palpitations - Heart Disorders Message Board

megan79 · 01-18-2007, 12:09 PM

Hello. I am new to this site, but joined so I could find other people to talk to who may be going through the same thing. I am also in the medical field which doesn't help my situation! For the past few months, I have been having more frequent palpitations and I am currently going through a series of tests to find out the cause. I was on Atenolol for years to treat my high blood pressure and when the palpitations began, I was switched to toprol 100mg. This helped some but not completely. I told my doctor about this, and I was then told to take diltiazem 180mg. Yesterday was my first day on this new med and my symptoms are much worse. My heart has been racing and pounding and it is driving me crazy. I try to remain calm, but I think I am so aware of what my heart is doing that I find it hard to remain calm. Any advice? Anyone gong through the same thing?

godsproperty000 · 01-18-2007, 03:30 PM

Have you had an echo? Palps can be caused by different things. The drs tried to tell me..ahh its normal millions live with it (and I'm sure they do) and not to worry. Ha! easy for someone to say who doesnt go thru it. Mine turned out to be MVP which of course is something many people live with and nothing to worry about..so I am told..but in my heart I knew when I first started getting the crazy beats that it wasnt the "normal" way for a heart to beat. I am on atenolol 50mg a day and it has helped some...but I am also getting symptoms of a blockage and my skipped beats in the past accompanied those symptoms so the few times I get them now make me more sure that there is once again another blockage. I know that alot of people live with the palps and ectopic beats for many years and I know that stress can definetly bring them on..so try to relax and dont get nervous. Just wondering..I was taking those weight loss pills several years ago when my skipped beats started. I have since then been off them for quite a few years but still I think the damage was done. Have you been on any herbal pills lately?

megan79 · 01-18-2007, 07:46 PM

I just had an echo two days ago and I am waiting on the results. I think waiting for all the results is the worst part of all of this. My doctor did tell me that my magnesium level was low and to take a magnesium supplement. She doesn't feel this is the cause of my palpitations, but it is probably making them worse. I haven't taken any weight loss medications in recent years, but about seven years ago I was taking an over the counter weight loss medication. The only other time in my life that I have had palpitations was when I was pregnant and of course, instead of running any tests, I was told that this is very common in pregnant women. Well, I am not pregnant now and I am having them again. I am trying very hard to relax and try not to worry so much, but it's hard to do that sometimes. But, I am working on that!

George8211 · 01-23-2007, 05:34 AM

I used to have this problem... but corrected it with diet change.

I've had this for years... and once at the Dr office I got lucky, it was happening while I was there. I was able to get someone to listen to it as it was happening.

This is what I would feel... It would feel like my heart stopped for about 5 seconds... then I would get a large hard heart beat... kinda felt like taking a large gulp of water. Heart felt as if pumping a large gulp of blood.

I was getting micro beats... I would get 3 very rapid heart beats within a second or so... this was the fluttering feeling in my chest, the gulp feeling was the blood backing up from the pressure of the very fast beats, then the pause (or skip) was the hearts normal time for 3 beats... results in the same pulse per minute.

I eliminated all sources of caffine.. Coffee, Tea (with caffine), chocolate. Through experimenting I found that some BBQ sauces, BBQ chips also caused this to happen with me. Caffine withdrawls causes headaches for about 2 weeks (it is an addictive substance).

I have learned how much caffine and chips I can get away with over the years. Doc says this type of skipped beat is not harmful and many people have it.

I hope this helps.. I was Soooo releived when I learned that I have the power to eliminate this issue from my life.