Heart issues

[jennifer larson]

Hi Everyone,

My name in Jen and I'm new here. I've recently started the journey of eating whole foods and cooking more traditionally. We've been soaking our flour, making our broth, drinking both diary and water kefir, slowly incorporating lacto-fermented veggies, eating organic produce and we're in the process of getting our hands on some grass fed beef. It's all a challenge for us. We have a strict budget and not many resources....but it's been great and we can see and feel the difference. 

I have a question for you all and I'm hoping someone might help me. About a month ago I was lying in bed (we had just started dabbling with whole food and such at this point) and I felt like my heart was going to palpitate ( i have had palpitations in the past, I first experienced them back when I was senior in college and I had just gone on birth control because I was getting married after graduation, they were very strong then and was associated with the birth control, once my dosage was reduced they stopped. I no longer take birth control, I havent in about 2-3 years.) It never palpitated but every time I laid down the pressure in my chest returned and I was waiting but nothing. I sat up and it went away, I laid down and it came back. Then my left arm began to feel funny. Like it was falling asleep or something or going numb....it began to freak me out. I took an asprin and prayed that I would wake in the morning. Heart disease run in my family on both my mothers side and my fathers side. My father has a heart mumor (sp?) and I had a younger sister pass away from a heart defect. 

I went to see a dr., she did an EKG and it was fine, blood work came back fine except for low Vit. D, I was schedule for an echogram but am waiting to be reschedule. The dr. told me I was having panick attacks and gave me a script for Zanax, which I never filled. 

When my heart palpitates I get shortness of breath, dizzy or lightheaded. It kind of knock the wind out of me. Since we started to eat better and changing the way we live I have had little palpitations at least once a day. They dont last long and arent super intense but some of them really take it out me for a min or two. 

I've probably shared more than I needed but if anyone had any thoughts, suggestions, or ideas I'm all ears. I have yet to see another Dr. and at this point I have no what to ask the dr about...the dr that I did see said she did all the test (blood, ekg, etc.) to rule out anything major but that because my medical history doesnt show anything and because of my age, she doubts it's actually heart related. 

So yeah....sorry for the long post....I'm all ears

[Kelli]

In addition to many other things, I had a lot of those same symptoms (thought I'd had a heart attack, went to the ER and was told everything looked fine, etc.) which turned out to be celiac. I'd suggest either looking into that, or just going off gluten competely for a few months to see if you feel better. I'd write more, but it's a huge topic and I don't have the time at the moment. i do feel for you, though, having been there.

[Jennifer Steinbachs]

definitely a scary feeling. i would suggest that you start by simply increasing magnesium, either through oral supplements (Natural Calm is a good one) or through epsom salt baths. keep an eye on coffee consumption - it can promote loss of magnesium. dark chocolate is a good thing to eat too (loaded with magnesium) - just in case you're looking for a tasty snack.

[Sarah Cortes]

Possibly a muscle spasm ?  I sometimes have really strong pains in my chest, sometimes back when I eat too fast (immediate reaction), dont chew too well.  I dont know if theyre muscle spasms or not, I just try not to do that.

When I was about 8 years old, I had a very intense pain in my neck that lasted about a 1/2 hr while I was at school (didnt seem to be food related and have never had anything like it since, except maybe leg-calf muscle cramps) .   General consensus is it was a muscle spasm.  I suppose some food intolerances/allergies could cause a really bad muscle cramp.