Hypoglycmia and palpitations

[Davefeet]

I'm male, 24, college student, work out about twice a week (skiing, tennis), 6-4, and 200 lbs. I have had stress, anxiety for about three years now. When I feel stressed I get palpitations, I talked to the doctotr about it, and he reccomended we find what kind of palpitations these are. SO now I'm wearing an event monitor, I'm on day 20, anyways, this event monitor has helped me notice a patern. I get multiple palpitations after I eat. If I have a big meal, I get palpitations. I noticed that about a year ago, after I ate my heart rate would increase to a pounding sensation. But now it is palpitations. No one in my family has this.
Can stress bring it (hypoglycmia) on?
Is it the onset of Diabetes?
and WHy does my heart have palpitations after I eat a meal?

It really only happens when I've been at school all day and havn't eaten, and then eat. My neighbor is too nice, when I come home (they are from India) they alwasy give me dessert they made. It is like pure refined sugar (really good), and every time I get these huge palpitations.

ANy reccomendations on controling this?
I'm just now realizing the trend.

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear davefeet,
Eating can start a variety of different palpitations.  It is not generally due to the sugar levels or the onset of diabetes but may be related to gastric reflux.  The important thing now is to determine what type of palpitations you are having. Depending on the arrhythmia your doctor may recommend medications or other treatment or perhaps only keeping an eye on things.

[VALERIA]

MY HEART STARTED THE RACING IN 1993. AT THE TIME I WAS 32. FROM THAT FIRST DAY IT HAS HAPPENED EVERYDAY SINCE, THOUGH NOW I TAKE TOPROL. HAS HELPED ALOT, BUT STILL GET THE RACING, JUST NOT AS FAST. BEFORE THE MEDICINE, WHEN IT WOULD BEAT FAST, I ALWAYS USED TO FEEL IT OR HEAR IT POUNDING IN MY LEFT EAR. SINCE THE MEDICINE EVEN THOUGH IT MAY GO FAST AT TIME, I DON'T HAVE THE EAR THING. I ALWAYS GET THE FAST HEART RATE ABOUT 15 MINUTES OR SO AFTER I EAT SOMETHING. IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE A HEAVEY MEAL. BUT HEAVEY MEALS ARE MUCH WORSE. I ALSO NOTICE IF YOU EAT FAST, THAT PLAYS A PART. I TRY TO EAT LIGHT AND SLOW. IF I DRINK JUST A HALF A GLASS OF WINE, IN A SHORT WHILE, MY HEART BEATS REALLY FAST. MANY DAYS WHEN I GET UP, IT STARTS TO BEAT FAST, AND SOMETIMES I DON'T EVEN WANT TO EAT, BECAUSE I KNOW IT WILL BEAT FAST A SHORT TIME AFTER, BUT YOU HAVE TO EAT, AND SOMETIMES A EMPTY STOMACH CAN BRING ON THE SAME SYMPTONS.

[Pathedj54]

I just read a letter that Davefeet wrote. I also get a rapid heart beat after eating a meal. I thought I was going crazy, because everytime I asked someone if it happened to them, they looked at me like I have ten heads. Let me say this... I am a very anxious person. There is no doubt that my rapid pulse and my stress have a direct relationship. I am experiencing Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVC's) as I write this letter. I started getting them shortly after noticing the rapid pulse when I eat. I guess I moved up the Cardiac ladder. I started to get the PVC's around the middle of January of 2000. Finally at the end of July of 2001 they stopped. I don't know why they stopped, but they decided to come back about a week ago. So, I went eight Months without them. Anyway, my comment to you is that if you are anything like me, with all the anxiety, pending doom, fears, doubts, insecurities, etc., that could be why you are having those bouts of tachicardia after you eat. Oh, if you are wondering why I use that term "tachicardia" it's because a pulse exceeding 100 BPM is just that. It's from the latin word "Tachi" meaning 100. So, try to find yourself a way to get rid of the Stress. I konw it's easier said than done, but you can do it. Good Luck, Pathedj54

[jdm]

I hope my experience will be of some value to you.  I am 52 yrs. old now.  I had asthma as a child which I largely outgrew.  At 21 I began to run and then at 24 took up mountaineering and trained very vigorously.  I would run up trails at considerable elevation with 20 or more pounds on my back etc.  At that time I was 5'9" and 165.  I continued backpacking, running, climbing, cross country skiing etc. until about age 35.  At that time I noticed that my pulse would not return to normal after exercise.  No problem during exercise but literally took from 2 to 24 hours to go back to normal.  After a vigorous hike it could stay stuck at 125 for hours.  The docs had no clue.  I basically just shut down my life because I could not stand the continued elevated heart rate.  About 7 years ago I noticed I was getting elevation after eating.  It depends on the size of the meal and can go as high as 95 to 105 at rest.  This continues for hours.  I also discovered a great increase if I have ANY alcohol and also caffeine has a much more pronounced effect.  I have had holters and ECG's . They found no abnormality related to the pulse rate but did find some value insufficiency that they send was benigh.  I developed a profound case of anxiety syndrome over this whole thing along with depression.  About a year ago I started Attenolol 25 mg once a day.  It knocks me on my butt in a single dose so I take it 1/2,1/4,1/4, morning , afternoon, and evening.  My BP is low normal for my age I suppose due to all the exercise early in life except that now I am overweight at 195.  The attenolol puts it at 100/60 or so and pulse as low as 58 to 60.  The docs say this is OK.  The point of all this is that the attenolol reduces the increase following eating and allows the rate to go back to normal after MILD exercise.  I have given up alcohol and caffeine.  My HMO does not or will not do an electrophysiology study on my heart.  They say my higher rate is normal sinus rhythm and not ventricular tach.  I am still freaked out over it.  From all that I have read my present working hypothesis is that I did this to myself because of the excessive aerobic training and stress.  I have read posts about this changing the heart somehow and creating ectopic pacers that become "irritated" by some things like adrenalin, eating, alcohol etc.  I am writing , young man, because I very much wish that when I was your age I had known what was in store for me.  I suspect that my heart rate was going up after meals and alcohol and remaining up after exercise for years prior to my noticing it.  But, like a post in response to yours....once I noticed it I was toast.  I also get the left ear pounding sensation.  Attenolol works for me but it has side effects.  At 24 you might still care about your love life and other forms of vigorous exercise.  It has a profound effect on me in both cases.  I am alive anyway and the attenolol lets me at least eat a meal without dreading the hours of elevated pulse.  Before I connected all the dots I had some very scary episodes when I would eat a large meal after exercise ( even moderate ) and have a glass of wine or two.  Try being in a motel room 1800 miles from home with a sustained heart rate of 150 for hours.  It is called terror.  So now I probably have post traumatic stress disorder as well.  It has toasted my memory among other things.  The doctors at my HMO almost uniformly think that I am nuts.  They have told me over the years that my condition is impossible, caused by mental factors ( not ), etc, etc.  I would advise you to get a job that has health coverage that will let you visit a really fine clinic like the one that sponsors this site.  See some docs who are medical scientists and not just "practicing" whatever that means. People who will look for root causes for you.  You have to pay these folks very well.  Get the insurance!   I wish you luck and I hope that your condition does not go the way of mine.  At any rate I think that you should get a definitive answer regarding the cause of your problem.  This site and others have helped me at least form a hypothesis as to the cause of my collection of symptoms.  Not knowing is a really bad thing.  One doc at the HMO called me a very rude name for trying to be my own doctor.  Heck, they offered not so much as a hypothesis.   What was I to do?  Good luck to you.  As for me I fear greatly for what will develop in the future for me with this condition.  And I used to climb mountains.  Ha.

[alexawesome1]

To JDM. Hi there... I hope I'm not intruding but I read your and had a comment and question at the same time.  I too have posted here in the past since experiencing PVC's/PAC's at the age of 24 (now 28); otherwise healthy.  Since childhood I have been somewhat active with karate, boxing, swimming etc. At age 17 I took up weight trainning on a regular basis mixed with cardio workouts.  I've read that athletes are 10 times more likely to experience heart arriythmia's than the average non-active individual.  I sometimes wonder too if the exercise attributes to this.  On a 2nd stress test at the cardiologists office, I complained that the test was to easy the first time and didn't really "stress" my body to determine a problem.  So I proceeded with a modified bruce protocol to stage 5 which is the highest level.  An hour after the test, I experienced not skipped beats but I believe PAC's, it felt like when breathing in I would take a little extra breath in, I'm not sure but a weird feeling. All I know is that I never pushed myself that hard in a gym.  The point being is that I believe there is a correlation to execise exercise and heart arrythimia's.  But I also believe that it's genetic as well.  Not all professional or Olympic athletes will experience them, probably statiscally a small percentage.  In the past I never bothered checking but I find that after lets say a 5KM (3.5 mile)jog my heart rate will get up to 160 or so.  After stopping within 2 minutes it drops to 100 and stays around 70-80 for 2-3 hours and then back to around 48-52, I've been told by my last visit to a 3rd cardiologist that this is within normal limits. On another note, I'm surprised at how difficult it is for you to recieve the best medical attention.  I'm in Toronto, Canada and you can visit 10 Cardioligist and Medical Centers at your own leasure without any problems.  Our OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) is free to Ontario residents and covers an unlimited number of medical needs.  I was considering moving to the US but am now discouraged by reading the many posts of medical shortages.  In Canada if you ask for a procedure and demand it, they will listen and waste time and money.

To DAVEFEET: Reading your post, I can releate that eating alot of sugar or carbohydrate I to might experience a skipped heart beat. Not always but on occasion. Though I've never had an episode of elevated heart rate (only while exercising) i'll agree that there is a correlation.  The best thing to do is have a holter monitor test, stress test and echocardiogram.  These tests are all non-evassive and will disclouse most cardiac conditons.  You'll find comfort after testing.  The most important thing to keep in mind is just that... your "mind" - state of mind, anxiety, depression that can create alot of conditions that have nothing to do with your heart but can take their toll if it's long term.  ***@****

Take care all.

[JMSimpson]

Put me down as another person that notices an increase in heartrate and PVC/PAC's after eating. (I have had PVC and PAC's for about 23 years now)

I had the stress echo test done and all came back normal. I too am wondering if there is a link between blood sugar levels and PVC's.

The other thing I have noticed is they get worse around the start of my menstrual cycle.

I did see a specialist about this and was basically told it was all in my head. Wish he could live in this body for a few weeks, it might change his mind on that comment.

[noosa]

Hi, Found this site while trying to find out more about my symptoms.  What I find especialy interesting is that you all seem so young.  I am 74 years old and have just recently experienced a kind of fluttering (palpitations) occassionally and a faint, tired feeling.  Went to the doctor yesterday who could find nothing through 2 electrocardiagrams, but is sending me next Tuesday to another doctor for Holter monitoring.

Some of you have been, or are, very athletic which I have been in the past.  I still play tennis 3 or 4 times a week and do a lot of walking.  I used to be a competitive runner and did a lot of mountain hiking until about 8 years ago.  Can this complaint have something to do with that?  I've never been in hospital (other than for childbirth) and am hardly ever ill in any way.  Usually any small pain I have, I can get rid of through meditative imagining.  

Any particular suggestions on how I should explore my condition?

[Goodgal]

hi all--i just had to pos a comment to alex, who was disturbed by the apparant lack of cardiologists available on demand in the US. Try living where i do--North Qld in Australia--population 80000 and not a cardiologist in sight unless you drive 500 km north or south!And then you cant get an appointment for at least 3 months--it even takes upto a month to schedule an MRI and that is for people with aneurysms!I am coming over to canada i think.

[JMSimpson]

noosa - Your doing the right things, get the monitor and if it doesnt show anything ask for the 30 day event monitor.

[alexawesome1]

Hi there, Austalia sounds like a nice place to vaction but according to your comment regarding the state of the medical system, not the greatest place to live. Canada's great all-around, just the weather, if you can't bair winter.  Haven't heard back from a US citizen yet. Good luck.

Alex.

[jachel]

I am new to this site but I see I am not the only one with rapid heart beats and pvcs. I have had afib over the years many times, now I am getting pvs every minute or so icreasing after eating. I seems like sugar and carbs after eating could be the culprit. My reasoning of this is  because I was on the atkins diet for a week just eating meat and cheese. Your only allowed 25 carbs a day,now I know there is still debate over the safty of this diet for your heart health. But since I stopped this diet my symptoms have become worse after eating high carbs. I stopped the diet because I have high cholesteral and woried about risks of heart disease. I have also read that canadias and imbalace in the colon plays havoc on the body as it loves sugars, I am still reserching on these subjects,has anyone else have info on canadadias or have tried low carbs and high protien meals? I would love to hear any info anyone has any info since I am considering tring again to see if it helps, I'll keep you posted. I am 41 and these experiances with pvcs are horifying, its very hard to concentraiton anything. One thing that helps me some is to take cacium and magnisium this slows the attacks down a bit.

[Trysha]

Hi All:

I wonder if anyone has ever experienced the symptoms that I have developed (approx. 1 yr ago).  

I am a 40 yr old, single mom with the usual stressors associated with work (law enforcement) and parenting.  I have never had any serious illness.  I don't smoke and rarely drink.  I exercise (just started up again about 2yrs ago) at least 3-4 times a week.  I alternate resistance training with aerobics (weightlifting and running/stationary biking).  I do carry a few extra pounds (approx. 20)

My problem:  whenever I lie on my left side my heart beats incredibly fast, so much so that I HAVE to switch to my right side.  I absolutely have to sleep on my back or right side, no exceptions.  In addition to the extremely rapid heartbeat, I feel lightheaded and have some difficulty breathing normally.

Some time ago (I've forgotten how long its been) I began also feeling a weird numbness in my left shoulder blade area.  Not pain, just like a 'stiffness' or numbness, that seems to radiate through to the left side of my chest.  I've mentioned this to my doctor and he suggested a mammogram (part of a complete physical), which came back normal.

I am especially concerned now because the numbness seems more pronounced and has actually progressed into a nagging, constant  pain/dull ache.  I am also waking up at the wee hours of the morning (3 am) and am not able to get back to sleep for an hour or so.  When I do get up most mornings I have numbness/tingling in my upper extremities (poor circulation).  This all subsides once I am moving about starting my day, but it has become so frequent I am really concerned.

ANY ADVICE/SUGGESTIONS, ETC WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Whenever I mention my concerns to my doctor he seems to 'discount' them,.....how do I approach him to let him know that I am truly concerned and not some middle aged hypocondriac???

[VALERIA]

I posted some things above. I'm 41 and has had a fast heart rate on and off since 1993. It has happened every day since. But since going to the E.R. one night in 1998, and seeing a cardiologist, I was told the fast rate is sinus tachcardia. I notice it much more, and pac's or pvc's much more around that time of month. With me, bending over to pick something up, and when standing back up, I can feel my heart beat fast with sometimes pac's or pvc's. When first getting up in the morning, when I start to walk around, sometimes my heart beats fast. Sometimes after eating a meal,my heart beats fast. Lying on my left side, I can sometimes feel those extra or hard heart beats. Also I have this pain, at the the bottom of my neck, or more like the top of my back, towards the left side. I have had this on and off for a couple of years. I can feel it anytime, but alot when sitting at the computer. It is like a digging type of pain. When massage, seems to go away for a short while. Also when my heart is beating pretty fast, I get this tightened up feeling in my stomach, like it is in knots, like all the muscles tightened up, then when my heart slows down to normal or so, that tightened up feeling in my stomach goes away. I was wandering if anyone else, gets the tightened feeling in their stomach as well when their heart is beating fast.

[JR]

got the same thing to a T....tingling arms in the morning, cant lay on my left side...everything. i didnt really notice these symptoms until about 6 mths ago. i have chronic back problems though aqnd am considering an adjustment.

[Alee]

Have had these palpitations for about 4 or 5 years after I have been in menopause.  I have these at night sometimes while trying to rest, it is scary.  I notice though many times I think that I seem to have sort of gastric problems also, so maybe that is part of the problem that causes the heart to start racing.

Today I had this problem , I don't know why I was just working in the garden after coming home from work and walking for about 20 minutes.  I came in the house after about a hour of working in the yard and there it started. It has been racing about 2 hours.

A couple of years ago I would work out in the yard and it started up at night and I had my husband take me to the hospital and I stayed 2 days and they gave me the heart test and said I was fine. I just can't stand the racing feeling.

I am going to get some magnesium tonight and take some , I think that after menopause women are short on that and calcium.

[Goodgal]

Hi Alee--just thought id post  some info for you. If you think yout palpataions are due to hormones or digestive/gastric problems, I can highly recommend a couple of things. Firstly go check out Dr cabot's website on www.sandracabot.com. She has written various books and is regarded as a hormone guru.( "Menopause-hormone replacement therapy and its natural alternatives) Her clinics services are available in the US as well. Besides that,  Dr John Lee's book--"what your doctor may not tell you about Premenopause" is also fantastic and im in the middle of studying that at the moment. The advise he gives regarding heart disease and how it can affect women, natural progesterone creams etc is pretty valuable. Besides that-- "Alternative Medicine, the definitive guide" compiled by the Burton Goldberg group is filled with every possible alternative method of dealing with health problems, and the section dealing with Heart disease is incredibly informative as a compliment to general medicine. For example the importance of the inclusion of magnesium, and Omega 3 and omega 6 , Vitamin E ., Vitamin B12 etc is often overlooked. And I have also finally found some correlation to food allery  relating to the possibilty of heart palps.  Im in the middle of experimenting with all of the above and will let you know if i am on the right track.Take care.

[ShelleyP]

Hi, I am a 28 yr. old female.  I also experience rapid heart rate after I eat.  I always thought it was my imagination.  I have upper back/neck pain and a mild sore throat almost constantly.  I am not sure if any of these syptoms (symptoms) are related, or if any of you have these syptoms (symptoms).  I have not seen a doctor but I plan to shortly.  If anyone has had similar experiences feel free to e-mail.  Thanks.

[squeala7]

I have a response for Trysha3, as well as for Davefeet. I notice HUGE PVC's after I eat anything that is excessive in quantity, like when I stuff myself, or when I eat something with LOTS of sugar. EVERY SINGLE time I eat pancakes with syrup and orange juice, WHAM - 10 mins after I eat. It subsides pretty quick, but I think the shock is enough to set it off. I do think insulin plays a huge part in the heart beat. To Tricia - your not crazy! LOL! I have the same thing, although when I lay on my left side (ever since I was a teen and Im now 37!) my heart begins to throw PVC's or skipped beats - I try to ignore, and it will not stop. As soon as I flip over to the other side - nothing. I really MISS sleeping on my left side! ha - I also had the dull aching pain / seemed to be right over my heart and would go through to my back shoulderblade as you speak. After a few years of this, I think I have come to the self diagosis that it is reflux or something like it. I notice when I eat something that is a little spicy or more indigestion causing, Ill have that pain over my shoulder etc. Because if you sit up while your having this pain, does it go away? Mine did. SO now I fall asleep with 2 pillows under my head and back so Im elevated, and I dont have the pain problem , nor the skipped beats. EXCEPT make sure shortly after you fall asleep, you remove one of the pillows or you end up with a hell of a headache from neck pain! LOL! GOod luck! I am a 911 operator so I know of the stress thing with law enforcement / but I had the same symptoms after staying home with my daughter for 6 months so I doubt its the work for me anyway.

[rowaby]

You folks have no idea how happy I am to have stumbled on to this site and found you.  I've been having intermittent tachycardia for about 2 years.  I've had all the tests, worn the monitor, done everything the docs told me to do and nobody found anything wrong.  On my own I made the connection between eating and rapid heart beats.  A carbo meal, like pasta or pancakes, or sugary snacks will trigger it.  When I pointed out this connection to my doctor his response was "Well, if eating meals like that causes problems, don't eat meals like that."  That's a direct quote!  I have another doctor now.  But every one I've ever mentioned this to just shakes his head and says he's never heard of such a thing and has no idea what's going on.  Up until 5 minutes ago I thought I was the only person in the world whose heart rate increased after eating carbohydrates.  I thought I was some kind of freak.  I'm sympathetic to all of you here who have this same problem and who have experienced the same frustration I have in trying to find some explanation and treatment but I am so happy to read what so many of you have said and to realize if I'm a freak I'm not alone.  I'll check this site regularly to see if anyone comes up with any ideas and if I find out about anything not already discussed here I'll post it.  A friend suggested a visit to an endocrinolist; has anyone tried that route?  Right now I'm just eating light meals 4 or 5 times a day and avoiding sugary snacks.  That helps but it doesn't solve the problem.  A few weeks ago I went out to breakfast with friends, threw caution to the wind and ordered pancakes.  I topped them with syrup and enjoyed the heck out of 'em.  Within half an hour I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest and it was about 4 hours before it calmed down.  Guess I won't do that again any time soon.  I wish everyone here who's dealing with this good luck, persistence and doctors who'll take you seriously.

[kat0703]

I have had heart palpitations for over 10 yrs and have not told a soul. Sometimes they are soft and do not hurt, other times theyare hard and I really feel them. Right now I am going through a period where they coming every few minutes, then going away for hours and then every few minutes. i slept all night with no problems and then this mornig when I bent over they started up again. I'm soo scared. I have even had it for a whole day non stop but that happens about once every 2 yrs. Please help.

[smileyface]

I wanted to know if anyone knows about balance, or lack of balance when I walk letely. It started with my heart, I was taking proamatine for blood pressure.
Plus, I take attenolol for Vt, Pac etc.