Heart Palps Support Group

[[dr...]]

Thought this may be helpful to some buddies

 

 

Why A Fast Heart Beat Isn’t Dangerous

June 17, 2012 by Paul Dooley 35 Comments

 

chest painFor many people a fast heart beat is a waking nightmare. A constant reminder that something isn’t right.

 

I think of a fast heart beat (tachycardia) in less intense terms. I consider it a sign of stress and not death. Tachycardia (100 heart beats per minute or more) simply isn’t the killer you think it is.

 

This is an important topic to address because it’s a symptom that has likely affected you.

 

You see, when you get tachycardic, you imagine all sorts of horrific scenarios, many of which probably involve a sickness of some kind.

 

It’s one of the reasons why tachycardia scares so well, it makes you feel like your life could end at any moment. But tachycardia doesn’t always mean danger or damage.

 

How It Works

 

When you feel anxious you might assume that anxiety is the source of your symptoms. But, in fact, the culprit is stress.

 

Stress is designed for short bursts of energy, attention, and focus to help you avert injury or death. The trouble is that when your stress response is set off it can sometimes remain activated for long periods of time.

 

One reason for this could be that you’re sensitive to stress, which fires off strong emotional reactions that make it hard for you to recover from bouts of anxiety.

 

The result of being stress sensitive is that your body’s production of stress hormone (i.e., adrenaline and cortisol) can be elevated and have a major impact on your body.

 

Stress can increase the demand for blood  (cardiac output), which makes the heart work harder, pump faster, and increase your heart rate as a result.

 

What does this look like in everyday life? Well, say that you’re sitting at your desk and get a quick twinge of chest pain and notice your pulse racing. It may not even be a lot, but just enough to make you worry about what it could mean. This is when you start questioning the health of your heart.

 

Your stress turns into worry, which causes anxiety. Now, your limbic system (emotional brain) kicks in and excites the nerves of your heart, so your heart speeds up even more. That’s “emotion based” tachycardia.

 

A strong emotional reaction can indeed cause tachycardia. It’s normal, and absent disease, isn’t dangerous.

 

Chances are that if you’ve had tachycardia you’ve sought medical attention for it. Maybe you did an EKG, blood tests, stress test, holter monitor, etc. Still, you stay scared. But you don’t have to be.

 

A Different View of Tachycardia

 

Think of it this way. Anxiety is an indicator of stress. Tachycardia is part of that stress signal. Where do you think all your worry, fear, and stress goes? It certainly doesn’t evaporate into the ether. Instead, those negative emotions are manifested in your body.

 

But that in no way means that your rapid heart beat is set to kill you. It just means that you’re affected by your emotional experiences. Stress and anxiety are charged, live wire, reactions to months or even years of internal strife. Your heart is reacting to that discord.

 

The other piece is that your past experience already tells you that a fast heart beat isn’t the killer you think it is. How many times have you experienced a rapid heart rate? And of those times how many ended in injury or death? None right?

 

So really what you’re dealing with is the anticipation of something awful happening and not with what is likely to happen.

 

That doesn’t mean that your fearful assumptions aren’t powerful. They can be strong.

 

This, however, doesn’t change the fact that stress triggers tachycardia in the same way, every time. It’s an old dog with no new tricks. The challenge is to learn how to sit with that reality and accept it when it’s happening.

 

That will take practice and a certain level of courage, but what’s the alternative?

 

If you haven’t gone to your doctor then go get screened. Twice if it makes you feel better. After that though, you need to get your mind focused on stress reduction and not anxiety symptoms.

 

Symptoms are a sign of something bigger that needs to be dealt with, they aren’t the source of your pain. And, most importantly, they can’t kill you.

 

 

 

Disclaimer

 

[[mr...]]

Yeah...I'm going to beta block for the test. I did something silly today though.... I drank a a tall Starbucks coffee  and then took my beta blocker to see if I drop below 80(forgot I had coffe).  It didn't work. My heart rate has been staying in the high 80-90s on and off for a bit. I'm going to cut down to 1/2 cup of coffee starting tomorrow. 

Mrs...I'm not happy that it's happening to you but it's reassuring to read others having this symptom.  It's also that loop of thinking about it makes it worse.  Luckily, I now know my heart is really healthy(I'm assuming they would have stopped echo stress if something bad was happening) so I'm going to have to accept it and move on. 

The other thing that I'm finding a bit hard is to break my thought pattern of a pain equals I'm having heart problems.  It's been one of my biggest fears.  Now I know I'm not keeling over any time soon(knock on wood) so I have to change my fear response to it. 

I'm off for a walk and unfortunately I'm back posting here. 

 

The re-training won't take as long as you think it will   I'm re-training myself as well, in a couple different areas.  It takes a little time, and focus, but you'll get there eventually

 

Glad to hear the stress test went well.  And, of COURSE they'd stop the stress test if there was any issues   You're in great shape!

 

The tachy will resolve entirely   You watch - I betcha that six months from now, you and me both will be looking back and laughing at how long gone the symptom is!  It's a date, bro -- I'll see you back here on July 9th, 2015 to do some laughing!

 

Mrs.

[[Ke...]]

What do heart palps feel like? Recently I've been having a weird feeling in my chest just below my through like a sudden burst of anxiety and I miss a breath or something. If I burp it goes away. Is this a heart palp?

[[Lo...]]

What do heart palps feel like? Recently I've been having a weird feeling in my chest just below my through like a sudden burst of anxiety and I miss a breath or something. If I burp it goes away. Is this a heart palp?

 

I'm sitting here just watching TV and I felt a thud in my chest and then here comes the heart palps...its so alarming and disturbing. I've been calm (low anxiety to none for like 2 days) and now this  :tickedoff:

[[os...]]

 

I had a bad night last night.

 

Palps started again and I felt like I was on the verge of a panic attack... I felt VERY strange.

 

It's so hard to accept this is normal.  :'(

[[Lo...]]

 

I had a bad night last night.

 

Palps started again and I felt like I was on the verge of a panic attack... I felt VERY strange.

 

It's so hard to accept this is normal.  :'(

 

Hi Oscar, try to hang in there. I had weird palps start on Saturday after dinner. They were scary. They weren't the norm. Sad thing all of this is normal in benzo W/D.

 

Praying that this passes quickly for you.

[[os...]]

 

Thank you LovingMother... it is amazing what we have to endure to get off these drugs isn't it?

 

Feel better too. 

[[Ra...]]

Question for all you heart palp folks.

 

Do yours seem to hit when you are sitting down, say at a computer, or when you leaning over, standing up.. anything that compresses or twists your torso?

 

Have you tried antacids or GasX?  My heart palps were starting up last week and I started taking my Pepcid AC daily.  Now I'm doing better. 

 

[[Lo...]]

 

Thank you LovingMother... it is amazing what we have to endure to get off these drugs isn't it?

 

Feel better too. 

 

Thank you Oscar :-)

[[Ha...]]

I find if I have heart burn I'm gonna have heart palps. I eat tums they go away. I am 13 months almost 14 still battling heart palps my attenolol didnt work the other night

.. that never happens it nutts. Heart palps are hands down my worst symptom. Of they would go I'd be healed for the most part.

[[Lo...]]

Just starting with the taper and getting heart palps here. Well, I don't feel them so much, but as I am feeling weak these days, I go check my BP and get the "irregular heartbeat" on the BP monitor. Then, I get scared and get more of these. Negative feedback?

 

I was going to try doing the substitution taper with valium, and started with a 5mg diazepam dose last week, and heart palps seem to coincide with the valium added to my ativan regimen. I'm stopping valium CT (it's only been 6 days), so I'll see if the PVC's go away. I had a cardiologist do an ekg on me, and that was fine, plus they did another one in ER (fine). I'm very cardiophobic, and this benzo wd thing makes me want to ER every time those palps happen. I've calmed myself down not to go today (yay!) and rechecked my BP (no irregular beats anymore). Guess I am just freaking out I'll end up with a cardiac problem throughout WD. Of course, I swam and walked a lot for the last 2 years (no problems), but now I am scared of exercise. Hopefully, my heart doesn't get so weak in the meantime.

[[mo...]]

Hi All,

 

I'm so happy to discover this support group!  I was born with congenital heart defects so have had arrhythmia and palps all my life — and, due to seizure migraine disorder, have been taking benzos off and on since the late 1960s. After heart surgery about 5 years ago I developed "persistent" PVCs — up to 20,000 per day, which has been very challenging to live with since there is not much they can do about them. Recently, my neurologist has been helping me with the seizure migraines and thinks we have found a better preventative treatment than the benzos I have taken for so long, so I recently started my third (and I hope my last) benzo w/d/ (from Lorazepam) in November.

 

I cut too much the first month (about 2.5mg/dy to 1.5mg/dy and ended up in status migrainosus for 5 days, but then changed to a Lorazepam to Diazepam substitution cross over protocol and things got better and, except for my heart rate and BP, things have been going pretty well. However, about 3 weeks into the cross over, as the Lorazepam doses decreased, I noticed my BP and HR began to be elevated, which, given my condition is always a concern, so I updosed on the Lorazepam for a couple of days and things got better and then I cut again by a little less for the next week and was sort of okay... Then the WEIRDEST thing happened: I woke up one morning a couple weeks ago and my rate of PVCs actually diminished by about 85% — I am having far, far, fewer PVCs per day than I have ever had in the last 3 years, which is unbelievably great, BUT, along with the drop in PVCs, my heart rate elevated to around 100 bpm resting (which may be why my PVCs improved as there is some evidence of higher hearts rates resulting in decreasing PVC load) and my blood pressure, always very low due to the heart condition, which ran at about 85/50 - 110/70, jumped to 135/80 -156/95! I had been sort of controlling the heart rate elevation with small amounts of propanolol (a beta blocker), but this last cut seems to have put me over the edge on the increased heart rate symptom. Whenever I stand up it's over 100 bpm and when sitting or lying down it's at about 90 bpm — but seems to be beating pretty regularly without many palpitations. So, I'm getting OFF the benzos and my palps get better, but my heart rate soars...?!

 

My XO taper is unusual in that I am tapering WHILE crossing over with a cut of the equivalent amount of about .5mg Diazepam about every two weeks — so I moved from 1.5mg Lorazepam to 1.25mg Lorazepam and added 2mg of Diazepam, then 1mg Lorazepam and 4mg of Diazepam, etc. I am now at .25mg Lorazepam and 10mg Diazepam (a total drop of only about 50% in 8 weeks, and only 2.5mg Diazepam equivalent in the past 2 months. Yet, I am wondering if such a small dose cut only every 2 weeks could possibly be causing my increased heart rate and elevated BP? It seems like such a small amount to cut, but I have heard from others that it's better to stabilize on the Diazepam at an equivalent dose before starting the taper since although they are similar, Diazepam and Lorazepam are still different and it still requires a slow taper while building up the Diazepam in the body. I have also done some research as well as seen some strong anecdotal evidence that perhaps Lorazepam is particularly likely to cause elevated heart rate due to it's short half life in the body? I have also read that they discovered GABA receptors in the heart (and the gut!) but are unsure what function they play in the heart or if they are even affected by such drugs as benzos.

 

My doctor wants to see me on Monday due to my elevated heart rate and BP and I am thinking maybe I should present the slower Ashton XO taper plan as an alternative? Or have you all have found that it doesn't matter what benzo drug you use or how slow you go, you still have issues with elevated heart rate, BP and palpitations? Has anyone ever heard of taking benzos actually CAUSING arrhythmia, like PVCs? I can find nothing in the scientific literature about this; just info on how w/d from benzos can cause elevated heart rate. Given my history I don't even know for sure the elevated HR and BP problems are from the benzo w/d, but given what I have been reading here, they seem to be pretty common sxs for many...

 

Thanks for any information, experiences, or suggestions. I really appreciate it!

 

Best,

 

Mo

[[Lo...]]

Wow, you're brave, dealing with congenital heart defects, that many PVC's, seizure migraine disorder and benzo wd on top of it all. My heart goes out to you. You're awesome 

 

I may have gotten an occasional palp prior benzo use, but was basically a non-event for me. Didn't care one bit. Even when I was on 0.5mg lorazepam, it was a non-issue. What changed things big time for me is getting into that regular lorazepam dose of 2.5mg a day. That's when BP and HR started to really fluctuate between the dosing. Since I am a newbie and wasn't spreading doses out correctly, I'd get these frequent episodes of resting HR being around 105-107. I still get around 100, but it is better now. Worried about the fast HR, I asked the Dr. for beta-blocker and that did the trick, but slowing the pulse down (my normal resting pulse when taking 0.5mg Lorazepam was around 86) started the PVC's. I was also trying to do too much on that day, and started doing 5mg of valium and knocking down lorazepam to 2.0. Well, this led to 2 sleepless nights and an ER visit where they did and EKG, Chest X Ray and gave me to 2mg of lorazepam. Wish I never went, as they just destabilized my dosing.

 

A week later, I decided to cut valium ct, as it seems to have been lowering my HR and my systolic BP, while diastolic was staying border-line. So, I was ending up with type of 120/90 BP, 81 HR and a bunch of PVC's (I guess that's it since my BP monitor calls it "irregular heartbeat detected"). Going back to lorazepam alone, since it's easier for me to tolerate the HR changes than the PVC's. I think I am staying off the beta-blocker, too, as the way it lowers my HR also triggers PVC's. Plus, one of the side effects of diazepam. Then, I read something about Omeprazole potentiating Diazepam, which may have caused me more trouble. So, from now, I am keeping it simple: just straight lorazepam taper without any beta blocker (unless it's an emergency where my HR gets to 150 or something) or second benzo. The benzo fluctuations are bad enough, and I am now realizing that adding more stuff to the mix is just bound to destabilize things even more.

[[mo...]]

Having read more of the posts here, just a note for those struggling with palps and especially PVCs... Having lived with them all my life, and especially the last 5 years, these things have helped me:

 

1. Meditation, yoga and relaxation — it REALLY does help and has been well worth the time and effort b/c it can help lessen my symptoms AND help me cope with the sxs.

2. Magneisum — MooseMom, I use Mg glycinate and Mg malate as recommended by my doctor and I find the combination very helpful. Ohters prefer Mg citrate or chelated Mg. Mg oxide (as in slow mag) helps some people, but gives others digestive issues. Potassium can also be helpful to some people with palps.

3. Some people have Palps and PVCs that stem from digestive disturbances and eating smaller meals and adding ginger has been shown to help. Just check with your doctor before taking ginger as for a very few people it is not a good idea.

4. Some people find their palps and PVCs get better with exercise, so for some that is a good remedy IF you check with your doc and are okay for exercise. For others, resting when they are having episodes makes them go away faster.

5. Yes, it's true for some people about body positioning -- laying or leaning on your left side, bending over, twisting or straining can sometimes bring on palps OR make them more noticable. The cardiologists know all about this, but I have never heard a really good explanation for the WHY!

6. Obviously for some people avoiding caffeine and stimulant drinks and drugs is helpful, but what some people don't realize is that much of our processed food contains excitotoxins (like Monosodium glutamate, or MSG) that actually affect brain and central nervous system activity, causing over stimulation, which can cause some people to have tachycardia and arrhythmia as a result. Since glutamate is related to the GABA on/off sequence in the brain, there is some indication that benzo users (and those with migraine or epilepsy) may be particularly susceptible to these food additives and flavor enhancers — and there are A LOT of them. You can find a complete list by googling excitotoxins.

7. Getting adequate sleep, especially in the earlier hours of the evening, has been shown to help with palps and PVCs...this is sometimes hard with benzo w/d insomnia, but the data on this looks pretty solid, so even if you only get a few hours of sleep, it appears that getting that sleep earlier in the evenings (9pm - 2am) is more helpful than getting it later in the evenings (midnight to 5am)

8. For those of you with anxiety about your palpitations, I KNOW how frightening and even debilitating it can be, but I'm here to tell you that I, and millions like me, have survived all kinds of crazy palpitations, heavy PVC loads, PSVT episodes and tachycardia for nearly 60 years and I'm still here to talk about it. From what my many excellent cardiologists have told me, the majority of palpitations that are NOT related to structural or coronary heart disease are benign and, unless you have an abnormal EKG reading that detects a heart rhythm disorder, these annoying, frightening and frustrating flips and flops are very unlikely to cause the majority of people any serious health problems, so it's always nice to have an outlet like this group for support because it can be sometimes be easy to turn into a "cardiac cripple" from fear when there is really nothing to worry about — yes, even when it feels awful and scary! So, get checked thoroughly by a good cardio, get support, try whatever you can to feel better and know that here on this board, and hundreds like it on the internet, you are not alone in this!

[[mo...]]

Wow, you're brave, dealing with congenital heart defects, that many PVC's, seizure migraine disorder and benzo wd on top of it all. My heart goes out to you. You're awesome 

 

I may have gotten an occasional palp prior benzo use, but was basically a non-event for me. Didn't care one bit. Even when I was on 0.5mg lorazepam, it was a non-issue. What changed things big time for me is getting into that regular lorazepam dose of 2.5mg a day. That's when BP and HR started to really fluctuate between the dosing. Since I am a newbie and wasn't spreading doses out correctly, I'd get these frequent episodes of resting HR being around 105-107. I still get around 100, but it is better now. Worried about the fast HR, I asked the Dr. for beta-blocker and that did the trick, but slowing the pulse down (my normal resting pulse when taking 0.5mg Lorazepam was around 86) started the PVC's. I was also trying to do too much on that day, and started doing 5mg of valium and knocking down lorazepam to 2.0. Well, this led to 2 sleepless nights and an ER visit where they did and EKG, Chest X Ray and gave me to 2mg of lorazepam. Wish I never went, as they just destabilized my dosing.

 

A week later, I decided to cut valium ct, as it seems to have been lowering my HR and my systolic BP, while diastolic was staying border-line. So, I was ending up with type of 120/90 BP, 81 HR and a bunch of PVC's (I guess that's it since my BP monitor calls it "irregular heartbeat detected"). Going back to lorazepam alone, since it's easier for me to tolerate the HR changes than the PVC's. I think I am staying off the beta-blocker, too, as the way it lowers my HR also triggers PVC's. Plus, one of the side effects of diazepam. Then, I read something about Omeprazole potentiating Diazepam, which may have caused me more trouble. So, from now, I am keeping it simple: just straight lorazepam taper without any beta blocker (unless it's an emergency where my HR gets to 150 or something) or second benzo. The benzo fluctuations are bad enough, and I am now realizing that adding more stuff to the mix is just bound to destabilize things even more.

 

LorazepamFree2015, (very positive screen name, I like that!)

 

Thank you for that detailed information on your experiences! It is so hard to figure this stuff out since benzos are so different for everyone and my docs, while good are not that experienced with it. Reading about your experiences makes me think more about my own situation, which is helpful since it broadens my data base.

 

In re the Omeprazole, I was not aware of it potentiating the Diazepam, but as a cardiac patient, it is on the list of drugs I'm not encouraged to take because it has been shown to cause palps and arrhythmia in some patients. Also, some people experience more palps when they have digestive disorders and Omeprazole seems to help some, but make others worse.

 

It is really interesting to me that you felt more PVCs with the beta blocker slowing your HR, since I think that has been the case with me as well. This fast heart rate may not be good for me (might be okay for little awhile, I will have to see what the doc says) but I am really LOVING not having debilitating PVCs all day, every day! Not really brave — I have had my share of frightening times and panicky feelings, but I AM lucky in that I have always been okay!

 

It is also interesting that you associate HR sxs with Valium usage. I will have to think about that more...I just want off this stuff, but I would rather have as few sxs as possible!

 

BTW, my BP monitor says "Irregular Heart Beat Detected" all the time, which in my case it usually is, but my husband, who is in such good shape that he has a naturally low resting heart rate (around 55-60) gets the same message a lot, too...

 

Thanks again for taking the time to share that information with me! I hope you are soon feeling better. One of the things a cardiologist from Brigham & Womens Hospital told me recently was that, "With palpitations and PVCs they come and then they go...we don't know why, but they do!" So, it's highly likely you WILL get relief from these.

 

Regards,

 

Mo

[[Ha...]]

What's really a bummer for me a is 14 Month off the benzos they are still here. Never had an issue before sucks. My heart goes out to anyone dealing  with heart palps on top benzo wd. Man alive.

 

happy me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[Lo...]]

What's really a bummer for me a is 14 Month off the benzos they are still here. Never had an issue before sucks. My heart goes out to anyone dealing  with heart palps on top benzo wd. Man alive.

 

happy me

 

benzo w/d+heart palps=no bueno!

 

I have a cardio doc appt today, wish me luck. It's another evaluation. Haven't had one since Dec 2013. They want to make sure all is well despite these heart palps.

 

I need this health nightmare to end soon.  :'(

[[mo...]]

 

I have a cardio doc appt today, wish me luck. It's another evaluation. Haven't had one since Dec 2013. They want to make sure all is well despite these heart palps.

 

I need this health nightmare to end soon.  :'(

 

LovingMother,

 

Just checking in to see how did your cardio appt. go? I'm hoping it was positive and reassuring!

 

I've been in twice in the past week for severe shortness of breath, elevated heart rate (not so many palps, just very fast) and elevated blood pressure. They couldn't determine whether these sxs are from benzo w/d or not since I actually do have a congenital heard defect, but they put me on Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker that can slow the heart rate and lower BP to see if that helps...so far I am just more tired than ever, but it has only been two days...hoping things will calm down so I can get back to the fairly smooth taper I was having until these sxs popped up!

 

Has anyone else on this board been prescribed any meds for palps or elevated heart rate or elevated BP? If so, what meds and did they help?

 

Thanks and Best Wishes,

 

Mo

[[Lo...]]

 

I have a cardio doc appt today, wish me luck. It's another evaluation. Haven't had one since Dec 2013. They want to make sure all is well despite these heart palps.

 

I need this health nightmare to end soon.  :'(

 

LovingMother,

 

Just checking in to see how did your cardio appt. go? I'm hoping it was positive and reassuring!

 

I've been in twice in the past week for severe shortness of breath, elevated heart rate (not so many palps, just very fast) and elevated blood pressure. They couldn't determine whether these sxs are from benzo w/d or not since I actually do have a congenital heard defect, but they put me on Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker that can slow the heart rate and lower BP to see if that helps...so far I am just more tired than ever, but it has only been two days...hoping things will calm down so I can get back to the fairly smooth taper I was having until these sxs popped up!

 

Has anyone else on this board been prescribed any meds for palps or elevated heart rate or elevated BP? If so, what meds and did they help?

 

Thanks and Best Wishes,

 

Mo

 

Hi Mo! I just got back from the cardio doc. They did an eval on Monday, hooked me up to a heart monitor on Tues, returned it today and got a echo cardiogram.

 

Waiting to hear from him now. It sounds like you're on a beta blocker. I heard those can make you tired. Just hang in there.

 

I will let you know the results, thanks for touching base 

[[mo...]]

Hi LovingMother,

 

Glad the tests are done are done already...although waiting to hear results is no fun! Do keep us posted if you feel up to it.

 

Take Care,

 

Mo

 

[[Ha...]]

Waiting to hear!! I bet it's all clear..

[[Lo...]]

I will keep everyone posted. Of course when the monitor is off I have heart palps! SIGH!!!!  :'(

[[Ra...]]

Hah!  I had that happen too, LovingMother. It's like taking a car to a mechanic. "I swear it was making this KLUNKKLUNKKLUNK noise!!"

 

[[mo...]]

Isn't it strange and frustrating how that happens? At one point my husband said he was going to buy me my own monitor as a "cure" because it seemed whenever I was hooked up to one, nothing happened!

[[mr...]]

LM and M,

 

I wore a monitor for 30 days, lol. My cardiologist was like, WE GONNA BE THOROUGH HAHA!! He was like, I'm going to PROVE to you that you're healthy

 

And he did.

 

Mrs.