Heart Palps Support Group

[[...]]

hey buddies,

I'm getting divorce and i have a new symptom regarding my heart:

 

i would get heart pains like a short stabbings and then my whole chest would feel very hot/burning....

 

i think its a different from heart palps....

 

can someone please relate to this

thanks

[[Wo...]]

hey buddies,

I'm getting divorce and i have a new symptom regarding my heart:

 

i would get heart pains like a short stabbings and then my whole chest would feel very hot/burning....

 

i think its a different from heart palps....

 

can someone please relate to this

thanks

 

Sorry you're having that. Could possibly be acid reflux which is oh so common with stress. I would imagine going through wd and a divorce is quite stressful. Best to get checked out if you're really worried. Chest pains are super scary, but there are many reasons we have them besides heart problems. Call your doc and try not to worry too much. Keep us posted!

[[...]]

hey buddies,

I'm getting divorce and i have a new symptom regarding my heart:

 

i would get heart pains like a short stabbings and then my whole chest would feel very hot/burning....

 

i think its a different from heart palps....

 

can someone please relate to this

thanks

 

Sorry you're having that. Could possibly be acid reflux which is oh so common with stress. I would imagine going through wd and a divorce is quite stressful. Best to get checked out if you're really worried. Chest pains are super scary, but there are many reasons we have them besides heart problems. Call your doc and try not to worry too much. Keep us posted!

 

thanks,,,,i think its nothing to worry....

i won't go to docs under any circumstance,,,,

I'm getting so scared even to walk next to the pharmacy.....

not even talking to enter there :'( :'( :'(

[[Wo...]]

Well, after many weeks of the palps being somewhat quiet (30-50 per day), I'm back to having them every few beats. This is ridiculously frustrating. I thought when the anxiety went away, the palps would too. Not so. They're no where near going away. I'm so done with this. Just need to vent.

[[Ha...]]

Well, after many weeks of the palps being somewhat quiet (30-50 per day), I'm back to having them every few beats. This is ridiculously frustrating. I thought when the anxiety went away, the palps would too. Not so. They're no where near going away. I'm so done with this. Just need to vent.

I'm 14 months out and this is my last thing to go. Drives me nutts.

[[Wo...]]

I know Happy, this is just crazy making. I feel like I would be mostly healed too, if these went away. Nothing to do but keep waiting...

[[Lo...]]

hey buddies,

I'm getting divorce and i have a new symptom regarding my heart:

 

i would get heart pains like a short stabbings and then my whole chest would feel very hot/burning....

 

i think its a different from heart palps....

 

can someone please relate to this

thanks

 

I know you are scared but I would get checked out by a doctor. Its very stressful to go through all that you're going through. But you don't want anything more serious going on underneath everything. Praying for you Esthersmom.

[[Lo...]]

Hey crew! I got a good cardiologist report. He said my heart rate is elevated but that is due the body fighting off disease/infection (Lyme Disease and company) and benzo w/d is not helping. He wants me to get a blood pressure/heart monitor just to keep tabs.

 

Prayerfully this will all go away one day in the near future! 

 

Today I have palps and some shortness of breath (but my period is coming and that throws everything off) plus I have a sinus infection (yuck)!

 

Praying for normalcy to come soon, its been a long time coming!

[[dr...]]

Great news LM!!!

[[Lo...]]

Great news LM!!!

 

Thank you! It's good to hear, especially knowing that Lyme can damage any muscle or organ...sheesh! I'm so thankful. Now let's kick benzo w/d to the curb and I need to keep fighting and be symptom free of Lyme and benzo w/d! Period! 

[[Wo...]]

That's good to hear LM. It's always great to get peace of mind. I know the palps suck though. Even when they're harmless.

[[mo...]]

Hey crew! I got a good cardiologist report. He said my heart rate is elevated but that is due the body fighting off disease/infection (Lyme Disease and company) and benzo w/d is not helping. He wants me to get a blood pressure/heart monitor just to keep tabs.

 

Prayerfully this will all go away one day in the near future! 

 

Today I have palps and some shortness of breath (but my period is coming and that throws everything off) plus I have a sinus infection (yuck)!

 

Praying for normalcy to come soon, its been a long time coming!

 

Hi LM,

 

So happy to hear the good news!  You must be relieved. Even though you are still having the sxs, which are annoying and can be alarming, you can remind yourself that your heart tests were all good, it's just your body working hard to fight the infection and to adapt after the benzo w/d. There are tons of cases, both scientifically researched and merely observational that show many, many, many people have palpitations for various amounts of time that drive them crazy, worry them and affect their quality of life and then, suddenly, the the palpitations go away! Very rarely is there actually anything wrong with the heart, but as someone who does have a congenital heart defect, I think it is so important to have it checked it out just in case. My cardio says they know about many things that cause the palps, but they are much less certain as to why they just suddenly disappear, but they so often do. Here's hoping that soon yours will, too. 

 

Best,

 

Mo

[[Sw...]]

This thread has been informative to what is happening to me at  7 months off.  Will post more details later.

[[mo...]]

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.

 

That's great! Where's the "LIKE" buttont? 

[[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.

 

That's great! Where's the "LIKE" buttont? 

 

Haha, I think the is as close as we're gonna get!

 

Mrs.

[[Ki...]]

Hi everyone,

 

I was wondering if anyone can help me.....

 

I have experienced heart palps for a long time, even pre-benzo's, but it was always more of a skipped beat or two and then I was fine. The same has held true throughout my taper.

 

Today, out of nowhere, I had heart palps that lasted about 45 seconds and I felt dizzy and it was hard to breathe. I had to stop what I was doing and focus on taking breaths. The beats were hard and very fast. It really frightened me. That's never happened before.

 

Does this sound like what you've all experienced? Is it a pretty common withdrawal symptom?

 

Thank you for any insight you can provide.

[[mo...]]

Hi everyone,

 

I was wondering if anyone can help me.....

 

I have experienced heart palps for a long time, even pre-benzo's, but it was always more of a skipped beat or two and then I was fine. The same has held true throughout my taper.

 

Today, out of nowhere, I had heart palps that lasted about 45 seconds and I felt dizzy and it was hard to breathe. I had to stop what I was doing and focus on taking breaths. The beats were hard and very fast. It really frightened me. That's never happened before.

 

Does this sound like what you've all experienced? Is it a pretty common withdrawal symptom?

 

Thank you for any insight you can provide.

 

Hi Kiddo (That is fun to say!),

 

Please note: I am NOT a doctor, but I was born with a congenital heart defect and have dealt with arrhythmias all my life so I will tell you what I would do if it were me...

 

First, it may be helpful to know that most of arrhythmias are benign and not considered dangerous — and there are a ton of classifications of arrhythmias. It sounds as if what you experienced was most likely a tachyarrhythmia. This is a fast to very fast heart rate that is bit different in it's beating style and it's electrical origins from normal "sinus tachycardia", which is a normal heart beat that goes very fast — as if you just ran three flights of stairs. Tachyarrhythmias usually feel different from normal sinus tachycardia and can make you feel both dizzy and "breathless" or as if it is hard to breath. ("Tachy" just means fast). The vast majority of people with normal hearts will experience some sort of tachyarrhythmia in their lifetime, usually in short bursts of a few seconds to a few minutes and many people get them regularly from caffeine or other substances. So, going off benzos could certainly be a trigger. Also, studies suggest that people who tend to have a higher rate of palps may be more likely to experience all kinds of arrhythmias because for some reason their hearts get sort of set up to "go off circuit" more easily than those who experience fewer palps — and, incidentally, almost everyone in their lifetime will also experience palps and the occasional skipped beat. As we know form this forum, some of us more than others!

 

Tachyarrythmias can originate in the top chambers of the heart (the atria) and these are usually considered 'safer' than those that originate in the bottom chambers of the heart (the ventricles). Most tachyarrhythmias are self-limiting. The heart is naturally wired to "reset" itself to normal sinus rhythm. Supraventricular tachycardia (fast heart arrhythmia originating in the atria, abbreviated SVT) is the most common tachyarrhythmia and is generally well tolerated (I once hiked for 8 hours while in SVT because I was young and didn't know what it was, and while I felt tired, nothing bad happened. Although there are medicines and procedures docs can do for people who have a lot of SVT or for people whose arrhythmias might cause them problems, many people just choose to live with them ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN CHECKED OUT BY A CARDIOLOGIST and deemed to be in "safe mode" SVT. Atrial Fibrillation is also a common arrhythmia, where the top chambers of the heart sort of "quiver" rather than beat regularly. Many, many people also have this condition and it is more common in older people and in marathoners. Again, A-Fib as it is called, is generally benign, except for a higher rate of stroke in A-Fib patients, which they treat with blood thinners. Some people never even feel A-Fib and don't know they are in it until a doctor discovers it during an exam, while some people notice right away they have a fast heart rate and may not feel well, including shortness of breath. A-Fib feels "irregularly" fast — the pulse is fast, but irregular beyond just skipping a beat or two while SVT is fast, but is generally "regularly" fast when their pulse is felt. People in SVT almost always know it because their heart beats are fast and their heart, chests or necks "feel funny", hollow, hard or huge. They may, or may not feel light headed or short of breath depending on their heart rate, physical condition and "body awareness" reactions. People in Ventricular tachycardia also almost always notice it and often have tiredness, light headedness, and shortness of breath . Ventricular tachycardia is treated more aggressively because it can be more serious. Having now bored you with all that detail, I will say it is pretty much impossible to know exactly WHAT you experienced without having had you on an EKG at the time you experienced it.

 

So, what you experienced could be a myriad of different things, most of which would be nothing to worry about, however, given that you felt dizzy and light headed as wells as felt difficulty breathing, and this is the first time you experienced this, if it were me, I would definitely call my doc right away and let him/her know what I experienced. Even if you have seen a doc in the past for the ongoing palps and given the all clear, I would call that doctor and tell them you have experienced something new and explain how you felt light headed and short of breath with the episode. If you have not been checked out for the palps before, I would call your doc right away, explain the sxs and HOW YOU felt during them and get it checked out.

 

Just to reassure you, the statistics are that even though you felt dizzy or light headed (MANY people feel that way when in SVT or even when "just having palps") it is probably nothing to worry about, but given my experiences (and I'm still around to talk about them) I think it is important to at least tell your doctor about it right away. Even though it will probably be nothing, if it provides YOU with peace of mind that is still something pretty important!

 

Good luck, try not to worry and keep us posted if you feel like it!

 

Best,

 

Mo

[[Wo...]]

I know that wasn't directed at me, but thanks Mosart. That was really informative. I'm pretty sure I've had a handful of those SVT episodes and didn't know what they were. A couple times in my twenties while playing basketball, and then once since withdrawal. Mine happen suddenly for a couple minutes and my pulse is fast, but very weak. It feels like my heart is stuck in abnormal rhythm then it snaps back to normal like nothing happened. Drs. have all said no way to know what it is if it's not caught on an EKG. I'm still here too, so not too worried about it. The constant PACs still make me want to pull my hair out though 

 

[[Lo...]]

 

Thanks mosart for all the super user useful info. My pre-benzo pulse was around 86, and would hardly get any palps. Now, with ativan and my dosing, my pulse fluctuates in 82-105 range within a single dose. Faster heart rate, but no palps.

 

Now, the palps started to appear after I added valium and beta blockers into the mix. My understanding is that V kind of acts like a natural calcium channel blocker, so it slows my pulse by about 10. I wonder if my heart doesn't really like being slowed down below 80 bpm. I have never been diagnosed with a heart problem, but I am not too thrilled how my pulse fluctuates between 65-105 over a single day. Too much revving up and down, for sure.

 

And then, there is a galloping BP & HR spike if I take my Ativan dose a little later than I should. V masks the interdose WD, so it is easy to mess up the timing. These worry me more than palps, as the blood pressure gets from 125/80 to 160/100 in mere few minutes. I realy wish I had some advanced warning regarding this symptom. it just sucks. Usually, I either pop a beta blocker or realize that I was short on A in the last 24 hours, so I add another dose.

 

Just this morning was really rough. I took a 0.5mg ativan as scheduled and tried to sleep, yet the BP shot up to 174/94. Yikes. So, since i already took the beta blocker, I reluctantly added another 0.5mg ativan dose.

 

Yeah, I hate those palps, but those galloping BP spikes are awful. I hope I am not damaging my heart with the ativan, valium and a beta blocker combo. I was vey active for the last 2+ years, so I hope the heart didin't get weak over the last 2-3 months...

 

 

 

[[Ki...]]

Thank you for the detailed information Mosart. I did have a doctor appt today and they don't seem concerned....but that doesn't give me a lot of comfort since I was told Ativan was safe too 

 

I'm feeling an undercurrent of unease/anxiety about the "episode" yesterday but am trying to distract and be calm. I have an EKG scheduled for next week and will just have to think rationally until then.

 

Thanks again 

[[Lo...]]

I had an "episode" yesterday after going back from a pdoc who wanted to switch me to 2 mg klonopin and then cut to 1.5mg and then cut to 1mg. They also wanted me to sign the agreement that I would not get a benzo from any other Dr.

 

I refused.

In the midst of it, I forgot to take my PM valium dose (2.5mg), so I ended up with something like 117/70 BP and HR of 117 with irregular heartbeat. I am feeling much better today, and am chalking that up to chemical panic attacks. I almost never had palps even with my 0.5mg ativan dose, but once I climbed to the current dose, it happens a lot. I saw the cardiologist, and he said to cut the metoprolol 50mg pill in half for that. I've been warned against excessive use of beta blockers here, but I felt like I had to take at least 1/2 tab, since the feeling was extremely unpleasant.

 

I think there was a lot of heavy disappointment as I was expecting a pdoc who'd help with a valium crossover, not klonopin, which I've heard horror stories about...

 

But yesterday sucked, today has been a much better day. I am not giving up until a find a pdoc who will prescribe valium in the right equivalency.

 

I used to thing it was valium causing palps, but I am not so sure about that anymore. I hope that, once I get completely c/o to Valium that things will get better palp-wise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[Mo...]]

I had an episode of tachycardia last night. I was just lying on the couch, when all of a sudden my heart was pounding fast in my chest. My pulse got up to 120 bpm. While I'm freaking out and convinced it's something horrible, my husband held me and calmed me down some, though my heart rate stayed high for a while. The pounding came and went, and I felt adrenaline rushes a couple of times, but eventually I fell asleep. Everything feels normal with my heart and pulse this morning. I was not dizzy or short of breath, and the rhythm was steady and not irregular, which helps me feel that it's not anything more serious. If it happens again though, I'm calling my doctor. Being on ativan for the short time I was, I have a hard time chalking this up to withdrawal, but I suppose anything is possible. 

[[Wo...]]

I had an episode of tachycardia last night. I was just lying on the couch, when all of a sudden my heart was pounding fast in my chest. My pulse got up to 120 bpm. While I'm freaking out and convinced it's something horrible, my husband held me and calmed me down some, though my heart rate stayed high for a while. The pounding came and went, and I felt adrenaline rushes a couple of times, but eventually I fell asleep. Everything feels normal with my heart and pulse this morning. I was not dizzy or short of breath, and the rhythm was steady and not irregular, which helps me feel that it's not anything more serious. If it happens again though, I'm calling my doctor. Being on ativan for the short time I was, I have a hard time chalking this up to withdrawal, but I suppose anything is possible. 

 

Hey Mookie. I know those tachy episodes can be scary! They're usually not anything to worry about though. Very common with anxiety and withdrawal. Even being on only 3 weeks can cause some symptoms, however I would expect you'll be feeling like your old self in quite a short time. It doesn't ever hurt to get checked out though for the peace of mind.

 

Also I've found that breathing exercises work great for those episodes. The trick is to not give up after a few minutes if they don't work. Do at least 5 min. to see some benefit. I hope you feel better soon!

[[mo...]]

Hi All,

 

Just checking in...it's been awhile, but I've been off experiencing (dealing with w/d sxs) and learning (doing research!)

 

What I have experienced: continued erratic variations in heart rate, with days of very high heart rate (up to 110 resting and 130 just standing up) and occasional low heart rate (down to about 56 when sitting). Blood pressure as low as 80/50 and as high as 170/110. Palpitations, tachycardia, shortness of breath and total exhaustion with inability to exercise. While I am pretty sure this is due to the benzo w/d, because of heart defects, the docs have hooked me up to a Zio Patch (a type of wearable holter monitor) for 2 weeks and I am keeping a log of my heart rate, BP and fatigue level to go with it all. They are very helpful and supportive, but also in a learning mode as this is new to most of them. Of course since they put the Zio Patch on, I've had hardly and sxs...but isn't that the way it always is?! 

 

Since I started my charting sxs (fatigue and palps) and bio markers (HR and BP) along with other sxs (like headache, drowsiness, akathesia and mycoclonus) I think I have discovered that about the 3-5 day after a cut I will begin to experience an increase in sxs with headache and restlessness and then by days 5 - 7 I have drowsiness (fall asleep and can't focus) and extreme shortness of breath with elevated HR and lower BP and more likely to experience palpitations. During days 7 - 9 my BP has rises and then stabilizes a bit and by day 10 I am cutting again so I am starting all over... Since I crossed from Ativan to Valium the long life of Valium causes sxs to take a few days to appear after each cut in dose I make. From my experience, I think the WORST of these sxs, especially the palps, HR and BP variations occurred directly after I was cutting the Ativan (short half-life) and changing to Valium (long half-life) and that over time (the past two months) although I still have the sxs, the variations in HR and BP seems somewhat less. This seems to correspond with what I learned, anecdotally, by scouring the internet and research journals for information. W/D from short-lived benzos SEEMS to be associated more often with elevated HR and BP than longer lived benzos, although ALL benzos are associated with these sxs.

 

What I (think) I have learned via research and discussions with doctors: Benzo usage and benzo w/d of all the various kinds have been noted anecdotally and scientifically to cause and/or exacerbate changes and instability in heart rate and blood pressure as well as palpitations, tachycardia and bradycardia. While the research is not extensive on this, it appears that there are GABA receptors in the heart and gut, as well as the brain and that benzos upset what is known as the HPA (hypothalamus Pituatary Adrenal Axis) which regulates the autonomic nervous system and relies in part on the neuroendocrine system to "communicate with the body. So, if benzo w/d is affecting all those systems, and not just our brains, the whole crazy palps, and other difficult autonomic nervous system dysfunction associated with, and experienced by, those using and w/ding from these drugs makes more sense to me. There are all kinds of theories (and "specialists" out there eager to offer supplements and herbs that will supposedly help with what is possibly basically a dysautonomia and dysregulation of the neuroendocrine system caused by benzo use and benzo w/d, but that is where the research really falls short — the problem is medically recognized but there is no definitive research suggesting effective treatment other than each individual working with his/her doc and body to find what helps them most — and just getting through the w/d and learning to deal with the sxs until you are off the benzos and "healed". Yes, I wanted find a "magic" pill, too,  but as we all know what happened with our "magic" benzo pills I have my doubts about that!

 

I have found meditation and breathing exercises profoundly helpful, along with the use AS NEEDED of a very low dose (10-20 mg) of Propanalol (a beta blocker that crosses the blood brain barrier), Mg clycinate and MG malate, high fluid intake, chamomile tea and GENTLE EXERCISE WHEN I feel up to it and LOTS OF REST when I feel I need has helped me deal with these sxs so that they are more annoying than life impairing right now. As I still have 8mg V to cut before I am totally benzo free, we'll see how I continue to do, but for now I am feeling a better just knowing that the docs are watching it AND having some understanding of what may be causing the sxs AND doing those little things I mentioned above, are making things much better for me than they were just a month ago.

 

I will be curious to see what (if anything) the Ziopatch reveals and if I learn anything more about this subject that might be helpful to know I will post it.

 

Heart Felt Best Wishes to All! 

 

Mo

[[mo...]]

I had an "episode" yesterday after going back from a pdoc who wanted to switch me to 2 mg klonopin and then cut to 1.5mg and then cut to 1mg. They also wanted me to sign the agreement that I would not get a benzo from any other Dr.

 

I refused.

In the midst of it, I forgot to take my PM valium dose (2.5mg), so I ended up with something like 117/70 BP and HR of 117 with irregular heartbeat. I am feeling much better today, and am chalking that up to chemical panic attacks. I almost never had palps even with my 0.5mg ativan dose, but once I climbed to the current dose, it happens a lot. I saw the cardiologist, and he said to cut the metoprolol 50mg pill in half for that. I've been warned against excessive use of beta blockers here, but I felt like I had to take at least 1/2 tab, since the feeling was extremely unpleasant.

 

I think there was a lot of heavy disappointment as I was expecting a pdoc who'd help with a valium crossover, not klonopin, which I've heard horror stories about...

 

But yesterday sucked, today has been a much better day. I am not giving up until a find a pdoc who will prescribe valium in the right equivalency.

 

I used to thing it was valium causing palps, but I am not so sure about that anymore. I hope that, once I get completely c/o to Valium that things will get better palp-wise

 

 

Hi LF,

 

Just my 2 cents worth, but if it was me, I would wait to find a doc willing to do the cross over with Valium and NOT Klonopin, for several reasons that have been outlined elsewhere in more detail, but most notably because it is my understanding that Klonopin is believed to bind very tightly with the GABA recpetors, has a shorter half-life, comes in dose sizes that are harder to deal with and does not show the same success rates as Valium EXCEPT in cases where the patient (about 10% form what I can tell by the research) cannot seem to cross over to Valium in which case many of those 10% will be able to cross to Klonopin.

 

I also think, from recent experiences and exhaustive research, that Ativan usage and w/d is particularly likely to cause palpitations and other HR and BP sxs. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed that you find someone soon who can help you with the A to V C/O and are able to reassure yourself that the sxs you are having now are most likely w/d. Also, metoprolol is a very effective Beta Blocker, however, I believe it does not cross the blood brain barrier. For some people, this is a good thing as Beta Blockers that cross the blood brain barrier can cause some people to have uncomfortable sxs but there are people and instances when a beta blocker that does cross the blood-brain barrier may be a better choice — as long as you are INFORMED!

 

I have take both metaprolol and propranolol (which does cross the blood-brain barrier) and while I used metaproplol for years for a heart defect, I have found propanolol more helpful during benzo w/d. I think it's also probably good not to use a beta blocker on a regular basis, but a fast acting (not timed release) Beta Blocker used as needed has been shown in a variety of studies to be helpful to many people. You may have to experiment a bit to find what works best for you and decide when, if and how often you want to take it.

 

Good Luck and let us know when you find the right doc — the one who knows how to get you from A to V!

 

Mo