Palpitations and Heart Flutters

(Kel Ta) #47

what type of carbs work for you? my struggle is trying to heal my gut- which means fiber doesn’t work so great- but it’s a catch-22 if I go too low- feels better on my gut but worse in other ways

(Edith) #48

Well, I have been back to having heart palpitations again. It’s funny, but I forgot I had tried upping carbs towards the end of 2017. After the holidays I tried lowing my carbs back down to 20-30 grams, but lately I am having trouble again.

I’ve been keto for over a year and electrolytes have been a challenging issue for me. Upping sodium helped, I take Mg, and I just added a little zinc. Maybe potassium is the trouble, but there are always so many warnings about supplementing potassium I’m just not sure what to do for it. Many food labels don’t even include potassium, so it’s really difficult to know how much I am getting from food. Therefore, how much to supplement?:woman_shrugging: Also, I’m perimenopausal. Heart palpitations can be a symptom of perimenopause, could that be the cause and not electrolytes? :woman_shrugging:

For me, adding carbs back may be the answer again. More berries and veggies, avocados/guacamole, and I may add in some sweet potato. That may help with any stress low carb causes and naturally increase my potassium intake.

Thanks for the reminder.

(Edith) #49

@ketana, Just a though: cooking vegetables helps break down the fiber and makes them easier to digest. If you are upping carbs with veggies, maybe try cooked veggies and not salads?

(Kel Ta) #50

It is no understatement that for some folks it appears, getting the heart rate and breathing issues under control is a real struggle when eating this way. What really works for me is magnesium potassium aspartate which is a chelated supplement that has the right ratios. I don’t take close to the amount recommended on the bottle and I take it only when going to sleep as it can make you sleepy. If I get the dose wrong then my heart beats hard in my chest. I don’t know if there is any truth to it but I did read somewhere that a pounding heart is a pottassium issue and a rapid heart rate is a magnesium issue- I would like someone to verify this for certain of course. I have rarely found taking magnesium on its own enough.

Yes I definitely cannot eat raw veggies or salads. I am back to eating winter squash and high electrolyte veggies like spinach, broccoli, avocados, pumpkin or winter squash and pumpkin seeds. Whenever I go to low or do IF for to many days in a row my symptoms become exacerbated- but not being all that hungry also doesn’t help. Keep us updated if upping carbs helps you!

(Edith) #51

I’ve had a possible interesting revelation.

My heart palpitations are usually at night. They start an hour or two before I go to bed.

Yesterday afternoon I was heading out the door to work and I ate about 1/2 ounce of dark chocolate. Within minutes my heart was pounding and palpitating. It lasted for hours. I must have an allergy or intolerance to the chocolate.

I frequently have a square or two of dark chocolate in the evening after dinner. Maybe the fact that I already have food in my stomach from dinner slows down the reaction so I don’t get the reaction until an hour or so later. Eating the chocolate on an empty stomach left no doubt about the cause.

I found something online about using pulse rate to test for food allergies. I am giving that a try. It is called the Coca Pulse Test.

I will keep you all informed if it turns out chocolate is the actual cause of the palpitations. Wouldn’t that be an easy fix? A sad fix, but an easy one.

(Davy) #52

I read on another thread regarding this palp.'s and rapid pulse, that Magnesium Taurate will calm it down. Or some ReMag. Just be sure you’re taking enough and at least 3 times a day to spread it out. One lady on her review said it wasn’t working, but she upped her intake of Mg Taurate to 1000mg per day, spread out. All of a sudden, her rapid pulse and palp.'s were 90% GONE. Anxiety GONE. Check out all the reviews. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AESH6YQ/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I ordered some. Dr. Dean says take a 1/4 tsp pink salt with each shot of Magnesium.

I’ve read two studies since, that say that Ketones often causes your pulse to go up and palpitations to come on.

(Edith) #53

If you can remember what studies, could you post their links by any chance?

(Kel Ta) #54

chocolate is a stimulant, has caffeine etc. therefore that could be a factor if it is having effects, but it also is high in magnesium as well

(Kel Ta) #55

Taking mag throughout day in supp form including Remag seems to cause sleepiness and mental lethargy- anyone else? Can only take it at night to avoid this issue

(Linda) #56

This cardio guy on youtube helped me tremendously.

He is the one that suggested Magnesium Taurate which resolved my palpitation issues.

There are so many helpful videos there, from ectopic beats (which were my issue) to the connections between meals and palpitations that I won’t link any specific video, but he covers them all. I can’t recommend his channel highly enough!

The cardiologist I saw blamed everything on caffeine. It was not my issue at all…

(Edith) #57

Thank you. I will definitely check this out.

(Kel Ta) #58

eating too little can cause a rise in cortisol as well as affect dopamine levels at night which cause intermittent awakening and disrupted sleep

(Edith) #59

Well, I haven’t resolved my palpitation issues
and they got worse, lasting for many hours. I went to the ER because my chest was starting to hurt. I’ll let y’all know what they find out.

I’m happily reading the forum while I’m waiting. :grinning:

(Kel Ta) #60

Hope you get to the bottom of this- and it has an easy remedy!

(Edith) #61

Well, the good news is that all my blood tests came out fine: even my electrolytes. My heart is fine, but I was having PVCs. I will be following up with a visit to the cardiologist.

Today, I am having no palpitations so far. Hormones? I guess I’ll know more after I see the cardiologist (or not). :woman_shrugging:

I did see something on Andrew Weil’s website about Mg and he suggests up to 1000 Mg per day for deficiency. I’ve been taking about 400-600 Mg/day.

I have read that Mg levels can’t really be tested with a blood test, so maybe I really am still not getting enough. I don’t have other Mg deficiency symptoms such as restless legs, or cramps. It can’t hurt to try, though. What’s the worse that can happen? I spend a little extra time on the toilet for a day or two?

#62

Hi, I am a newby to the forum and the Keto diet two weeks.
I have a heart murmur that has turned into daily palpitations, rapid heartbeat out of my chest, and weird pains. I have seen the cardiologist and he put a week monitor on me.
My heart was running wild for four days. I got scared so Saturday I went to ER. 175/90 bp… After a CT, blood test, urine test I just was dehydrated. Two bags of saline were IV’d into me.
I really like the Keto diet and want to stay on it but my body hates it.
I have learned through this forum that 1/4 t pink salt with 500-1000 mag plus 4700 potassium will help.
Thanks for your help ~

(Kel Ta) #63

#64

Ive given up keto for now. Gotta get these other symptoms controlled first and keto just makes them worse. So tired of palpitations and heart flutters. I’ll try increasing my magnesium too.

(Davy) #65

You’re right about the blood serum test not giving accurate amounts of Mg Edith. That test is practically worthless. Google it if you want, you’ll find tons of info on this. The body has 99% of the Mg in the cells, tissues, heart, other organs and only 1% in the blood serum. The blood serum gets filled first, then the rest to the rest of the body. So the Mg in the blood serum will pretty much always show so called “normal”. The same MAY go for Potassium. I had extremely low Mg while my blood test showed normal…the doctor didn’t even know about this. He just, in all knowing type manner, declared that nothing was wrong with my Mg level. This way, they, the doctors, can prescribe tons of drugs/meds and keep you on them for life…increasing and sustaining their paychecks. (just pointing all this out because you said your ‘electrolytes’ were fine.
Yes Nancy, I"ve read studies that said going into Ketosis causes palpitations (rapid pulse and irregular). So upping your Mg may indeed help. I’ve switched over to Mg Taurate, as suggested in another forum. Taking this until I get loose stools and then backing off a little. Some honestly in the know cardiologist suggested this type of Mg to a patient and she took it and now her palps are 90% GONE. Several others on that forum started taking it with the same result. Yes, take it with 1/4 tsp of Himilayan Salt. Big Thumbs UP!
Again, it’s easy to move down Trigs. and Cholestorol quickly doing keto, but the HDLnumber just moves very slowly and maybe none while ketoing and losing weight. (mine moved NONE while keto’ing and losing 20 lbs.)

(Ross) #66

I have a similar experience.
After going carnivore over the summer, I was increasingly getting palpitations when exercising. I thought it was caffeine related so I cut back on coffee which worked for a while but then not so much.

I got the idea it might be folate (B9) related. Was surprised to discover that while muscle meat are full of B12 & B6 they are a poor source of B9.

I’ve started eating liver several times a week (including bison liver for breakfast) and things are much improved. Liver, particularly chicken liver, is very high in B9.

I’ve also gone off carnivore and added back in more green veggies like brussle sprouts. (yet more B9)

Done with carnivore