Hi Guys.

I'm new to the board but so glad found a place to ask questions about these darn palpitations from others who know what I'm going through!

So a few years ago I went to the ER because of an allergic reaction to a face cream I was using (I know stupid!) and they gave me an Epinehprine shot.  It gave me palpitations right away but I didn't think much of it.

A week after the ER visit, I started getting palpitations every time I ate, I mean every single time!  On top of that, I started getting palps with a full bladder too!  

This has been going on for a few years now.  I've tried different things but was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and have been trying to deal with that but so far the palps are here to stay!

I just wanted to see if anyone has had symptoms like this.  I know the moderator mentioned it's vagal nerve related but what can we do about it?  I keep thinking something is bugging our nervous system, it can be toxins and such, so have been detoxing and also have recently started taking my metal fillings out and will do a heavy metal detox.

Anyways, my blood pressure is way too low to do Beta Blockers and it seems it keeps going lower and lower.  I'm wondering what the heck is going on with me???  :'(

Thanks for helping out.

I've had palps while eating too.  But I can't help you much.  I never really found out much about it except that the Vagus Nerve might be involved.  

Feel better fast!

I have had palps since I was around 14 years old.

It's not often that I get them just from the act of eating but more of what it is that I ate. If it's anything that makes me gassy, I can expect an onslaught of palps incoming.

I have learned to watch what I eat and try and remember to chew thoroughly so my digestive system doesn't have to do all the work causing more gas. Also, I eat less but more frequently. If I eat so much that I am uncomfortable, I think I would go into an arrhythmia and  

Much of what you're describing in the aftermath of what appears to have been an anaphylactic response is related to cause & effect thinking. In other words, because events have occurred closely together in time, the presumption is that they are related or possess a causal effect.

Benign palpitations arise from inappropriate stimulation of the heart by the vagus nerve as a consequence of elevated stress upon the central nervous system and not due to some type of focal effect.

This type of response has absolutely nothing to do with any sort of toxicity whatsoever and frankly, I'll be direct here and tell you that chelation and other practices are strictly the forte of  homeopathic and naturopathic paradigms. Within the realm of allopathic medicine, in other words traditional western medicine, all of such theoretical concepts are entirely unsupported by clinical research.

You do not need to pull your fillings, nor are you suffering from any type of heavy metal toxicity. I also seriously doubt that you have Lyme Disease as well, which is a more recent and regular claim by the charismatic healthcare industry, claiming that most average tests for Lyme Disease are insensitive. VIrtually all persons who undergo this secondary testing have a positive result according to claims and it should be carefully noted that patients have virtually no method to verify such testing from these secondary sources. Lyme disease is not as common as is being touted by these groups and the symptoms of true Lyme Disease have no relationship whatsoever to the physical and physiological manifestations related to significant stress or anxiety.  

In general, you will find that non-medical licensed practitioners of all kinds will come out of the woodwork to explain your symptoms and offer a long-term treatment plan. Patients will often feel better initially due to the placebo effects of believing that a cause for their physical and physiological manifestations has been identified. In most all cases, however, symptoms return.

You can "detox" all you care to and even have all of your teeth pulled, but no such action will remedy the presence of vagus nerve-induced palpitations.

The physical and physiological effects from significant stress or anxiety are quite real indeed and are not imagined, as it was suggested I was portending. It is the actual cause which most people refuse to accept and alternatively pursue sometimes protracted efforts to seek out an underlying physical cause.

There is no pill you can take, surgery you can undergo or charismatic treatment you can be subjected to that will cure benign palpitations. It is purely a matter of altering your perceptions of their actual origin and more importantly, your speculations about their capacity to do you harm or endanger you in any way. For many persons experiencing benign palpitations believe that they pose a challenge to the heart and its performance, as well as develop notions that the events can produce a heart attack or somehow cause the heart to stop beating, or even transform into a dangerous cardiac arrhythmia. None of these events is possible and throughout history, have never once occurred.

When you say that your blood pressure seems to be continually be falling over time, I'd be interested to know precisely what readings you are referring to that would suggest this to be the case. You would not be hypotensive without experiencing physical signs and if such signs are present, please describe them in your response.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)

Hello Chootik
I've had these for years now and they can be all the time day and night so I totally sympathise...

You have said that you can't do anything until they pass. This is really not true and you need to prove this to yourself. You can do absolutely everything. Don't be fooled by your thinking that you need to wait for palpitations... Why do you think you need to wait for them to pass...?

There is no need to sit and wait for them to pass. Do not be ruled by them! There is no reason why they should curtail any physical activities you want to do. There is no reason not to climb a mountain with them, take part in exercise, go outdoors, go for a walk, do gardening, housework or anything at all. Because there is no activity which is going to have any bearing on what is going to happen when you have them.

The worst you can do is avoid activity because of them because this only reinforces an anxiety state. Avoidance is a sign of anxiety which you must go against.

Good luck - everyone on here understands what you are going through and you'll find lots of support.

Wishing you well
bead

Hi again
Agreed, they are uncomfortable, but it's just that. They have been and were terrifying when I first had them and I had to challenge my conceptions that they were limiting what I can do. But they should not affect your performance at anything.

I originally replied because at the moment mine are triggered by eating - so when I have a drink, snack or meal, I have them for the next couple of hours - maybe 10 or so per minute. Drives me crazy! Imagine that I eat 3 meals a day plus snacks in between then you can rest assured they are running pretty constantly. However I'm one of those people who can't go long between meals cos I get rather shaky, so I do need to keep eating for my energy levels.

Been to the gym this morning and they didn't even stop, so I just decided to pedal harder. I constantly have to prove to myself that they don't affect performance and I know this! It stops anxiety about the palpitations, but nothing stops them coming.

I am hoping and wondering if mine are triggered by perimenopause condition, as I have had blood tests to confirm this is my lifestage even though I am a bit young for it, and maybe they will go away one day.

I wouldn't wish them on anyone, all I hope is that I can encourage people to be powerful despite their palpitations! That's the best I can do.

I don't believe there's a cure that works for everyone, and certainly nothing has cured me. I know my triggers - when I don't eat shop-bought bread and cheap bakery products I am much relieved (which indicates it's something in these products that seems to make my digestive system play up and has a knock-on effect to my vagus nerve), so I think I will go down that route again, lay off sandwiches and eat different things. I don't know what's in it, but it doesn't agree. Likewise some wine can set me off a couple of hours after I've had a glass, so I don't bother.

Hope this helps
bead  

The more I read these posts and compare to my history, the common trend is becoming very clear.

I'd be willing to bet some good money that a controlled study of people doing the following would drastically improve the condition.

• Eat a low acid diet (Read:  Dropping Acid)  This book is great and made me love food all over again.  I'm like a hungry dog in the kitchen before each meal now. Mmmmm!!!
• Don't exercise less than 2 hours after a meal.
• Do perform 20 minutes of mild cardio - on a elliptical.  Achieve your target heart rate, but below palps if possible.  Ideally almost every day (before a meal).  If you have night palps, then do it evenings 2 hours after dinner.
• Learn to manage stress.

If you are an unwaivering fast food eater, there is little hope of your condition improving.  If you have this awful habit, and do wish to get rid if it once and for all, I can recommend a good step.  See the documentary "Food Inc."  Netflix has it on instant watch.