Heart Palps Support Group

[[ki...]]

try and not panic about them. Wait for your doctor to investigate.

 

I have had holter monitor results of 5-6 k a day.  I can feel every single one lucky me.

 

Thanks g33,

 

Can't imagine having that many!  They are very uncomfortable.  Sorry you have them... hopefully they go away for all of us soon!  Sometimes I wonder, 2 years ago I was in the best shape of my life, now I have all these issues.  Can't wait for that final window to happen.

[[Ho...]]

I'm pretty new to the board. Just finished crossover from xamax to valium and

Started a taper. My heart has pretty much pounded continuously since I started this whole process. Even when heart rate is in 80s and 90s I have the sensation of

It pounding. I have an as needed script for propranolol 10 mg which I take if the heart rate goes above 100. My blood pressure runs pretty low so I can't take it a lot. Has this been anyone's experience during and after your tapers. It's regular just a pounding sensation and I can feel it up in my head.!its worse in the mornings when I wake up but pretty much always there. And if in always having this symptom how do I know when

To make my

Next cut?

[[...]]

Oh god yes Hope76

 

It's been one of my most prominent symptoms.

 

Have you tried taking the beta blocker to alleviate this symptom.  I want to try one but I already have low BP and low resting HR (55-65) and I'm nervous that that precludes me from Beta Blockers

[[Ho...]]

Oh god yes Hope76

 

It's been one of my most prominent symptoms.

 

Have you tried taking the beta blocker to alleviate this symptom.  I want to try one but I already have low BP and low resting HR (55-65) and I'm nervous that that precludes me from Beta Blockers

 

I take propranolol 10 mg as needed but only if resting hr goes above 100 because my

Bp is pretty low. The constant

Pounding is very anxiety provoking......

[[...]]

Ya I know how you feel.

 

beta blockers have a number of actions on the heart and circulatory system.

 

They lower the heart rate. They dialate your blood vessels so it lowers your blood pressure. They are supposed to also make the heart beat 'softer'.

 

Hope,

 

I'm curious if your beta blocker has ever helped specifically with the pounding heart or have you not tried it?

 

Also, do you happen to notice that if you wake up slowly in the morning, that your heart doesn't pound usually?

 

Mine follows this pattern.  MOST times I wake up my heart isn't pounding out of my chest like it is when I go to sleep.

 

I've also have evidence that my Arrhythmia's disappear after I've gone to sleep.  I found a paper written by a sleep doctor that suggest this is because of important physiological changes that happen after you have drifted off to sleep.  Your CNS stop's releasing epinephrine.    The doctor sites that arrhythmias that follow this pattern tend to respond well to consistent beta blockade.

 

With me, once I've been awake for a short period of time and my CNS comes out of it's slumber I get all my pounding and ectopics back. 

 

I really want to try the beta blocker to see if this helps me.

 

 

 

[[so...]]

Hope,

 

You sound exactly like me since I jumped CT 14 months ago.  I hope you feel better that many of us have this ongoing and long term and our hearts are fine.  I've also heard this symptom going away eventually.

 

Love, Sofa

[[Ho...]]

Ya I know how you feel.

 

beta blockers have a number of actions on the heart and circulatory system.

 

They lower the heart rate. They dialate your blood vessels so it lowers your blood pressure. They are supposed to also make the heart beat 'softer'.

 

Hope,

 

I'm curious if your beta blocker has ever helped specifically with the pounding heart or have you not tried it?

 

Also, do you happen to notice that if you wake up slowly in the morning, that your heart doesn't pound usually?

 

Mine follows this pattern.  MOST times I wake up my heart isn't pounding out of my chest like it is when I go to sleep.

 

I've also have evidence that my Arrhythmia's disappear after I've gone to sleep.  I found a paper written by a sleep doctor that suggest this is because of important physiological changes that happen after you have drifted off to sleep.  Your CNS stop's releasing epinephrine.    The doctor sites that arrhythmias that follow this pattern tend to respond well to consistent beta blockade.

 

With me, once I've been awake for a short period of time and my CNS comes out of it's slumber I get all my pounding and ectopics back. 

 

I really want to try the beta blocker to see if this helps me.

 

It helps a bit with the pounding but I can only tolerate a very low dose and I just use the as needed version which lasts about 6 hrs.  I don't really live use it that often, since my HR hasn't been much over 100 lately.  As for me I wake up in a panic with my heart pounding, but I just started a V taper and I think the first cut was a little much for me.  (Went from 15mg to 14 mg).  I've thought about a long acting beta blocker at low dose to wee if that might help things a bit.

[[Ja...]]

I have the palps sometimes pretty strong and burning chest pain and pain in my left side

I had a work up last year after my system got shocked from a steroid shot

On 5mg now this week the chest pain

Last thing I want is to go to a stupid doc

But I worry bc my mg level in withdrawal was .2

My mother has heart issues and I am 44. Thoughts?

I thought it was indigestion or from heartburn so I stopped taking any supplements to see if this helps

[[os...]]

 

I need to read this whole thread, all the pages.

 

I had bad palpitations when I hit just under 4 mg Valium equivalent, it scared the cr*p out of me.

 

I went onto 10 mg Propranolol and ever since I have not really had any palpitations as such, it really helped, even at that low dose.

 

I stopped taking it a year ago and was fine but recently I have been having palpitations again, not so strong but I am not tapering right now, it is just anxiety as I have suffered a bit of a set back due to doctor retiring and the stress caused me to get some anxiety back.

 

I do know that if I continue to taper, I will have palpitations because I am now super scared of withdrawal and I know palpitations are going to be part of the fun of withdrawal, so I will be going back on the beta blocker.

 

I am just curious as to the beta blocker doses everyone here is taking to help this horrible symptom.

 

I also want to know if palpitations can be dangerous.

[[mo...]]

 

I need to read this whole thread, all the pages.

 

I had bad palpitations when I hit just under 4 mg Valium equivalent, it scared the cr*p out of me.

 

I went onto 10 mg Propranolol and ever since I have not really had any palpitations as such, it really helped, even at that low dose.

 

I stopped taking it a year ago and was fine but recently I have been having palpitations again, not so strong but I am not tapering right now, it is just anxiety as I have suffered a bit of a set back due to doctor retiring and the stress caused me to get some anxiety back.

 

I do know that if I continue to taper, I will have palpitations because I am now super scared of withdrawal and I know palpitations are going to be part of the fun of withdrawal, so I will be going back on the beta blocker.

 

I am just curious as to the beta blocker doses everyone here is taking to help this horrible symptom.

 

I also want to know if palpitations can be dangerous.

 

Hi Oscar,

 

That sounds very frustrating. I have some experience with tapering off long term use of both Benzos and beta blockers and can relate my experience in support of your own.

 

As far as palpitations being dangerous, I am not a doctor, but the general consensus in all the MANY research reports I have read is that palpitations are generally not regarded as dangerous in a normally functioning, healthy heart -- in fact palpitations are quite common and everyone has them from time to time. My suggestion would be to go to a cardiologist, get a full work up if your cardio doc thinks it's needed, and be reassured by your doc that you are okay. If it is any consolation, I have had severe palpitations and arrhythmias all my life; PSVT rates into the 200+ BPM category for several hours at a time, up to 20,000 PVCs in a day and the occasional 3-5 beat run of Vtach and 6 decades later I'm still around to tell you about it! Due to my congenital heart condition, I don't go a day without at least a few short runs (30 seconds or so) of PSVT and numerous PACs/PVCs. Yes, it can be scary and it's annoying, but you can sometimes do things that will help.

 

In addition to Benzos for 45+ years (for seizure disorder), I have been on and off various beta blockers (for a congenital heart defect that causes arrhythmia) for about 30 years. I had a cardiac cryoablation procedure several years ago, which allowed me to taper off the daily dose of Metaprolol XL and use propanolol immediate release on an "as needed" basis.

 

Beta blockers, like Benzos, cause our bodies to "adapt" to the medication. In the case if Benzos, the GABA receptors become disabled and down-regulated, causing sxs when the drug is withdrawn as the GABA receptors are "too few". Beta blockers, on the other hand, cause the body to produce MORE beta receptors, which also causes sxs when you withdraw from the medication since in this instance you have "too many" beta receptors and less medication. Your body eventually adapts to this by "down regulating" or "trimming" the number of beta receptors just as the body adapts to benzo w/d by up regulating the number of GABA receptors. All of this re-regulation and adaptation takes time.

 

Due to the high dose and long decades of use, it took me two years to taper off of my beta blockers after my heart procedure and I did have some sxs, although they were manageable mostly because I knew what was causing them. When I finally started my benzo taper, one of my two top and two worst sxs was a huge increase of tachycardia with palpitations (the other being "seizure migraines") so I was promptly, albeit very reluctantly, put back on a low dose (12.5-25 mg of Metaprolol XL) to help stabilize my heart rate and it helped me quite a bit. I also continue to take low doses (5 mgs at a time) of fast acting propanolol as needed.

 

It is not uncommon in both benzo w/d AND beta blocker w/d to experience sxs months or even a year or more post-taper. You are correct in noting that stress plays a huge role in this -- the body may still be adapting or it may have been "overly sensitized" by years of exposure to Benzos and/or beta blockers. The thing that has helped me most is consistent relaxation meditation. It may sound like a waste of time to some people, but 15-30 minutes twice a day of relaxation inducing mediation can counteract and even change your physical reaction to, and therefore the effects of, stress on our brains and bodies. Also, you can try managing your diet...low sugar, no caffeine, no MSG or food additives and don't over eat (digestive issues can actually cause palpitations!). The other surprising thing that has helped me is a little moderate exercise...when done regularly this seems to cut the number of palpitations I have. Too much exercise, however and I feel worse, so if you have your cardio docs okay, you might want to try that. Also, get reassurance when you need it. Whether a call to your docs office, a friend hanging out with you or even getting a device such as the Alivcor smart phone EKG reader and app, which reads your EKG via your cell phone using your fingers as 2 leads to tell you instantly your heart beat is fine -- or it can suggest you contact your doc if it's not (something that has never happened to me despite my crazy heart rhythm), but it can be very reassuring to see the words "EKG normal" when you are in a panic about palpitations. The device is not foolproof so I would highly recommend you check in with your cardio doc before going that route, although you can get one easily online without a prescription. While it is a necessity for me with my condition, it might help you manage the stress and fear of living with the Palps and I know others who have "common" Palps and have used the device this way.

 

Best wishes and I hope you feel better soon,

 

Mo

[[Ja...]]

I ended up doing a stress test last week

My ultrasound looked Normal but my ekg not normal but he said he felt it was a false positive as my ultrasound looked normal

Idk

My chest hurts

He suggested I could wear a monitor if it continues ( I have done this several times before benzos)

Or an angiogram w contrast and I don't want any contrast or any other medications interfering w my taper

So I will leave it as he doesn't feel I am at risk for anything

I wonder if my cold turkey and fast taper shocking my system can do permanent damage

It's hard to believe the Body is so resilient and can come back from that.

Tapering super slow micro daily taper now and ignoring my chest burning pressure

I walk or do yoga 2-3 times per wk.

[[me...]]

I haven't read much of this thread (I will) but I've had heart palps off and on for quite a while due mostly to the amitryptiline I'm one (and currently getting off of). I don't even really worry much about them any more. It's just annoying when I'm trying to sleep. The idea of taking more drugs (like beta blockers) actually scares me a lot more than the heart palps.

 

Women--do you have issues with bras? Mine is really annoying right now, trying to keep as loose as possible.

[[os...]]

 

I need to read this whole thread, all the pages.

 

I had bad palpitations when I hit just under 4 mg Valium equivalent, it scared the cr*p out of me.

 

I went onto 10 mg Propranolol and ever since I have not really had any palpitations as such, it really helped, even at that low dose.

 

I stopped taking it a year ago and was fine but recently I have been having palpitations again, not so strong but I am not tapering right now, it is just anxiety as I have suffered a bit of a set back due to doctor retiring and the stress caused me to get some anxiety back.

 

I do know that if I continue to taper, I will have palpitations because I am now super scared of withdrawal and I know palpitations are going to be part of the fun of withdrawal, so I will be going back on the beta blocker.

 

I am just curious as to the beta blocker doses everyone here is taking to help this horrible symptom.

 

I also want to know if palpitations can be dangerous.

 

Hi Oscar,

 

That sounds very frustrating. I have some experience with tapering off long term use of both Benzos and beta blockers and can relate my experience in support of your own.

 

As far as palpitations being dangerous, I am not a doctor, but the general consensus in all the MANY research reports I have read is that palpitations are generally not regarded as dangerous in a normally functioning, healthy heart -- in fact palpitations are quite common and everyone has them from time to time. My suggestion would be to go to a cardiologist, get a full work up if your cardio doc thinks it's needed, and be reassured by your doc that you are okay. If it is any consolation, I have had severe palpitations and arrhythmias all my life; PSVT rates into the 200+ BPM category for several hours at a time, up to 20,000 PVCs in a day and the occasional 3-5 beat run of Vtach and 6 decades later I'm still around to tell you about it! Due to my congenital heart condition, I don't go a day without at least a few short runs (30 seconds or so) of PSVT and numerous PACs/PVCs. Yes, it can be scary and it's annoying, but you can sometimes do things that will help.

 

In addition to Benzos for 45+ years (for seizure disorder), I have been on and off various beta blockers (for a congenital heart defect that causes arrhythmia) for about 30 years. I had a cardiac cryoablation procedure several years ago, which allowed me to taper off the daily dose of Metaprolol XL and use propanolol immediate release on an "as needed" basis.

 

Beta blockers, like Benzos, cause our bodies to "adapt" to the medication. In the case if Benzos, the GABA receptors become disabled and down-regulated, causing sxs when the drug is withdrawn as the GABA receptors are "too few". Beta blockers, on the other hand, cause the body to produce MORE beta receptors, which also causes sxs when you withdraw from the medication since in this instance you have "too many" beta receptors and less medication. Your body eventually adapts to this by "down regulating" or "trimming" the number of beta receptors just as the body adapts to benzo w/d by up regulating the number of GABA receptors. All of this re-regulation and adaptation takes time.

 

Due to the high dose and long decades of use, it took me two years to taper off of my beta blockers after my heart procedure and I did have some sxs, although they were manageable mostly because I knew what was causing them. When I finally started my benzo taper, one of my two top and two worst sxs was a huge increase of tachycardia with palpitations (the other being "seizure migraines") so I was promptly, albeit very reluctantly, put back on a low dose (12.5-25 mg of Metaprolol XL) to help stabilize my heart rate and it helped me quite a bit. I also continue to take low doses (5 mgs at a time) of fast acting propanolol as needed.

 

It is not uncommon in both benzo w/d AND beta blocker w/d to experience sxs months or even a year or more post-taper. You are correct in noting that stress plays a huge role in this -- the body may still be adapting or it may have been "overly sensitized" by years of exposure to Benzos and/or beta blockers. The thing that has helped me most is consistent relaxation meditation. It may sound like a waste of time to some people, but 15-30 minutes twice a day of relaxation inducing mediation can counteract and even change your physical reaction to, and therefore the effects of, stress on our brains and bodies. Also, you can try managing your diet...low sugar, no caffeine, no MSG or food additives and don't over eat (digestive issues can actually cause palpitations!). The other surprising thing that has helped me is a little moderate exercise...when done regularly this seems to cut the number of palpitations I have. Too much exercise, however and I feel worse, so if you have your cardio docs okay, you might want to try that. Also, get reassurance when you need it. Whether a call to your docs office, a friend hanging out with you or even getting a device such as the Alivcor smart phone EKG reader and app, which reads your EKG via your cell phone using your fingers as 2 leads to tell you instantly your heart beat is fine -- or it can suggest you contact your doc if it's not (something that has never happened to me despite my crazy heart rhythm), but it can be very reassuring to see the words "EKG normal" when you are in a panic about palpitations. The device is not foolproof so I would highly recommend you check in with your cardio doc before going that route, although you can get one easily online without a prescription. While it is a necessity for me with my condition, it might help you manage the stress and fear of living with the Palps and I know others who have "common" Palps and have used the device this way.

 

Best wishes and I hope you feel better soon,

 

Mo

 

Thanks so much Mo for the reassurance.

 

I dropped the 10mg Propranolol with no issues but if I were on a higher dose at any time, I would taper it slowly.

 

Nice of you to post your experience and reassurance, thank you again. 

[[...]]

Just checking in guys.

 

I've started on 2.5mg is Bisoprolol divided into 2 doses per day and I feel it is helping with the tachyness and pounding.  I don't think it's putting a dent in the PVC's and PAC's, but maybe.

[[Bu...]]

I went to my cardiologist yesterday after several days of bad stomach, left chest, jaw and shoulder blade pain.  She did an EKG and it was ok.  I have a lot of GI issues:  hiatal hernia, esophageal stricture, gastritis, bile reflux, etc. and she thought it was probably the GI issues and not a heart issue.  I was glad to hear it but, I've heard too that GI issues can affect the vagus nerve and hence the heart.  She wants me to do a stress test-but, I'm afraid to do it because I've been so wired lately...Next stop is to discuss all this with my gastro doc.  Thank-you for this very informative thread!

[[os...]]

 

What is a stress test???

[[...]]

I have done numerous stress tests in the last 8 years.   

 

I also did a nuclear stress test last spring to see if coronary artery disease was the cause of my chest pain.  Nope, all ok.

 

Oscar, a regular stress test is where they hook you up to an ekg and get you on a treadmill.  they run the shit out of you in an attempt to get your heart rate up and trigger arrhythmia.  Then when your at the point of exhaustion the shut the machine down rapidly and sit you down on a chair and watch your heart rate and blood pressure to see if it comes down normally, or stay abnormally elevated for an extended period of time. 

[[Ho...]]

 

What is a stress test???

 

Oscar,

 

A stress test is a method of looking at your heart to check for ischemia (decreased blood flow to the heart, often due to coronary artery disease or blockage in a coronary artery).  It can be done several different ways.

 

1. Exercise tolerance test (ETT)-electrodes are strapped to your chest while you walk on a treadmill that gradually increases speed and incline.  An EKG is recorded and your heart rate and blood pressure are measured during the test.  EKG at rest and exercise are compared for any changes consistent with ischemia and it also gives the doc an idea of your exercise tolerance level

2. ETT can be combined with nuclear or echocardiographic imaging to increase the sensitivity of the test.  A nuclear study involves injecting a radioactive tracer at rest and after exercise and measuring the perfusion (blood flow to the heart).  If you see a perfusion defect with exercise, there is a good chance of blockage.  Echocardiography is an ultrasound of the heart and the doc looks at wall motion of the heart both with rest and exercise and compares the two.  If a wall has decreased motion with exercise, again there is likelihood of a blockage.  For patients unable to exercise on the treadmill, chemicals can be injected to mimic exercise in combination with one of the imaging studies.

 

So now you know.  I'm a cardiologist by the way, I've read hundreds if not thousands of these studies (currently out of practice to be a stay at home mom and now unfortunately a professional benzo withdrawer).

[[...]]

Hey Hope....

 

Life is soooo much better on this beta blocker.  I'm pleasantly surprised I have to say.

[[Ho...]]

Hey Hope....

 

Life is soooo much better on this beta blocker.  I'm pleasantly surprised I have to say.

 

Yay! We cardiologists love those beta blockers 

[[jr...]]

Hey Hope....

 

Life is soooo much better on this beta blocker.  I'm pleasantly surprised I have to say.

 

Yay! We cardiologists love those beta blockers 

 

Can a beta blocker cause breathing problems such as not exhaling sufficiently?

[[...]]

I've read that it can, and if your prone to asthma your doctor will have to be very careful in the type of beta blocker prescribed.  It may even be contraindicated. Hope could probably verify that.

 

Some beta blockers are more selective interms of which parts of the body they effect.      Note selective does not equal specific.

 

 

So you can have cardio selective beta blockers, like the one I'm on, that attempt to target the heart specifically.  But it's still not 100% limited to the heart, hence it's selective, but not specific.  These types of beta blockers are supposedly better if you experience breathing difficulties when taking regular beta blockers???

 

Hope, can clarify better than me I'm sure.

 

 

[[Ho...]]

I've read that it can, and if your prone to asthma your doctor will have to be very careful in the type of beta blocker prescribed.  It may even be contraindicated. Hope could probably verify that.

 

Some beta blockers are more selective interms of which parts of the body they effect.      Note selective does not equal specific.

 

 

So you can have cardio selective beta blockers, like the one I'm on, that attempt to target the heart specifically.  But it's still not 100% limited to the heart, hence it's selective, but not specific.  These types of beta blockers are supposedly better if you experience breathing difficulties when taking regular beta blockers???

 

Hope, can clarify better than me I'm sure.

 

Yes they are contraindicated if you have asthma in general. Shortness of breath is listed as one of their side effects, and some people develop tolerance to it, or it may be a matter of adjusting the dose. Cardio selective beta blockers are better if you are taking it purely for a heart related issue.

[[Bu...]]

Wow!  Thanks for all the great information on all the different kinds of stress tests!

[[Wo...]]

We have an actual cardiologist on the heart palps board? That's awesome! Welcome Hope.  Sorry you have to be here though.

 

Well I'm still going strong with the skips. No sign they'll ever disappear either. Oh well, after more than 2 years I don't worry much about them. They're still not fun though.

 

I hope everyone else is getting some relief here.