Heart palpitations that last and ruin my day

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I’m waking up and going into panic mode, with all of the guilt and shame and sadness about missing out on my life and my daughter.  my heart rate spikes and I spend the rest of the day frozen a slave to my heart beating so fast.  
 

Has anyone had any good experiences with beta blockers?  I am so concerned that if this continues I will never be able to get to a place to taper.  
 

I meditate, do breath work, listen to hypnosis everything and nothing helps.

 
Any and all advice is welcome 

 

- having another hard day alone 

[[or...]]

Hi @[...], I am so feeling for others this a.m. and I very glad of that as I went through a time of not caring about others. I didn't feel much of anything.  About the beta-blockers, I took the Propranalol that the Ashton Manual thought was fairly safe while tapering etc. I didn't see any change at all, but over time, I have felt better, but still have the palpitation occasionally.  I honestly just chalk them up to sxs. 

Mostly, I just related to your heart-break and regrets that you wish hadn't happened.  I have them creep up and just this a.m. I was beating myself up for all the regrets.  It's because I feel the wd sxs from benzos amplify, or magnify some normal feelings and emotions we may have.  I know lots of people that I don't think were ever on any drugs, and they have regrets about their life too, but they don't get crippling ones like we do sometimes.

I don't know where you are in your taper/cold turkey etc. but I do believe time will heal us.  I also believe the best medicine can be a lot of tears, and then trying to reach out and help someone else, let them know they are not alone,

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6 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

Hi @[...], I am so feeling for others this a.m. and I very glad of that as I went through a time of not caring about others. I didn't feel much of anything.  About the beta-blockers, I took the Propranalol that the Ashton Manual thought was fairly safe while tapering etc. I didn't see any change at all, but over time, I have felt better, but still have the palpitation occasionally.  I honestly just chalk them up to sxs. 

Mostly, I just related to your heart-break and regrets that you wish hadn't happened.  I have them creep up and just this a.m. I was beating myself up for all the regrets.  It's because I feel the wd sxs from benzos amplify, or magnify some normal feelings and emotions we may have.  I know lots of people that I don't think were ever on any drugs, and they have regrets about their life too, but they don't get crippling ones like we do sometimes.

I don't know where you are in your taper/cold turkey etc. but I do believe time will heal us.  I also believe the best medicine can be a lot of tears, and then trying to reach out and help someone else, let them know they are not alone,

@[or...]thank you I am at the beginning of my taper from .5-1mg of Ativan a day for almost a year to now 2.5 Valium at night ive been here for a week.  I need something to help with my heart my depressive thoughts in the morning start to perpetuate it all and it today it’s just getting worse.  I’m missing my life and feeling devastated.  

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@[or...]your journey is beyond impressive the length of your being on clonozepam and the complete dedication to your recovery is heroic truly !  I am in agreement with adding the other medication just thinking of ways to make the heart symptoms more manageable maybe they will pass with more time.  

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Hi @wren, @[...] had some success with it!  Lets see if she can drop in and talk to you about it.  Just because I didn't continuing doesn't mean it hasn't worked for other

[[jo...]]

I've used it. I think it slowed my heart rate but didn't make me feel much better.

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5 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

Just stick with us here, and after just a little more time, see if they get better.  Mine honestly did and I still have them on occasion but I always just think to myself "try to just sit down", or lie down until our panic or anxiety lessens.  I know some folks can't just sit down if they are on a job, have children or others that need things around them.  But it you can just ride it out a little longer, and see if it helps.  If you get scared, you can always see your doctor, and have some tests that could eliminate your worries as well.

The first time mine began to hit, I told my Cardio.  I was scared because I already ended up with a heart problem but the tests showed no abnormalities.  He still offered me something, can't remember what now, but I turned it down.  He wasn't happy, but I got better so glad I took that route.

Dr. Heather Ashton said in her manual, I think it was the early part before the "ammended" manual, that Prapranolol can help during wd sxs.  Some hear have used it and think it's good, so maybe see what they say as well.  One of our Mods used it and I'm not sure which, but she was so thankful for it, I almost forgot about that.  I'll see if I can find out who it was and get back to you Wren

Thank you @[or...] you are always so Helpful and kind a true angel on earth 

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1 minute ago, [[j...] said:

I've used it. I think it slowed my heart rate but didn't make me feel much better.

@[jo...] thank you - good to know I’d rather not add anything I just need to get my heart to calm - how are you feeling now ? 

[[jo...]]

I don't use it every day, I was prescribed it to use as and when. It did work for my racing heart though once when I used it and didn't seem to have any adverse affects. I think if you use it every day for a while you have to taper it. Nothing like benzos though.

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16 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

I don't use it every day, I was prescribed it to use as and when. It did work for my racing heart though once when I used it and didn't seem to have any adverse affects. I think if you use it every day for a while you have to taper it. Nothing like benzos though.

@[jo...] good to know thank you 

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I used propranolol for a couple of months+ while in the acute phase. It was supposed to be as needed but it was rather nightly. Took it at 3-5 am when woke up with rasing heart. For me, It helped. I was able to fall asleep successfully afterwards. 

So sorry for your condition, @[...] ! This benzo induced torture can feel so hard. For me, the pre tapering and tapering time felt worse  than the actual withdrawal. Whatever, you shouldn't experience guilt or shame. It's not our fault. Of course, you'll have your life back. What you're having now is also your life, hard part of it, which you will get through and become stronger. I just feel it for myself.

Thank you @[or...] for inviting. I'm glad if i can help, even not much

 

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@[...] thank you for being here to help.  I’m tapering I guess even though this is my first cut - from Ativan .5 to 1 now at Valium 2.5 I wonder what stage you’d call this - is this withdrawal and taper together ? Would my symptoms be considered acute ? 

[[id...]]

Are you on any other meds?

I suspect that my high heart rate is caused by cortisol and histamine spikes and anti-cholinergic reaction. I just made a post about it in "chewing the fat".

I know that benzos can temporarily activate MCAS.

I am trying a low histamine diet now and my heart palps seem to be getting less extreme. I'm still mostly home bound, though, due to those heart rate episodes and other symptoms. 

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3 minutes ago, [[i...] said:

Are you on any other meds?

I suspect that my high heart rate is caused by cortisol and histamine spikes and anti-cholinergic reaction. I just made a post about it in "chewing the fat".

I know that benzos can temporarily activate MCAS.

I am trying a low histamine diet now and my heart palps seem to be getting less extreme. I'm still mostly home bound, though, due to those heart rate episodes and other symptoms. 

@[id...] im on Lexapro and metformin - Im praying it’s not histamine my diet is so restricted at this point - im sorry you are home bound I feel like im headed that way and its an awful feeling how long have you been withdrawing? 

[[id...]]

I actually tapered almost 7 years ago and was doing fine for years. This new wave was cased by stopping unisom that I got on during pregnancy and then took for additional 2 years to combat postpartum insomnia. 

[[id...]]

I remember the days of extremely restricted diet. Hope you can eat what you want soon!

[[An...]]

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8 minutes ago, [[A...] said:

Have you ever taken a beta blocker? I am a former long distance runner, so I have a naturally slow RHR. They gave me inderal when I entered detox in 06 and I thought it slowed my HR down too much. Since you have the opposite problem with a high HR, a beta blocker might be helpful to you.

@[An...] I have in the past when I had speaking engagements in my 30s I hated how I felt.  Guess I will do some wait and see 

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1 hour ago, [[i...] said:

I actually tapered almost 7 years ago and was doing fine for years. This new wave was cased by stopping unisom that I got on during pregnancy and then took for additional 2 years to combat postpartum insomnia. 

I’m happy that you are over all of this but so sorry about the wave - and postpartum insomnia it’s hard after you have a baby - sending you strength 

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@[...]I am in a similar situation. Two things have helped. I take 20 mg propranolol before I get up, it slows the pounding heart.  Have breakfast. Do deep breathing while waiting for my breakfast to digest. Yesterday I did some reflexology to ease my diaphragm ( someone suggested it on BBs )and it worked.  Mine is beginning to ease again after going from just mornings to all day like you, due to a wave. I was desperate as all day I was like a fish out of water, couldn't relax and breathe and the anxiety was so high I was dealing with amygdala hijack as well. I take a small dose of beta blockers but dosage may vary for others. For depression I am on Clomiprimine 60mg. This wave has been horrendous due to trying to reduce the Clomiprimine too quickly The other med I use occasionally is promethazine which was prescribed for me but you can get it other the counter. It's an anti histamine that helps with sleeping. This combination is really helping me at the moment. Previously, before the wave I hadn't needed to take them (apart from Clomiprimine) for a long time and had no problems stopping them. Do what you must do at the moment. We all need to survive. I also use a low histamine, low glutamate diet. Best of luck to you, hope you get some peace today., 🙏

[[vo...]]

@[...] Wren, if I may ask, what does your morning routine look like, from when you wake up until mid-morning? Also, what do you eat and drink during that time?  Asking because I'm thinking if you change up your routine, it might possibly help with avoiding the heart palpitations.