Palpitations and Heart Flutters


#21

Sorry to hear about your recent ER visits. I’ve been dealing with the same kinds of things from time to time. For me a lot of it seems to be electrolyte related but there is no magic bullet so far. Limiting caffeine helps me a lot but it’s not everything. I have a theory that things which work as diuretics have a greater effect but again that’s only a theory. I noticed that I feel that same effects from having a mild wine hangover (2-3 glasses) to drinking a cup of coffee, to me that cannot be a coincidence. It would be great to get a definitive answer on this but until then all we can really do is experiment and compare notes.


#22

Hi everyone. New to Keto, but have been doing low-carb for years. Started a week ago today and have lost three pounds. Doing Keto for general overall health. On day two I started getting heart fluttering and it kept me up much of the night. Now a week later, it remains, but more in the background. I would love to get rid of it. I have no health issues, and it clearly happened when I started Keto. I searched for keto forums for this issue and was happy to find this thread. I will try the extra pink salt that was mentioned and possibly folate and will update if any change. In the mean time, I will be checking here to see if others have succeeded in eliminating this issue. Thanks!


#23

A few more updates, another problem I had was supplementing magnesium! I haven’t taken it in 2 days and feel so much better. It was giving me hypothermia feelings and making it hard to breathe which resulted in another ER visit. I literally couldn’t breathe. Something between a Laryngospasm and bronchospasm. I’m also going to be switching back to synthroid as I’m pretty sure NDT is giving me hyperthyroid symptoms as well. Need to simplify everything.

I recommend if taking folate, build up slowly as you don’t want to induce an overmethylation nightmare like I also did! Probably should make sure you get a good balance of all of them as well.


(Shayne) #24

I think what has helped me the most is adding myo-inositol to my daily supplementation.

I’ve also eliminated dairy and artificial sweeteners. I’m doing an experiment on myself to see if those are part of the issue and it seems that they are for me. I am easing towards an autoimmune protocol variant of keto since being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s.


#25

What is an autoimmune version of keto? I’ve also been diagnosed with sarcoidosis and some believe it is autoimmune so I’d be interested to try that too.

Couple updates: the flutters I had are completely gone. But, the heart pounding is definitely inspired by anxiety. It happens every time negative circular thinking starts. I even made my blood pressure come down 20 points systolic in 5 minutes by belly breathing and prayer. Also feel a lot better coming off the Nature-Throid and back to Synthroid. Still kit completely right though. Lastly, I highly suspect avacado caused my throat to close up this past week a few times, so no more of that.


(Shayne) #26

The Autoimmune Protocol eliminates the most common inflammatory foods from the diet - grains (already gone on keto), beans, dairy, nuts, seeds, eggs, nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant), and because it’s Paleo, artificial sweeteners are also on the “no” list.

Of these, I’m still eating nuts and chocolate and drinking coffee, but I’m off everything else.

Google will help you find all the details. PaleoMom is the one I started with (don’t listen to what she says about Keto, her info is dated), and Mickey Trescott is the other of my primary sources. I’ve been going through my cookbooks looking for recipes that fit AIP while still being keto.

But mostly I eat meat and a few veggies… the biggest hurdle for me was giving up cheese, but I’ve managed it.


#27

Interesting. I’m already dairy free, but my keto diet is basically meat, coconut oil, butter, macadamias and broccoli. I don’t like any other veggies, except spinach but I always forget to eat it and it goes bad. I’m probably not getting enough veggies and the vitamins in them now that I’m not taking any supplements at all.


(Shayne) #28

I take a LOT of supplements (working with a doctor) because I just can’t get enough of them from diet alone.

He also has me on several anti-inflammatory supplements as well because my inflammation is crazy high - probably due to the autoimmune disorder. My CRP on strict keto was 4.3, so we’re trying to bring that down.


#29

One good thing I have going for me is my CRP is .29.

I’ll be starting supplements again when I get all this under control. I slowly added a bunch of supplements to my regimen and couldn’t tell what was doing what anymore and knew something was giving me problems. 2 weeks off everything now.


(Madge Boldt) #30

Hi GMX,
Apologies for reviving an old thread! I have a long AFIB story that I will save for another post. Short story is that I had AFIB surgically corrected 7 years ago. As of yesterday, it is back (and I am so disappointed). It would have happened eventually no matter what I did, I believe… BUT my doctor mentioned that what might have precipitated AF’s return:

  • I donated blood the day before. Change in blood volume.
  • Caffeine, although I only drink 1 half-caf per day
  • Stress, lack of sleep (I told her both were typical)
  • and surprisingly, ketones. I told the doc I have been on the keto diet since Oct 2017.

Ketones! She said that ketones can excite the heart similarly to caffeine. It makes some sense since we have that clarity and focus in ketosis. But I can’t find anything in the scientific literature to support that. I did a search for “ketosis AND atrial fibrillation” in PubMed and only 6 older articles result, none of them applicable.

Most of the anecdotal evidence online (here and reddit) seem to conclude that it is the thrown off electrolytes that aggravate AF, not ketones. I’ve been pretty stable with no “flu” symptoms, so I think my electrolytes are fine.

Bottom line for me is that WTF I’m back in AF and I thought I was cured. I plan to reach out to the surgeon and whoever ends up being my cardiologist to ask their opinion about ketones and afib. I will start to wean off the half-caf (srsly?) and KCKO


(Kel Ta) #31

what brand do you like?


#32

Hi, all! I’m struggling with this problem (increased heart rate and heart palpitations) now too for almost a week. I had been having horrible headaches and brain fog for a couple of days too, but have solved those. Others had suggested more water and a multi-vitamin supplement as well as getting more green leafy vegetables and avocados. I’m glad the headaches have mostly cleared, but I don’t feel as absolutely alert and on point with the some kind of brain clarity that I was experiencing in my first couple of weeks of keto. I’m now in week 4 of keto.

I’m sitting at my desk right now and my heart rate is 63, which is a tad high for me, but getting up and doing anything shoots it way up. Like 90 to 105 or 110. This is very abnormal for me as I’ve always had great blood pressure and low resting heart rate. More in the 50s. I can feel my heart in my chest right now and like I need to keep taking deep breaths. It’s not a comfortable feeling and I want the incredible energy and mental clarity back that I was experiencing a couple of weeks ago.

I use a topical magnesium spray daily on my lower back and am taking my multi-vitamin now in the morning (since this past Saturday and it’s now Tuesday). I also have started taking .25 teaspoon of pink himalayan pink salt under my tongue several times a day and using it on my food.

What else can I do? I’m having a very hard time going to sleep at night because of my heart racing a bit and just being able to feel my heart in chest and not being able to relax. Please help! Any advice greatly, greatly appreciated!!!


(Edith) #33

I had similar trouble, too. For me, the paltipations and pounding heart would be worse in the evening.

I solved it my upping my sodium to 5g/day and upping my total carbs to about 50g/day. I have found that as long as my protein is moderate, my carbs can be a little higher and I am still in nutritional ketosis.


#34

I had still been struggling with high heart rate/heart palpitations and headache and brain fog. Didn’t have much energy either like I did in the first couple of weeks. Well, last night I had a bigger than usual meal. I had a cube steak dipped in egg, coated in pork rinds, friend in butter, seasoned with salt and pepper. I sauteed mushrooms in butter with salt and had mashed cauliflower. I then made some chocolate fluff with marscapone, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and swerve. Had a few tablespoons of that for dessert. I feel SO much better today.

The difference is incredible. I’m still doing my Himalayan pink salt under my tongue, took my multi-vitamin today and my magnesium spray. I think I wasn’t getting enough fat/protein/carb. Going to up what I’m eating a bit and see if the feeling better trend continues.


(Edgard Pena) #35

Omg thnx for these response… I’ve been having major heart flutters mostly at night when in bed and sometimes throughout the day…I started the keto diet 2 months ago… but suffer stomach discomfort most times( I believe the high fat content and protein may cause this? Since I went from mostly vegetarian to now pescatarian and eating a lot of nuts and high fatty foods). this along with the restlessness, sometimes I feel like I haven’t rested in weeks( cause I’m always on the go)… it is scary cause I thought it was me being on the verge of a heartattack… does anyone know if smoking cigs may also cause this? I mean I do drink coffee throughout the day and I get a bit anxious when I get the palpitations and flutters. I also don’t track my sodium and or magnesium intake. Any advice will be greatly appreciated


(Davy) #36

Great Topic to Revive! Way to go Edith! re: Your 5g sodium
Most people think you should lower your sodium to 1500mg or less a day. Ugh! It’s not the ‘too much sodium’ it’s the LACK of enough Potassium!
Most uptodate reports and studies say 3000 to 4000mg. I read a recent updated report that people somewhere, Japan or a Scandinavian country, ate 4000mg+ a day and they didn’t have heart problems. (course they eat a ton of natto, which contains a ton of Potassium, as much as FOUR bananas) Minimum was 3000 mg. Course you want to add that Potassium. 4700mg is the standard. Most people don’t get near that much Potassium. Let me say that again…higher sodium intact, 3000mg to 5000mg is ok, IF you are getting enough Potassium. And yes, Edgar, Magnesium; most people are way low on Mag. also. You may need 500 to 700mg to get caught up. All these 3, I call them the Big 3, work together and must be taken together. (you should probably throw in D3 and K2) The Big 3 work synergistically, and create your Electrolyte balance. It might take a while, a few weeks to get them back in balance…might take a couple of months, depending on how out of balance your were.
I too was having the palpitations and arrhythmia, but when I stared keto, and taking my Big 3 in correct portions, a few days later, palps and arrhy. were gone. I’m now back at 110/70 and low 70’s for me heart beat. To track these, I use Cronometer.dom. One more thing, spread the intact of the Big 3 out. Also, I"m taking Potassium Citrate and take a good Mg, the Doctor’s Best High Absorption and Dr. Dean’s Magnesium. I also take Real Salt; it’s the brand name and a type of 200million year old Himalayan Pink Salt. I’ll never use anything else now.


(Central Florida Bob ) #37

I feel like I’ve got to point out that the numbers @DavyKOTWF cites, like

are not grams, gm, but milligrams. 5 kilograms (5000 grams) a day is a bit much salt in anybody’s book. The piece goes back and forth between gm and mg, and they’re quite different for someone that’s not familiar with the subject.

Sorry, Davy. Nothing personal, no insult intended, I’m just a bit A/R about that.


(Davy) #38

Holy Jack Lalanne and Paul Bragg. Thanks Bob, My mistake. I went back and corrected. Yes, it’s mg!
I’m shooting for my 3000mg - 3500mg today of sodium and 4700mg of Potassium and 500mg of Magnesium today.


#39

Are you guys talking about 4700mg of supplemental potassium or total from food and supplements?


#40

Also, do y’all start using supplemental electrolytes day 1 starting keto or not until symptoms begin?