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Racing Heartbeat

Grateful

Grateful

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,399
Location
Kent, United Kingdom
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Several weeks after starting the very-low-carb diet in February, I started having a racing heartbeat. This only happened in bed during the night. Sometimes I woke up in the middle of the night when Nature Called and noticed the issue. But more commonly it was first thing in the morning just before getting up for the day.

I did some research, which I am now almost sure was bogus, but at the time I thought I might be having hypos. That, even though I now know that unless you are taking medication or insulin, a hypo is very unlikely. Also, racing heartbeat does not seem to be a specific hypo symptom (and I had no other symptoms).

So I self-medicated. Ever since then, I have been eating a half -banana (or a half-kiwi) just before going to bed. Then another half-banana just after getting up in the morning. The racing heartbeat went away completely. I did not mention it to my doctor because it seemed minor, and resolved.

In the past few days it has started again (only some nights). It is also true that my sleep has been unusually disturbed recently (work-related stress, nothing to do with diabetes). I am still eating the half-bananas.

Anybody know what this might be? I have never had tachycardia or any heart issues before. At my last doctor visit (three months ago) the usual rudimentary BP and chest exams were done.

There is a history of heart disease in the family. My mother has high BP and irregular heartbeat. On the other hand, she is 92 years old and in robust health in general!
 
When it happens, do you count the pulse beats? Are they very high, eg over 100bmp?

I am wondering why you are eating bananas to rectify this? Are you deficit in potassium? Your last blood tests should show this in the renal function section.
 
bulkbiker said:
It may be a magnesium deficiency..
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Very interesting. BTW for years before the T2 diagnosis, I had been making sure to eat plenty of bananas. That's because I suffered from night cramps in my (long and thin) legs so was eating the bananas for the extra potassium, which helped a lot with the leg cramps.

I cut out the bananas when I started the low-carb diet, so my potassium levels would have dropped for those first few weeks (I figured the leg cramps were a lesser evil than the carbs in the bananas!!).
 
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Bluetit1802 said:
When it happens, do you count the pulse beats? Are they very high, eg over 100bmp?

I am wondering why you are eating bananas to rectify this? Are you deficit in potassium? Your last blood tests should show this in the renal function section.
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It was my turn wasn't it? or did I jump the queue..
 
Bluetit1802 said:
I am wondering why you are eating bananas to rectify this? [snip] Your last blood tests should show this in the renal function section.
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It has been either bananas or kiwi. Just a ready source of natural carbs (because I thought I was having hypos, which I now know to be very unlikely).

Concerning renal function, this was tested at my annual medical and then again, in May, when I passed a kidney stone. The numbers were normal, according to the kidney doctor.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
When it happens, do you count the pulse beats? Are they very high, eg over 100bmp?
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No idea. Not painful and no shortness of breath, just a feeling that my heart was jumping around my ribcage. Usually resolves on its own after a couple of minutes, even before eating the banana.
 
I can’t answer your question about the palpitations but if you’re still getting leg cramps you could try rubbing in magnesium oil. I was getting horrible cramps in my feet and ankles at night when I first started low carb eating. I now rub magnesium oil into my feet and ankles before bed and I’m cured of the cramps. Apparently magnesium is better absorbed through the skin than taking it by mouth.
 
Grateful said:
No idea. Not painful and no shortness of breath, just a feeling that my heart was jumping around my ribcage. Usually resolves on its own after a couple of minutes, even before eating the banana.
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I get that sometimes in bed. We only notice it because we are lying down, relaxed, and quiet.
I do notice a brief fast rate at other times but it seems to be related to having drunk tea or wine. I could of course be wrong.
My heart rate is always on the high end of normal - 80s and 90s. It has been for years, so I assume it is me and my body and my normal.

Do you get print outs of your blood test results? They are important and useful. Never trust any doctor who says "normal" or "fine". They may well be in the normal range but could be teetering on the edge of not being, or deteriorating test by test but still within range. I don't need to get mine now because my results are on-line, but prior to that I have all my blood test results, biopsy analyses, and hospital lab reports going back a long time.
 
Grateful said:
They are all online. I don't know what they mean (except the A1C) but will take a look.
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Google is very helpful as long as you ensure any sites you read are talking about the same measurement units, otherwise it gets VERY confusing. Your on-line details should show the reference ranges used by your lab.
 
Rachox said:
I can’t answer your question about the palpitations but if you’re still getting leg cramps you could try rubbing in magnesium oil. I was getting horrible cramps in my feet and ankles at night when I first started low carb eating. I now rub magnesium oil into my feet and ankles before bed and I’m cured of the cramps. Apparently magnesium is better absorbed through the skin than taking it by mouth.
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Thanks. As it happens, I haven't had any leg cramps since going on the low-carb diet. Perhaps coincidence. But, I attribute it to the fact that since the T2 diagnosis, I am taking regular exercise (at least three miles of brisk walking, every day, rain or shine).

I was also exercising before T2 diagnosis, but not as much, and much less regularly.
 
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Grateful said:
Thanks. As it happens, I haven't had any leg cramps since going on the low-carb diet. Perhaps coincidence. But, I attribute it to the fact that since the T2 diagnosis, I am taking regular exercise (at least three miles of brisk walking, every day, rain or shine).

I was also exercising before T2 diagnosis, but not as much, and less regularly.
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Funny you should say that exercise got rid of your cramps. When I mentioned them to my GP he said it was probably because I was walking more! I researched cramps more and that’s when I found out about magnesium.
 
I believe leg cramps are normally associated with a deficiency in either potassium, or magnesium, or salt. It is well known that on low carb diets we need to increase salt intake.
 
Rachox said:
Funny you should say that exercise got rid of your cramps. When I mentioned them to my GP he said it was probably because I was walking more! I researched cramps more and that’s when I found out about magnesium.
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I assume we are talking about the same sort of cramps. Painful enough to wake you up. In my case, in the lower calf or the feet and almost always only the left leg. Only way to get rid of them was extreme stretching (pushing the leg or foot very hard against a wall) or to get up and walk around for a while.
 
Grateful said:
I assume we are talking about the same sort of cramps. Painful enough to wake you up. In my case, in the lower calf or the feet and almost always only the left leg. Only way to get rid of them was extreme stretching (pushing the leg or foot very hard against a wall) or to get up and walk around for a while.
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Yes that’s the ones!
 
I have just made a cup of tea and am halfway through it. I can now feel my heartbeat. I couldn't before!.It isn't particularly fast though.
 
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