heart palpitations
 

Hi! It is Day 8 for me, and its that time of month today. So far I've lost 6 pounds. I have a history of getting heart palpitations when I've had too much caffeine, am very stressed, or not enough sleep, I've been checked out by docs, and it's not something I need to go seek attention for, since I know what causes them and they they usually go away in a day or two. I got VERY little sleep the night before last, and was dragging all day, palpitations began when I finally got to bed at midnight. Anyway they are still going today, and I got about 10 hours last night. I have been drinking decaf all week. I've also noticed that I am really struggling to keep up my running on the new diet these past 4 days, energy is waaay low. I am definitely feeling the carb loss now.

Does anyone else get these, or has anyone else noticed their body is really stressed out mid-induction? I want to be sure I am not doing anything that is making my body go especially out-of-whack. I'm eating more protein and fat than I have in a very, very long time.

Me too!
 

Hi!
I don't have a history of palpitations but the past couple of days I have really been feeling them. This is my 4th week. I really felt awful last night. I checked my blood pressure and my pulse and they were fine. However, I was feeling really bad like I was going to faint. If I don't feel any better by tomorrow I think I may take a trip to the doctor. I think that you should too. I am hoping that we will get other replies to our posts.

Feel Better!

Karen

Sorry to hear you are feeling this too. I'm still having them, unfortunately. I don't knwo which doctor to go see, since my last GP and I had a falling out, so I'm trying to do my own detective work.

How much protein are you eating lately? Did you drink a lot of coffee before? I used to have a LOT. now that I'm down to zero, I wonder if this is having an effect. Also I am cutting out my thyroid meds, which didn't work anyway, and when I think back, I've had more heart flutters on this one anyway. So far no change.

Ugh.

also, are you eating splenda? i am, maybe that isn't agreeing with me. also mine started right at my period, which was very very heavy. (grasping at straws here)

My diet these days consists mostly protein. I haven't been to fitday recently to give you exact amounts. I ran across another thread here that says our potassium may be low and that might cause the palpitations. I just went for a blood test yesterday so if that is the case I am sure that it will show up in the blood test. I too use the splenda. I am drinking one cup of coffee a day. I have to have that one cup in the morning. I have cut out a lot of caffene as well. I was feeling really good...it is just the past couple of days. I am going to try to find that thread again and if I do I will come back here and post it for you. I hope some of the information I gave you helped but I really don't think I was much help. Let me know how you are doing and I will check in later.

Karen

this is what I was talking about. I hope it helps.

I know taking potassium supplements are extremely important (along with calcium & mag) while LCing...but before today, I never know how IMPORTANT!!

DH went right to his dr today after experiencing some discomfort in his chest. The EKG had discovered an irregular heart rhythm and was given appropriate meds. (One of which was potassium).

We all know low levels of potassium causes leg/muscle cramps, but the pharmacist reminded me that the heart is considered a muscle and without proper potassium levels, it will not function properly and can...and will... fall out of sinus rhythm. (Not a good thing!)

When I asked DH about the potassium supplements I bought for him to take.....he forgot to take them for the last couple weeks!!

I pass this on just FYI. DON'T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR POTASSIUM!! You may experience more than just leg cramps without it !!!

Deb

I think this may be my problem. I am going to get some potassium. I used to get really bad leg cramps before when Iwas on this diet and I used that light salt which had a lot of potassium in it. Maybe that is why I didn't have the palipations before. It is worth a try.

Let me know what you think.

Karen

Potassium
 

Just a little advice. I felt like my heart was beating too fast so I had my pulse checked andit was 107. Which is too high. My mom has potassium trouble so I figured that I must be going through the same thing well I just ate more tomatoes. Try to eat things that are high in potassium and low in carbs. I wouldn't advise anyone to take potassium without consulting with your doctor first. The doctor told my mom that have low potassium could cause a heart attack. That's what happened to my grandfather. My mom is on atkins and she is trying to follow it the best way possible but when she starts getting cramps and her heart starts beating fast she has to do something. She is taking potassium perscribed by the doctor.

I dunno, I have been taking potassium/mag/zinc supplements since I started induction. I read elsewhere that too MUCH potassium can also cause the arrythmia. So I tried to take just magnesium, 1200 mg and that seemed to have a dampening effect, but not totally. I still am having the skips. I, too, felt really good initially, this is only in the past 4 days.

I'm going to ask my dad what he thinks, he has had 2 triple-bypasses. As a 28-year old, non-smoking, not-much-of-a-drinker, running female who doesn't naturally eat a lot of red meat or creamy things, I am perplexed, and hoping that I wasn't unlucky enough to inherit some kind of condition. Even though my dad was a 2-pack a day, lazy, boozing chocoholic! (god that makes him sound terrible!!!!)

EDIT: oh my god, I just looked at the vitamin bottle... it is NOT potass/mag/zinc... it is CALCIUM/mag/zinc. good lord. I am going out right now to get potassium. All this time I was sure I was supplementing. This would also explain the muscle fatigue when I'm running.

I have used mortin's light salt. It has a lot of potassium in it. I feel a little better right now but still may go talk to the doctor. I also heard that about too much potassium. I hope that we have solved the problem. keep in touch and let me know if it works. I have to get the cal/mag also to take.

Good luck

Karen

I feel a little better, too, hoping it is not just a lull. You keep in touch, too, and let me know how you do.

Glad that you are feeling a little better. I will be going to GNC today at lunch since I do think it was the potassium that was making me feel that way. Let me know how you are feeling today.

Regards,

Karen

I felt that way too when I first started low carbing. But I got some Morton's Lite Salt. I don't take potassium supplements because my doctor advised against supplementing, because it is easy to overdo potassium, and then that sets off more problems. He suggested correcting low potassium thru eating food high in potassium. Broccoli is one of them. Molasses is another. I can't remember the whole list. But using the Morton's lite salt seems to help me. Victoria

Hi Victoria,

Thanks for letting me know. I think I will go with the salt too because it has always helped my leg cramps in the past. The palpitations are a new thing for me. I would really be afraid to over use the potassium too! I did have blood tests this week so I am sure if the potassium is low the doctor will let me know.

Good luck to you.

Karen

taurine and hiccups
 

Just to let you all know, I took some taurine and between that and the 2 huge hiccups I had about the same time, I feel lots better. Still having some palpitations, but mostly at night, and they're on the whole waaay better than they ahd been... plus the lightheadedness is gone. Whew!! (I had also taken magnesium and supplemented with potassium, and so they might have helped too, but needed time to be effective? however the magnesium, in big doses, gave me horrific diarrhea so it's more likely the potassium, which I'd not had at all before).

Glad that you are feeling a little better. I haven't been having too many palpations anymore either. I also started using the lite salt and the mag/cal along with the women's ultra mega vitamins. Hopefully this is the end of it. If not I will be calling the doctor. Still waiting on the results of the blood test.

Stay well.

Karen