98 replies to this topic

[mono]

Ah right. Well your in a different boat to me then! I used to get sinus tachycardia would have a testing heart rate of 90 at times...

[6ort]

Yeah my pulse never goes above 60 at rest. I don't know whose boat I'm in, can't find very many people with this problem...I wish I had some ideas.

Edited by 6ort, 19 September 2014 - 06:20 PM.

[niner]

6ort, that's a pretty low pulse.  Do you engage in endurance sports, like running?

[6ort]

In the past 5 years I've done a lot of exercise as I was trying to lose weight. I did jump rope, running, elliptical, stationary bike, etc. I used to do at least an hour of cardio daily for a long time. Not so much recently due to this problem. I think all  the cardio was probably what lowered my pulse - I think it was around 70-80 before I got into all the exercise. However, I've had this low pulse for at least 4 years now and it by itself has never presented a problem - I felt fine.

 

By the way, I had a beer yesterday and had no noticeable increase in palpitations from it, so that's a "no" on the alcohol. Maybe something stronger would trigger it but like I said I don't drink often so it's not a concern to me.

[niner]

Endurance exercise can induce changes in the heart that may lead to arrythmias.  This paper talks about the athlete's heart. 

[6ort]

Possibly, but there are no changes visible on my ECG or echo. Plus I still think my level of training was far from that of an elite athlete. Besides, this started in one day. Literally, the day before that everything was fine, the next day this started. I don't think anything in the heart can change that fast.

[6ort]

Oxazepam & atenolol - worthless. I don't even know why I'm taking those, I don't have anxiety. I actually felt a bit better yesterday when I was meeting up with some college people and signing up for the next year, since I was way too busy with talking and what not so the problem was a bit in the background. But of course, not gone away.

 

And dear god it's going to be 2 years soon. I can't believe I still haven't found anything that works for this. Still don't know what's going on. Haven't even found a single doctor who will listen to me properly. I simply don't know where to go anymore...

 

EDIT: One thing I think I forgot to mention, is that ever since these palpitations started I have also been sweating way more than normal for me (even now as the weather is getting cooler, I still sweat a lot despite wearing very light clothing, but only underarm) and I have large salt demands probably due to losing so much sodium by sweating (my sodium levels on blood test tend to be on the low side). I don't know how this factors in.

Edited by 6ort, 28 September 2014 - 07:22 PM.

[fntms]

Sulbutiamine pretty much stops my palpitations for some reason, found out by chance...
Can't figure it out but it works...
Also did all the exams and my heart was fine, had 3000 palps on the Holter, just one "bad" one (forget the technical term).
Never took the propranolol, my hr is already very low...
I also think pycnogenol and maybe astaxanthin help, also for some reason... magnesium maybe a little too.
And lowering my iron levels seems to help.

[niner]

EDIT: One thing I think I forgot to mention, is that ever since these palpitations started I have also been sweating way more than normal for me (even now as the weather is getting cooler, I still sweat a lot despite wearing very light clothing, but only underarm) and I have large salt demands probably due to losing so much sodium by sweating (my sodium levels on blood test tend to be on the low side). I don't know how this factors in.

 

I'd lose the benzodiazepines.  You don't have anxiety, so they're essentially pointless.  The best clues that you could give your new doc would be the effect of pregnenolone and the sweating that coincided with the start of this.  It sounds like some sort of autonomic dysfunction- maybe what you really need is a neurologist.

[6ort]

I'd lose the benzodiazepines.  You don't have anxiety, so they're essentially pointless.  The best clues that you could give your new doc would be the effect of pregnenolone and the sweating that coincided with the start of this.  It sounds like some sort of autonomic dysfunction- maybe what you really need is a neurologist.

 

 

I think you are right. For a day or two I thought the benzo's were improving my mood but now I actually notice that I am somewhat mentally depressed... and not as in mood but in the sense of being less sharp and harder to think. So I'm going to stop those.

 

And I think you are right about the second part as well. It definitely seems more and more to be something involving the autonomic nervous system. Sigh. If only it was something simpler. But I will have to find a doctor that will take this seriously, these GP's I've been going to treat it like some kind of joke.

 

My body also works a lot better at night. The palpitations are less noticeable around 2-3 AM, and I have more energy at this time. Seems backwards from how it should be. Usually all my symptoms are worst during the day.

 

 

@fntms

 

Interesting about the sulbutiamine - where did you get that and what dose are you taking?

[mono]

This may seem woo woo but meditation can definitely play a role in healing the body through releasing blocked channels, energies, stored emotions. Look at acupuncture for eg. or read about kundalini. It's a long road but worth considering. Deep metitative states have definitely played a role in soothing my heart rate and opening my respiratory system along with opening certain channels within the body that conventional science / medicine generally doesn't account for.

[6ort]

I know those things can be beneficial. It's just that with my problem there is a total disconnect between my overall well-being/mental state and the severity of my symptoms. I can be as calm as I like or as pissed off as I like and it won't change anything. It's kind of a catch-22 because when you try to meditate or relax, the constant beating all over your body makes it even worse because now that is all you hear, effectively preventing you from relaxing fully or feeling at all normal.

 

Whenever I feel bad my brain is just like "this is so ridiculous, how can this even be happening?" and my body just does whatever it wants. It seems like this is caused by a part of the brain I can't control, as much as I actively try. Kinda scary when you put it that way actually, but it's what it is. I have to follow a very specific protocol every day to keep the palpitations as gentle as possible (carefully avoid trigger foods and avoid anything overly stimulating) until I resolve this problem.

[fntms]

Regarding the sulbutiamine, the various usual sources seem to work (I had some old powder lying around and also ordered form a uk site, and recently from nootropic depot but not received yet). I take just 90-100mg twice a day.

[niner]

 It definitely seems more and more to be something involving the autonomic nervous system. Sigh. If only it was something simpler. But I will have to find a doctor that will take this seriously, these GP's I've been going to treat it like some kind of joke.

 

My body also works a lot better at night. The palpitations are less noticeable around 2-3 AM, and I have more energy at this time. Seems backwards from how it should be. Usually all my symptoms are worst during the day.

 

GPs will probably be useless in this unless you can find a really good one.   You'd need to find one that had time to listen to the whole story.  Maybe you could memorize a very concise story ahead of time, with all the salient points, or write it down.  The improvement in the wee hours of the morning would be one of them.  You'd have to work a bit to convince them that this was not an anxiety response, since the last 99 people they treated for symptoms that sound like this probably had an anxiety etiology.  If your insurance allows it, maybe you could go straight to a specialist.  Neurologists and endocrinologists come to mind. 

[kaypeeoh]

I didn't have palpitations but had periods where my heart would race, too fast to count using my wrist pulse.  Often it would occur after strenuous exercise.  A holter 24hr monitor showed sinus bradycardia but nothing else.   I've studied acupuncture.  There is an acupuncture point a couple inches above the wrist crease between the two major tendons that is specific for cardiac problems.   Within a minute of inserting the needle and stimulating the point my heart goes back to normal.   I talked to a cardiologist who suggested an accessory bundle branch problem.   After several treatments the problem went away and hasn't ever returned. 

 

There is a strap that wraps around the wrist with a plastic knob that pushes on the acupoint, for relief of nausea.   The directions say where to position the knob.  It's the same spot that I used for the racing heart.   This is the acupoint PC-6.  I'm guessing part of the problem is anxiety.  The same point is used for that. 

 

kpo

[Steve-22]

Dealing with exact same issues as OP. Have you been tested for Hemochromatosis? Elevated iron would definetly cause anxiety, fear and palpitations. What about digestive problems? I realized most of the time I have the sensation in my chest I am either bloated or have reflux. The worst thing is I even belch after drinking water and from 9 out of 10 foods. People recommended me to get checked for SIBO.

I started having these palpitations after a traumatic event in the family (a decade ago), but they were not this frequent and severe. The heartrate of 60-65 is considered bradycardia. When I quit smoking I had lots of anxiety (since I had no stimulants) and on the second-third day my resting heart rate was around 55. It was a pretty scary experience and gave me panic attacks each day. After about 2-3 months my body adopted to the slow HR and the anxiety lifted. It was around 60 or lower, but the forceful beatings were gone so as the anxiety. Now I'm smoking again and experiencing serious anxiety and palpitations (worst ones of my life, xanax must have every other day to avoid ER). I feel that your stomach can play a crucial role in heart palpitations. If I do ab exercises then it will lead to heartburn, which will trigger palpitations and panic sets in. Vicious cycle.

My suggestion is to look into GI issues, food sensitivites and get checked for Hemochromatosis and/or adrenal tumors (in no way I'm trying to scare you, but you must ask your doctor to look for adrenal tumors). Me and my wife have the exact same adrenal issues. She was always complaining of panic attacks and palpitations after pooping. I did some google and it is one of the classic symptoms that people experience of the mentioned condition.

Keep us upated! I know very well how this feels and I feel for you. Palpitations suck, but when it's accompanied with either too slow or too fast heart rate it becomes pretty scary. Keep strong, man!

 

 

[6ort]

Thanks for chiming in.

 

My ferritin was 58 tested a year ago and all iron labs were normal (even a bit lowish). The bradycardia carries over from years when I was healthy so I don't think it is part of the issue.

Xanax didn't much for me.

 

About the food/stomach, my observations: eating definitely makes things worse, but not always, and it's not related to amount of food. Wheat seems to always stir things up greatly.

I actually did a 24-hr fast to see how much food contributed to the problem. I felt somewhat relieved during that day for sure, but the problem did not go away. So food makes it worse, but I do not think a digestive thing is the root cause here.

 

I had 24-hour urine tests for metanephrines and normetanephrines (this is standard test to check for a pheochromocytoma) and it came within the normal range.

 

I had some sugary wheat stuff some 20 mins ago and that was a mistake heh, I can already feel the flipflopping, and the "missed" electrical signals going through the heart. Pretty silly. But yeah I try to watch what I eat until I can get this whole thing under control. Going to see a new doctor in a while as well.

 

I must mention that the oscillations in my well-being are great on a daily basis. There are days when I spend most of them curled in a corner feeling terrible to do anything, while today I'm not doing too bad, I went out and cycled a bit. Sometimes it depends on what I supplement with but the responses to things also changes so drastically, and sometimes I just get worse for 3-4 days out of the blue, even on the same regimen! Agh... anyway. We'll see how it goes. I'd give a body part at this point to be rid of this, no joke.

Edited by 6ort, 02 October 2014 - 10:41 PM.

[Nemo888]

It's good to remember that the heart is an endocrine organ. Look at your hormone levels.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/24562677

[Steve-22]

A family member happens to suffer from bradycardia as well and guess what; she has been diagnosed with thyroid disorder. It runs in my family.
You mentioned TSH abnormalities so I suggest you get an extensive thyroid panel if you can. Find another doctor if you have to, but don't neglect the thyroid!

"The cardiovascular signs and symptoms of thyroid disease are some of the most profound and clinically relevant findings that accompany both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism." http://circ.ahajourn...16/15/1725.full

 

"Thyroid disease may directly effect the heart especially whenever the thyroid gland is overactive. This may produce symptoms of palpitations, heart pain, or heart failure. Similar symptoms may occur with an underactive thyroid if it is treated too rapidly with thyroid replacement therapy. Symptoms of heart disease are much more likely to occur in patients who have underlying heart disease from another cause. Permanent changes in the heart are unusual in patients with normal healthy hearts, unless the thyroid disease is particularly severe and left untreated for very long periods of time." http://www.thyroid.ca/e6a.php

Hope this helps!

[StevesPetRat]

Hi, I don't exactly have your symptoms; many are the exact opposite, and I have some neuro symptoms you don't. Still, I did notice, like you, I felt better when I didn't eat. I've been doing a couple month long trial of a very restricted diet (500 g bison meat, 30 ml high oleic safflower oil, 120 g (dry) cooked and cooled white rice, 30 g ghee, and several heads of boiled iceberg lettuce + ACDE + Ca, Mg, KCl, I, Zn). This eliminates histamine (if meat is fresh), salicylate, oxalate, virtually all lectins, and saponins. I've had significant improvement on this diet; I'm currently building up aspirin from a very low dose to test salicylate intolerance because obviously the diet lacks a bunch of phytonutrients and isn't the best long term. Oh, I should add, the VERY restricted diet is actually easy, because it totally eliminates the need to think about what to eat!

With your thyroid issues I would look at Mg / Ca balance. I found too much Mg made my pulse weak and a lot of Ca would strengthen it.

Of course, the question is why did this problem come out of nowhere? It's verrrry interesting you mentioned excessive sweating. Have you noticed changes in salivation, tear production, GI motility, basal temperature, peripheral circulation, and/or memory? If so, a change in acetylcholine signaling may have occurred due to acute stress (I'm sharing this link everywhere today): http://www.nature.co...l/393373a0.html
Note that acetylcholine decreases heart rate:
http://www.pharmacor...oline_2_2.php#3

Anyway, good luck. I know your frustration with the medical establishment well.

Edited by StevesPetRat, 08 October 2014 - 09:30 AM.

[Astroid]

Last year I had some spasms in my lower left rib cage.. for months. Finally I gave up and had an EKG.. which was normal.. the MD thought it was back muscle spasms coming around.. as I have a pinched nerve back there. 

 

Reading.. I came across some info that said.. Magnesium and Taurine are required for the heart to fire.. CoQ10 is also required.. anyone taking statins needs to supplement with this.  Then I found that Arginine, another amino acid helps with the Mag and Taurine to help stop spasms and cramps.  I happen to be finishing some supplements that had Arginine, and I was already drinking Magnesium Bicarbonate Water that you absorb at 50% ..  so when I added the Taurine the spasms stopped as well as calf cramps at night.  I forgot the Arginine.. a few days.. and the spasms returned. Taking it stopped them in 10 minutes.. 

 

I was also having heavy sweating at night during this time.. Odd..  

 

Taurine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, and the highest amount is stored in the heart.  I buy it in bulk form purebulk and take 1/4 teaspoon or 668 mg. It is a Methyl donor also..

 

I suggest making your own Magnesium Bicarbonate Water.. Magnesium.. relaxes muscles, lowers blood pressure, helps depression, is required for the heart to beat.. It is the 2nd most abundant mineral in the body, is involved in 300+ functions..   and you lose it sweating, urine, or some Rx drugs.  Take this without food as it reduces the HCL in your stomach. Mag pills are hard to absorb.. Mag oxide is absorbed at 5%.. the others might be at 10-15%.. I found this posted from a Fibromyalgia MD. Epsom Salt in hot water is also a source of Mag.. and it really helps relax muscles and sleep. 

 

Folate (Not folic acid) deficiency has many of your symptoms.. some have a bad gene.. and can not process it well.. it suddenly occurs.. get tested.. A friend has this issue.. and came across MethyPro Folate (there is a website for it - no Rx script required.) that is designed for those with this issue. FOLATE is ESSENTIAL... Methyl is necessary for numerous body reactions.. 60% of the population has some issue with this. 

 

I'd suggest METHYL B-12 also..  under the tongue..

 

Biotin (B-7) deficiency also is dangerous.. per Suzy Cohen, pharmacist.. see her website. One symptom is ..     

Irregular Electrocardiographic Activity of Heart

Electrocardiographic activity refers to the electrical activity of the heart, as interpreted by skin electrodes. People who are experiencing biotin deficiency may suffer from irregular electrocardiographic activity of heart, and this can result in serious heart conditions.

750 mg of Choline for he brain wold not hurt. Again. available in bulk cheap.. 

[6ort]

I already taking taurine. I think it helps a bit, but nothing spectacular. Drank MgCl for a long time and no help either.

 

Dialing down the thyroid dose last few days because I feel less overdriven when I don't take it and I don't notice much benefit from it. If my TSH doesn't go too high I will stop taking it completely, it doesn't do me much good. Even 3 grains didn't stop the heart problems so thyroid is unlikely to be the main cause here anyway.

 

The only thing I notice is increased sweating.and lots of very uncomfortable feelings that seem to be coming from my back (adrenal area). These all started ocurring around a similar timeframe as the palpitations.

 

The most frustrating thing for me is how none of the doctors see my problem. My family members have felt my strong heartbeat (I always show them when it's especially bad) and they can definitely feel it (though probably not as much as I can on the inside). The ECG machines do not register this problem, neither does an echo, or any other heart test for that matter. I find this both fascinating and ridiculous. How are these machines not capable of discerning a heartbeat that is abnormally strong? The ECG should have taller spikes in a person whose heartbeat is working more forcefully, the electrical signal must be stronger. Though I assume the readout on the ECG machine is normalized on the Y axis, making it useless in detecting variations of cardiac force. It is primarily used to detect rhythm disturbances anyway.

[mono]

We are probably two different cases but I'd love to hear how someone else goes about sorting out palpitations that are written off as being negligible despite being really uncomfortable at times. Wish you all the best with your research mate, keep us updated.

 

I ran 5km the other day and afterwards had an arrhythmia - my heart was slowing down and speeding up... At one point it stopped dead for a full second or two, pretty weird - and uncomfortable for sure! All was associated with chest pain, tightness, shortness of breath. I've read arrhythmia's are pretty commonly associated with endurance exercise though. And of course are harmless :P

 

I have noticed something very interesting though. The palpitations can be activated with certain chemicals, suggesting the mechanism of action of these chemicals is contributing to the palpitations, and that doing the opposite would supposedly reduce them (my logic isn't always spot on :P). Anyway I've associated it with noots that have a strong colour saturation component. Everytime. I read somewhere this is related to having high levels of glutamate present and given my diagnosis (schizo-something a rather) it would seem hyperactive glutamate firing could very well be linked to the heart palpitations. Given the nature of my illness, whatever causes this malfunction in my brain directly relates to high levels of stress and anxiety so - by a long shot - could be linked in with high cortisol levels...?

 

Just throwing ideas around.

Edited by mono, 13 October 2014 - 12:24 PM.

[6ort]

Interesting. I have not noticed sensitivites from supplements other than hormonal ones. For example if I take too much thyroid I feel a lot worse.

 

Your and my case does differ Mono as you, like a good number of people that have palpitations, have arrhythmias and changes in heart rate, whereas I simply have a great but constant increase in cardiac force. However I also notice PVCs/PACs but this is usually only when I do something that makes everything a lot worse (like eat the wrong food). Other than that my heartrate is very regular and the 'pounding' worries me a lot more than the premature beats/skips.

 

Intuitively a lot of this to me points as being adrenaline-caused but that would run against the common notion that adrenaline increases the heartrate (which it does while running and I do not feel worse while running, generally speaking). Could be other hormones? I am pretty sure my estrogen is high (needs testing). My cortisol WAS high for the record, 567 (530 upper limit) in the morning, but doctors shrugged it off.

 

However, food is a definite trigger. I have but maybe a few foods I can safely eat - which I stick to very closely to keep the suffering to an absolute minimum.

 

As I mentioned - wheat is usually a very big trigger, but not always (!). Rice and potatoes can occasionally trip me up as well.

 

It doesn't seem to be a carb thing as I can eat pretty much any fruit without a problem -  though I had very grave issues with oranges at a certain point however, at times I thought it was the synephrine and potential SULT inhibitors as they prevent breakdown of adrenaline.

 

On the days when I felt a little bit better I went for a short 2 km run trying to get back into it (though the 'good' days are too few in between to be able to run regularly). The first time I did I had very bad chest pain which scared me off (as you can never be sure if it's from the lack of conditioning or the heart palpitations are causing the problem). The 2nd time I went I managed my breathing more efficiently and took more breaks and the chest pain did not appear. However I am just not feeling very safe overall on pushing any faster or longer distances until I can figure out this problem. I did feel a bit more wellness overall some 4-5 hours after the run but that would probably the endorphins. Overall the problem has not changed much.

 

I was wondering about trying clonidine or guanfacine, I'll have to ask maybe someone would be willing to prescribe them to me. The food sensitivites are interesting but overall it seems to point a lot more to the brain and hormonal system to me (as even completely fasting does not stop the problem). It's just fascinating that something can break so badly in the span of a single day and last for so long without showing much sign of change.

 

 

Edited by 6ort, 13 October 2014 - 08:06 PM.

[6ort]

(not sure if I'm allowed to post this link here)

 

But I've been taking this:

 

http://www.iherb.com...-oz-30-ml/55323

 

NutraMedix, Amantilla, Relax-Sleep, 1 fl oz (30 ml)

 

15 drops every day in the morning. It doesn't make me sleepy at all, and it definitely takes the edge off. I've been taking it past few days, it does something good! As long as I stick to my safe foods as well, things aren't too terrible. I've coasted through today fairly painlessly.

 

It's not out of the woods yet as I want to bury this problem into the ground for good, but this is a big clue, there may yet be light at the end of the tunnel. I have some other stuff on the way already.

 

Keep ya posted.

[resveratrol_guy]

Hey 6ort, I hope you're doing better. Your case rung some bells in my head:

 

The Unlikely-but-Dangerous Stuff

 

1. Pulsatile tinnitus is a symptom of aortic dysfunction (and other benign issues). See Wiki about pulsatile tinnitus as a distinct subset of tinnitus. You might consider a carotid ultrasound just out of paranoia.

 

2. Chronic arrythmias are not necessarily benign. They might point to an AV node malformation, for instance. But chronic premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), which it sounds like you have, are generally benign. I hope that they checked for AV (and also sinus node) dysfunction.

 

3. Adrenal tumor. Sounds like the metanephrine survey should have covered this, but if you have pain back in the kidney area, I'd do an abdominal MRI with and without contrast (for other obvious reasons as well).

 

4. Copper defficiency causes arrythmia, at least in pigs.

 

Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome

 

1. As to sthira's point, it sounds like you have PVCs, which are the hallmark symptom if mitral valve prolapse (the other being audible "click" perceptible with a stethascope, especially during palpitory events). Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is only one of several manifestations of mitral valve prolapse syndrome (MVPS), as described in the very informative "Taking Control: Living with the Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome" by Kristine Scordo.

 

2. If vertical stretching raises your heart rate, this sounds like orthostatic hypotension -- another symptom of MVPS (but not necessarily MVP). This can be virtually eliminated by inhaling synchronously with standing up.

 

3. The taurine efficacy (although it's minor according to you) does suggest the possibility of a heart issue.

 

4. A doppler echocardiogram is the best way to check for MVP -- not a "plain old" ultrasound. Are you sure they had a really close look at your valve's fluid dynamic performance? There are some people who have MVPS without MVP, but this is very rare.

 

5. Magnesium glycinate (IMO 100-400 mg/d) is the form most recommended by Scordo for reducing PVCs, and it works IMO. But just know that magnesium supplements can cause memory faults at certain elevated doses. An alternative is reported to be inderal, a beta blocker. Sorry I have no quantitative statistics here.

 

6. Wheat sensitivity: I assume you've been tested for Celiac disease? It's possible that your body somehow interprets wheat as a poison, and raises your heart rate in an attempt to accelerate the metabolism of its toxic components. Alternatively, if you're talking mostly about pizza, then the cheese itself may be the issue; cheese increases palpitations within "digstive time", perhaps due to an increase in blood viscosity and the resulting alteration of fluid dynamics around the mitral valve (which might be mitigated by supplementation with competent digestive enzymes, if this applies to you).

 

7. MVPS sufferers tend to be highly sensitive to caffeine, especially chocolate. Does this describe you?

 

OTOH if this is really all just a TSH/cortisone affair, then obviously treating that issue with thyroxin or adaptogens ought to help a lot.

 

I'm glad you dumped the benzos, which have been linked to Alzheimers.

 

Finally, here is one video from a former panic sufferer who killed his panic attacks by watching himself panic. Proper meditation techniques have been shown to cause brain changes visible on fMRI, including improved hippocampal connectivity and reduced atrophy. Not that I'm convinced that you're having panic attacks, despite the outward symptoms, but others who find this thread surely are.

 

[6ort]

For the first time in 2 years I was finally feeling moderately good. Everything felt like it was going in the right direction, the awful stress feelings were reduced by 90%, the palpitations were less severe, I was able to concentrate on what I wanted to do to a much greater extent.

 

That lasted for about a week. Then I developed a tolerance to the valerian, gotten brain fog and took a tumble down to baseline. Now I feel shitty again. I have two more supplements on the way, motherwort and berberine. IF I am right about the mechanisms of why the valerian helps, then this should be even better I hope. But since this is all just guesswork I have no idea. 

 

The valerian is the first thing that actually WORKED for sure.

 

I have to prepare for feeling shitty for another 2 weeks until I get the next batch of supplements. Ugh...

 

P.S. The thyroid has nothing to do with it. I took up to 3 grains of thyroid and had TSH at 0 and no improvement. I have no idea what my TSH is at now, testing due in a few weeks, but it has no correlation to how well I feel.

Edited by 6ort, 20 November 2014 - 06:03 PM.

[factsmachine]

something somewhat similar seems to be happening to me. when I lay down in bed for the night my heart starts pounding. even if I don't feel anxious. over time now I do get anxious when it happens, making it worse. also it makes me feel very worn out when it happens. come to find out my grandma has the same thing happen to her mostly only when she lays down.
I however have an anxiety disorder though. that's probably what's causing mine. also your cortisol is high, you never mentioned anything else about it. that's related to stress-physical or mental normally.

[mag1]

I finally decided that I wanted to investigate the sort of palpitation issues described on this thread.

 

This week I went online and tried one of the answer sites where top medical experts give an opinion on whatever ails you.

I explained how my 23andme result had found a rare arrhythmia variant in the MYH6 gene:

 

A rare variant in MYH6 is associated with high risk of sick sinus syndrome

Nat Genet. Mar 6, 2011; 43(4): 316–320.

 

All the members of our family with this mutation have demonstrated very odd behavior. These behaviors have included wide ranging fears about the moral behavior in the community (religious concerns), fears about monetary policy ( even as children) etc. . Any little stress in our family provokes an extreme response (updating a credit card etc.) from family members. Notably, all these family members have chosen lifestyles that completely minimize the stress that others would hardly notice.

 

One family member was treated through psychological medicine for stress and panic disorder with valium and propranolol.

However, by choosing a low stress life, all of these medications have been withdrawn.

 

All of these was posted to the help site and we sought some sort of medical opinion. It was disappointing, given this background, to get a boiler plate response from the cardiologist of how the behavioral manifestations were unlikely a result of the gene variant. This was hard to believe. The gene variant is quite rare. In Iceland, 0.38% of the population carry the mutation and the carriers have a substantially elevated risk of Sick Sinus Syndrome. (Up to 50% of carriers develop SSS). In a sample of almost 1,500  US controls no one carried the variant.

 

I am very happy that the 23andme gene chip included this rare variant as it gives us a lead on what might be going wrong. However, we were very fortunate that the variant was found as few rare variants are included on 23andme . It would be helpful for others with palpitation issues to investigate genetic diagnostic approaches as well. It must be very frustrating to spend considerable amounts of money on stress tests and EEG monitoring and not receive a conclusive answer.  

 

 

[Monapolis]

I've been going through what you are going through for a number of months now. It's a long story, but here I am feeling like i'm going crazy. So many things line up with what your going through. My heart rate is usually around 50-60 but on some days in the 70s. When I've having the intense feelings of adrenaline my heart rate doesn't go up at all, but the feeling can stick with me for hours. It has impacted negatively on my life in a very negative way. Right now I am not at work due to the debilitating effects it has on me and the fact that it comes and goes so randomly leaves me feeling like I can't function at any point in life. One difference between how you and I perceive the "racing heart" you speak of is that I don't think that is my heart at all. My heart rate is low so my heart can't be racing. My blood pressure is fine as well. I can see how you would think it could be the heart though. When it first started happening I thought it could be, but now I'm thinking nerves. It's like I have a vibrator stuck in the middle of my chest. When it gets really bad I get a very dry mouth that goes along with it, but mostly just the vibration and the adrenaline. I've also been having cramping issues with muscles in my chest. I'm thinking with my nerves vibrating like that for so long it must be hard on my muscles. It's all quite scary though. When it's at it's peak I definitely feel like it will effect my heart. How can feelings like this not eventually affect other parts of the body.

I've made a big lifestyle change due to this as well. I'm in the same boat as you with doctors. My mom tells me I should go back on anti-anxiety meds and my doctor is putting me through tests that she feels are pointless and is preparing to get me a therapist to deal with anxiety when all the tests come back normal. I would change doctors but part of being in Canada with free health care, is that doctors are a short commodity. One good thing about her though is she pretty much does put me through the tests I ask for just to "prove it isn't the issue". The unfortunate side of that is because she believes it's anxiety she has stopped actually trying to figure out what it could be. I do a lot of googleing (which is what brought me here). I've taken msg out of my diet, reduced gluten. I also found wheat was a trigger. My husband and I have taken up routine exercises and will be spending 10 weeks with a trainer to try to get on the right path. None of this has been much help, but in the long run living healthier is a plus.

I'm thinking it's hormone related myself. I'm pretty sure my hormones are messed up. As a female (apologies for being so graphic) my cycle has never been regular and I have lost or experienced lower sensations in parts of my body I shouldn't have at my age. My main thoughts are I'm low in something that is affecting my hormones and or my nervous system or auto-something you mentioned before...

So sorry for the long sch-peel but I would like nothing better than to put this behind me.