ok really serious question!

[Brandi]

Some years ago (about 9) I suffered from heart palpatations. They gave me a mild tranq and told me to relax. Take up excercise, yoga walking deep breathing etc...I did some major soul searching and got deep into healing myself without drugs. I read books, kept journals, took up walking (later turned into bike riding) and yoga.
I was able to calm myself down and eventually almost completly rid myself of them. But they still creep in here and there.
Well this past week they have come back. I don't know if I am just really worried about stuff or what. But I have been watching my coffee intake and getting plenty of sleep. I don't drink much or smoke.
My dh thinks maybe I should go see the Dr. I just wonder if he is going to just tell me I need to mellow out again. I am conflicted. I have had and am still having a lot going on in my life to worry about. My niece, tax time, work. I just don't know. I think maybe I should go just so the Dr knows what is going on. And it has been 9 years since the last time I went through this like this.
But I am aware that I am stressing myself out. it's funny when the heart palps happen I swear I am not thinking about the stressful things.

[LBTC]

B, I think you should see a doc. This may be different so it's worth checking. That said, if you want to continue to seek wellness without medication, let him know that, and that you're there to be responsible and rule out other factors.

Along the lines of not using medication to be well - I have had heart palps occasionally for years. I now attribute them to the same cause as virtually all of my other ills: adrenal stress. I'm combating this in a number of ways, including regular massage, acupuncture, homeopathic, herbal and nutritional remedies, and aromatherapy. In fact, my dear friend, an aromatherapist, mixed up a synergy for me to support my adrenal system. It contains basil, rosemary and geranium. I smell it whenever I feel the acute symptoms, including heart palps, and I do begin to feel calm right away. Just a thought...

Sending lots of healing, calming butterflies your way,
and hugs,
~T~

[Brandi]

You are so helpful. I have a friend who makes really good soap. And has a bunch of oils she uses I will ask her to make me some.
I am wondering if I should give it a few more days and see if it is a passing thing.

[kat_h]

The last words my father said before he died were "If I don't feel better I'll go to the doctor next week." It would be funny if it weren't true. If in doubt go to the doctor. He might not help, or he might catch something that saves your life. All you have to lose by going is an hour of your time.

You mention that you watch your coffee intake. When I was having heart problems my doctor had me cut out caffeine entirely. Now when I do have a little I reallise what a powerful drug it is. Maybe try cutting it right out.

[tulip]

I agree with Kat on the doctor and the coffee. Please just go see the doctor. If it's nothing, then you'll know. If it's not nothing, then you'll know. Knowledge is powerful, and it will allow you to take action. Not knowing is stressful doesn't help the situation in any way.

[mimitabby]

The last words my father said before he died were "If I don't feel better I'll go to the doctor next week." It would be funny if it weren't true. If in doubt go to the doctor. He might not help, or he might catch something that saves your life. All you have to lose by going is an hour of your time.

You mention that you watch your coffee intake. When I was having heart problems my doctor had me cut out caffeine entirely. Now when I do have a little I reallise what a powerful drug it is. Maybe try cutting it right out.

i have about 3 of those a year. My doctor has told me if they get frequent to come back asap. I think you need to see a doctor.

[OakLeaf]

I think you're answering yourself with your thread title. If you're concerned, you should get it checked out. The last time I had an EKG it was pretty inexpensive (and if your doctor thinks you need more testing, hopefully you have insurance to cover that).

I get palpitations, but I've had an EKG to identify what kind they are, and a doctor's advice that they're nothing to worry about. Mostly it's food allergies that bring them on.

[Brandi]

I will make an appointment today and just go in. You are all right and I think I know in my heart it is better to go and know then to 2nd guess it.
And no more coffee for me! I will stick to decaf tea's.

[Wahine]

I would also encourage you to go back to the doc and seek out some other alternatives. LBTC mentioned acupuncture. This can be very helpful for heart symproms, especially if they are anxiety related. Even if you don't like needles, sometimes a acupuncturist can use other methods of energy balancing including acupressure, herbs or electirical stimulation.

[lph]

This is probably not what you have, but I wanted to tell you anyway: a colleague and friend of mine, an extremely fit 63 yr.old who's done long-distance sports his whole life, has had heart palpitations for many years. During exertion his heart would suddenly go into "hyperdrive", and he had trouble getting his pulse down again. Turns out there was some nerve or something "backfiring" and giving his heart too many signals. It was solved by a very short operation where they burned over the offending "signal" (sorry, I wasn't paying attention to the medical details ;) ) and he hasn't had a heart palpitation since. Just FYI.

[short cut sally]

Brandi, have your thyroid levels checked. If they are off they can lead to palpitations or irregularities in your heartbeat.
LPH- were you looking for the word "ablation"?

[lph]

not really - I was told the story in Norwegian and just did my best to translate what he said :p

I'm a glaciologist and to me ablation means snow melting...

[LBTC]

yes, shelleyj, good thought! I'd forgotten about hyperthyroid as a possibility! Please have that checked, too, Brandi!

kat_h, that is so sad!! Really makes ya think....

Hugs and healing enlightening butterflies,
~T~

[SadieKate]

Brandi, please don't take herbs and homeopathic remedies without a diagnosis. They are just drugs that have not gone through clinical trials and FDA approval, so our culture doesn't term them "medications" or "drugs" in the western medicine sense. They are still part of the pharmacopeia and have contraindications and side effects just like drugs that have FDA approval.

They can be just what you need or just what you don't.

As an example, I have MS and until there are further trials, I stay away from all homeopathic "immune system boosters" as these could encourage my immune system to further attack itself. That doesn't mean all homeopathic remedies are bad.

Please seek a diagnosis first and then treat second.

[Brandi]

Brandi, please don't take herbs and homeopathic remedies without a diagnosis. They are just drugs that have not gone through clinical trials and FDA approval, so our culture doesn't term them "medications" or "drugs" in the western medicine sense. They are still part of the pharmacopeia and have contraindications and side effects just like drugs that have FDA approval.

They can be just what you need or just what you don't.

As an example, I have MS and until there are further trials, I stay away from all homeopathic "immune system boosters" as these could encourage my immune system to further attack itself. That doesn't mean all homeopathic remedies are bad.

Please seek a diagnosis first and then treat second.
I will I promise. I am just using a essntial oil to smell right now it is supposed to have a calming effect.

[mupedalpusher]

My hubby was having palps at increased frequency and decided it had to be diet soda because of an article he had read. All along I was pretty sure it was caffeine since we know he's very "drug" sensitive. He went off both and then one day drank two diet sodas and had them again. Here's the funny part... he was so happy to be able to tell me he was right, then I looked at him and asked if he thought it could possibly be the 1/2 box of thin mint girl scout cookies he ate earlier (chocolate)!! He laughed and was willing to consider it might be the chocolate. Long story short, with him it's very chocolate and caffeine related but you need to have it checked out. I actually have been uncomfortable at how little concern his doctor showed.

[sundial]

If you are pre-menopausal, this occasionally happens to some women.

[Blueberry]

No advice to offer except take care of yourself. You know what's normal for you and what isn't - if it's not normal, see a doc.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!!

CA

[KnottedYet]

See your doctor! There are so many icky things that can be caught with a simple visit to the doc, honestly your best bet is to see the doc first.

(I get the pre-menopausal version of the heart silliness, but you bet your bootaaay I had the doc check it first!)

[cyclinnewbie]

Are you hydrated? If you're even the slightest bit dehydrated, it can cause some heart irregularities.

[Brandi]

If you are pre-menopausal, this occasionally happens to some women. oh really?

[Brandi]

Are you hydrated? If you're even the slightest bit dehydrated, it can cause some heart irregularities.
You know what is interesting about you saying that is I started drinking much more today and have felt better! I mean I ran a round a volly ball court with no probablem! But was drinking a lot more water and feeling better and had no palps and still none at this point.

[Jolt]

If you are pre-menopausal, this occasionally happens to some women.

True, and for some women (any age) it can be related to hormones (i.e. happening more at certain points in your cycle). I occasionally get episodes of PVC's, and when it happens it's almost always at a certain time of the month. You should get checked out to make sure everything's OK. Most of the time in these instances it is, and the palpitations are just annoying, but better safe than sorry. A regular resting EKG will show some types of underlying abnormalities but in general isn't all that great for figuring out what arrhythmia you have unless you're experiencing it right then (and Murphy's law is that you won't be, and then you'll have an episode as soon as they disconnect all the leads!). Often what is done is having you wear a portable monitor for a period of time (usually 24 hours) to have a better chance of catching it. They may also want to do an echo to rule out any structural problems with the heart. Anyway, I'd recommend just getting yourself checked out and then you can relax about it rather than being stressed out not knowing what it is.

[mudmucker]

True, and for some women (any age) it can be related to hormones (i.e. happening more at certain points in your cycle). I occasionally get episodes of PVC's, and when it happens it's almost always at a certain time of the month. You should get checked out to make sure everything's OK.

As an added note, I was just talking with a friend of mine who had heart palpitations for a good part of her adult life. For her, they found that low dose birth control solved the problem and that the cause was hormone fluctuations. She found this out in her 30's and she is now 47 and not pre-menopausal just yet. She had recently gone off the pill for some reason, and the heart palps came back. She quickly went back on it and they subsided again.

However, it can be due to hormone imbalance during peri-menopause (if not heart problems), but also, and this can fool you because it did me, that if your thyroid is off it can give you the same symptoms as peri-menopause - all the way down to strange cycles, hot flashes, and erratic bleeding.

[Brandi]

Ok really strange, I woke up with a cold this morning! I was not expecting that! Is it possible I was trying to fight it. I have not had a palp since yesterday afternoon now. Weird. Anyway I have an appointment for next week. I am going to continue getting more water down and making sure I get plenty of sleep.
I am going to try and keep a jouranl of the palps to see if there is a pattern at this time as well. Thank you all once again for advice and listening.

[sgtiger]

Brandi, please see a doc. It's better just to go and rule out anything serious than to speculate. Then when your doc says everything is okay, you can try the remedies suggested by others. Okay?

[Brandi]

It is in the plans! Thank you for your concern!

[twin]

Check your thyroid because I had heart issues like racing heart.

[Brandi]

Check your thyroid because I had heart issues like racing heart.
I am all over it!

[cyclinnewbie]

Keep us posted, and keep pushing the H2O. Even if it's not the cure-all for the palps, it'll still make you feel better! I know when I'm dehydrated, my heart flip-flops all over the place.

[rij73]

Hey Brandi... Just saw this thread and wondering what the doc said! I am suffering from occasional heartbeat irregularity that I can feel in my chest. I'm going to the doc too, but in the meantime am fretting over all the possibilities.

[Brandi]

The Dr will do an ekg first and will be able to tell if it is an irregular heart beat or just a nervouse heart. Sometimes they will have you wear a monitor.
Mine calmed way down to almost none. So it is like we thought , just stress. But I need to control it with relaxing. Meditating, riding my bike not letting things get to me. Stress is the worst thing sometimes and can kill us. Which is why I need to really really work on calming down and letting things slide off my back.
There is a good book called "Don't Panic" I can't rememeber the auther right off hand at the moment. It helped a lot.
How old are you if you don't mind me asking? The Dr said it is a very common thing to have now.
Do all the things like cut coffee and sugar way down. Get a good nights rest and keep up your biking or what ever you do to release stress.
Breath!

[sundial]

Do all the things like cut coffee and sugar way down.

Huh?? :eek:

Brandi, glad you are doing better and please keep us posted with your doc's visit. We want our Brandi to be healthy and happy so she can go play in the sand. :D

[Pax]

I started looking for some inspiration to help me along during my work day when mediating wasn't an option. I do take the time to breathe but also found the Daily Om (http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2008/13327.html) to a really nice moment of respite in my day.

[Brandi]

I started looking for some inspiration to help me along during my work day when mediating wasn't an option. I do take the time to breathe but also found the Daily Om (http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2008/13327.html) to a really nice moment of respite in my day.
I read daily Om as well! It is really cool!

[LBTC]

Yes, I visit Daily Om from time to time, also. As you know, I also sned my daily photo, which I hope helps, too. :)
H&B
~T~

[rij73]

Thanks Brandi!

I'm 34. I have anxiety issues for sure and take medication for it. This heart stuff started when I made an attempt to taper off my medication. Even though I'm back on it, the heartbeat irregularities have not gone away. Happens about once a day.

I suspect it is stress related for me too but just want to be sure. When it happens I make sure to stop what I'm doing and breathe deeply. That seems to set me straight. I don't drink coffee, but I do drink one cup of black tea in the morning and one cup of green tea in the afternoon. It may sound silly, but I really don't want to give up my tea! I'm so virtuous about diet and exercise that I'd be really sad to lose my tea ritual. I'm really into fine tea... But, we'll see. I suppose if it has to go, it has to. I would swear that the tea relaxes me, though.

[Mr. Bloom]

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them... Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matt 6:26,34

Easier said than done...but true nonetheless.

[Brandi]

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them... Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matt 6:26,34

Easier said than done...but true nonetheless.
Thank you! i like that very much!

[cyclinnewbie]

rj...I have anxiety issues also. Have had a couple of panic attacks, anxiety, worry, etc. Doc told me when the palps started, to sip a glass of ice cold water, and it works every time! Nothing scientific about it...good old distraction makes the palps go away. That, and I do a lot of yoga, and a little meditation, but it's hard to quiet my mind enough for it to do any good. I think that anything that takes your mind off your anxiety will quiet your heart, as long as there's no medical reason for the arrythmia's. JMHO
:)

[rij73]

rj...I have anxiety issues also. Have had a couple of panic attacks, anxiety, worry, etc. Doc told me when the palps started, to sip a glass of ice cold water, and it works every time! Nothing scientific about it...good old distraction makes the palps go away. That, and I do a lot of yoga, and a little meditation, but it's hard to quiet my mind enough for it to do any good. I think that anything that takes your mind off your anxiety will quiet your heart, as long as there's no medical reason for the arrythmia's. JMHO
:)

Thank you!