Low heart rate on keto

#1

Hi all,
I started keto diet in November 2017 for a month, about 3 weeks after starting I felt strong heart beats. I went to urgent care and they make EKG, and they said I have heart palpitation and I must see cardio. I went to the cardiologist and he checked everything, the palpitation still there but the heart is fine. so nothing to worry about, but he advised me to discontinue that type of diet, and I stopped. Now, I started keto again 8 days ago, I have high blood pressure, I measured it yesterday as I felt strange heart beats again, and it showed my HB is 42-46/min. which is very low. I read that it might be because of the increased potassium levels and I eat too much Spinach and Avocados because the first time the strong heartbeats was because potassium short, so when I started this time I adjusted my low sodium salt intake/day and I eat too much spinach and avocado. I read that the low heart beats could be because of too much potassium which is dangerous. have any of you have ever had these symptoms?
Thank you,

(Stacy Blanchard) #2

I wish I could offer useful medical advice but that would be impossible. I would say most doctors would recommend not doing Keto to a healthy person with no symptoms. Maybe you could at the very least try to find a doctor that is Keto supportive and would work to help you figure out what is going on. I don’t know if you listened to the episode Dr. Ken Barry Rants! I think I understood him to be a Keto doc that takes virtual patients. I know he is a Keto doctor just not sure how the virtual part works. Good luck.

(Brandy Fischbach) #3

I’ve heard of several people who experience heart palpitations with keto. It is usually temporary and due to either dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, mainly salt intake.

(Ron) #4

I’m one of those people and I did correct mine with more water and electrolyte adjustments. Cannot stress enough about "more water,water,water! Added salt ,potassium and magnesium.

#5

When I started few months ago, I had rapid heart beats. I was short in potassium and electrolytes. Now it is the opposite, I think I have too much potassium.

#6

I take too much salt my heart rate is so low, I read that it might be due to too much potassium in the blood.

#7

You are right my cardi and pcp told me to stop it, they said you have to listen to your body. I willtry to look for a keto diet doctor.
Thank you

(Don Combest) #8

Generally potassium and magnesium are the culprits with arrhythmia, and usually they are too low. K should be around 4 and mag around 2 on a test. But they shouldn’t have advised you to quit, those are both easy to supplement and as long as you are urinating normally, easy to excrete. Up your dark green veg, use the potassium salt(Morton Lite salt) when cooking, and take a mag supplement. Get your levels checked regularly, especially potassium. Working in the medical field, most docs are clueless on nutrition, they really don’t train in it. If you aren’t peeing regularly ignore the above and get checked out, kidney issues aren’t anything to play with.

(D Sco) #9

I just want to chime in here.

Started Keto 8 days ago. I’ve been keeping my carbs under 20g to really launch me into it.

Anyway, I started noticing my heart rate was very slow at rest and that it was also skipping a every now and then. I’d only noticed this a couple other times in my life before, but I’ve noticed this consistently in the last 3 days to happen.

I’m at the start of my journey in terms of research on this and awaiting a call from my doctor. I just wanted to chime in and let you know that I’m interested in where this conversation goes.

(charlie3) #11

What’s the definition of low heart rate?

#12

In context of palpitations it is a rate slow enough so that an extra beat is fired off in the quiet phase usually between the t and q in the qrst complex chart of an electrocardiograph. Heart rates in the 40s and 50s can have these premature contractions. Smaller healthy humans have slightly higher heart rates than big healthy humans. So variability is applicable.

(charlie3) #13

I’ve been wearing a fitness watch during sleep to find out resting heart rate, which turns out to be 55 bpm. At this moment, sitting at a table, 61 bpm. If that’s considered low may be it’s because I do a lot of aerobic exercise.

#14

My resting heart rate is about 60. I’ve watched it through the night on hospital heart monitors and check it most mornings, or if I feel palpitations.

Fit people (not me) have resting pulse rates the same or much lower.

You sound fit Charlie. That’s good.

I don’t think low resting heart rate alone is a concern. It can be a factor in initiating heart arrhythmia if electrolytes in the body are depleted or out of balance due to an illness.

(Bob M) #15

That’s not bad. When I was booking a lot, my HR was in the low 50s. Elite cyclists can get very low resting heart rates, mid 30s.

(Ryan Hefley) #16

No one has really commented on the OP concern of too much Potassium, but I think there may be something to that. I have been supplementing Potassium daily and my resting HR has gone down into the 40s sometimes, especially sleeping, which is not typical for me. It has been in the low 40s while sleeping the last few days. I read that getting into the 30s could be non-ideal as it could cause you to not get enough oxygen to your brain. I am going to try stopping the Potassium supplements and see if it helps. I eat plenty of broccoli and brussels sprouts, so I shouldn’t need the extra Potassium, will continue to supplement Magnesium though.

(Ryan Hefley) #17

Actually, I didn’t realize how much Potassium we are supposed to get in a day versus how much Potassium is in a single supplement pill. It is only 2% - 99mg versus RDI of 3500-4700mg. Taking one pill or not probably has a negligible effect on my Potassium levels overall.

(M W) #20

YOU ALL NEED TO LISTEN TO THIS:

I am on keto couple years. During the day I have 55-80 depending if I am digesting or moving. But before sleep I have 43-50. But do not have any symptoms or skipped heartbeat. Keep your electrolytes up

If you worry just go to the doc.

I BET YOU DO not KNOW this:

REGARDING MOST IMPORTANT STUFF:

  1. SEE the sunrise every day - it sets all your hormones and biochemical reactions for the day. The more sun the better. Be as undressed as you can. You want small balls - do not expose them to the sunlight. If you do night shift (you are f…) I did this ■■■■ for 7 years.

2 AVOID EMF at all costs. .

EMF (3G, 4G,5G, WIFI, Bluetooth, NFC, cordless landline, baby monitor, Wireless CCTV etc.) DO THIS TO YOUR BODY:

  • INREASE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS

  • CAUSE CALCIUM EFFLUX FROM THE CELLS

(meaning you release calcium from cells and it goes to your bloodstream and causes calcification throughout the body, and you are prone to sooner heart attack because it blocks arteries. etc.)

  • CAUSES BLOOD COAGULATION (your Red Blood Cells stick together making it problematic to flow thru capillaries - smallest blood vessels and this include your brain) It means less nutrients for your brain and less oxygen. So what keto raises oxygen if you are exposed to emf) etc.

  • DEHYDRATE YOUR CELLS

( how your heart gonna work if you are loosing electrolytes?)

  • CAUSE YOUR BBB BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER L E A K Y!!!

(it means more pathogens and heavy metals are going to your brain)

  1. AVOID BLUE LIGHT INDOORS

  • Destroys DHA (collector of electrons (energy) in your body

  • Destroys MELATONIN (you deplete your stem cells because your cell is too damaged to be fixed and need to be replaced)

  • Cause NEURODEGENERATION (in the brain)

And if you have kids their brain is short circuiting because neurons (cables) are not myelinated (do not have coating - they are just pure copper) What gives myelination is DHA.

  • raises cortisol levels and destroys piezoelectric transfer of electrons in your collagen

  • raises estrogen levels and lowers IODINE absorption (fcuk if you are not eating seafood 5 times a week you are deficient (think about your thyroid).

List is longer but your focusing capacity reached its limits :slight_smile: