Slow heartbeat, palpitations, exercise, anxiety ...

[ajf08]

Hi, I'm a 20yo male, 6ft8, 140lb, never worked out, led sedentary lifestyle since ?10, was drinking in moderation 1 time a week in average since I was 15, drank couple energy drinks a week, started smoking at 18, smoked for 1 year, then quit - 6 months ago when I had couple panic attacks/tetany seizures.

Since then my anxiety "grew" to light agoraphobia, also extreme anticipatory anxiety. Am not having panic attacks, maybe anxiety attacks in waiting rooms, sometimes in shops or offices or just get extremely anxious when just walking somewhere (chest tightness, problem breathing etc.) .. Was prescribed SSRIs, klonazepam, Xanax, didn't taky any of them, anxiety attacks are not the trouble .. maybe overall anxiety is. Also: Not drinking ANY caffeine (note even coke, tea or chocolate) - it instantly makes my anxiety symptoms come up.

Symptoms:
- average HR sometimes less than 50bpm at rest, average ~55 although I am NOT fit .. rarely go out, mostly sitting behind PC when at home
- sometimes feel kind of anxious especially after some time spent sitting, feeling like my heart beat is too weak, when I stand up, HR doesn't raise, it just start beating harder and is like that until I lie down for sime time, usually after some time lying in warm bed it gets better
- thumps in chest when absolutely calm (HR <60) - sitting or lying down (?palpitations)
- fluttering feeling (1-2sec) when doing light physical activity or just sitting (?palpitations)
- sometimes, after standing up from bed my heart doesn't speed up - I feel like it does the opposite, but starts beating so hard that it feels like It's going to give up
- usually if I do some work or any physical activity in the morning, couple hours after in the afternoon I feel like my heart is beating too weakly, but it's kind of pounding at the same time (HR ~60)

Cardiologist did som tests.. EKG, BP and ECHO ok, diagnosed sinus tachycardia ... told me to start taking medications prescribed by psychiatrist, because "anxiety is causing it".

Taking SSRIs for slow heartbeat and all other problems seems a bit odd to me :/

Is anyone experiencing similar symptoms? Any advice? What other tests should I undertake? What should I do?

Thanks :)

[ajf08]

Wow. Thanks for the reply :)

Since my health problems got serious, I also spent lots of time reading articles, watching youtube videos discussing mostly anxiety, heart health, nutrition etc. but the only lifestyle changes I made were stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking, avoiding anything caffeinated (even tea, cola and chocolate), started drinking lots of herbal tea (mostly lemon balm) and started taking magnesium, which I stopped taking about a week ago.

I'm 5ft 8 - typing error, I lost about 26lb over past 6 months though :/

1. I started taking fish oil about a month ago (it should be good quality) and also contain D3 if I am not mistaken. I also started taking some B komplex that also contains B12 10mg.

And the magnesium:
First 5 months since my first panic attack I'd been taking 2 100mg pills of magnesium in magnesium citrate a day - couldn't tell if it really was helping. A month ago I switched to some other kind of magnesium - magnesium carbonate, which is 375mg of magnesium and should be taken at once - felt immediate relief from any anxiety symptoms if I was having any. Then my neurologist, after I told her that magnesium really helps but I am not taking Zoloft, she prescribed me some kind of prescription-only magnesium, which was 365mg. I made a drink out of it, drank about 1/3 of it and left the rest for later. Within 5 minutes I started feeling "too calm" which then, after couple minutes led to extreme lethargy, feeling like I was drugged - I just sat behind PC and couldn't think right, didn't understand what I read and my heartbeat was in 40s. After about 30 minutes it started to fade off, took my BP - it was 126/68. The very low HR kept on for about 2 more hours.  I was literally afraid to move from my chair. As I read on the internet, those were sign of magnesium overdose. Since then I stopped taking magnesium.

2. Hydration, hydration, hydration. Often we forget :)

3. I basically eat everything (even veggies and fruits every day), but little to no fish :/

4. Surprisingly I sleep very well - 8+ hours every night, almost never wake up in the middle of the night. I am using laptop or my phone until I go to sleep and don't usually get off the bed when I wake up which is NOT good at all :/

5. I spend almost all the time inside so ... yeah :/

6. True dat.

8. Tried , but seems like my body doesn't take it well. We'll have to take it very easy in the beginning and hopefully after some time find out all health problems were just due to lack of exercise or healthy diet :D Btw. I'm slightly agoraphobic, so just being outside can make me extremely sick sometimes (depends how I feel overall)

"Like I said I've read up on this stuff for months but I've been far too lazy and unmotivated to put it into practice." exactly the same here :D In fact you kind of motivated me :)

If you don't mind you can share the plan, maybe I could add something :) Just send me a PM or e-mail me: ***@****

[SlowHeart92]

https://www.youtube.com/user/Bodtec66/videos

Forgot to link this. He's has had amazing results. He has/had serious heart problems.

[SlowHeart92]

I've read a lot about diet/supplements and how they can relate to your heart and I 100% believe it can help.

Are you really 6'8 and 140lbs because you must not eat anywhere near enough food, so I really wouldn't be surprised if you were deficient. Blood tests for magnesium isn't effective because the body has to keep the magnesium blood level constant or you would die, so it will take it from anywhere it can get it, ie bones, muscles (heart).

A lot of people have their own different triggers, so I guess it's a personal journey that can take some time to figure out. A few good ideas though:

1. Supplements. I think magnesium malate is the best and 'Swanson' magnesium has the least amount of fillers I could find, and it's cheap. Magnesium can slow your heart down though so I'd be careful not to take too much. If you go with the Swanson brand take 1 a day, which is 50% RDA. I'd ask a doctor first aswell but I really doubt it would do you any harm, just keep an eye on your resting heart rate.

B Complex. Try and find one derived from food. Garden Of Life's is the one I'll be using.

D3

2. Drink enough water. I wouldn't be surprised if there are triggers in tap water, tbh. If you can afford bottled water, do it. Either way just make sure you're constantly hydrated so just sip on water all the time.

3. Diet. I think diet is the main thing here but it can be very hard for people to change their lifestyle. Fresh fruits, vegetables, oats, beans, rice, pasta etc. No dairy and little meat. If you can't go vegetarian/vegan I think wild caught salmon or mussels are your best option 3/4 times a week. Farm raised fish is a no no. Farmed mussels are ok. Unless you can buy free range organic chicken I'd stay away. Definitely no red meat. You just don't know what you're getting. No processed food at all. Avoid MSG as much as humanly possible (google it).

4. Sleep. I find it really hard to sleep but I know for a fact my heart acts up a lot more if I'm not sleeping well.

5. If you're like me and spend a lot of time inside, you're definitely D3 deficient. Find a good supplement and sit out in the sun for 30 minutes - 1 hour a day. The sun is amazing, it only becomes dangerous if you abuse it (like anything).

6. No caffeine at all.

7. Goes back to diet but if your electrolytes are out of balance it can definitely affect your heart and you said your potassium levels were low. Eat  5 bananas a day. Just make a smoothie or something. Eat avocados and potatoes regularly. Also use pure sea salt (sodium) to season foods, but not too much.

8. Exercise. Even just a 30 minute to an hour walk a day is a good start.

Like I said I've read up on this stuff for months but I've been far too lazy and unmotivated to put it into practice. I'm starting monday and going all in. I've written out a diet for myself and I can share it with you if you like. I'm convinced health begins and ends with diet.

Last piece of advice I can give you is do what I did, read up on it. Watch youtube videos, read up on holistic health (not the wack jobs). Some good doctors are Dr McDougall and Dr Esselstyn. There are HUNDREDS of people on this very forum that have changed their diet/lifestyle and seen massive improvements. Just google anything to do with heart/diet and 'medhelp' after it.

Sorry if this was a bit long, lol.

[ajf08]

I actually didn't even have a chance to ask him for further testing. After every symptom I mentioned, even the exercise-related ones he just told me I need to be treated by a psychiatrist, not him. (eg. taking antidepressants, which I am not willing to until I know there's not other underlying cause). I haven't even had my blood drawn for a CBC. (Could by some deficiency somewhere?) Only my neurologist did test for thyroid hormones and mineralogram, which were all within normal ranges, only potassium was just above the bottom border.

HR ~50 is not the trouble, it's the occasional thump or just "not feeling good" happening when resting that's bothering me.

I probably should consider taking the SSRIs (Sertraline or Zoloft btw.) but I just can't see in what way it could help with weird heart-beating during, after exercise etc.

[ajf08]

I think I know exactly what you mean by the "'drop' feeling throughout my whole body at times with an irregular heart beat.   " I am sure I get that too especially when eating, or taking a break when doing some light physical activity.. makes me wanna sit down.

Also - just curious - have you got any experience taking a magnesium supplement ?

[ajf08]

No, I didn't, basically all doctors I have been to told me "It's in your head" eg. it's mental - could be but I doubt that. I am experiencing couple of pheochromocytoma symptoms but I think there are many disorders with similar symptoms that are more common eg. more likely. My neurologist sent me for an MRI of brain cause sometimes I also have pains or pressure on the top right side of my head, but I have to wait until June, 15th for that. Am also waiting for my neck to get checked up through ultrasound due to chronicly enlarged lymph nodes, I think they'll also check my thyroid.

Regarding the HR - it is ~ 50 when lying in bed & am absolutely relaxed, but the occasional flutters and thumps are what's bothering me. I get extremely anxious before doctors' appointments - my HR is at least 150 when in waiting room and the second they call me inside the office, I start to calm down, meaning my HR is less than 100 (that's why the tachycardia). When I get "agoraphobic" my HR doesn't go up that much, I just have chest tightness, am sweating, feeling like fainting - but that's rare.

Usually people say that they can't catch their breath ... sometimes I would say I can't catch my heartbeat :/

I would love to have checked everything though but right now I haven't even had CBC done, so I don't even know whether I am deficient somewhere.

[is_something_wrong]

With a normal cardiology work up (normal EKG and echo) there really isn't any more testing necessary to do. Maybe I would have asked for a 24h Holter, and if you get palpitations during exercise, possibly a stress test, but as long as your EKG and echo is normal, the palpitations are likely benign and further testing is mostly for reassurance.

A heart rate in the 50s is nothing to worry about unless you have symptoms of low blood pressure. If your doctor think your palpitations are caused by anxiety, SSRI is not necessarily a bad idea. Just keep in mind that your anxiety may worsen initially. It will pass after a couple of weeks, and you already have anti-anxiety meds you can use if it gets too bad. Lucky you, in Norway doctors almost NEVER prescribe Xanax or Klonazepam. Sometimes, the mildest benzo, oxazepam, is prescribed, but rarely anything stronger.

[SlowHeart92]

I've just posted a very similar thread. Weird. I also get the pounding slow heart beats, it makes no sense. One day I'll walk up the stairs and my heart will beat fast and 'weaker' (or is this normal?) and the next it will beat slow and super hard.

I also get the fluttering but pretty rarely. I get a 'drop' feeling throughout my whole body at times with an irregular heart beat.  

It could be a form of deconditioning as we are both almost completely sedentary.

It's most likely nothing to worry about but I'm getting mine checked soon.