What Are Heart Palpitations?
An irregular heartbeat can be a scary feeling; however, not all heart palpitations are cause for extensive concern. Heart palpitations can be described as the feeling of a rapid heart beating, fluttering or pounding compared to the typical beating of the heart. While most cases of heart palpitations are relatively harmless, some instances of irregular heartbeat, or heart arrhythmia, require treatment.
Heart palpitations symptoms are fairly common and can be described fairly easily. Common heart palpitations symptoms include the feeling that the heart has skipped a beat or several beats, the heart is fluttering, the speed of beating is too fast, or the heart is beating harder than usual. Individuals often experience palpitations in the throat or neck as well as the heart. If palpitations are accompanied by chest discomfort or pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath or dizziness, immediate medical attention is required as these may be signs of a more serious health concern.
The exact cause of an individual’s heart palpitations is often difficult to identify; however, several common causes have been defined. Stress or anxiety, strenuous exercise, excessive caffeine, nicotine and fever are all known causes of heart palpitations. Likewise, hormonal changes such as those associated with menstruation, pregnancy and menopause, certain cold and cough medications and some asthma inhaler medications may also cause differences in heart beats.
Natural Heart Palpitation Treatments
Depending on the cause of heart palpitations, the treatment options may be different. Nonetheless, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, magnesium acetate and potassium acetate are effective treatment supplements. Lime, cayenne and aloe vera may also be helpful for some individuals. Additionally, changing one’s diet to avoid artificial sweeteners as well as MSG may also eradicate some individuals as will avoiding excessive caffeine and other stimulant substances. Continue reading below for more remedies from Earth Clinic contributors.
Additional Pages of Interest:
Arrhythmia Remedies
Tachycardia Remedies
I’ve had heart palpitations off and on for as far back as I can remember. However, I noticed they’ve been much worse over the past few weeks. It started when I was PMSing and we went for a hike. I was fine during but it was at the cool down period where I got the palpitations. Of course this sent me into a tizzy and I ended up having a few panic attacks. I went to the doc and he gave me atenolol and a water pill for my high BP, which was been high since I was pregnant. It seems to help as I haven’t had them quite as much, but they still manage to creep in. I’m wondering if my hormones have anything to do with it. I’m also unders stress having an autistic toddler. I’d just really like them to go away once and for all. It’s always a good day when I haven’t had them. I’m a 35 year old female.
Hi Tracy,
Have your thyroid checked.
Side effect reported
Used acv every morning in water to loose weight and got palpitations. Now getting angiogram. Great, probably from the acv.
I have noticed a connection between sugar intake on an empty stomach and heart palpitations.
If I reach for a sugary snack to hold me over until meal time I am getting heart palpitations.
I think a piece of cheese or handful of nuts would be better and will try that soon.
Molasses works great for my heart palpitations. But I am convinced there is more to it than just the potassium. I eat a healthy diet, take vitamin supplements and drink coconut water, which is higher in potassium than molasses. But during one particularly bad day of many lengthy atrial fib episodes (and 2 glasses of coconut water), I tried 1Tbs of molasses in hot water. Before I was finished with the cup, my a-fib was gone. I will continue taking the molasses every day. It's far better than what my cardiologist wants me to do.
I have a leaking pulmonary valve and my palpitations are going hay wire to the point I am very scared. Is there anything I can take?
Natural calm magnesium will help with the palpitations.
Hi Shante from Jackson MS,
if you have not already, replace all your drinks with water, for about a week and see the difference. instead of coffee or tea have a hot cup of water. Water. water, water. When someone ask what you want to drink say "Water please". No caffeine at all. it made a big difference for me after only two days. just water and food and that little change can make a big difference.
You may get a withdrawal headache, but each day it should be lighter.
HisJewel
I think it is the mix of the minerals in Black Strap Molasses. It even has copper. I have been having Heart Palps, too. Last night in desperation, I drank ACV with Baking Soda…best night I have had in a week. Then I got up this morning and had a tablespoon of BSM. Feeling pretty good now! Heart palpitations are just the worst.
I have had them all my life. This is my belief: some are caused by lack of magnesium, so that works for some people. Some are caused by thyroid problems, so a drop of potassium iodide in the morning works for those people. Some are caused by the vagus nerve and digestion issues, so three tablespoons of olive oil a day works for those people. Taurine can also be helpfull and b12. Some are caused by anemia, and molasses works for those people. In my case, a combination of olive oil and the drop of clear potassium iodide and taurine worked.
I forgot to add that sunflower lecithin and/or adrenal glandular supplements works for some people. Hope this helps someone, at least there are things to try. Love this site.
Hi, just wanted to share a theory! The theory is that most people who have heart palpitations actually have colitis and don't know it! The palpitations are the result of an irritated vagus nerve!
So in that case you would take 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil daily to heal your intestines. And maybe some inner leaf only aloe. Just wanted to share this idea.
Greetings to All,
Blackstrap Molasses is awesome in potassium which helps to calm heart palpitations. I use the un-sulfured blackstrap Molasses. One tablespoon is all you need. Straight from the spoon is mighty tasty, or you can mix it in water, or other food like oat-meal. The company I buy from has 320 mgs of potassium in one tablespoon of un-sulfured Blackstrap Molasses.
I had heart palpitations that increased greatly this year, and I found that taking simple Potassium Gluconate 595 mg, of the kind sold in common grocery or health stores, decreased them significantly. So, passing it along.
I am 50 and have been experiencing missing heart beats, mostly in the early morning and late at night. It makes me cough and it's frustrating. The solution stemmed from an emergency visit 20 years ago. I remember the Dr giving me a bag of Magnesium via IV. I'm sure it cost a bundle. Fast forward to now: I was just experiencing a bout of skipping beats at 3 am.
I ate a half cup of roasted pumpkin seeds (one of the best food sources of Magnesium). Within minutes of the first swallow, the missing beats went away! I chewed as much as possible, then spit out the shells that I couldn't swallow. I thank God for providing natural & safe remedies. Going back to sleep now!
My Racing Heart – Valentine's Day is coming, so I thought I would share a remedy or three for my racing heart. When I climb the steps, and almost every time, After I eat, heart palpitations pay me a visit. It is not like I wasn't two-hundred and twenty pounds before with my five feet four inches of height. And when I was this size before, I did not have palpitations, so I hardly believe it's all a weight problem.
When I was just a child playing in the yard, the racing heart would happen to me now and then. I do not recall palpitations in my teen years, nor in my working years (an exception may be when on a seven day dry fast, I later learned to do those with water, and ten years older than that with water and a little juice).
Now in my sixties heart palpitations have become like a lurking enemy. One day, after a hard day out in the field trying to do some good in the world, I decided I wanted to eat something on the way home. However, I forgot to carry spare magnesium, this and prayer helps me to slow down the heart palpitations. I started to go on home, which was about an hour and a half away. Then I remembered Orange Juice. I bought a small bottle of orange juice, I made sure they listed that potassium was in it, this had rescued my racing heart before.
I know I must choose my food wisely, and I am still working on this. I drank a few sips of orange juice before I ate, and the another ¼ of the small bottle of the orange juice afterwards.
Thank God for Orange Juice. I was able to find something at the corner store to help me safely eat my meal without having a heart attack. I am sure I should probably visit the good doctor; there are still a lot of good doctors. I just do not like going to the clinic or hospital. Therefore, in the meanwhile, I am using prayer, magnesium and potassium to mend my racing heart. I hope this helps your heart too.
HisJewel
Hi Jewel…same thing for me years ago…was diagnosed as having PAD (peripheral artery disease)…turned out( years later) it was a large HIATAL HERNIA…the pressure causes the stomach to press onto the vagas nerve …causing the PALPS, ……Havent had them in years….Must eat smaller amts…take digestive ENZs with every meal and never lie down after eating, , , I eat main meal by 2 pm and have fruit usually an apple.in slices and hot tea at 6pm…am 78 yrs old…on NO MEDS! Blessings, Beth
Thanks for responding Beth!
This is very helpful. I have never heard of a Hernia causing heart palpitations before.
Beth, my mom has heart palpitations and hiatal hernia. I'm thinking that has something to do with the palpitations. But now I'm getting them! I used to get them as a teen and then they went away. Now I'm 43 and started getting them after my meals or in the morning. It's so exhausting and the only thing that helps is lying down. I'm wondering if I might have hiatal hernia also?
Everytime I eat something with aspartame, I start having heart arrhythmias. I am very sensitive to it. I think Splenda does similar, but perhaps not quite as bad. I have even found that aspartame (also known as)phenylalanine is found in almost all chewing gums, and many times hidden in most unlikely things. Since it has the word Phenylalanine, most don't know what that means. But is a form of aspartame. It cause heart rhythm in me, headaches in my husband, and seizures in his grandson…do I need to go on? Please use honey, molasses or even a bit of real sugar if you must sweeten. Of course, Stevia is an option if you can stand it….but it's a flavor I don't much like… Oh, I even found some pills have the aspartame Phenylalanine added as a "inactive ingredient." Come on pharmacy companies!! Just use sugar if you must put a sweetener in!!
This is by no means all that causes problems for me. For 30 years, I've been trying to find out all the triggers. The worst is stress, negative thinking, fear, fear of impending event – or life change, panic. But any adrenaline inducing food or medicine can easily cause them. Bloating, or gas is a bad trigger also. Oh, I learned to NEVER let the dentist do epinephrine on me. It's an immediate heart racing and rhythm all over the place….I must get up and pace around the room.
I've tried magnesium. But I'm not giving up on that yet. I'm just not sure I've tried the RIGHT type- or enough. I think the HARD PILL Supplements may not absorb right- and just pass through…. And there may be a "combination" I'm not finding yet.
I'm open to suggestions!! It got a lot better for awhile, but gotten worse lately- with some stress issues. The stress issues are subsiding, but left me with "sensitized heart" again. (Read Claire Weeks books) She deals with some of this stuff. How- once the problem (stress) is gone, the body still responds like it's still there for weeks and sometimes months- a vicious cycle. Until biofeedback and meditation/relaxation is done "during" attacks….
S: Phenylalanine is a natural occurring amino acid that you assume is toxic or dangerous ingredient in Aspartame. To my knowledge, the toxic ingredient in Aspartame is wood alcohol. People deficient in Zinc & Niacin will likely have negative reactions or bad side-effects from this additive.
Back to Phenylalanine. P is considered a stimulant-type amino that agonizes epinephrine in the body. If you are experiencing reactions to even small amounts of P, then you definitely need heart support nutrients like the magnesium you mentioned, plus Carnitine, Selenium+CoQ10+Vit-E, and the herb Hawthorn Berry. The Zinc+Niacin will help remove the alcohols from the body and likely improve the nervous conditions.
I'm a cyclist and every fall a sudden onset of heart palpatations and mild asthma afflicts me. My muscles suddenly feel clogged and weak. I feel like I can't buffer lactic acid during exercise. It always happens when the season changes to fall. I think it's some weird seasonal issue.
I have been reading these forums for years looking for someone who had the same experience as me. You're the first to mention the change of seasons. I've been having PVC's and PAC's for 30 years. I cannot get used to them. I kept a journal for a time to look for a pattern. The only thing I could find was the weather and change of seasons. If we have low pressure overhead I get them bad. If it's low pressure for more than a few days it's like my heart gets used to it and calms. If a big high pressure it's bad during the transition then calms. Worst of all is when the seasons change. Does anything help you? Thanks for sharing.
I read a case where someone was cured of heart palpitations by taking folic acid. I typically take two a day for the first week then go back to recommended dose. I noticed when the doctor gave me testosterone shot because I was low in it this. It stopped the heart palpitations. Apparently my hormone specialist missed this.
I had a 22mm Stent put into my main artery. I had 178/110 average blood pressure for 15 years, now it's 180/85 on average , I was born with the restriction it was 6mm when that did a MRI. Problem now is I have Palpitations 24/7. It happens instead of 3 beats so one good one one is a pause next is close together. I was told I would be better then I have been ever, but am worse off.
ACV helped for a couple of days and now its back again doctors say there nothing that can be done. Oh and my aorta valve is 2 not 3 I live in fear now because the heart stops for up to 4 seconds between the palps horrible feeling.
Dear Shane,
It sounds like you might be deficient in magnesium. If you are not already taking magnesium, you should immediately start taking epsom salt baths in addition to either magnesium oil or magnesium supplements. If you use the magnesium oil, slather it around your entire chest area and armpits and leave it on for 20 minutes.
Stop drinking the apple cider vinegar. I have read on here that it can cause bad heart palpitations in some people.
You might also be deficient in iodine.
Hope this helps, Sean
Artificial sweeteners can cause heart issues. These artificial sweeteners are unsafe – it can change how your brain fires! A sure fire way to find out what food is causing allergic reaction is simply check your heart rate before you eat then after . Heart rate goes up after you eat your allergic. I don't even need to take my pulse when my heart is beating extra hard I know I ate something that I'm clearly allergic too Going on a elimination organic diet is the best way.
I have researched heart palpitations, and I believe the underlying cause may be infection of some sort either it : viral, parasites, bacterial, dental, sinus, ear, food allergies, environmental allergies, heavy metals, and candida overgrowth. The most accurate test for candida is a stool test . I saw a few cardiologist they offered some funny band-aid solutions. I had a vitamin deficiency and sinus issue.
I got checked for vitamin deficiencies/ micronutrient was sure to include B12 and iron levels. My research showed vitamins that help the heart are Magnesium. CQ10, Ribos, Taurine, work synergistically . Garlic and Omega 3 helps. I also think investing in low EMF sauna and increasing the body temperature helped me tremendously by increasing the body voltage.
Lyme disease can start also with heart palpitations – just know from experience unfortunately.
you have afib. Nothing play with .. it's dangerous if it goes up higher then you need to go to ER..