How to stop a fast heart beat? I did it!

[mysolution]

I just had a prostate cancer operation and started getting very serious episodes of fast heart beat, up to 180bpm.  The longest was 2 hrs. Had 4 serious episodes requiring emergency room care for 2. All episodes occur while sleeping.

I solved the problem. (1) I walk 1 mile per day to build up my heart.  (2) The straw method: I take a straw, pinch the end partially, take a deep breath, and blow slowly blow into the straw and keep blowing. This stops my fast heart beat in less than a minute.  Previously, during another episode, I used the straw, but held it closed at the end, so no air could get out. That was a no-no and did not work at all. It is very important for me to expel air against the narrowed straw channel. For some reason, this works for me. I am experiencing way less episodes.  
A cardiologist prescribed atenlol, but this drug made me dizzy and weak.  I stopped the drug. Before my operation, I experienced one episode per two months. My goal is to have no episodes or one every 3 months, lasting no longer than 1 minute, using the straw method.

[bobad]

Coughing also works sometimes.

[no_fate]

As far as i know,
slow breathing out slows down the heart due to Vagus Nerve stimulation.

It's especially powerful when breathing out through the belly.
I use to have a low heartrate problem problem in the beginning of starting to breathe through the belly.

The heartrate was still around 65 when standing up and doing light activity,
but this was too low for me at the time - thus: dizziness.

[Jerry_NJ]

Interesting.

Blowing against a resistance, i.e., narrow passageway through a straw, is what a runner/climber would call "power breathing".   In these cases one usually just shapes the mouth/lips into a controlled "kiss" and then blows outward.  The theory, as I understand it, is the pressure in the respiratory/lungs  system causes more oxygen absorption - thus the heart can beat slower (or not go faster) to get oxygen to the muscles.

Happy to read you are getting good results.  But, a 180 HR is way too high and if you can't control it with your methods continue to get emergency help or find a medication you can take.  You may want to see if your doctor has a medication to "take as needed".... rather than every day.  Given you suffer the symptoms only rarely, that seems a good way to go if possible.