Bradycardia - Natural Remedies for a Low Heart Rate

Bradycardia - Low Heart Rate

In December of 2015 I suddenly found my self in the ER with high blood pressure (189), a hard beat of my heart, heart rate was erratic, I was weak, shaky and the EKG showed bigeminy. While hooked up to the monitor I discovered my heart rate was only 49. I got scared, but everyone told me not to pay any attention to that. They kept me overnight. My ultrasound showed a normal heart, x-rays were normal. I asked for Heart Coronary CT scan but they did not do that and sent me home saying there's nothing wrong with my heart. I later did have the coronary CT but it was normal other than the Right aortic artery is smaller than the Left one. I have had a low heart rate since then - and perhaps had it even before I went to the ER that 1st time. Since then, I've had to go to ER approx 15 times, each time sent home with no diagnosis, each time this weird, hard, fast HR, shakiness & weak feeling started after I ate a meal or even a snack. I only go to the ER when it's serious enough to scare me. I started seeing a cardiologist in 2017. He put me on Metoprolol for high bp and palpitations, which I've had palps occasionally since my 20's but more often now. I couldn't take the meds since it lowered my heart rate even further. My bp now is variable, usually from 99/59 to 127/70. In August of 2017, I had one bout of atrial fibrillation and spent the night in the hospital, and had the cardio conversion the next morning which put me back in sinus rhythm. I have been on Eliquis ever since. At that time, Dr also looked at my heart from my esophagus and found nothing wrong with it. I went to Mayo Clinic in 2017. They found nothing wrong with my heart other than some minor calcification in the mitral valve. I failed their stress test, could only get my HR up to 90 BPM. They said my low HR was caused by being sedentary and told me to exercise every day (walking), gradually increasing until I could exercise 30 min/day. Even though I have been walking 5,000 paces/day since 2017. They said nothing should feel like I was exercising too hard. They thought exercise would 'reset' my HR. It did not. However, each time I got close to my goal of 76 BPM on the treadmill, something would make me sick, diverticulitis or arthritis. I do run very low fevers occasionally, for no reason that I can tell, ever since the breast cancer. I don't get sick, just very low grade fever.

Some history for me. I was dx with breast cancer in Dec 2011, lumpectomy and 39 radiation treatments to the left breast in Jan 2012. Could the radiation have damaged my heart's electrical system? The radiologist was so suspicious when I wanted my medical records and even had their manager ask me if I was suing them and shredded the papers they had already given to me. I had one infected tooth extracted and another infected tooth was treated with antibiotics, and a root canal. I also have a dead incisor with a lump in the gum from a baseball hitting me 35 years ago. I have scoliosis, upper and lower spine. Doctors claim that shouldn't affect my HR. I am pre-diabetic. I have lost approx 30 lbs and still have about 20 still to lose. I've been on 88 mcg of Levothyroxine for approx 10 years, never a change in the dosage. I saw an endocrinologist in 2018 who had me try Tyrosine (a prescription, 'pure' Levothyroxine) for 1 month, but nothing changed my HR. He tested me for antibodies (which were 140), Free T4 (was 1.4) & TSH (.85). He refused to do any other tests even though I asked if perhaps it wasn't converting properly in my body. He says my thyroid isn't affecting my HR. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in Sept 2017 and I wear a CPAP mask faithfully. That is it's own form of hell. I hate it but I wear it. I fell & broke my collarbone in April, 2018 and what with the constant pain & stress, I feel that I have gotten weaker. In the last month, sometimes my oxygen level goes down to 91 and rarely to 88. Usually it's at 93 & has been for years. I have to take stairs slowly. I'm scheduled for a chemical stress test in October and frankly I'm scared it may trigger a heart failure. For supplements I take ubiquinol, vit E, Vit D, Vit C, selenium, a mult viti, vit B12 (Other B vits are in the multi), magnesium, probiotics, chlorella, drink ACV, drink home made fermented beet juice, apply 2 drops 2% Lugols iodine topically to my breasts for painful lumps as needed, drink POM juice, eat lots of vegetables, follow a Paleo diet. I don't eat sweets, starchy vegies and limit my carbs. I also pray.

Has anyone had symptoms similar to mine? I am desperate to keep from having a pacemaker even though my current resting HR is 44, during the day it's variable depending on my activity, usually in the 50's/60's, and low 70's when I exercise, but HR drops when I relax. I have never fainted and don't feel dizzy unless rarely when my blood pressure is low. I want to try medical ozone therapy but my husband thinks I would be hurting myself. All the functional medicine drs are so expensive - $450.00 for consultation plus tests costs, etc and they don't take Medicare. I am 70 year old femle and feel like I should have another 70 left in me! No kidding, I still have a child inside me, living and encouraging me. Can anyone advise?

I forgot to mention that each of the times I have these episodes of a hard beating heart, feeling weak and shaky, a fast heart rate, elevated blood pressure, which sent me to the ER multiple times happened after I had eaten a meal or a snack that gave me horrible epi-gastric pressure and that I I was unable to burp. After drinking and moving in different positions I would be able to burp and these symptoms would stop. After some research, I found reference to a condition called Roemheld syndrome. It is caused by the stomach gas rising above the sphincter muscle and putting pressure on the diaphragm and the diaphragm puts pressure on the heart. My symptoms pretty well match those of the Roemheld syndrome, except for my low heart rate. Perhaps the two conditions are linked.

Has anyone heard of this? Thank you to those who offered advice. I am looking into those ideas.

Rita,

I can suggest that your problems stem from chlorine.

Having heart rhythm issues myself with it. As I have aged they became very scary.

I removed chlorine from my body and environment and water. More than 50% of the battle was won.

As I found relief, some other issues became very obvious. I was very low on minerals. Interfering with digestion and elimination.

Magnesium, the most glaring, others also. For me, it was a step by step process.

Your sphincters need lots of magnesium, as does your heart, your esophagus. Creating soft yet strong muscle movement is key. Chlorine steals it or blocks absorption of this. Our food, low in minerals as industrialized farming is just lacking in them.

I removed chlorine, then added magnesium. 250 mg 2x a day. Mag. Malate for runny stool types, Mag. Citrate for constipated types.

I also use sea salt 1/4 tsp in water, a few x a week, to get full trace minerals lacking in our diets.

Potassium citrate, another supplement for muscle and heart. As digestion improves, our bodies begin to utilize the nutrients we are giving it. You might notice a hand or shin cramp. A good sign you need more potassium. I know most say a banana for cramps, but you do not need fructose while you're trying to heal. Or a potato, but nightshades are inflammatory another issue you do not need. 99mg is the available amount in a supplement, yet you might find you might need a little more.

Digestion to organ function, good sleep all are uplifted by using Ted's alkalinity drinks 2x a day, 5 days out of 7. 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar add 1/2 tsp of baking soda, let fizz, add 1/2 glass of water. The malate's in this drink improve pain. The baking soda will be your best defense against the burping/stuck. I suggest you read the alkalizing chapter here on Earth Clinic, to understand the wide ranging benefits.

Burping relief, Papaya Enzyme chewables. Very best for reliving the issue. Unlike Tums or Rolaids, is good for you, helping to heal rather than just symptom relief.

Eliminations to heal

• MSG
• GMOs
• Sugar
• Table salt, use sea salt only
• Vegetable oils, use coconut oil or butter
• Plastics
• Aluminum

Non organic food, eat organic, unprocessed food

Liver help, to remove rancid fats and heavy metals

2 tbsp non GMO lecithin, 2x a week with 1/4 tsp cilantro. In food or off a spoon. Will slowly remove toxins with no herxing.

Our trick to fix digestion is Bulletproof coffee. Not exactly like Dave's formulation. We use 1 cup of hot beverage, my favorite is bone broth, but veggie broth, tea or coffee are good too. Add 1 scoop of collagen, 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp MCT oil. Blend 10 seconds, drink.

This seems to help digestion and absorption.

Removal of chlorine with Sodium Thiosulfate, Filters and Fish Tank Dechlorinator, will offer a noticeable improvement. Here is Ted's chapter. https://ted.earthclinic.com/remedies/sodium_thiosulfate.html

Janet

If you are able, a functional medicine doctor would be the best thing for you. I belong to the thyroid forums on Facebook and have learned alot. From what I have learned, if you have antibodies, then you Hashimotos Thyroiditis. In addition, your TSH looks too low. The sweet spot is 1.50. Allopathic medical doctors will not treat your thyroid for the numbers your showing from the lab, but a functional medicine doctor will because so many people are undertreated for thyroid and they're suffering. If you fix your thyroid, it will take months to reset your body's internal workings but so worth it. The thyroid is responsible for the main energy regulation of the body. If it's not operating properly, many body processes and functions can get severely out of whack. Try to read up on Isabella Wentz and her research on the thyroid. You will learn lots to help you.

What about L- taurine, have you used it? it helps our body remove MSG that can cause heart problems.

Also, soy lecithin granules bring a number of healthy changes from detoxing fatty liver to improving memory while detoxing the body of fats that are unnatural and stored in our tissues~ this emulsifies them.

you might be interested in youtube john bergman for spinal health and heart health

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjRqpwmRuts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMYB9IGdGuA

or possibly eric berg, both teach basics for free and are very easy to follow for many topics of health

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdDMMs96N9A

I am having the same problem except I am 46. Have you found any answers yet? The only difference is I do feel dizzy and like I am going to faint. Very scary times for me.

I have symptoms like that. Been to the doctor, and diagnosed as GERD, to find out the cause, I Have an endoscopy and I have a hiatal hernia causing my GERD. I'm blood type O and it describes my weakness.