Heart Palpitations?

Whenever i do VLCD, i get heart palpitations around days 2 to 6, and then it goes away after i'm fully in ketosis. Mostly they only come at night, when i lie down in bed i can hear my heart really loud and i can feel it pumping, it's a really weird horrid feeling, but my heartbeat and blood pressure is all normal, it just sounds really loud and worries me. I think i then get anxious that the VLCD is doing harm to my heart and start getting a bit panicky that i might be having a heart attack or something, which makes it even worse.

Does anyone else experience these symptoms before getting into ketosis? I found last time it went away/eased once i hit ketosis for a full day. I hope it does this time too. I wonder if it is anxiety related or something more worrying... i can't find any info about it online. My blood pressure and everything is normal and had no previous problems at all, actually for a fat person i have a good heart as my blood pressure is always on the low-normal range, which i'm told is very good.

I know i should go to my dr, but he is not really supportive of VLCD and they want to push me into their nutritionist program (with a huge waiting list and then not much help once you do get an appointment, my dad has been to see them and they just told him "eat less and eat balanced" lol).

A lack of iron can cause palpatations... but so can many other things. I would ensure you are well hydrated to increase blood volume, avoid caffeine, ensure you have all 3 'meals'. And really you should see your doctor to seek medical advice- can you not see a different doc?

I have had palpitations a couple of times whilst on Exante. I do suffer with anxiety and vertigo though so in fairness it's bound to affect me at some time.

Hope it eases off for you x

I have always suffered from palpatations since I was about 16.

Doctor always told me that 98% of people actually have palpatations some time in their life. The thing is only 1/4 of them actually feel the heart skip a beat or double beat.

It's nothing major to worry about unless your family has a history of heart attacks or heart disease.

When mine first started I just went to the doctors and of course they can't really do anything or tell you much as it never seems to happen in the doctors surgery.

Also it can increase when you are laying down as you are relaxing and heart generally slows down and you concentrate on listening to your heart beat.

I had it a few weeks ago real bad in bed and I shot up out of bed but a few deep breaths and I was fine.

If it happens more than 2-3 times in a minute I would go to the doctors. Also if you are short of breath.

Try not to worry about it

I've been reading around the net and found that some people who had similar problems to me had electrolyte imbalances and added potassium and/or magnesium supplements which cured the problem. I wonder if this could be my problem as my body isn't used to drinking water at all (pre-diet, my drinking would consist of 4 cans of coke a day and nothing else!). I do find myself drinking a lot of water when ketosis starts to hit so maybe this is it. I'll try keeping my water down to 3litre, cutting out caffeine, and adding in a little potassium supplement. The more i think about it now the more i think this is what it could be as it happens at the time of day when my body is most hydrated and i've been drinking a lot, plus after i've had my daily 'coffee treat' in the evening. If i get it again tonight i'll book in with another GP and see what they say, and/or maybe consider dropping TS and going to WS.

Also I have started taken Omega Fish Oil capsules and haven't had a palpatation in a long while.

The capsules are bloody HUGE though.....

AMW, thanks for the info, that is encouraging. A long time ago (maybe 8 years+), i had anxiety attacks quite often which were accompanied by palpitations and the GP at the time told me something similar to what you have just said. It's pretty scary though. He didn't seem at all concerned. So, think it's narrowed down to either anxiety again or maybe electrolytes. Never in my life have i drunk pure water in such quantities before (around 4l a day) so i think my body is in shock, lol.

I don't have any other symptoms of heart problems like pains or anything. Unless i really concentrate on it really intently then i start being convinced i'm dying and my head makes up all kind of aches, lol. I have a blood pressure machine so routinely test myself just to make sure i'm still alive .

I suffer from these as well, probably about 8 years since mine started. I'm pretty sure it was work stress that caused it originally and now it just comes along every so often. About a year ago, the doctor got me on beta-blockers to control it but I'd rather not have them as it slows everything down and I'm sure contributed to my weight-loss plateau.

They can be scary but I've learned to ignore them now. I get the fluttery rapid ones and the big thumpy ones too. If you feel like they're not stopping, you can pinch your nose and blow (it's called the Valsalva manoeuver I think?) and that settles them down.

That said, since starting Exante I don't think I've had any so I wonder if I was lacking something before which contributed to them? I'm probably getting more vitamins now than I have for a while