Any help or advice for an irregular heartbeat, palpatations?
Hi there
I suffer from an Irregular heartbeat and palpatations, it keeps on for hours and through the night, i am currently waiting on a consultant at the moment to find out whats wrong, i have a Cardiomem, and that records half minute activitys of the heartbeat, and is phoned through as a wave to the Cardiac care unit, so that means i might nearlly be seen one day. In the meantime i dont get hardly any sleep, Im on a strict diet, and sometimes this lasts for days, but its playing up bad today. Does anyone know anything that can help aleviate this problem, and some way help with the symtoms, i get really breathless with it too. Because I havent got chest pains with it, I think they dont think im in immediate danger, but it its beginning to wear me down and i will take any advice you may have.
Thanks ever so much
Aki
Answers:
Hi Aki
Sorry to hear about your palps. I used to suffer from them too.
I treat palpitations and arrhythmic heartbeats with traditional acupuncture. This would require a course of treatments in this case, but I would expect changes right after the first treatment.
I'm afraid I don't know anything that you can do just for yourself, but I do know that acupuncture works.
I am always happy to make more specific recommendations by PM if you like.
Best wishes
Aragorn
Answers:
Poor Akinaada, you have my sympathy.
I suffered with palpitations. It started about a year ago after three horrible years which started with Illness, then four close deaths (including my mother) then redundancy, so mine was probably stress related. I had all the tests & was found to be fit & healthy. I still have days when the 'butterflies in my heart' beat their wings like crazy but I have learned to live with it.
Its important to remember that most palpitations are harmless. I dont know if yours are stress related but they certainly seem to be causing you a lot of anxiety. Maybe you are stuck in a loop, the palpitations cause you stress and the stress makes the palpitations worse.
It may be worth trying something to help you relax & take control of the situation. I`m sure there are people on some of the HP links that could help.
best of luck.
tony.
Answers:
Just a few ideas off top of head;
Reduce, then eliminate caffiene from diet - (coffee & cola's are probably worst) if not done so already.
If lying flat causes a problem with breathing, then try propping yourself up a bit with plenty of pillows.
Be aware that once the lights are off, then our brain an nervous systems tends to focus on the things we are aware of like sensations, thoughts & feelings. So this may just make it seem more prominent and as namnut says you can then get stuck in a loop.
Being fatigued and stressed from lack of sleep, as I'm sure your aware will only exacerbate the situation, so anything that will help realax you. Aromatherapy massage or reflexology are good ones to slow you down or even knock you out. You'll have to be quick to get in somewhere before Crimbo kicks off though.
You could always check in the aromatherapy forum to ask what oils are good for getting to sleep and what to do with them.
Good luck - Andrew.
Answers:
Hi
Aragorn, Numnut and Anahata
Thanks for your help, i welcome any suggestions, I dont have much stress in my life at the moment to do with work as i cant but i am overweight and losing that weight too. I dont drink or smoke, dont drink Caffeine, and only eat raw foods with little meat as this kind of controls it more as i find after eating certain foods, like bread and pasta, it comes on. My nightmare food for bringing it on is something like lasagne after a lunch of sandwiches, so as much as i love it, i keep away from it. I do find if i do some deep breathing exercises that helps to keep my breathing right, but doesnt always calm the heart down.
Aragorn i will send you a PM tomorrow sometime, and thankyou all you guys for all your good advice, youve been a great help
thanks ever so much
Aki
Answers:
To pick up on Andrew's point about aromatherapy, the best thing would be to get an aromatherapist to make you a good blend. Failing that, use a carrier oil (such as grapeseed or sweet almond) and for every 5ml used, add one drop of lavender and one drop of ylang ylang essential oil.
Both are very calming and will help you unwind and slow down. If you have someone who can massage this blend over your torso, great. If not, massage into your abdomen in a clockwise direction and then up onto the chest and shoulders.
Lesley
Answers:
Hi
You poor thing.
I've been down this path myself, so many sympathies.
How long have you got to wait to see the consultant. It sounds as though you are suffering a lot. How about taking yourself up to A & E if it goes on for more than a couple of hours. It might expedite matters a bit. Especially if you feel you black out at all, in which case you must go to A&E. They may also be able to stop it with meds there and then for a while.
You really need to be persistent and dont hang back, phone the consultants secretary and go back to your GP to see when you will be seen and if they have looked at you cardio memo traces, after all you dont want to find they've lost them if you've been waiting a while.
In the meantime, It would be a good idea if you have no stomach problems, asthma or other contra's to take a small dose of aspirin every day.
Have you had your thyroid checked out. Hopefully your gp will have done this, if not suggest you have a Blood test to rule it out as it will save time when you go to the consultant.
You could also try massaging the palm of your left hand where it creases in the middle, under the first and second fingers. This is your solar plexus reflex and can help a bit.
Acupressure can help, point P6 In the middle of the inner side of the forearm two and one-half finger widths from the wrist crease. Apply pressure there for a few minutes or with a pumping type of action.
If you look on the heart and circulation category you'll see various thread on this subject. I'm currently taking arythmol, which seems quite good, much better than just beta blockers, I'm thinking of having and op to cure it next year. Tony Blair had a similar procedure.
If you want any more info or someone to talk to email me.
One thing though, my consultant always assures me that although its a very debilitating and annoying condition it is rarely life threatening:)
There is a webite called www.afibbers which is interesting.
Jan x
Answers:
This puts a whole different complexion on the issue!
Sandwiches & lasgne are both a veritable brew of all manner of potential allergens. And from the response - it does sound more like your normal type of allergy response (IGe immunoglobulin), rather than a hypersensitivity or intolerance.
The common factors in these two foods are wheat and milk products;
Wheat and it's constituents. Gluten is the most common component of wheat to cause a problem, but this is most commonly in the form of an intolerance, which usually causes a delayed and more general reaction, including fatigue & irritability.
With milk products it quite common for it to be casein a protein in milk (fairly common allergen) or lactose a sugar found in milk. Although, a problem with lactose is an intolerance, which again tends to be a delayed reaction (not as long as gluten though). Also, in cheese most of the lactose has already been digested be the bacteria as part of the cheese making process. But cheese sauces usually have added milk products. Also, cheese, in itself is a known allergen. You'll have probably heard of it's association with migraines.
Would be worth having a trawl thru the Allergy Forum
Or try the HP Forum Search system.
Andrew.
Answers:
Why thankyou, all of you, each of you have come up with some very positive results, Im touched and very thankful by your help, and will wait until the Christmas period is over before bothering you with my ills, and then i will contact you Jan and Aragorn, thankyou all for your help, Anahata, Numnut, Lesley, I shall seek out the oils, and look into acupuncture, and any other ideas or suggestions are most welcome.
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, your all a very helpful and freindly caring lot:D:D:D
Love and light
AKinaada
I suffer from an Irregular heartbeat and palpatations, it keeps on for hours and through the night, i am currently waiting on a consultant at the moment to find out whats wrong, i have a Cardiomem, and that records half minute activitys of the heartbeat, and is phoned through as a wave to the Cardiac care unit, so that means i might nearlly be seen one day. In the meantime i dont get hardly any sleep, Im on a strict diet, and sometimes this lasts for days, but its playing up bad today. Does anyone know anything that can help aleviate this problem, and some way help with the symtoms, i get really breathless with it too. Because I havent got chest pains with it, I think they dont think im in immediate danger, but it its beginning to wear me down and i will take any advice you may have.
Thanks ever so much
Aki
Answers:
Hi Aki
Sorry to hear about your palps. I used to suffer from them too.
I treat palpitations and arrhythmic heartbeats with traditional acupuncture. This would require a course of treatments in this case, but I would expect changes right after the first treatment.
I'm afraid I don't know anything that you can do just for yourself, but I do know that acupuncture works.
I am always happy to make more specific recommendations by PM if you like.
Best wishes
Aragorn
Answers:
Poor Akinaada, you have my sympathy.
I suffered with palpitations. It started about a year ago after three horrible years which started with Illness, then four close deaths (including my mother) then redundancy, so mine was probably stress related. I had all the tests & was found to be fit & healthy. I still have days when the 'butterflies in my heart' beat their wings like crazy but I have learned to live with it.
Its important to remember that most palpitations are harmless. I dont know if yours are stress related but they certainly seem to be causing you a lot of anxiety. Maybe you are stuck in a loop, the palpitations cause you stress and the stress makes the palpitations worse.
It may be worth trying something to help you relax & take control of the situation. I`m sure there are people on some of the HP links that could help.
best of luck.
tony.
Answers:
Just a few ideas off top of head;
Reduce, then eliminate caffiene from diet - (coffee & cola's are probably worst) if not done so already.
If lying flat causes a problem with breathing, then try propping yourself up a bit with plenty of pillows.
Be aware that once the lights are off, then our brain an nervous systems tends to focus on the things we are aware of like sensations, thoughts & feelings. So this may just make it seem more prominent and as namnut says you can then get stuck in a loop.
Being fatigued and stressed from lack of sleep, as I'm sure your aware will only exacerbate the situation, so anything that will help realax you. Aromatherapy massage or reflexology are good ones to slow you down or even knock you out. You'll have to be quick to get in somewhere before Crimbo kicks off though.
You could always check in the aromatherapy forum to ask what oils are good for getting to sleep and what to do with them.
Good luck - Andrew.
Answers:
Hi
Aragorn, Numnut and Anahata
Thanks for your help, i welcome any suggestions, I dont have much stress in my life at the moment to do with work as i cant but i am overweight and losing that weight too. I dont drink or smoke, dont drink Caffeine, and only eat raw foods with little meat as this kind of controls it more as i find after eating certain foods, like bread and pasta, it comes on. My nightmare food for bringing it on is something like lasagne after a lunch of sandwiches, so as much as i love it, i keep away from it. I do find if i do some deep breathing exercises that helps to keep my breathing right, but doesnt always calm the heart down.
Aragorn i will send you a PM tomorrow sometime, and thankyou all you guys for all your good advice, youve been a great help
thanks ever so much
Aki
Answers:
To pick up on Andrew's point about aromatherapy, the best thing would be to get an aromatherapist to make you a good blend. Failing that, use a carrier oil (such as grapeseed or sweet almond) and for every 5ml used, add one drop of lavender and one drop of ylang ylang essential oil.
Both are very calming and will help you unwind and slow down. If you have someone who can massage this blend over your torso, great. If not, massage into your abdomen in a clockwise direction and then up onto the chest and shoulders.
Lesley
Answers:
Hi
You poor thing.
I've been down this path myself, so many sympathies.
How long have you got to wait to see the consultant. It sounds as though you are suffering a lot. How about taking yourself up to A & E if it goes on for more than a couple of hours. It might expedite matters a bit. Especially if you feel you black out at all, in which case you must go to A&E. They may also be able to stop it with meds there and then for a while.
You really need to be persistent and dont hang back, phone the consultants secretary and go back to your GP to see when you will be seen and if they have looked at you cardio memo traces, after all you dont want to find they've lost them if you've been waiting a while.
In the meantime, It would be a good idea if you have no stomach problems, asthma or other contra's to take a small dose of aspirin every day.
Have you had your thyroid checked out. Hopefully your gp will have done this, if not suggest you have a Blood test to rule it out as it will save time when you go to the consultant.
You could also try massaging the palm of your left hand where it creases in the middle, under the first and second fingers. This is your solar plexus reflex and can help a bit.
Acupressure can help, point P6 In the middle of the inner side of the forearm two and one-half finger widths from the wrist crease. Apply pressure there for a few minutes or with a pumping type of action.
If you look on the heart and circulation category you'll see various thread on this subject. I'm currently taking arythmol, which seems quite good, much better than just beta blockers, I'm thinking of having and op to cure it next year. Tony Blair had a similar procedure.
If you want any more info or someone to talk to email me.
One thing though, my consultant always assures me that although its a very debilitating and annoying condition it is rarely life threatening:)
There is a webite called www.afibbers which is interesting.
Jan x
Answers:
This puts a whole different complexion on the issue!
Sandwiches & lasgne are both a veritable brew of all manner of potential allergens. And from the response - it does sound more like your normal type of allergy response (IGe immunoglobulin), rather than a hypersensitivity or intolerance.
The common factors in these two foods are wheat and milk products;
Wheat and it's constituents. Gluten is the most common component of wheat to cause a problem, but this is most commonly in the form of an intolerance, which usually causes a delayed and more general reaction, including fatigue & irritability.
With milk products it quite common for it to be casein a protein in milk (fairly common allergen) or lactose a sugar found in milk. Although, a problem with lactose is an intolerance, which again tends to be a delayed reaction (not as long as gluten though). Also, in cheese most of the lactose has already been digested be the bacteria as part of the cheese making process. But cheese sauces usually have added milk products. Also, cheese, in itself is a known allergen. You'll have probably heard of it's association with migraines.
Would be worth having a trawl thru the Allergy Forum
Or try the HP Forum Search system.
Andrew.
Answers:
Why thankyou, all of you, each of you have come up with some very positive results, Im touched and very thankful by your help, and will wait until the Christmas period is over before bothering you with my ills, and then i will contact you Jan and Aragorn, thankyou all for your help, Anahata, Numnut, Lesley, I shall seek out the oils, and look into acupuncture, and any other ideas or suggestions are most welcome.
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, your all a very helpful and freindly caring lot:D:D:D
Love and light
AKinaada