How to eliminate or reduce Heart Palpitation

[Dick501]

I'm so happy to find this site. Last night, I called 911 because of palpitation and it's been an ongoing problem for me for about 8 yrs. I tend to get nervous when it hits while being alone specially when  my wife is out working nightshift. It usually occur at night when I get up suddenly to go to the bathroom to urinate or just waking up in the middle of the night. My feet and hands gets cold and I always quick to grab the telephone and get ready to call for help. I probably called 911 six times here our little community in Alaska. The symptom goes away in 5 to 15 minutes. Like for so many people, I've gone through all the test (EKG, echocardiogram, blood, X-Ray, Stress test) and all was NORMAL. I am an athletic type person and own a BOWFLEX machine and have a manual treadmill. Always workout regularly but recently I stop jogging outdoor and reduce my cardiovascular exercise into one half my usual routine  hoping to minimize the occurence of PVC. I am not sure if this is the right decision.

[RNRita]

I have been having more good days than bad and I have posted before that when I drink MORE coffee, I get less PVCs.  Also, I must say that when I went completely off sugar and cut carbs, I not only lost weight, but I also had a lot less palls!

[BlendedPlanet]

sorry about that boogered link (is posting links a violation here?). it was at medhelp dot org. Search arrythmia...

[BlendedPlanet]

RNRita, So true. After a couple weeks of testing various combinations and stresses, I've come to the conclusion that the supplement regimen I outlined above is useful but *not* decisive in whether or not I perceive PVCs (if that is in fact what they are). My two key triggers seem to be eating a good sized meal of not-so-great food (such as a church pot luck) and caffeine.

I have been finding that under-eating (and favoring veggies) and laying off coffee makes me not really notice them at all. I don't think coffee triggers them as much as makes them noticable.

Hzasrf, I'm in very good shape for 45 and either pump iron or bike every day. I have found that a *really* intense workout seems to be a trigger as well. (Google PACE training regimen for an example of a workout style that seems - for me - to be more detrimental than helpful).

The next thing I plan to explore is going to a no-gluten, no-sugar, mostly raw diet and seem if it has an effect. I feel so much better eating that way anyhow, so it's a win afaiac. Right now I seem to average 15-30 clean beats then a skip and sometimes (especially after eating) the skips might stack up (every beat, every second or third) for awhile.

btw, I found this forum /  dialogue to be very informative and encouraging to get some perspective on the non-consequential nature of these types of arrythmias.

http://www.*****************/cardiology/forums/backup/topic-24286.html

[RNRita]

Jumping on the bus.  1 calcium in the AM and 1 magnesium at dinner.  If I try to take fish oil, my PVCs will get worse.  Do you see how different our bodies are?  I have also had these (and I'm talking TONS and all the different arrhythmias, for over 30 years, too.  Also glucosamine chondroitin makes mine worse, go figure.  I could really use it!  

[hzasrf]

You are certainly right that everyone has elements in common yet have differences.  Need for magnesium is probably common for all while calcium is not (some use calcium channel blockers such as Verapamil in lieu of beta blockers to reduce the freq or intensity of palps). Recently BlendedPlanet posted an amino acid and fish oil regime which is providing some relief for me from my PACs as well. With the growing numbers of arrythmia sufferers (note how many are younger than 40) medical interest and research (heck if someone were to just tabulate all the symptoms posted on the myriad of help groups over the years with medication and treatment results and analyze) may accelerate so answers with more pragmatic therapies (in lieu of RFCA) can be dispensed.

[hzasrf]

The niacin is to lower triglicerydes which help with BP and prevent plaque build up. Back to the Tur and Arg.  I started the regime you suggested and within 2 days my sense of the PACs was significantly reduced with the occurance maybe 2/3 of pre supplement.  You are onto something.  May I suggest daily exercise (something that gets your HR up to at least 100 bpm for at leat 1/2 hr).  Also, see if pinching your nose and pursing the lips (vagal man) helps.  It resets my rythm every time for about 15 beats b4 the PACs return. Just an interesting result. Also, pressure point in the cleft where the neck joins the chest below the Adams sometime relieves. I didnt catch if you get your palps more laying down and on a particular side.  Standing for me is palp free and sitting about 50% free. Lying worse on left side. I think it hs somehting to do with HR, vagal, and possibly irritation of a focci when pressure is put on the heart.  I just read where expansion of the esophagus can put pressure on the atria to excite foci.