What Has Helped or Cured Your Heart Palps?

I found a simple breathing exercise has helped me with skipped beats. Just sit comfortably and breath in to the count of five and then breath out to the count of five. This will effectively slow down your breathing rate to six complete breaths per minute. Do it for five minutes. Not a permanent cure but I have noticed it seems to even things out at least temporarily, if not completely, at least fewer skipped beats. Ideally, when you breath in, it's a complete yoga type breath where the abdomen pushes out on the inhale while you feel the lungs fill from the bottom to the top. I slightly lift my chest when I reach the end of the inhale. The exhale is the opposite and the abdomen gets pushed in. I wouldn't get too hung up on technique in the beginning but the basics are to take complete breaths, slowed down to six a minute, and to do it for five minutes.

Jim

Hi Again Chickenloop,

I had palpitations irregularly over a couple of years, then in 2016 had two significant episodes of what I am now told was atrial flutter; fatigue, racing heart, no energy characterised the two episodes. All through this period I had put both the palpitations and the episodes down to my stomach, wind, belching etc.

Two weeks after seeing my GP and having an arrhythmia diagnosed, I had a stroke, even before having the chance to see a cardiologist. To treat the arrhythmia I had an ablation in June last year, and had no further episodes of AF either before or after the ablation. However I did get the palpitations similar to those you describe after the ablation, maybe not every day, but quite regularly, and usually after eating.

Having read a lot on this and other forums, it was clear that many people that experience palpitations, assign the cause to digestive problems via the vagus nerve. Many have received little acknowledgement of this phenomena from their GP, and many have suggested taking the FODMAP diet approach. I realised that I had had digestive problems going back ten years or so, regular acid reflux, bloating and belching. Two endoscopies had revealed nothing sinister fortunately, and so I took a slightly different approach and saw a nutritionist/dietitian.

An allergy/intolerance test last September revealed an intolerance to dairy products, and so I have removed all dairy products from my diet, and the improvement is significant. It will most likely be different for you, but the principle is that I have massively reduced my digestive problems and I haven't had any significant palpitations for months now. I am even off the protein-pump inhibitor medication (Omeprazole), which hopefully I can continue to avoid. I am on anti-coagulants for life, so it's OK as long as I don't cut myself shaving.

In hindsight I had just two episodes of arrhythmia that I was aware of, but that was enough to cause a blood clot to develop around my heart, break free and zap a few brain cells which has caused a small visual impairment, permanent but not life changing fortunately.

Some way further down the road I have now changed my diet, and I feel much better for it, I have even discovered some tasty foods that I wouldn't have otherwise tried.

Good Luck

Sherpa Al

Sort out your digestion first ,eat small helpings , avoid any food that bloats you., and don't eat at night. Cut down on too many carbs and avoid sweet things especially chocolate . This makes a huge difference.

Hi chickenloop,

?I had 2 and half years of palpitations prior to AF. I often went for an ECG but nothing showed up - well it wouldn't would it because by the time I got to my GP it had all subsided. Then came Atrial flutter which converted to Atrial Fibrillation.

Many, many months after diagnosis (for which I was prescribed Bisoprolol) I realised that an AF event followed food I'd eaten.

?My GP had blood tests done for IBS and Coeliac Disease - all clear. I then consulted a Nutritionist who confirmed my own belief that it was a food/digestive/vagal nerve issue.

?She got me to go Gluten, Wheat and Oats free immediately and taught me about food diaries .... so now the range of foods that upset me are very wide ranging and often vary from foods that one might expect to cause a problem to some that are out of left field - yoghurt to raspberries and cream to runner beans. Thing is with food it is a trial and error thing - hence the food diary - there is no common cure for each of us. Yes, there will be patterns but we are all different and respond differently to different foods.

?I still get the occasional palpitation but no AF since April 2015.

John