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Heart Palpitations
Hi, I'm 42. I began noticing palpitations (one or two very strong or misplaced heartbeats) back in I think 2008, 5 years ago. But I shrugged it off. I chalked it up to being tired, my hormones possibly changing, stress, etc. Back then this only happened MAYBE once in a blue moon, so I didn't allow it to bother me and I just carried on as though it didn't happen at all.
I have had anxiety since 2004 when I was attacked in the subway in NYC. It took me 3 years but I was able to manage my anxiety to the point where it didn't bother me any more, using Yoga and very small amounts of Valerian root when I was at my worst - apparently it bonds to the same receptor cells in the brain as Valium. I dropped all caffiene intake such as sodas, coffee, etc. However, I continued to eat milk chocolate and white flour products because I was addicted to them, and eventually I could "get away" with eating some without having an anxiety attack although I wasn't altogether comfortable after eating it.
4 years ago I got into a stressful work situation AND a stressful relationship, which were connected (I work with my bf). I began living with him and working with him. I began feeling anxiety symptoms return within 6 months, but continued managing them and I didn't feel that I had anxiety because of how I managed my symptoms.
Around 1 year ago I began to feel a "flashing" sensation of heat on the left side of my head, and sometimes up my back. I assumed these were "hot flashes" and were due to my hormones changing as I had turned 40. In addition my periods speeded up so that sometimes I had only 3 weeks in between instead of 4. This lead me to believe that I could be having "hot flashes" due to perimenopause. I was also diagnosed with a small fibroid in my uterus, which the Dr. assured me is another symptom of changng hormones and not to worry about it unless it got much larger.
Flash forward- around January of last year I felt a loooong heart palpitation. I had just been arguing with my bf and I walked out into the cold to get the mail. I was agitated, annoyed and overworked, tired with not enough sleep. I had never felt such a long palpitation before, it was a series of strong, too fast beats that didn't belong with my normal heart rhythm. I was terrified. I came home and spent the rest of the afternoon having an anxiety attack which I fended off with meditation. I chalked it up to our arguement. At this point I dropped ALL alcohol, ALL chocolate, ALL white flour and unnecessary sugar, corn syrup, etc from my diet. So far (it's been since Jauary) I have lost 15 lbs without increasing my exercise, just from diet alone. Wish I could have done this WITHOUT the palps:)
*to be continued in the comments section- it exceeded the "8000 character limit".*
I have had anxiety since 2004 when I was attacked in the subway in NYC. It took me 3 years but I was able to manage my anxiety to the point where it didn't bother me any more, using Yoga and very small amounts of Valerian root when I was at my worst - apparently it bonds to the same receptor cells in the brain as Valium. I dropped all caffiene intake such as sodas, coffee, etc. However, I continued to eat milk chocolate and white flour products because I was addicted to them, and eventually I could "get away" with eating some without having an anxiety attack although I wasn't altogether comfortable after eating it.
4 years ago I got into a stressful work situation AND a stressful relationship, which were connected (I work with my bf). I began living with him and working with him. I began feeling anxiety symptoms return within 6 months, but continued managing them and I didn't feel that I had anxiety because of how I managed my symptoms.
Around 1 year ago I began to feel a "flashing" sensation of heat on the left side of my head, and sometimes up my back. I assumed these were "hot flashes" and were due to my hormones changing as I had turned 40. In addition my periods speeded up so that sometimes I had only 3 weeks in between instead of 4. This lead me to believe that I could be having "hot flashes" due to perimenopause. I was also diagnosed with a small fibroid in my uterus, which the Dr. assured me is another symptom of changng hormones and not to worry about it unless it got much larger.
Flash forward- around January of last year I felt a loooong heart palpitation. I had just been arguing with my bf and I walked out into the cold to get the mail. I was agitated, annoyed and overworked, tired with not enough sleep. I had never felt such a long palpitation before, it was a series of strong, too fast beats that didn't belong with my normal heart rhythm. I was terrified. I came home and spent the rest of the afternoon having an anxiety attack which I fended off with meditation. I chalked it up to our arguement. At this point I dropped ALL alcohol, ALL chocolate, ALL white flour and unnecessary sugar, corn syrup, etc from my diet. So far (it's been since Jauary) I have lost 15 lbs without increasing my exercise, just from diet alone. Wish I could have done this WITHOUT the palps:)
*to be continued in the comments section- it exceeded the "8000 character limit".*
Hi, that post above was made from my phone. There were a lot of errors in it, it's harder for me to type from my phone.
Basically, I was upset because from the start of this people have attempted to throw the "psych" lable on me and take their sweet time in helping me, meanwhile I was sitting in an apartment with way over the limit pesticides getting sicker and sicker. Had I not acted powerfully and immediately on my own behalf and removed myself from the apartment, I could have ended up with far more serious health problems. This has been an emotionally terrifying and trying situation to say the least. I'm very sorry that I got upset, but I had been told time and time again to "relax" and "get counseling" as I was sitting in the middle of a situation that was making me worse, for FULLY ENVIRONMENTAL reasons that had nothing whatsoever to do with my state of mind, etc. It's enough to make almost anyone snap.
Since I left my apt I've slowly gotten better. The only spasms I have had since then have been much much smaller and fading away with time, and are the result of an instability in my lower back. Chiropractic treatment, rest, diet and stability exercises have taken care of that.
My GI tract was messed up and I was having allergic reactions to things I never had reactions to before, and I was terrified that I was now sensitive to chemicals. I stayed away from all chemicals for a month and ate a healthy organic diet and took tons of supplements, switched to all natural products and did sauna as much as I could to get the toxins out, and it doesn't seem that I'm intolerant of anything now. Most of my food sensitivity has gone away, although I think the lining of my stomach is still kind of weak.
I'm living at a hotel now and I'm trying to sort out the mess of my apt, it's a terrible situation. I'm apartment hunting at the same time as healing/seeing doctors and working and getting used to a new environment. This is not easy.
Basically, I was upset because from the start of this people have attempted to throw the "psych" lable on me and take their sweet time in helping me, meanwhile I was sitting in an apartment with way over the limit pesticides getting sicker and sicker. Had I not acted powerfully and immediately on my own behalf and removed myself from the apartment, I could have ended up with far more serious health problems. This has been an emotionally terrifying and trying situation to say the least. I'm very sorry that I got upset, but I had been told time and time again to "relax" and "get counseling" as I was sitting in the middle of a situation that was making me worse, for FULLY ENVIRONMENTAL reasons that had nothing whatsoever to do with my state of mind, etc. It's enough to make almost anyone snap.
Since I left my apt I've slowly gotten better. The only spasms I have had since then have been much much smaller and fading away with time, and are the result of an instability in my lower back. Chiropractic treatment, rest, diet and stability exercises have taken care of that.
My GI tract was messed up and I was having allergic reactions to things I never had reactions to before, and I was terrified that I was now sensitive to chemicals. I stayed away from all chemicals for a month and ate a healthy organic diet and took tons of supplements, switched to all natural products and did sauna as much as I could to get the toxins out, and it doesn't seem that I'm intolerant of anything now. Most of my food sensitivity has gone away, although I think the lining of my stomach is still kind of weak.
I'm living at a hotel now and I'm trying to sort out the mess of my apt, it's a terrible situation. I'm apartment hunting at the same time as healing/seeing doctors and working and getting used to a new environment. This is not easy.
Apparently I offended you by offering advice, so I will not offer any more. I sincerely hope you have found the answer to your health issues and are on the road to recovery.
Oh, and my GP was worse than useless. He signed me up for a bunch of his expensive doctor buddies in Manhattan even though I kept trying to tell him that I suspected my apartment and would have had me sitting in there spasming, waiting another 30 days for an appointment with this, that and the other doctor.
Oh, and as far as me "being a psych case" or "needing counseling"? Not a chance. I am a tough and savy NYC lady who has already been to counseling for YEARS in the past. People are soooo, so quick to throw the "psych" Lable when someone is suffering from things that others just don't understand.
People out there reading this - do NOT accept the "psych" Lable and "relax" into the grave! If you're not feeling right, act quicly, relentlessly and powerfully on your own behalf to find answers and never mind what anybody says. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt, and emotional room, space and forbearance to flail and thrash around till you get ANSWERS ANd HELP.
People out there reading this - do NOT accept the "psych" Lable and "relax" into the grave! If you're not feeling right, act quicly, relentlessly and powerfully on your own behalf to find answers and never mind what anybody says. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt, and emotional room, space and forbearance to flail and thrash around till you get ANSWERS ANd HELP.
I have a loooong commentary to make about some of the things e pressed in your post, Delta Dawn. While I do agree that problems are made worse by stress, nobody can reasonably expect someone who is experiencing terrifying, mysterious new heart palpitations, that were steadily getting worse, to "relax". Had I listened to the "helpful words" oor even stern lectures by Health Industruy Professionals to "calm down and relax", I do NOT know where I would be today. Since I was living in an apartment that was treated with far above the allowed limit of pyrethroid pesticides that were slowly damaging my nervous system, GI tracy and heart, I could be hospitalized or with very serious problems right now. It was only through constant vigilance and relentless searching for information DESPITE "Health Industry Professionals" attempts to get me to "calm down and relax" that I eventual identified the problem (they were clueless) and saved myself by pulling myself out of there. After that, no palpitations and very few spasms- from my lower back. They attempted to give me Xanex, Valium, Attavan and psych Meds- these scripts I tossed from the window of my car going down the highway. They would have had me drooling on Atavan or Xanex, spasming away in my apartment, right into the grave. You see, pesticide poisoning is in POOR neighborhoods - as soon as I told my friend who had grown up in Spanish Harlem what the problems were, he said "pesticide". Apparently it's common where cheap apartments are in NYC, which I've been forced to move to due to the economy. But doctors and other Health Industry Pros would never live in a place where the landlord, to cut corners, would use their idiot son instead of a real exterminator. So they jerked off and noodles about with GI doctor appointments, blood drawing that never seemed to happen because "the phlebotomist leaves early on certain days" and so forth while I sat in my apartment spasming and watching my fingers and toes move by themselves, which is hair raising and emotionally damaging to the extreme. So Do NOT tell me to RELAX. Thank you.
I am glad you are feeling better again. It occurred to me while reading your very long posts (probably more appropriate for a journal entry) that you are doing a lot of self-diagnosing. I believe it would be to your benefit to find a primary care practitioner that you trust and see if he can sort some of this out for you. Also, teaching hospitals are sometimes able to figure out knotty problems like this. Letting people on the internet diagnose and treat your symptoms, and trying herbs seems to be non-effective at best and risky at worst. Self diagnosis is also a risky road to go down. Your problems also seem very much tied to your stress levels, so maybe some pyscological help might be considered. I tend to run around in circles until the doctor can calmly look at the BIG picture and start unraveling an issue for me. I believe you may be doing this also. I wish you luck with this.
BTW I am totally normal now. I eat most foods with very minimal reactions, I go wherever I want, etc. now I have to begin strengthening exercises for my back. My Chiro will give me the exercises tomorrow.
I got myself over the food insensitivity by eating small amounts of what I was insensitive to like bread and other grains. Brussels sprouts and other stuff.
One thing that was very helpful was EFT. It's a way to release being emotionally scared of something. Many times your body is giving you symptoms because it REMEMBERS something bad. You can download a free EFT manual thr will help you get over your fears by tapping on your acupressure sites while concentrating on the freedom you need and letting go of your fear.
I got myself over the food insensitivity by eating small amounts of what I was insensitive to like bread and other grains. Brussels sprouts and other stuff.
One thing that was very helpful was EFT. It's a way to release being emotionally scared of something. Many times your body is giving you symptoms because it REMEMBERS something bad. You can download a free EFT manual thr will help you get over your fears by tapping on your acupressure sites while concentrating on the freedom you need and letting go of your fear.
Hi guys. I got to the bottom of the problem.
My landlords had not used a licensed exterminator in the apt right before I moved in, they used their son. He over zealously used pyrethroid pesticides in the apt. I had been working very hard and was run down. My liver could not detox them from my system fast enough. They were irritating my nervous system, GI Tract and heart.
I had an attack where I was shaking, having spasms in my arms and legs, chest spasms, was unable to calm down or sleep, and was terrified. I went to the ER and nobody knew what was wrong with me. I left my apt and went to my parents for 7 days but ended up going back in my apt. Convinced myself it wasnt the apt. That was wrong of me to do, I had another attack after 9 days. I left the apt for good and my friend is allowing me to live with him. I also had a Spondelolysthesis slip during this time. Some of the spasms in my esophagus were coming from my back. My chiropractor clued me into the fact that the spasms can go up your spine sometimes. The combo of my irritated system and the Spondelo is what causes my symptoms. I got Chiro care and left the apt, now I only get a couple spasms when I sit for longer than my back likes.
Pyrethroids make you have allergy symptoms. What was ALSO happening to me is that I became violently allergic to previously tolerated and loved foods. I had to be very careful for 2 weeks after my final poisoning episode- for that time I only ate fruits, vegetables raw and cooked , and easy to digest proteins like chicken, turkey, lamb and eggs. I was scared to eat anything else because I had some intolerance issues like stomach twitching, headache, dizziness and so forth.
I lost a total of 10 or 11 lbs since I moved into my apt. I have regained 4 since living with my friend. I hope to regain it all. This was a crazy episode in my life and I just want to move on.
My landlords had not used a licensed exterminator in the apt right before I moved in, they used their son. He over zealously used pyrethroid pesticides in the apt. I had been working very hard and was run down. My liver could not detox them from my system fast enough. They were irritating my nervous system, GI Tract and heart.
I had an attack where I was shaking, having spasms in my arms and legs, chest spasms, was unable to calm down or sleep, and was terrified. I went to the ER and nobody knew what was wrong with me. I left my apt and went to my parents for 7 days but ended up going back in my apt. Convinced myself it wasnt the apt. That was wrong of me to do, I had another attack after 9 days. I left the apt for good and my friend is allowing me to live with him. I also had a Spondelolysthesis slip during this time. Some of the spasms in my esophagus were coming from my back. My chiropractor clued me into the fact that the spasms can go up your spine sometimes. The combo of my irritated system and the Spondelo is what causes my symptoms. I got Chiro care and left the apt, now I only get a couple spasms when I sit for longer than my back likes.
Pyrethroids make you have allergy symptoms. What was ALSO happening to me is that I became violently allergic to previously tolerated and loved foods. I had to be very careful for 2 weeks after my final poisoning episode- for that time I only ate fruits, vegetables raw and cooked , and easy to digest proteins like chicken, turkey, lamb and eggs. I was scared to eat anything else because I had some intolerance issues like stomach twitching, headache, dizziness and so forth.
I lost a total of 10 or 11 lbs since I moved into my apt. I have regained 4 since living with my friend. I hope to regain it all. This was a crazy episode in my life and I just want to move on.
Hi, more has happened. I know what was going on now. It was a combination of being poisoned by chemicals in my apt and my back going bad. After recieving chiropractic treatments for my lower back Spondelolysthesis and getting out of my apartment, my symptoms stopped. No more esophogeal spasms, etc. BUT- being in the apt so long with chemicals has made me sensitive to chemicals. I tried to get some of my personal belongings that were coated with the chemical from my apartment, and I had a 45 minute reaction that was strong enough to make me pull over to the side of the road. I cant touch or be around anything from my old apt, or my boyfriend if his clothes have been in the apartment. Or any cleaner containing chlorine bleach. This is terrible.
My GI tract isn't the same- what was happening is that I was breathing in the chemical and it was going to the back of my throat, then I would eat and it would get pushed down into my GI tract. That was what was causing some of the spasms, this is a nerve toxin that causes spasms. The rest was caused by my lower back being out of alignment.
I'm happy I got to the bottom of it, but now I'm stranded without my personal belongings and very little money since I haven't been working. I can't place stress on my back for another 2 weeks.
I am talking to some people who were able to get "back to normal" after this happened to them. They did things like chelation, etc. I am afraid to have a chemical put in my veins. I think I can beat it in some other way.
This is very crazy and I never thought I would be on the recieving end of something like this. I am very sad and lonely without my boyfriend or anyone else around me. This is nuts.
My GI tract isn't the same- what was happening is that I was breathing in the chemical and it was going to the back of my throat, then I would eat and it would get pushed down into my GI tract. That was what was causing some of the spasms, this is a nerve toxin that causes spasms. The rest was caused by my lower back being out of alignment.
I'm happy I got to the bottom of it, but now I'm stranded without my personal belongings and very little money since I haven't been working. I can't place stress on my back for another 2 weeks.
I am talking to some people who were able to get "back to normal" after this happened to them. They did things like chelation, etc. I am afraid to have a chemical put in my veins. I think I can beat it in some other way.
This is very crazy and I never thought I would be on the recieving end of something like this. I am very sad and lonely without my boyfriend or anyone else around me. This is nuts.
I've been back in NYC for a few days now. I pinched a nerve during this ordeal and went to see a Chiropractor. He says that you can get esophogeal spasms from having a misaligned spine. There are many nerves that control the esophagus and a lot of other things in the spine, and when the vertebrae are misaligned they can squeeze the nerves in abnormal ways and cause many things to go wrong in the body- INCLUDING ESOPHOGEAL SPASMS. So I'm going to get a series of adjustments, not just for my pinched nerve but to see if it will stop the few spasm I still feel sometimes.
All Hell broke loose.
I was cured after going to the hospital - for exactly one night. I went back to my apt. After spending 24 hours there, I was unable to eat food. My esophagus had closed up and I had to take a tiny bite, swallow, take another tiny bite, swallow. I didn't get much food. I was able to eat a cucumber too because it is soft. I ate broccoli and chicken.
I went to work, but I panicked all night at work. I was concerned about my environment. They had remodeled right before we moved in, it was an old building, and now I suspect environmental toxins making my allergies flare up- cheap paint, industrial glue, etc. When I left work I decided to spend the night at a friend's house to see if it would make difference to be away from that environment. His house happened to have had a rabbit there, and it had a lot of dust- he's a guy and didn't dust, clean, etc. I slept over in the living room and my allergies went through the roof. The next day I had redness, anxiety, itching, and major spasms. I called 911 and went to Montefiore hospital in the Bronx. There they gave me Benadryl in a drip. This allowed me to sleep and cleared the allergens from my system. The doctor said that he thought I had achalasia. After the benadril my throat opened up and ate a sandwich without incident.
All this was just too much for me. I jumped in my car and drove straight to my parent's house from the Emergency room without stopping at my apt. I took a nap at a rest stop for 4 hours, then woke up, rinsed my mouth, bought a big red apple and kept on going. I ate the apple as I drove, without incident, and pulled into my parent's driveway around 10pm. They were happy to see me. I tried to explain what was going on. I'm not sure they understood completely.
I slept all that day and night, then woke up and ate a bananna. Immediate spasms and allergic reaction. Hives, anxiety and spasms all day. That night I tried to eat chicken breast. I only got about a third down before my throat totally closed up and some of the chicken breast refluxed back up. I went to the ER in Fairfax, VA.
The Dr. there thought this may have happened from being around the paint and glue in my apt. She gave me a dose of Protonix, a proton pump inhibitor which shut down my acid. My spasms went away and my throat opened up. She wrote me a prescription for Protonix. I tried to fill it today but no pharmacy in this area had it. They called her and switched it to Prilosec. I had a terrible adverse reaction to Prilosec, it made me have anxiety, jitters and a very bad feeling all day where I couldn't accomplish anything and couldn't carry on a descent conversation. Tomorrow I will attempt to control my acid with over the counter meds and order the liquid Protonix. This is crazy.
I'm getting health insurance tomorrow, and making an appointment with a gastroenterologist and an allergist. And I have to find a new apt.
This has been INSANE.
I suspect this: http://www.allergyasthmaaz.com/blog/tag/food-allergies
Eosinophillic Esophagitis, I can't even spell it. I think I was bombarded by allergens in my apt, paint or glue, and I already had a predisposition for this condition, and the allergens made it much much worse.
Either that, or I produced so much stomach acid due to stress that I burned my esophagus. Come to find out I have LPR.
But with how much allergy trouble I had, I bet it's the first one, and now when stomach acid hits the inflamed esophagus and it's nerves, a spasm is the result.
I"m not sure though, I have to go to the doctors to find out.
THIS. IS. CRAZY.
I was cured after going to the hospital - for exactly one night. I went back to my apt. After spending 24 hours there, I was unable to eat food. My esophagus had closed up and I had to take a tiny bite, swallow, take another tiny bite, swallow. I didn't get much food. I was able to eat a cucumber too because it is soft. I ate broccoli and chicken.
I went to work, but I panicked all night at work. I was concerned about my environment. They had remodeled right before we moved in, it was an old building, and now I suspect environmental toxins making my allergies flare up- cheap paint, industrial glue, etc. When I left work I decided to spend the night at a friend's house to see if it would make difference to be away from that environment. His house happened to have had a rabbit there, and it had a lot of dust- he's a guy and didn't dust, clean, etc. I slept over in the living room and my allergies went through the roof. The next day I had redness, anxiety, itching, and major spasms. I called 911 and went to Montefiore hospital in the Bronx. There they gave me Benadryl in a drip. This allowed me to sleep and cleared the allergens from my system. The doctor said that he thought I had achalasia. After the benadril my throat opened up and ate a sandwich without incident.
All this was just too much for me. I jumped in my car and drove straight to my parent's house from the Emergency room without stopping at my apt. I took a nap at a rest stop for 4 hours, then woke up, rinsed my mouth, bought a big red apple and kept on going. I ate the apple as I drove, without incident, and pulled into my parent's driveway around 10pm. They were happy to see me. I tried to explain what was going on. I'm not sure they understood completely.
I slept all that day and night, then woke up and ate a bananna. Immediate spasms and allergic reaction. Hives, anxiety and spasms all day. That night I tried to eat chicken breast. I only got about a third down before my throat totally closed up and some of the chicken breast refluxed back up. I went to the ER in Fairfax, VA.
The Dr. there thought this may have happened from being around the paint and glue in my apt. She gave me a dose of Protonix, a proton pump inhibitor which shut down my acid. My spasms went away and my throat opened up. She wrote me a prescription for Protonix. I tried to fill it today but no pharmacy in this area had it. They called her and switched it to Prilosec. I had a terrible adverse reaction to Prilosec, it made me have anxiety, jitters and a very bad feeling all day where I couldn't accomplish anything and couldn't carry on a descent conversation. Tomorrow I will attempt to control my acid with over the counter meds and order the liquid Protonix. This is crazy.
I'm getting health insurance tomorrow, and making an appointment with a gastroenterologist and an allergist. And I have to find a new apt.
This has been INSANE.
I suspect this: http://www.allergyasthmaaz.com/blog/tag/food-allergies
Eosinophillic Esophagitis, I can't even spell it. I think I was bombarded by allergens in my apt, paint or glue, and I already had a predisposition for this condition, and the allergens made it much much worse.
Either that, or I produced so much stomach acid due to stress that I burned my esophagus. Come to find out I have LPR.
But with how much allergy trouble I had, I bet it's the first one, and now when stomach acid hits the inflamed esophagus and it's nerves, a spasm is the result.
I"m not sure though, I have to go to the doctors to find out.
THIS. IS. CRAZY.
Muscle spasms are a classic symptom of low levels of magnesium.
Excerpt from "The Magic of Magnesium: A Mighty Mineral Essential to Health" by Christiane Northrup, MD...
"Perhaps the most miraculous story I've ever heard about magnesium was one I heard from Dr. Dean. There was a man who suffered from esophageal spasms so severe that he often couldn't swallow anything, including his own saliva. During one horrible attack--something quite similar to choking--his wife gave him some water with magnesium citrate powder mixed in it. After holding the solution in his mouth for about a minute, the magnesium calmed the muscle spasms and he was able to function normally."
Magnesium supplements, - to avoid,- how to take it and -safety:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Heart-Rhythm/Magnesium-supplements----to-avoid---how-to-take-it-and--safety/show/1002415
Excerpt from "The Magic of Magnesium: A Mighty Mineral Essential to Health" by Christiane Northrup, MD...
"Perhaps the most miraculous story I've ever heard about magnesium was one I heard from Dr. Dean. There was a man who suffered from esophageal spasms so severe that he often couldn't swallow anything, including his own saliva. During one horrible attack--something quite similar to choking--his wife gave him some water with magnesium citrate powder mixed in it. After holding the solution in his mouth for about a minute, the magnesium calmed the muscle spasms and he was able to function normally."
Magnesium supplements, - to avoid,- how to take it and -safety:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Heart-Rhythm/Magnesium-supplements----to-avoid---how-to-take-it-and--safety/show/1002415
Hello, All!
Since I wrote my last entry, I have found out A LOT.
I all this time wrongfully assumed these "palpitations" were my heart. Well, yesterday I was hooked up to a vital sign machine at the hospital that clearly showed me having a "palpitation" - and my heart not moving a noodge. Yes that's right- my heart did not budge. It was my esophagus having spasms.
I guess I'm in the wrong forum! LOL Or perhaps sometimes the esopahgeal spasms can be so strong that the heart becomes involved because it rests against the esophagus. However, the heart is fine- it is the esphagous that is spasming.
I was having more "palps" last night, despite all the help that had been given to me by Nick and all I had done for myself. I was scared, frustrated BEYOND belief. I didn't want to just pop another Gas X and mess up my digestion further.
I took about 3 drops of Golden Seal tincture in warm water to help kill possible h. pylori in my stomach. The Golden Seal raised my heart rate, when I was ALREADY anxious about spasms. It got so bad I couldn't even lie down and my heart was racing. I decided to go to the Emergency Room as I hadn't been able to sleep all night, and I was tired of this merry go round and just wanted someone to look at me again.
When I got there my EKG was fast but fine. After waiting for the Golden Seal to wear off and a lecture about not taking natural cures (It's true, I was very irresponsible for not fully researching possible effects of Golden Seal on my body and just going off of someone else's word that it would be beneficial FOR ME), I was talking to the Doctor when I had a "palpitation". We watched my heartbeat stay COMPLETELY NORMAL on the screen and just keep on bliping, while this happened. So at that point we knew FOR A FACT that IT WAS *NOT* the heart. I guess what can happen is that the esophagus rests against the heart and if the spasm is strong enough it can set the heart off. But there is nothing wrong with the heart itself. And most of the time, if you have a spasm, that will NOT happen.
BTW, all this could have been avoided if I had been able to know quickly enough about my GERD. But I had the "silent reflux" that does not burn, so it progressed to the point where I was having spasms trying to get things down the esophagus.
The warning sings were:
1) things "sticking" in the throat and not wanting to go down
2) things coming back up into the throat in a way that I could feel it
3) occasionally something getting "stuck" as I was trying to swallow it and hurting a great deal, and taking a while to "go down".
4) spasms
I now follow the GERD protocol to a tee, sleep with the top half of my body elevated (on pillows for now, I'm looking for one of those "wedges" to put under my mattress), don't eat for two hours prior to lying down, and all that stuff.
I'm also looking for a GREAT gatro doctor in Manhattan, which I'm sure there are many to be found.
This problem can affect your whole life if you let it go - without your esophagus, you don't have ANYTHING. Some people even ended up on J Tube feeding tubes, so THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. These spasms were my esophagus crying out and I didn't even realize it.
Oh, there is also a mental component - if you fear spasms, it makes spasms. Yesterday as soon as I realized that this was not my heart but my esophagus, I was able to actually control my spasms. I was able to tell my esophagus "quiet", put my hand over it and actually calm them down MYSELF. So keep searching until you get PROOF POSITIVE OF WHAT IS WRONG.
Magnesium helps, Camomile Tea (a natural nerve tonic) helps, anything relaxing and anti-spasmodic. There are some who take nitro under the tongue, calcium channel blockers, etc. I hope that with education, pampering, rest, understanding, well chewed food, GERD diet, exercise etc that this situation will come to a happy ending for me.
Since I wrote my last entry, I have found out A LOT.
I all this time wrongfully assumed these "palpitations" were my heart. Well, yesterday I was hooked up to a vital sign machine at the hospital that clearly showed me having a "palpitation" - and my heart not moving a noodge. Yes that's right- my heart did not budge. It was my esophagus having spasms.
I guess I'm in the wrong forum! LOL Or perhaps sometimes the esopahgeal spasms can be so strong that the heart becomes involved because it rests against the esophagus. However, the heart is fine- it is the esphagous that is spasming.
I was having more "palps" last night, despite all the help that had been given to me by Nick and all I had done for myself. I was scared, frustrated BEYOND belief. I didn't want to just pop another Gas X and mess up my digestion further.
I took about 3 drops of Golden Seal tincture in warm water to help kill possible h. pylori in my stomach. The Golden Seal raised my heart rate, when I was ALREADY anxious about spasms. It got so bad I couldn't even lie down and my heart was racing. I decided to go to the Emergency Room as I hadn't been able to sleep all night, and I was tired of this merry go round and just wanted someone to look at me again.
When I got there my EKG was fast but fine. After waiting for the Golden Seal to wear off and a lecture about not taking natural cures (It's true, I was very irresponsible for not fully researching possible effects of Golden Seal on my body and just going off of someone else's word that it would be beneficial FOR ME), I was talking to the Doctor when I had a "palpitation". We watched my heartbeat stay COMPLETELY NORMAL on the screen and just keep on bliping, while this happened. So at that point we knew FOR A FACT that IT WAS *NOT* the heart. I guess what can happen is that the esophagus rests against the heart and if the spasm is strong enough it can set the heart off. But there is nothing wrong with the heart itself. And most of the time, if you have a spasm, that will NOT happen.
BTW, all this could have been avoided if I had been able to know quickly enough about my GERD. But I had the "silent reflux" that does not burn, so it progressed to the point where I was having spasms trying to get things down the esophagus.
The warning sings were:
1) things "sticking" in the throat and not wanting to go down
2) things coming back up into the throat in a way that I could feel it
3) occasionally something getting "stuck" as I was trying to swallow it and hurting a great deal, and taking a while to "go down".
4) spasms
I now follow the GERD protocol to a tee, sleep with the top half of my body elevated (on pillows for now, I'm looking for one of those "wedges" to put under my mattress), don't eat for two hours prior to lying down, and all that stuff.
I'm also looking for a GREAT gatro doctor in Manhattan, which I'm sure there are many to be found.
This problem can affect your whole life if you let it go - without your esophagus, you don't have ANYTHING. Some people even ended up on J Tube feeding tubes, so THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. These spasms were my esophagus crying out and I didn't even realize it.
Oh, there is also a mental component - if you fear spasms, it makes spasms. Yesterday as soon as I realized that this was not my heart but my esophagus, I was able to actually control my spasms. I was able to tell my esophagus "quiet", put my hand over it and actually calm them down MYSELF. So keep searching until you get PROOF POSITIVE OF WHAT IS WRONG.
Magnesium helps, Camomile Tea (a natural nerve tonic) helps, anything relaxing and anti-spasmodic. There are some who take nitro under the tongue, calcium channel blockers, etc. I hope that with education, pampering, rest, understanding, well chewed food, GERD diet, exercise etc that this situation will come to a happy ending for me.
Hi Jerry! I haven't been thinking too straight in the past 3 weeks, this thread is kind of like my personal journey into pinpointing my problem and finally being able to gain control of my symptoms. It's true, it meanders a lot. I'll go in and clean it up once I am feeling better. This has been a hellish trip, with two emergency room visits and a clinic visit, threats of having to buy expensive health insurance and spend addtional money on tests, locate and asess cardiologists for lifesaving skills, decide which hospitals had the best cardiology departments, possible heart problems, clinics and doctors who failed me, did I mention the SHEER TERROR??? I feel worn out and wrung out, as though I was falling and someone grabbed me at the last second. Talk about adrenal fatigue, LOL
I'll go in and put a "clean", stripped down version at some point possibly next week. NICK WALSH already has a great site and book about this very problem if you google him.
I'll go in and put a "clean", stripped down version at some point possibly next week. NICK WALSH already has a great site and book about this very problem if you google him.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Just a comment/suggestion.
This was too long and too off my personal experience for me to get real deeply into the full body of the information. But, it looks to me like there are some valuable findings in the thread.
It could be useful if the originator could provide a brief, say all in one post without any specific details beyond noting specific emotional and physical problems/symptoms and what worked to resolve them. The Gas-X (or equivalent) sounds like a fine other may benefit from.
I even think this information could be shared on "women's health issues" or similar Communities.
Hope you've got a path forward to feeling better.
This was too long and too off my personal experience for me to get real deeply into the full body of the information. But, it looks to me like there are some valuable findings in the thread.
It could be useful if the originator could provide a brief, say all in one post without any specific details beyond noting specific emotional and physical problems/symptoms and what worked to resolve them. The Gas-X (or equivalent) sounds like a fine other may benefit from.
I even think this information could be shared on "women's health issues" or similar Communities.
Hope you've got a path forward to feeling better.
Hey everyone, I found someone online who helped my palps greatly, his name is NICK WALSH. He first told me to take Gas X if I was having a huge palp attack. This I did. The attack subsided in 15 minutes. Apparantly the active ingredient in the Gas X alkalizes the stomach very rapidly, causing it not to irritate the Vegas nerve any more.
He then told me that I can't live off of Gas X, I need to create a more alkaline digestive tract in general so that my esophagus can heal. He reccomended these things:
1) Aloe Vera GEL (not juice, the gel is different and works much better)
2) a great probiotic - the liquid in the bottle in the refrigerator that has billions of bacteria, not the pills or capsules.
3) Ph drops for your drinking water to make it more alkaline. Mine cost $20 from my local healthfood store.
4) oils and extracts that kill h.pilori, a common bacteria that causes us not to be able to digest food well and makes acid in the intestines
5) great digestive enzymes to be taken before meals
6) mineral drops to act as a supplement
If you want to know more, google NICK WALSH stop heart palpitations, he has a book and a website about this very subject. He himself had this for 7 years and researched it for that long, to come up with this protocol for keeping it away. I'm going on my 3 rd day and no palps. The Gas X has been a real godsend, it's the silver bullet that protects you until you can get your GI tract on track to create a non irritating environment in your body.
ALSO- IF you are a woman over 35, know that GERD/LPR is a symptom of MENOPAUSE as is anxiety, dizziness and other symptoms. There are great threads with tons of useful info about this. Your hormones are changing levels- when progesterone dominates it causes muscle weakness, and your GI tract is made of muscle. If you sphincters become weak, it causes GERD and therefore eventual heart palpitations in some people due to irritation of the Vegas nerve. Your whole mission should be to create a body that is as inflammation free as possible.
Follow the GERD diet- no spicy foods, no red meat, no fats and oils except healthy flax and other oils that are good for the body. Sleep with the head of your bed elevated 6-8 inches from the foot, and don't eat 2 hours before lying down, let gravity help you.
Oh, and try not to sit in abdomen-crunching positions, keep your back straight. It's harder than you think. I was slouching my way through life. Do exercises that don't pound and irritate but are smooth, like walking.
It's a LOT to learn and take in, I'm still learning a lot. What I didn't learn on my own, NICK WALSH helped me with.
He then told me that I can't live off of Gas X, I need to create a more alkaline digestive tract in general so that my esophagus can heal. He reccomended these things:
1) Aloe Vera GEL (not juice, the gel is different and works much better)
2) a great probiotic - the liquid in the bottle in the refrigerator that has billions of bacteria, not the pills or capsules.
3) Ph drops for your drinking water to make it more alkaline. Mine cost $20 from my local healthfood store.
4) oils and extracts that kill h.pilori, a common bacteria that causes us not to be able to digest food well and makes acid in the intestines
5) great digestive enzymes to be taken before meals
6) mineral drops to act as a supplement
If you want to know more, google NICK WALSH stop heart palpitations, he has a book and a website about this very subject. He himself had this for 7 years and researched it for that long, to come up with this protocol for keeping it away. I'm going on my 3 rd day and no palps. The Gas X has been a real godsend, it's the silver bullet that protects you until you can get your GI tract on track to create a non irritating environment in your body.
ALSO- IF you are a woman over 35, know that GERD/LPR is a symptom of MENOPAUSE as is anxiety, dizziness and other symptoms. There are great threads with tons of useful info about this. Your hormones are changing levels- when progesterone dominates it causes muscle weakness, and your GI tract is made of muscle. If you sphincters become weak, it causes GERD and therefore eventual heart palpitations in some people due to irritation of the Vegas nerve. Your whole mission should be to create a body that is as inflammation free as possible.
Follow the GERD diet- no spicy foods, no red meat, no fats and oils except healthy flax and other oils that are good for the body. Sleep with the head of your bed elevated 6-8 inches from the foot, and don't eat 2 hours before lying down, let gravity help you.
Oh, and try not to sit in abdomen-crunching positions, keep your back straight. It's harder than you think. I was slouching my way through life. Do exercises that don't pound and irritate but are smooth, like walking.
It's a LOT to learn and take in, I'm still learning a lot. What I didn't learn on my own, NICK WALSH helped me with.
After reading about LPR all of yesterday, I switched to a GERD diet today and used GERD techniques - sleeping with upper body elevated, small meals, non-irritating foods ( so far oatmeal, soymilk, almond milk, quinoa, dark rye bread and turkey slices). Well guess what? No damn palls. COULD THIS BE IT??? I have a lot more energy today and no anxiety seems to be plagueing me. I sure hope I've found the answer.
no more palps today, but I got that sensation that it MIGHT palpitate as I was standing in the flourescent lights trying to get my prescription filled for Xanex. Flourescent lights always affect my anxiety negatively. Great. What the hell is making my heart so "jumpy"? COULD it "just be my nerves"???
I noticed that when I have anxious thoughts, my "hot flashes" come back. They are on the left side of my head only. Interesting - I was assuming they were caused by perimenopause, however they could very well be caused by my anxiety.
I was again screwed over by the low-cost community clinic I tried to visit (the Ryan center in upper Manhattan). They had me on hold so long to talk about financial issues that I had to reschedule my appointment. So this brought on some stress. While on hold with them I browsed websites of symptoms of heart conditions which made my anxiety increase. I also browsed websites that discussed new findings that "hot flashes" may indicate heart trouble. I have had hot flashes for a year or more, but they seem to be subsiding very noticably in intensity and duration after faithfully taking my supplements now for a week.
I went home after attempting to get to the Ryan center, and was sitting on my bed browsing websites propped up on some blankets in a "bucket" position when I felt a gurgling come up from my stomach toward my esophagus, felt like gas bubbles. As soon as it got to my esophagus I had a medium intensity heart palpitation. At least now I have some evidence that it is indeed being stimulated by stomach events!
After this happened I again went though my usual anxiety reaction. Only this time I popped a Tums and some Valerian root powder in water right away and put on a relaxation YouTube. I noticed my right hand twitching most probably due to anxiety. I dug out the prescription for Xanex I had been given at the Emergency Room and called a couple of pharmacies to see if they could fill it - I'm going to start taking doctor's advice re: my anxiety and start treating it, no matter what I have to do. I also called the National Association of Health Underwriters but it was too late in the day, they had left. I want to find out a great health plan for cardiology in NY where I live and start paying for it - I was against this before but now I feel like I should do it, it's come to that. I need to have aaallllll the tests done and I am getting absolutely nowhere with low cost clinics - I've come to realize that they will kill you if you have a serious problem. Manhattan has incredible doctors so I will have to pay if I want to really make sure I am well to the fullest extent that I can. It's not fair but what else can I do? I don't want to have a real problem and not know it.
So that's where I stand right now - I'm getting to the bottom of these palps no matter what.
I went home after attempting to get to the Ryan center, and was sitting on my bed browsing websites propped up on some blankets in a "bucket" position when I felt a gurgling come up from my stomach toward my esophagus, felt like gas bubbles. As soon as it got to my esophagus I had a medium intensity heart palpitation. At least now I have some evidence that it is indeed being stimulated by stomach events!
After this happened I again went though my usual anxiety reaction. Only this time I popped a Tums and some Valerian root powder in water right away and put on a relaxation YouTube. I noticed my right hand twitching most probably due to anxiety. I dug out the prescription for Xanex I had been given at the Emergency Room and called a couple of pharmacies to see if they could fill it - I'm going to start taking doctor's advice re: my anxiety and start treating it, no matter what I have to do. I also called the National Association of Health Underwriters but it was too late in the day, they had left. I want to find out a great health plan for cardiology in NY where I live and start paying for it - I was against this before but now I feel like I should do it, it's come to that. I need to have aaallllll the tests done and I am getting absolutely nowhere with low cost clinics - I've come to realize that they will kill you if you have a serious problem. Manhattan has incredible doctors so I will have to pay if I want to really make sure I am well to the fullest extent that I can. It's not fair but what else can I do? I don't want to have a real problem and not know it.
So that's where I stand right now - I'm getting to the bottom of these palps no matter what.
Well done! My mother suffered severe GERD and severe LPR for almost 6 years. To cut a long story short, a simple home baking soda test showed her stomach acid was severely low. I took her off acid blocker nexium and onto betaine HCI with pepsin supplements (to increase stomach acid) and digestive enzyme supplements (to improve digestion). GERD and LPR were gone in weeks.
Other issues that caused her acid reflux but resolved treating the problem - magnesium deficiency (magnesium is needed for nerve transmission), zinc deficiency (needed to create stomach acid), iron supplements (side effect) and a 2cm colon poylp (almost blocking the bowel!). There are many other listed reasons but acid reflux is guaranteed to never be due to a drug deficiency! :)
Other issues that caused her acid reflux but resolved treating the problem - magnesium deficiency (magnesium is needed for nerve transmission), zinc deficiency (needed to create stomach acid), iron supplements (side effect) and a 2cm colon poylp (almost blocking the bowel!). There are many other listed reasons but acid reflux is guaranteed to never be due to a drug deficiency! :)
Hello All, I have been delving into the reasons I could have been having heart palps.
Some online are saying it could be GERD, a problem in which stomach acid comes up from a faulty valve and irritates the esophagus, through which the Vegas nerve passes - causing an irregular heartbeat, palps, etc.
It's 2 days later. No heart flips yesterday, none today so far. Changes I have made:
1) Sleep must be adhered to religiously. If you miss getting 8 hours one day, you MUST get it the next.
2) vitamins and minerals. Oh, I thought I was being really smart for taking Source of Life liquid vitamins but I think some of the herbs in it were actually stimulating (it advertizes "guaranteed burst of energy" on the lable and that's not good- if you have a nerve problem you can't have any "energy producing" herbs whatsoever). Medical grade vitamin supplements must be what you take. *ESPECIALY* the minerals CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND SODIUM. Dr. Christiane Northrup provides a list of vitamin and mineral supplements in her book "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom that is right on target. The list applies to men as well.
3) sitting up straight - I realized that I was slouching my way through my life. The way I was sitting with my computer I was slouching in Indian style. Then I'd go and slouch in my car's bucket driver's seat. When I was tired of Indian style sitting, I'd lean to the side on my elbow propping myself up and putting additional pressure on my spine and solar plexus (esophageal) area. NO. Get an ergonomic computer chair and remind yourself to sit up straight ALL THE TIME. Got to retrain your back and neck muscles in the healthy way that isn't going to damage your vegas and other nerves and misalign your spine. At no other point in history have we sat still SO MUCH. Our bodies can't take it for years and years and still remain healthy.
4) there are Vegas nerve exercises like putting chin to chest and so forth that I have just started to delve into. As soon as I did them I felt a "twang" in my chest and felt that I could be on the right track. We shall see if they help.
5) drop the arguing. Racheting the stress up will not solve any of the problems you are trying to solve, but it WILL harm your body and mind.
6) a GERD diet which avoids "trigger foods". Start a food journal to see which foods are the worst at triggering the acid, indigestion, etc. Some people online were calling this syndrome "steakhouse disease" because people were showing up at emergency rooms after eating hard to digest, acidy foods like steak. Also, no really hot or cold foods - basically, stomach acid has eaten away the lining of the esophagus, exposing the Vegas nerve and other nerves, so you can't eat or drink anything that will irritate these nerves.
7) no alcohol, no nerve stimulating stuff like chocolate unfortunately.
IN THE WORKS:
1) tomorrow, a physical and a doctor's appointment. They are going to fit me with a holter monitor.
2) a return to my beloved Yoga class which I had forgone so that I could have more time for my stressful job and more money - bad choice! I needed that Yoga class and should have made time for it no matter what.
3) more study about natural cures for nerve irritation
4) more study about movements that will aid my nerves rather than irritate them, such as neck exercises etc.
5) more free time and time spent on stuff for me, less dwelling on things that irritate me and make me upset
6) more searching for the correct diet to follow, I still don't know that much about the GERD diet
Some online are saying it could be GERD, a problem in which stomach acid comes up from a faulty valve and irritates the esophagus, through which the Vegas nerve passes - causing an irregular heartbeat, palps, etc.
It's 2 days later. No heart flips yesterday, none today so far. Changes I have made:
1) Sleep must be adhered to religiously. If you miss getting 8 hours one day, you MUST get it the next.
2) vitamins and minerals. Oh, I thought I was being really smart for taking Source of Life liquid vitamins but I think some of the herbs in it were actually stimulating (it advertizes "guaranteed burst of energy" on the lable and that's not good- if you have a nerve problem you can't have any "energy producing" herbs whatsoever). Medical grade vitamin supplements must be what you take. *ESPECIALY* the minerals CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND SODIUM. Dr. Christiane Northrup provides a list of vitamin and mineral supplements in her book "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom that is right on target. The list applies to men as well.
3) sitting up straight - I realized that I was slouching my way through my life. The way I was sitting with my computer I was slouching in Indian style. Then I'd go and slouch in my car's bucket driver's seat. When I was tired of Indian style sitting, I'd lean to the side on my elbow propping myself up and putting additional pressure on my spine and solar plexus (esophageal) area. NO. Get an ergonomic computer chair and remind yourself to sit up straight ALL THE TIME. Got to retrain your back and neck muscles in the healthy way that isn't going to damage your vegas and other nerves and misalign your spine. At no other point in history have we sat still SO MUCH. Our bodies can't take it for years and years and still remain healthy.
4) there are Vegas nerve exercises like putting chin to chest and so forth that I have just started to delve into. As soon as I did them I felt a "twang" in my chest and felt that I could be on the right track. We shall see if they help.
5) drop the arguing. Racheting the stress up will not solve any of the problems you are trying to solve, but it WILL harm your body and mind.
6) a GERD diet which avoids "trigger foods". Start a food journal to see which foods are the worst at triggering the acid, indigestion, etc. Some people online were calling this syndrome "steakhouse disease" because people were showing up at emergency rooms after eating hard to digest, acidy foods like steak. Also, no really hot or cold foods - basically, stomach acid has eaten away the lining of the esophagus, exposing the Vegas nerve and other nerves, so you can't eat or drink anything that will irritate these nerves.
7) no alcohol, no nerve stimulating stuff like chocolate unfortunately.
IN THE WORKS:
1) tomorrow, a physical and a doctor's appointment. They are going to fit me with a holter monitor.
2) a return to my beloved Yoga class which I had forgone so that I could have more time for my stressful job and more money - bad choice! I needed that Yoga class and should have made time for it no matter what.
3) more study about natural cures for nerve irritation
4) more study about movements that will aid my nerves rather than irritate them, such as neck exercises etc.
5) more free time and time spent on stuff for me, less dwelling on things that irritate me and make me upset
6) more searching for the correct diet to follow, I still don't know that much about the GERD diet
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