I was told a number of years ago I had ectopic heart beats and not to worry. All tests were fine. I’ve always been fit, healthy and done quite a bit of running. Call me daft but I started doing the Ketosis diet three weeks ago and I also drink quite a lot of Pepsi Max through the day. Last Monday, I did an aerobic work out, watched a bit of TV and went to bed. Suddenly, I had a few ectopic beats and then my heart rate sped up. It stayed like it for an hour and I was taken into hospital. My heart rate was up to 180bpm for four hours! I had a number of ecgs and one caught an irregular heart beat. The others were just fast heart rate. They brought it back down to 78bpm with a Beta Blocker. I saw the consultant and he has put me on a low dose daily Beta Blocker and wants to see me in clinic. I am so worried it’s awful. He also asked me if I am starting to get symptoms of menapause. He sent me home the same day and said I’m fine to exercise. Do you think this is a one off? My husband puts it down to the diet and caffeine combo. I’m 44 years old and never had this before. I’m so worried!
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Julia7
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Welcome to our forum. The episode you had could have been a warning to you to adopt a healthier more plant based and natural diet. I feel this time it may have been the Pepsi you had been drinking that caused your attack! Many forum members discover that by avoiding anything containing artificial additives, or sweeteners their attacks are reduced or can even disappear. Alcohol and caffeine are also recognised triggers. Replace your Pepsi with water if you can, a member recently stated that avoiding any sugar intake and drinking natural coconut water really helped. Losing weight can improve symptoms too.
As soon as you feel your heart doing the slightest odd beat, immediately start taking slow deep breaths, feeling your stomach (not chest) expand as you inhale. I personally believe that not breathing deeply enough can be a trigger
We all understand just what it's been like for you, with your heart taking off so fast, as the episode you described having was typical AF with perhaps flutter, or tachycardia. It can be very scary when this condition is new to you.
Please try not to get anxious about this episode. Anxiety can almost trigger and feed AF
Which beta blocker have you been prescibed?
Feel free to ask any questions and we will do our best to answer them.
Thank you so much, Jean, for your very informative and helpful reply. In 44 years I have never had such an attack and really worry about it happening again. I’m almost waiting for it to happen. I may be perimenapausal also which may mean my hormones had a part to play. I spoke to a gentleman that runs the local gym and he said that the low carb diet I had been doing would make my heart work harder to get energy. Anxiety also has so much to do with this. I’m always on the go and worry about silly things. I have not touched a drop of Pepsi and I am drinking chamomile tea instead. I will do anything to help myself. I just fear that if it happens again I’m going to have a heart attack or something or my heart is permanently damaged. I love life and want to live it safely and without this terrible health worry.
You're unlikely to have a heart attack because of AF!
I was diagnosed with AF and flutter about 14 years ago, but believe I'd had it a long time before then. I can remember how terrifying the attacks used to be, but it really is amazing how much changing your diet can help. Some people even try going gluten and lactose free to see if that helps.
Yuck, I hate chamomile tea but guess it may help with your anxiety. Carry on being good.
Thanks so much, Jean. I’ll keep you posted. The consultant can’t have been that concerned because he didn’t put me into the ward and said I could keep exercising. The Beta Blocker (2.5g) worried me though?
That's quite a low dose of beta blocker, is it Bisoprolol? When first diagnosed I refused to take medication (Metoprolol) constantly and was then allowed to take it just when I had an attack.
Yes, Bisoprolol. No side effects...just a little fuzziness. I hope it’s safe; yes, a low dose. I want to do as you do and only have them if I have an attack. Have never taken medication. Saying that, it’s calming me down in that it may prevent an attack from starting. I’m sure I’ll be fine. My “irregular” ecg only showed up when my heart was racing and not in any of the others when my heart was normal. You are wonderful with your responses. Nice to know support is available. I’m hoping it was just a one off and down to the Ketosis (old Atkins) diet and too much caffeine.
Carbonated drinks, caffeine, alcohol - these are all common triggers for arrhythmias. Breathe slowly and deeply and avoid anxiety. Don't worry unnecessarily - it doesn't help and only leads to anxiety. Some people feel that mindfulness helps, certainly anything to take your mind off the subject if you tend to worry. Palpitations in themselves are nothing to worry about but they can be alarming if it is a new or rare experience.
Many, if not most, people have occasional ectopic beats and you were advised not to worry some years ago. Your hospital consultant has asked to see you for a routine appointment. If he had serious concerns you would not have gone home but have been kept in for tests. Having gone to A&E (presumably) it is only good sense to perform some further tests to set a new baseline for your ectopic beats and perform some more wider ranging investigations to see if their are other risk factors that may lead to any deterioration of your cardiac health in future.
You are fortunate in being aware of your occasional arrhythmia; many people are not aware of issues with their heart and - in time and with no diagnosis or treatment - this can lead to more serious conditions such as heart failure or a heart attack.
I am on a low dose beta blocker for SVT, and a few other arrhythmias causing fast heart rates. Funny enough I done the keto diet myself a month or so back and after day two I was getting awful palpitations and feeling light headed, I noticed my heart was playing up aswell speeding up real high then slowing down. I mean I think if your heart is going to 180 regardless of the diet you do need to get the tests to check it's not an arrhythmia. The best way to confirm is for you to get a 7 day cardiac monitor which I am sure your doctor will arrange. That's how all mine was diagnosed and I always just thought I had a fast Heart rate, and kind of really wanted my doctor to just tell me it was a rate occasion and nothing
More needed. However having an arrhythmia is quiet common these days and most are regarded as harmless. The beta blockers give me a resting rate of 50-60 and avoid any unwanted trips into A&E. If your going to do keto maybe start skipping the intermittent fasting as I think that can also trigger eptopics.
Thanks so much for your reassuring and informative replies, IanMK and Chevidaniels. I am definitely getting more anxious as I am getting older, which I can’t understand as I have no reason to be. You are right about caffeine, alcohol and keto diet (a bad combination). I have stopped the caffeine and keto (had a couple of gins tonight to relax though). I also need to stop Googling as it winds me up. Yes, I think because I went to A&E with a high heart rate and finding an abnormal beat, they would need to follow it up. I’m going to see what they say in my appointment and keep taking the Beta Blockers as advised. My daughter tested her heart rate tonight on my phone app (which is accurate) and it was 100bpm....she’s 13!
I have had a fast pulse and, more often, missed beats, sometimes for hours every day. The main cause for me was fizzy drinks or swallowing air. I feel pressure in the chest and stomach, gurgling bowels and palpitations. A bottle of fizzy drink contains up to two and a half bottles of carbon dioxide. Try cutting out fizzy drinks and be careful drinking hot drinks. I swallow a lot of air while sipping hot tea as I try to cool it in my mouth, try exhaling before swallowing.
Thanks for your reply, Jonp. I have a pretty healthy diet but my downfall is fizzy drinks (diet coke). I can drink up to two litres a day! Well, that has stopped now as I got so frightened. Keto diet did not help either. A mix of the two and some exercise thrown in tipped me over the edge by the looks of it. I have been totally put off fizzy drinks for life!
When I had my first AF attack 6 years ago, I was consuming far too much caffeine and bad drinks. I was drinking 10+ coffees a day along with red bull and diet coke. Since then I haven't touched red bull (very dangerous stuff if you ask me), still drink coffee but 90% of my daily intake is decaff and quantity about 5 cups a day. I may have a can of coke as a treat a couple of times a month but certainly not on a regular basis.
I've had 2 further AF attacks in the past year which were all kicked off by a burst appendix in the middle of last year. I'm also on 2.5mg of bisoprolol which certainly helps with ectopics and keeping things calm.
I'm a similar age, 42, and it does take some getting used to i.e. the fact I'm most likely on medication now for the rest of my life. I guess you just need to accept that fact and take it in your stride the best you can. I have a pill box with the days of the week and take it in the morning when I brush my teeth. It has almost become normalised as it's part of my daily routine.
Oooh, burst appendix sounds nasty. The thing that makes me anxious is not knowing if I will have another one. I love exercise and would hate to give it up...but also worry about heart rate. I’m only on the Beta blockers for a month as on the prescription it says 1 / 12. I’m hoping they are not too concerned and just want to calm me down. Since my episode, lots of people I know have said they know lots of others with irregular heart beats.
Hi , I’m a similar age to you 45 and started to get a fast pulse in Dec last year 200 bpm and was taken into A&e . Since then I’ve had 11 episodes of what has been diagnoised as SVT each one Requiring the dreaded adenosine to reverse it or it could go on for hours it normally lasts 3 or 4 hours !
This last wed I had to go in twice and both times had to have the adenosine . I’m on bisoprolol too 2.5 mg . I am finally having an ablation this coming Wednesday and praying it’s successful !
What I also wanted to say is I’m convinced mine has got worse since I’ve been having a drop in Oestrogen and it’s coincided with other mild perimenopasal symptoms like mild anxiety and not sleeping as well . I’d def look into that too if I was you as my SVT episodes coincide with my mentstral cycle . I’ve gone diary , sugar and gluten free which has helped and no fizzy drinks .
Also get your magnesium and potassium checked as that could be deplited and contribute .
Try not to worry I know it’s scary but it does get better . X
Thanks so much for your reply. It’s great to know it’s not uncommon....I’m sure it’s also down to the Ketosis diet (old Atkins) I was doing. I had no carbs in my body, was exercising and drinking fizzy caffeine drinks. My friend has just started a low carb diet and she told me she’s having skipped heart beats every evening. You are right about peri menopause: the consultant asked me about my age and said it could be that. Also, a woman I work with has it and she said avoid hot baths: I was having one every night after training. I couldn’t have had a worse combo thinking about it. I’m getting on fine with the Bisoprolol: no symptoms and not even a skipped beat. My period gives me palpitations but not this time since the beta blockers. I’m hoping and praying it’s a one-off. I know it won’t kill me but it’s still an awful feeling! I hope your episodes disappear. It’s great to communicate with you about it. So helpful! Thanks so much. In the hosp I had a tablet which brought it down within 30 mins to 78 bpm. I’m checking every day and my pulse is on average 67 bpm. Afraid to do aerobic exercise now though....gym machines instead.
Hi. This is very interesting and informative. I am 48 and probably peri menopausal and in the last year have had lots of issues with pvc’s, slow HR, low BP. Reading your info it sounds like my hormones are a big part of this. The joys of being a woman!🙄
Hi Vespa10.....I’m defo linking mine to hormones. Ectopic beats on day of ovulation and also leading up to and day of period. Very anxious with it too....and then it disappears!
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