ways to control the racing heart?

The breathing methods for controlling the racing heart really don't work for me, no matter how hard I try. Chamomile tea sometimes calms me but this is not a solution during this tough withdrawal period.

Does anyone have another way?

I'd rather not take beta blockers but this symptom is driving me crazy lately.

Don't know if this would rather be in the general withdrawal support section or here.

Hi Ourania,

 

The only method I know of is the breathing exercises.  I didn't want to take a beta blocker either.

 

Do you get any breaks in your rapid heartbeat?  How many beats per minute?

 

Patty  xoxo

I do get breaks. The breaks are 90-100 beats. I have to lay down to get those.

"Normal" is 100-120 and panic is 120-130/140.

 

Morning dear

Hi Ourania, 

 

I c/t back in Dec. 08 from low doses of lorazepam. The first 3-4 months into my cold turkey one of my scary physical symptoms was the racing heart along with the heart palpitations (at times - 120 resting). I know how you feel. It is so difficult, however when all tests came negative, I related it to another horrible w/d symptom. I suffered, as it was my personal choice not to take any medications. For me it was time that worked its full healing on me. Just to ease your mind, as I did, you can have it checked out. It has been over a year since my cold turkey, and along with my mind, my heart is quite and relaxed lol. 

 

Wishing you speedy recovery.

 

 

Shelly

Thank you so much Shelly 

I do get breaks. The breaks are 90-100 beats. I have to lay down to get those.

"Normal" is 100-120 and panic is 120-130/140.

 

Morning dear

 

When i Started to Work Out On Treadmill I Have 158 Heartbeat

I Had a Anixety Attack

I'm sorry I think I didn't understand what you said Mikey

You mean you had 158 beats during workout? I believe that's normal dont worry about that! :)

I'm sorry I think I didn't understand what you said Mikey

You mean you had 158 beats during workout? I believe that's normal dont worry about that! :)

 

sorry about that its a my max heartbeat when i work out once was 158

What about your hearbeat when you rest? An 158 heartbeat during workout is absolutely normal

Ouraina how are your eating habits? You know what happens when you eat anything and I mean ANYTHING sugary. And this goes for molasses,honey,even fruit juice. Your adrenal glands have been stressed for so long and literally confused from the Xanax in your system. Your blood sugar can drop really quickly because of this and causes an adrenaline spike which makes your heart beat and the hyperness happen. It is actually a good thing in keeping one alive in a starvation sense or emergencies. Weird how amazing our bodies are isn't it?  Now I do not think it is necessarily a diabetic condition, but  I think benzos cause a lot of problems with sugar metabolizing and feel a lot of the racing heart can be at least mellowed if you watch what you eat. I was such a mess last summer with the arrythmias and all around anxiety. But I look at my diet then and my diet now and I see so much of an improvement in my symptoms because of that. I have noticed that when I eat many carbohydrates or sugars (including fruit) and not enough protein, I just get tons of problems with adrenaline. These spikes as I call them have been really managed as so far. I look back on my journal like last month when I was on more benzo AND eating more sugar and carbs that I had many more anxiety problems with pulse and adrenaline rushes in general. http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/hypoglycemia.htm

When you get a chance check this amazing article out and you decide for yourself. I know from personal experience cause I have been doing it and it works.

Hang in Ouraina,

Bruce

 

WOW thanks so much for this Bruce! I was suspecting that it had something to do with my nutrition, but I never had a problem before with eating and tachycardia (it was always linked to anxiety - now it's a constant thing) and I didn't give it much attention! I should really consider what you say because I do drink a lot of sprite!!! Thanks!!!

Oh without a doubt. Anything we used to be able to do such as drinking sprite and sugary coffee (yours truly)now need to find other ways of dealing or coping. We must  totally revamp our old ways until we are better again. You will be able to drink whatever you want once you get the poison out of your system and the organs start doing what they are supposed to do. Soon as you get back in balance with your adrenals and the adrenaline and cortisol and all those damn things. You will be back in business. Foreign substances in our bodies and brains cause us to react by increasing levels of chemicals that were never their before because our bodies really do not want something like xanax or klonopin in it. This is why I think I started having  so much more anxiety the next day when the drug wore off. If you need some primer on diet I would be more than happy to give you a lowdown of BRAIN FOODS!!!!!!!! No supplement works like a great all around low sugar diet. This also helps with inflammation which causes a lot of the pain of the stresses of withdrawal as well. The brain needs really good fats, proteins, veggies, some carbs. You get this combo right you will start to feel less excited. And at least the heart won't race so fast. Believe me I know because when I was on the xanax this summer the heart would race and race and sometimes skip it seemed. I also was eating coffee and blueberry muffins regularly. Food combinations of the right kinds will do you wonders.

How was the recent cut to.5? You stable?

We will survive this.

Bruce

Hello!

Sorry to hear about your racing heart as this has always been a problem for me!! In fact just from sitting to standing up some days would send it running over 130 bpm! This used to really freak me out as it can be really uncomfortable and give me shortness of breath. Even small amounts of exercise would send it through the roof. I had the paramedics out to my house a few times over it because I really thought I was gonna have a heart attack! - As you can guess all tests fine .....Since then I have found some things that really help slow it down. If I drink a whole water bottle of COLD water sometimes two, that really helps or a bottle of cold gatorade. Ice on my face seems to help as well. Dehydration can make tachycardia a lot worse... even if we don't feel dehydrated we can be and this process sure takes it ut of us. Drink plenty of fluids all day long. - I keep gatorade with me everywhere and this really helps. I also stopped counting my pulse and stopped worrying about how fast it is going... my PCP told me our heart can sustain high rates up to 200 bpm with exercise and that its like your heart is doing what it would be if it were exercising and will not harm it as long as it stays under 200bpm and is in a normal rythym. Now that I'm not paying as much attention to it or giving it as much credit it seems to not be as bad or bother me as much!

Thank you so much guys for all your advice and information!!!

So gratefull!!!

Can relate with so much...

 

Bruce you do know what you 're talking about there, wow! Thank you very much my friend. Trying to get used to this new cut, if it wasn't for the racing heart things would be so much better!

 

Jenafierce I can relate with everything there. I have been to ER thinking Im having a heart attack too, many times... I too stoped to count my pulse when I started tapering. I had this hand blood pressure machine which counts the pulse and I was obsessed with it, I was checking my pulse ALL the time. Got rid of it. Now I only count it when it's really fast.  I ll drink more water now, sure. Thank you so much!

You cut out as much sugar as you can bear and you will be amazed at how you feel overall. Sugar is toxic in my opinion and it is just another fix/addiction for many including myself. I think we can't really heal our minds and bodies until we cut out the sugar. Our organs and adrenals cannot heal with the constant extra work of sugar metabolizing AND a benzodiazapene going out of our system. My hands hardly shake anymore since I cut down to almost nothing. I don't even flavor my tea anymore. It is kind of blah right now, but ultimately I feel better emotionally and physically. I have also found much interest in freshly ground flaxseeds and most recently chia seeds. These have tons of healthy oils for the brain and body and the flax seems to be helping me out a lot. I think our reasons for getting on benzos in the first place is because or organs are stressed from our racing minds. I think once we learn how to calm our thoughts and eat to heal. We can get our lives back. Thank you for being you ouraina.

Talk soon,

Bruce

Ourania-

That is so funny that you had a blood pressure machine too! My fiancee had gotten me one as a present LOL! I too was soooo obsessed with it and would even make my fiance and people that came over use it so I could see how they compared to me!! - I always won by the way...now I just use it as somewhat of a party favor!  You would be surprised what a hit it is when we have company...people are always curious what theirs is and want to try it out !

Ourania-

My fiancee had gotten me one as a present LOL! I too was soooo obsessed with it and would even make my fiance and people that came over use it so I could see how they compared to me!! - I always won by the way...now I just use it as somewhat of a party favor! 

Omg I can't believe it.    My boyfriend got it for me too. I always made people use it too. I always won too.  :laugh:

This is a bad night and you made me laugh ( and I made me laugh)

Obsessed... with it! I miss it some times... but mostly I'm glad I got rid of it... 

 

Thank you again for this precious advice Bruce I really appreciate it  and I do take very seriously everything you say. I'll keep you updated friend, thanks so much. Hope you 're doing well too  

Hi Ourania,

I too have the racing heart which give me high BP too.. I was so scared and just like you, I count my pulse almost every hour! and took my BP right after checking my pulse..

 

the doc told me, it was anxiety! and I was put on benzo, that was how I got trap in this situation! now that I'm struggling to go out from benzo, I'm struggling with the rapid heart beat too.. and the doc put me on beta blocker 

 

as the lower I got on my tappered, the racing heart comes back.. even when I'm still with beta blocker. Well not too rapid, but it makes my anxiety rise.. and it is soooooooooo hard!!

 

anyway, thank you for sharing.. I really can relate to what you are all talking about! Knowing that I am not alone, make me feel release..

Hello fantazie... So sorry you 're feeling this way. And you 're right. Realising we're not alone makes us feel a lot better isn't it? Our stories are similar too... Many people are in the same battle actually.

Look what SDM said We will be ok

Good advice, Bruce. I hadn't thought about what foods I'm eating and their effects. Though I avoid coffee, chocolates and alcohol, sugary stuff can have a major effect. I am checking into vegetables, fish, eggs, whole grains, etc.

 

Thanks,

George

BTW Bruce - Could you list this "Super foods" diet you're on ?

 

Thanks,

George

Hey George thanks for the inquiry. Here is a partial list of what I have been experimenting with.

 

1.Lentils (High fiber for stable blood sugar)

2.bananas (especially b6)

3. Oatmeal (preferably steel cut) not sweetened add fruit to sweeten Oats are very calming and great for the stomach and the fiber will keep blood sugar stable. I like to add flaxmeal to mine for the omega 3's

4.Freshly ground flaxseed in coffee grinder. You want to, if possible grind it and use it right away as it can get rancid rather quickly. (omegas omegas as stated above) *Please see extra post for new revisions based on new discovery.

5. Beans (Tons of B vitamins,iron,fiber,magnesium)

6. Spinach (TONS OF MAGNESIUM AND EVERY OTHER NUTRIENT YOU CAN IMAGINE A TRUE MIRACLE FOOD- canned believe it or not has more magnesium, but do a lot of fresh too)

7. Blueberries (Very good antioxidant and not to sweet)

8. Olive Oil (A Necessary healthy fat for the brain and body)

9. Salmon and Sardines and Mackrel (Very good in the right oils and amino acids as well as coQ10 and zinc and other important minerals such as selenium)

10. Good Quality Whole Grain cereal without to much added sugar

11. Brown Rice AMAZING for stomach and mind (Soak it if possible overnight to bring out all the good nutrients)

12. If you are feeling sick all over or nausea and of course if you can deal with it I highly recommend raw garlic and raw onions (High in sulfur for cleaning). These have worked wonders for my stomach and getting the bacteria in balance.

13.And speaking of bacteria -Yogurt, Plain if possible because it won't have all the aspartame crap and high sugar content a lot of yogurts have and the live cultures are good for the gut and u can sweeten with fruit and add things like almonds and flaxseed for a treat.

14. Nuts and seeds -Best bets are pumpkin,sunflower,almonds,walnuts,brazil nuts Tons of Magnesium and good fats (Omega 6's which are needed in balance with the 3's).

15.Avocado- Healthy Fats and fiber a top superfood contender

16. Kale-Great Green food to clean the liver and all organs

17. Red Cabbage-Another great sulfur food for cleaning organs

18. Beets-Great for the kidneys and all the organs. Don't be alarmed if your urine turns red it is just the natural dye of the beets and no cause for concern

19. Poultry and eggs (High in trytophan for serotonin production and calmness) Eggs yolks have the additional sulfur content and b vitamins for healing mind and body

20. Once in awhile red meat (2-3 times month) alot of  good amino acids for the mind

21. Ginger Tea (anti inflammatory and great for the stomach)

Anti inflammatory foods like many listed above are important for the pain aspect of things. as well as the brain. You do not want inflammation. And sugar is PRO inflammatory. It is just amazing the nonsense of sugar and how it controls us.

Here are just some suggestions you need to of course find out what works for you. I think the key to food is combinations. You always want to try to combine a protein with a carbohydrate if at all possible. This keeps you very even keel. Like say an egg with your oatmeal. Some salmon or chicken in your salad with almonds. Put some extra almonds in your cereal or some extra flax. I think the combos of food are very important. Try to stay away from Fruit juices and incorporate more veggie juices. And last but not least WATER drink tons of clean water. But make sure you are eating some salty foods and stuff from the above list for your calcium magnesium potassium balance. As much as some will argue with me on this one I think that a low dose of extra vitamins are helpful. At the very least a Multivitamin. Then a LOW DOSE (25mg or less) B complex I find that the 50's or 100mg ones can cause to much excitement and are likely to rev up your symptoms, but I don't think there is anything wrong with the B's if done slowly. And this is REALLY crucial. MAGNESIUM. Not the mag oxide though. Something more along the lines of Magnesium Citrate or Glycinate or even Magnesium Chloride. All really IMPERATIVE for the nerves and brain function. (Intravenous Magnesium is proven to stop seizures in child bearing women)  And being all stressed that is one most important things to get depleted. Your magnesium reserves. But once again try some low doses to see how you react. Like maybe 200mg and build it up slowly. I think that is the biggest problem with a lot of us here. This is why we got in this mess......... DESPERATION. Just try things and don't expect a quick fix overnight.

Good eating George,

Bruce

Here is the new discovery I found via the most amazing book-"Optimum nutrition for the mind" by Patrick Holford. In the quest to find the right balance for myself I have been reading, researching, and trying so many things on myself. Here is an amazing way to get the right balance of fats without sacrificing precious minerals and vitamins which are excluded in the oil concentrations. I believe in food over supplements and supplements only as a complement to an amazing diet.

Here it goes. Take 3 parts whole flaxseeds.  1 part of the following: Sunflower seeds,(raw) sesame seeds, Pepitas (raw). Store in an airtight container in the fridge and take a tablespoon or two and freshly grind in a mini coffee grinder (you can get these for under $20) mine was the cuisinart brand. You can then add (Right away because of possible rancidity) to salads, soups, cereals, smoothies, yogurt, etc. You have a perfect mix of Omega 3's to 6's. We can't forget the 6's as they help with the myelin sheath of our nerves. They help to oil the brain functions.

Hey revolutionblue,

 

    Love your list of organic foods.  You are a man after my own heart.  I have always been into organic nutrition and juicing, and you cannot go wrong by eating organic.  I also concur with you about eliminating trigger food sources such as sugar.  Sugar creates loads of oxidation in cells, which can be very harmful, and can lead to all soughts of sicknesses and diseases.  I've been incorporating organic nutrition since my breast cancer days.  Healthy nutrition is what I attribute to my complete recovery and healing from cancer (14 year breast cancer survivor).

 

      Some of the organic nutrition that I incorporate daily into my diet: 

 

          raw garlic

          raw ginger with an apple 

          apple cider vinegar x3

          chia seeds

          avocado (love these - considered a super food)

          wheat grass (grow my own - another super food)

          fresh fruit/veggie juice

          Omega 3 (this is the only supplement that I take)

          Almonds, walnuts, cashews

          64 ounces of water (absolutely no sodas)

          (absolutely no processed foods)

          eliminate as much salt as possible; I only use sea salt

   

    In addition to plenty of exercise, eliminating caffeine, sugars and the "bad" fats, I strongly believe that organic nutrition played/plays an enormous part in my continued recovery and healing from benzos.

 

    Read those food labels...and stay the course!

 

 

Awesome Bruce - Thanks !

 

George