the same symptoms. The doctor told them to switch to something else... no more sea food.

I've tested sea food off and on over the past two years. Each time I consume fish or fish oils I get palps within a few days.

Next... you should Google the term Dr. James Lavalle.
He is a pharmacologist and nutritional scientist. You'll find a link to brightcove dot com where he has some videos of his lectures to other doctors in the areas of nutrition. He is the MOST knowledgeable resource I have ever found. I rand out and purchased his book, "Cracking the Metabolic Code". In that book he talks about Taurine and Argenine quite a bit.

Also, he talks about chocolate. There is a substance in chocolate that is bad for dogs. Its called "theobromine". It digests in humans and broken down into a derivative of caffeine and other chemicals. Import to note is that some of the digestive results render a chemical that causes arrythmia! It has an antagonizing affect on the vegas nerve which, I believe, in some sensitive people will result in what we call palps. These are the ones who get palps when they bend over, or lay on their left side, or twist their bodies too sharply.

As a methylated xanthine, theobromine is a potent Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) phosphodiesterase inhibitor; this means that it helps prevent the enzyme phosphodiesterase from converting the active cAMP to an inactive form. cAMP works as a second messenger in many hormone- and neurotransmitter-controlled metabolic systems, such as the breakdown of glycogen. When the inactivation of cAMP is inhibited by a compound such as theobromine, the effects of the neurotransmitter or hormone which stimulated the production of cAMP are much longer lived. The net result is generally a stimulatory effect.

While theobromine and caffeine are similar in that they are related alkaloids, theobromine is weaker in both its inhibition of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases and its antagonism of adenosine receptors. Therefore, theobromine has a lesser impact on the human central nervous system than caffeine. However, theobromine stimulates the heart to a greater degree. While theobromine is not as addictive, it has been cited as possibly causing addiction to chocolate. Theobromine has also been identified as one of the compounds contributing to chocolate's reputed role as an aphrodisiac.

As it is a myocardial stimulant as well as a vasodilator, it increases heartbeat, yet it also dilates blood vessels, causing a reduced blood pressure. However, a recent paper published suggested that the decrease in blood pressure may be caused by flavanols.


This is not an excuse to run out and study chocolate ladies! But a word of warning. To those of us who are otherwise strong and healthy, we are sensitive to the chemicals we ingest or create through digestion.

Nick

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Nick M. Walsh (http://phdrops.net)

# 700

Posted: 24/10/2008 21:43

Hello everyone! It has been a month or so since my last post. My PVCs have continued more or less unabated since then. I have had a few nice "breaks" where the PVCs magically disappeared for a couple days, only to return again. I have continued to take 2oz. of aloe vera gel twice a day, with limited results. I have also been doing research online and I found an interesting article published in a medical journal. Aparently, the person did a study using Taurine and L-arginine to cure PVCs, PACs, and other arathmias. I have yet to try this myself as I have only recently discovered this potential breakthrough. The study was conducted on older folks (55 - 80) who were having several thousand PVCs/PACs a day. I am only 23, so I don't know if I am suffering from a different condition, but nonetheless, it seems to be worth a shot. Has anyone else on here heard or, or tried, using Taurine and L-arginine for heart palpitations? Nick, you seem to have done the most research on this page, have you ever heard of this? If so, please post your experience. Here is the abstract from the article:

Summary We searched for nutrient deficiencies that could cause cardiac arrhythmias [premature atrial contractions
12 (PACs), premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), atrial fibrillation, and related sinus pauses], and found literature
13 support for deficiencies of taurine and L-arginine. Case histories of people with very frequent arrhythmias are
14 presented showing 10–20 g taurine per day reduced PACs by 50% and prevented all PVCs but did not prevent pauses.
15 Adding 4–6 g of L-arginine immediately terminated essentially remaining pauses and PACs, maintaining normal cardiac
16 rhythm with continued treatment. Effects of taurine useful in preventing arrhythmias include regulating potassium,
17 calcium and sodium levels in the blood and tissues, regulating excitability of the myocardium, and protecting against
18 free radicals damage. Taurine restored energy and endurance in one of the cases from a debilitated status to normal.
19 Arrhythmias may also respond to taurine because it dampens activity of the sympathetic nervous system and dampens
20 epinephrine release. L-arginine may have anti-arrhythmic properties resulting from its role as a nitric oxide (NO)
21 precursor and from its ability to restore sinus rhythm spontaneously. Endogenous production of taurine and L-arginine
22 may decline in aging perturbing cardiac rhythm, and these ‘‘conditional’’ essential nutrients therefore become
23 ‘‘essential’’ and require supplementation to prevent morbidity and mortality. L-arginine is hypothesized to prevent
24 cardiac arrhythmias by NO stabilization of the sinus node. Cardiac arrhythmias having no known cause in otherwise
25 healthy people are hypothesized to be symptoms of deficiencies of taurine and arginine.

The rest of the article can be found at this link: http://george-eby-research.com/html/taurine-l-arginine-arrhythmias.pdf

Hope this helps! If anyone does try this treatment, please post your results!

# 699

Posted: 17/10/2008 09:34

is it possible to gain weight?with palpitations even thou you eat healty as i am having an opperation to stop them as i get them everyday and find them hard to live with

# 698

Posted: 16/10/2008 17:35

I suffered palpitations since childhood. Nobody took me seriously. It turned out after many scares that I have a problem called 'Sick Sinus Syndrome' which means the tiny bunch of nerves that govern and regulate the heart beat is inefficient. After a serious collapse in 1992 I was given a 'pace-maker' to prevent my heart rate going below an acceptable limit. I also need to take a 'Beta-Blocker' to control the heart rate on the upper level. I am now on my 3rd pace-maker. I sympathise with anyone going through this. Press on for the help you need.

# 697

Posted: 15/10/2008 14:00

Has anyone had a loop recorder fitted to detect heart palpitations that dont show up on ECG.

# 696

Posted: 25/09/2008 18:37

Hi Gizmo,
We all know what you are going through. You won't die from this.. .though that is no help to you at this point because you are in the initial stages of FRIGHT/Anxiety!

You have a ton of reading to do. It's all been said here and I am confident you will find relief from the text here. But you must go back... WAY back and read the experiences for yourself. There are some things you can do to stop palps. But you have to care enough to invest the time reading it.

Nick.

---

Nick M. Walsh (http://phdrops.net)

# 695

Posted: 25/09/2008 15:19

Hi there everyone, I have been suffering from missed heart beats for about a month. I have gone through so much mentally, I truelly believed that I was going to die and that had brought way to panic attacks. I am dealing with those however I am still getting dizzy everytime I have a skipped heart beat. These are happening everyday throughout the day. Is that normal? I have an irregular heart beat and a heart murmer could this be causing them? I am still awaiting the results to my echo and 24 hr trace...

# 694

Posted: 12/09/2008 03:41

First to Kitty, thank you so much:)

There seem to be so many variations on 'palpitations'. A lot of the experiences mentioned I cannot relate to, but some I can.

I know I come from a family of 'worriers', and I wonder if anyone else considers this an issue?

I have to say, since finding fellow sufferers and reading over and over that it is basically not life threatening, I have had fewer attacks. It's wonderful. A couple of times I have felt my heart trying to 'race' and I have talked myself out of it developing. Not always successful, but it would seem for me, at least some of the time this is related to my anxiety disorder as a panic attack.

Like many posters, I am pretty much caffine free, I only drink water....I definately have room for improvement though in my diet and weight.

I've not taken any drugs for this, but it's not an option right now anyway as I am breast-feeding. Thank goodness though, that since looking at this site, they have decreased significantly.

Why is it, that so many of us experience these sensations at bed time? If this is stress related, why do I find that as I lay down to sleep my heart begins to increase or I wake with the horrible sensation? I don't feel stress *until* my heart races.

# 693

Posted: 07/09/2008 20:42

I have been taking the Aloe Gels 25mg from wal-mart (i am in america) for nearly a year now.

They saved my life. If you are having palpitations, you have got to try Aloe. The doctors told me nothing was wrong.... that doesn't keep you from thinking you are about to die.

Seriously run, don't walk - go get aloe

# 692

Posted: 04/09/2008 02:05

Hello all! I stumbled upon this site a couple weeks ago and am gratefull for all of the input. About two months ago, I awoke in the middle of the night with panic attack. I was not having any nightmares, but when I awoke I was sweating and my heart was racing. I also noticed that my heart was skipping a beat occasionally. I have had panic attacks in the past (although not for about 7 years) so I just put it off as anxiety. Well, a couple of weeks later I was having several skipped beats in a row so I went to the ER to have it checked out. They hooked me up to an EKG and saw that I was having PVCs, but they told me that it was "normal" and that I was going to be fine. He refered me to a cardiologist who also said I was fine and gave me a perscription for Atenolol 25mg (which I haven't tried taking yet). I don't really like the idea of having to take perscription drugs as I am only 23 and am not overweight. I also do not smoke, drink caffeine or alcohol at all. Over the past month my heart palpitations have increased. I regularly have several hundered "skipped beats" every day, although they are usually worse in the late afternoon/ evening. I have tried a few different "natural" remedies that have been posted on this site. A couple weeks ago I started taking Aloe Juice (the inner fillet) and magnesium powder and my heart palpitations went away completely only two days after taking the juice. This was a remarkable change as only one day before I was having hundreds of PVCs. I had no palpitations for a few days, then slowly I began getting more and more until about a week later I felt the same as I did before. I was wondering if anyone out there has experienced the same effect from the aloe? Is it possible for your body to build up an immunity to it? For the last week or so, I have not taken the magnesium, but I have started taking the aloe gel tablets. Those helped reduce the intensity of the palpitations, but the frequency is still there. I also started taking the aloe gel straigt (again the inner fillet gel) about 3 days ago, but I have not noticed much of a difference. I have also been taking some mangosteen juice as Nick recommended (the brand is called "Alive" so I don't know if its the right kind or not). Anyway, sorry for the long post. I am just going through a tough time right now and needed to vent. If anyone out there has had a similar experience, or knows of anything that might help, please let me know.

# 691

Posted: 03/09/2008 04:06

Hello.
For the past three months I have been experiencing random palpatations that scare me to death. I first started having terrible stabbing like chest pain and went to the doctors, did an ekg, chest x-rays etc... all came back good. doctor came to the conclusion i had gerd. first gave me pepcid which didnt help, then prilosec which did help relieve the pain. while taking these drugs I started experiencing frequent palps. I had then in the past but very rarely, now I get them almost every day. could this be a side effect of the medication can anyone relate? also does aloe vera help GERD symptoms?