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Hello,

I have an "overactive" heart, and recently had to go into the hospital due to a very rapid heartbeat. My cardiologist put me on atenelol , and i have been ok since. I took the Echo-Stress test where i got to run myself to death.......LOL.........and my heart is structually sound.

However

Past 3 days, everytime i eat, i get these horrible palpatations. They come and go, but they are annoying as heck, and cause me to notice and sometimes feel like a small jolt to my body. I get tired quickly now, and it really bothers me when im sitting or lying down.

My regular doctor things it might be GERD (acid reflux ) since it triggers every time i eat. But i don't have the burning chest and throat symptoms. I have no pain, just a very annoying and sometimes scary palpatation.

Any suggestions or advice ??????

Thanks everyone.
schlike22

Have u noticed that is it everytime u eat or just certain stuff?? i have noticed here lately that when i eat certain foods they trigger the palps to come on and i use to not be like that i could eat anything just stayed away from caffine now it seems that stuff with alot of carbs in it make the palps start.

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Past 3 days, everytime i eat, i get these horrible palpatations. They come and go, but they are annoying as heck, and cause me to notice and sometimes feel like a small jolt to my body. I get tired quickly now, and it really bothers me when im sitting or lying down.

My regular doctor things it might be GERD (acid reflux ) since it triggers every time i eat. But i don't have the burning chest and throat symptoms. I have no pain, just a very annoying and sometimes scary palpatation.

Any suggestions or advice ??????

Thanks everyone.
schlike22

It is probably a side effect of the atenelol. Atenelol messes around with the timing of the heart. Unfortunately, some things that you eat or drink can cause a chemical interaction with the atenelol. I've also found out that, since I have been on the heart medicine, an allergic reaction will cause my heart to go nuts, especially in bed. The bed is the worst place for allergies.

I've gotten around my "lying down" problem by wearing a surgical mask to sleep, which is not easy but I have gotten used to it. At least, with the mask, my heart behaves itself.

You might want to go on a very limited diet for a few days until you can isolate what is causing the problem. It could be caused by foods with either high levels of calcium and/or potassium and/or salt, but this is just a guess on my part because I am not familiar with Atenelol. Most heart rhythm meds mess around with the calcium, potassium or sodium channels of the heart.

Are you taking multivitamin/mineral pills? Some of the chemicals in these pills can interact with heart medicine. Do you drink grapefruit juice? It can cause increased heart rhythm problems.

Heart doctors should know about interactions between heart meds and foods and drinks, but unfortunately many of them don't.

Regards, and best of luck and health!

That sounds very similar to what I'm going through. I also just get these palpitations for no reason even if I'm doing nothing. I had an episode just a few minutes ago where it felt like they wouldnt stop. I was starting to get scared which just increased my anxiety and made them come on stronger. I had an EKG this week and the doctor said it was normal except for something she called an inverted peak? that has something to do with my heartbeat. To be on the safe side, i'm going for an eco and a halter monitor next week. I feel like it's nothing but yet I'm scared to death. I also seem to be out of breath a lot and even turning on my side when I'm sleeping seems to increase my heartbeat. I'll post the results when I have them.

That sounds very similar to what I'm going through. I also just get these palpitations for no reason even if I'm doing nothing.

Your endocrine system releases many chemicals (hormones) into the body, in reaction to foods or allergens or stress.

You say "no reason", but you never know when your endocrine system is going to start pumping hormones because a lot of time the reaction of the endocrine system is delayed. Sometimes it is immediate.

Are you on any meds? Do you drink grapefruit juice? It can cause heart palpitations.

I had an episode just a few minutes ago where it felt like they wouldnt stop. I was starting to get scared which just increased my anxiety and made them come on stronger. I had an EKG this week and the doctor said it was normal except for something she called an inverted peak? that has something to do with my heartbeat.

If your heart isn't going nuts during the EKG, then the problem won't show up. I don't know what an inverted peak means.

To be on the safe side, i'm going for an eco and a halter monitor next week.

There should be an "event" button on the holter. If your heart starts jumping around or misfiring, press the event button. The computer program can then pump out more detail about the heart irregularity. Also keep a good log of what you eat and drink. Especially write down on the log what you were doing within an hour or two of when your heart misfired.

Make sure that the nurse sets the Holter to the right time, or your log will not correspond to the correct time.

You might want to ask for a copy of your Holter results, so you can research the results either here or elsewhere on the Internet. Healthboards has a lot of people who may be able to tell you some info about your results.

I feel like it's nothing but yet I'm scared to death. I also seem to be out of breath a lot and even turning on my side when I'm sleeping seems to increase my heartbeat. I'll post the results when I have them.

Having your heart misfire is scary. It is good that you are having the problem checked out thoroughly.

From what I have read in your notes, almost all tests have come back showing a healthy heart, except that you are under tremendous stress. Stress WILL cause your endocrine system to start pumping chemicals, and could cause the heart to start misfiring. When the heart misfires it can cause shortness of breath and chest discomfort.

It could be more than just the stress. It could be the combination of stress, and something that you eat, drink, or an allergen that touches your skin, or that you breathe.

It is very complex. A most common cause of the heart misfiring is due to an allergic reaction causing the endocrine system to get busy.

Regarding the stress...... I know it is almost impossible, but you have to try to reduce your stress level. You could try sitting down, at times, and try to blank your mind. Don't allow any thought. Try to not even think about blanking your mind. While doing this, take a deep breath, and let it out gently. Keep your mind blank. Don't even think about the breathing. Try to feel your body relaxing. Try to sit there as limp as possible, as if you can't even lift your arms. Slump your shoulders and your head. As soon as a thought comes into your head about your husband in the military or your job, stop the thought and try to blank your mind. You might even be able to do this at work, if only for a few minutes.

I've got major heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure and I am on heart meds and the mind blanking exercise works for me!

Sorry about the long response.

Regards, and best of luck and health for you and your family! :wave:

Just a few more notes about eating or drinking and possible effects on the heart.

Anything with caffeine can cause the heart to misfire, like coffee, tea or chocolate.

I have found, in my case, that if I consume too much carbohydrate, it will make my heart misfire.

I have also found out, in my case, that when my heart starts to misfire, it will keep misfiring for hours or days until it finally settles down. During that time, I try to avoid anything that will make the misfiring worse.

By "misfiring", I mean PACs, PVCs, Tachycardias, Palpitations, or any other irregular beating.

Has anyone else had an experience with a particular food or drink or event that made their heart malfunction or misfire?

all i have found that makes mine start up is food with alot of carbs in it, like breads, pastas stuff like that also alot of sugar does it also like in syrup and soda i try to advoid these as much as i can or just consume little quanities of them and that seems to be working, i had made a list of everything i ate during the day and marked down when i would have the misfires and that is what i came up with.

all i have found that makes mine start up is food with alot of carbs in it, like breads, pastas stuff like that also alot of sugar does it also like in syrup and soda i try to advoid these as much as i can or just consume little quanities of them and that seems to be working, i had made a list of everything i ate during the day and marked down when i would have the misfires and that is what i came up with.

Have you noticed if carbs give you more problems during the day, or during the night, or about the same?

Palpitations are a common occurrence among many people, so I have read. I have taken atenolol for about 3.5 years, and I still get them from time to time. I don't let them scare me, except when my heart skips a beat, then starts back so hard that I feel a "punch" from within my chest. Marajuana and alcohol, I have read, can cause palpitations. Caffeine and some otc meds, I have read, are notorious for causing them. I am 51 now, but when I was in my early twenties and healthy, I worked very hard (construction work). I would usually go to bed by 9:00 pm, and would experience these, shortly after laying down. I think I actually overworked my entire body, because I would get a full nights rest, and wake up tired. Hope you get better.

schlike,

When you awaken tomorrow, have a breakfast of 2 eggs and some meat (bacon,spam,sausage etc,)...NOTHING ELSE.

Did it cause palps?

I have found that the relation between eating and palpitations is this. I used to eat my food fast. I'd take a few bites, swallow, then repeat. My body would then have to work overtime to break the food down. It would cause my heart to beat fast and would also increase the palpitations. I notice when I take my time eating and chew very well, I don't have an accelerated heartbeat and very little PVCs. Hope this helps.

I have an interesting Tachycardia story here....

I smoke, I drink alcohol and caffeine regularly.

About 4 months ago, I went out to dinner at PF Chang's with some friends. Had drinks with dinner and then coffee and cigarettes afterwards. Nothing here is unusual. A little while later, I had to go to the ER because my heart was racing. My heartbeat was at 200. They injected some med into my IV which resets the heartbeat and sent me home. About a week later, I went to a cardiologist....had a stress test....all is okay with my heart. If it ever happens again doc said to just do the same thing....go to the ER. Oh, and stay away from the smokes, alcohol, and caffeine.


Well.....here it is 4 months later...no episodes until I take a friend out for a birthday dinner. You guessed it...we went to PF Chang's. Same thing happens....ended up in ER with a heartbeat of 200. Some have suggested the use of MSG but I eat Chinese food all the time elsewhere and nothing happens. In fact, PF Chang's claims not to use it in their cooking.

I am stumped. Perhaps there is a particular spice that sets my tachycardia off? None of the main ingredients were anything that is not a part of my regular diet.

Janie

It's the MSG...they LIED.

I eat Chinese all the time but there is one hole in the wall on Mott Street with the BEST Won-Ton soup and Lo Mein on the planet...full of MSG. When I leave the place I have a "heart attack" every time.

After the first 50 panics I have just learned to call it a WO HOP attack!:D
(If I had the black bean sauce, I'd never make it HOME.)

Only for soup this good would I suffer!

I even add MSG to my homemade soups but only the huge amount from the restaurant makes me suffer....so it's a quantitative thing!

Janie,
You'll just have to give Chang's a wide berth...

Dinner At Chang's....$100.00

Co-pay for trip to emergency room....$200.00

Feeling like my heart is going to explode because it's beating 200 bpm and then finding out I'm going to be okay after Doctor restarts my heart......priceless.



Not sure it's worth it though.

Janie

Dinner at WO HOPS...$12 for 2.
Laugh at another fake heart attack...PRICELESS!:D:D

(I'm dying for a huge Won Ton Soup this week.)

i feel like you guys do, i was to the point that i was afraid to eat anything and im 5 months pregnant and i havent gained a pound cause i wouldnt eat cause everytime i did my heart would start and it scared me so bad i just decided to eat crackers and water i knew that wouldnt bother me..........but now i decided ya know what is been doin this since i got pregnant i never had problems with food before pregnancy............im done worrying about it so now i eat what i want when i want i figure this hasnt killed me yet and its not going to so im going to go back to enjoying the foods i use to like and eat like a normal person, i dont require trips to the er like you guys do but it does get to the point where it sends me to bed for days at a time but oh well i am wasting my life away worrying about what i eat and what i dont eat, and now i have noticed that some of the foods that were bothering me dont anymore so im glad i said the heck with it and did it anyway good luck to you guys and enjoy your chinese :bouncing:

OMG, the PF Chang's story is sooo familiar. If I eat certain foods or if I stuff my face, my heart will race, race, race all the way into a full blown PA. I had a MAJOR food induced PA that scared the bejesus out of me 5 years ago. I ate an inocuous looking pasta pesto salad from a deli then 1/2 hour later I was at the fire station breathing oxygen!