12 Tips to Manage your Palpitations- Basic Life Style Suggestions

Palpitations are probably one of the worst symptoms of Grave’s Disease, not to mention Thyroid Eye Disease. Hyperthyroidism Palpitations usually strike when you are resting, but not always. When they come you panic, probably feel urged to do things, and move. But should be doing exactly the opposite. Hyperthyroidism palpitations are still manageable and controllable, with or without beta- blockers. Beta- blockers are usually prescribed by doctors to treat anxiety and in severe cases, you should take them as prescribed, but here I’ll give a few other tips that can help you calm down and manage your hyperthyroidism palpitations.

For the purpose of this writing, I will assume that you are working full time, with family and kids. That probably is the worst case scenario, because you have to take care of so many things, many of them even out of your control, I know it from personal experience. So here we go:

1. Morning: if you have to get up at let’s say at 7 a.m. set your alarm clock (not cell) 15 or more minutes earlier. Take your time to wake up completely and stretch, don’t just run out of bed. This is important to keep your stress levels down starting in the morning. If you can, I would also advise you to buy one of these natural sunlight alarm clocks. I am not suggesting any particular company, but they can be found for app. $40.  They are worth the investment.
2. So now, open your eyes and tell me what you see in your bedroom? Whatever you see must be pleasing to your eyes. Clean up messy bedrooms as the energy there is stuck, move out all TVs, computers, cell phones or any other technical machines. You don’t need them but they literally bathe you with electricity and interfere with your sleep.
3. Look around your bedroom again- what colors are prevailing? For now, I would advise you to stick with light green, light blue, light purple. I am not going into details why there is an article on my website especially about color (chromotherapy). And yes, it does matter.
4. Go on with your usual routine. If you are drinking coffee, substitute with decaffeinated. If you drink tea- let this be Lemon Balm tea or Chamomile tea. Or Nettle tea. Nettle tea can be bottled, refrigerated and drank instead of water. I highly advise you to do so as it nourishes the adrenal glands like no other herb. I make 2 bottles with Nettle tea, refrigerate them (you don’t have to) but it just tastes better for me. Tea must be fresh for the day. No Green tea, no black or grey. Forget about this for a while. No sugar or artificial sweeteners, you are only allowed, honey.
5. On your way to work, if you stay in traffic for an hour, turn off that radio and put some classic or calming music, whatever you prefer. If you don’t have a CD player, just stay in silence. If you travel in a public transportation- isolate yourself with iPod with that same music I mentioned above, and close your eyes. You don’t have to look at all these already nervous, anxious and frustrated people. It is contagious.
6. At work: Limit your activities to the minimum required by your job. No overdoing, no multitasking, it’s not the time for that. If a colleague gets on your nerves, just walk away. If you are given tasks that will additionally frustrate you don’t be scared to talk with the manager and supervisor and explain your situation. They are all people and in most of the cases will understand.
7. Breaks: take them, there is a purpose for them. Lunch break- go for a walk or just isolate yourself in some private place and put your iPod on. Zone out. Do not engage yourself in meaningless conversations, or online shopping. Get off this computer. Eat slowly, take your time. No sodas, no coke, nothing that contains aspartame, because it affects hyperthyroidism palpitations. What you should eat and diet is another topic. On your way home: same as above. Do not try to kill your time in traffic talking to people on the phone. Deep breathing. It is proven it is the best way to kill stress.
8. When you get home, before starting your second full-time job with the family- cooking, cleaning, homework, etc. just lie down, dear, lie down and close your eyes for about 30 minutes. Everything else can wait. This is your time to recover. Most of our problems come from chronic exhaustion, nothing else. Depression, anxiety, you name it, is usually due to chronic fatigue and tiredness, or at least one of the reasons. After this 30 min, you can go back to your usual routine.
9. Sleep– you must spend at least 8 hours in your bed (resting and sleeping). If you go to sleep usually around 11, that means you must be in bed at least 1 hour earlier. Drink a cup of Lemon Balm or Valerian Roots tea, a glass of wine is allowed too if you prefer, or warm milk with a spoon of honey. No TV, but you can watch movies (not in bed though). Avoid excessive noise, it hurts.
10. On Sundays, sit down and write 3 things that you love doing: massage, reading, movies, knitting, dancing, and scrap booking,  your choice. And put them in your schedule for the next week. Make sure that they are your priority.
11. Take frequent walks in nature, which helps a lot. Do meditation, regularly 15- 25 min (I mean every single day). I suggest no treadmills, no running, and no aerobics type exercises- you can do them another time. I did not list these activities in the above routine but you can make some space and time for them in your schedule. 

This is the most simplified version of a recovery routine to manage palpitations. Do it for 2 weeks and let me know how you feel. You’ll see results,  I guarantee you.

Approximately twenty-five years ago, many cases of hyperthyroidism with cardiac failure were not even diagnosed. Many times the physician failed to appreciate that the cardiac failure resulted from the associated hyperthyroidism.

Heart failure in hyperthyroidism is a manifestation of inability of this organ to meet the abnormal demands of an increased metabolism. Heart failure without hyperthyroidism is a manifestation of inability of this organ to meet the usual demands of a normal rate of metabolism.Thus, a thyrocardiac has a condition precipitated by hyperthyroidism and relieved by cure of the hyperthyroidism. However, people diagnosed with hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease and having palpitations not necessarily have thyrocardiac disease and in most cases they don’t.

No conclusive evidence exists that hyperthyroidism damages the heart although it may produce physiologic exhaustion. Thus, the cessation of the abnormal demands of hypermetabolism relieves the unusual strain on the heart, so that when normal conditions return, the heart is capable of carrying on without difficulty.

This is probably one of the most important articles I’ve ever written because palpitations, shortness of breath and hypertension are some of the most typical symptoms of Graves’ Disease and a lot of people are complaining of them. They are often confused with Panic Attack or anxiety disorders, but what happens in practice is that our thyroid is the main cause for these debilitating symptoms.

Usually what the people are experiencing is that your heart is pounding in your chest and you have the feeling of dying. The good news is that it won’t happen unless you have initially some really serious heart complications. These “Graves’ disease palpitations” are happening usually when you are resting, or in bed and that makes them even scarier. 

What is happening in practice? Are Graves’ Disease Palpitations a reason for Thyrocardiac Disease?

The bad thing is that you’re also feeling “urged” “forced” (as some patients explain) to move constantly around your house, office, you picking up and moving things, cleaning, arranging, organizing, talking- all at the same time.

Something is like forcing you run around like a “chicken with the head cut off”, as I like to say. You don’t know what to do and you are panicking even more. Your breath becomes shorter; you feel like you can’t really breathe, your pulse is probably over 100 (usually it shouldn’t be). I personally know the feelings very well because I have been there. 

There are a few things you can do here to prevent Graves’ Disease palpitations. I’ve found that Lemon Balm tea calms my heart very quickly. Same is done by Valerian Roots tea, or a combination of both. Make sure that you are not going to drive soon after that!

Meditation in a long term run is the best medication I found so far. meanwhile, you can ask your doctor to prescribe you some beta- blockers (medication that is usually prescribed for anxiety symptoms and panic like symptoms). I have no idea why some of the doctors usually don’t do it. 

As per what you need to do on the spot when the palpitations hit, here are some emergency techniques you can use right there:

First- stop! The worst thing you can do is to keep being active and trying to discharge the pressure which is building up in your body. It is a natural reaction of your body, but the logic does not work here and in that way.

The movement and “doing” won’t make you feel better. You got to stop right there whatever you are doing. The only way to stop your palpitations is by “no activity”. Here are some recommendations for you:

If you are in your office:

 – Go to the back room, rest room whatever you have there where you’ll be alone for at least a few minutes.

– Explain to your boss/clients/co-workers that you need a few minutes break- they will understand.

– Lock the door (if possible) and switch off the phone.

– Sit on a chair, put your feet on the ground and lay your back on the chair so you can have a full contact with the floor, back of the chair and feel supported. Make yourself comfortable.

– Put your palms on your thighs, legs and close your eyes.

– Concentrate on the feeling of your palms- what is warmer- your palms or your thighs? This will switch your attention to something different rather than your heart palpitations.

– Breath in- count to 4

– Hold your breath- count to 4

– Breath out – count to 4. Concentrate on your breath. Breath in. Breath out.

– Do that breathing exercise at least 20 times and sit down for at least 15- 20 min (if you can of course)

If you are at home:

 – rest in  bed for at least 20 minutes

– do the same breathing exercise

– make a cup of lemon balm tea and chamomile (valerian roots will make you sleepy). Usually these herbs are found in any food store, but check with an herbalist if in doubt.

The main thing is: do not move, do not run, do not talk.  The more you do this exercise, the more of control you’ll be regarding your Graves’ Disease palpitations and the shortness of breath.  The world won’t be over if you allow yourself a break and this is what you need most.

In a long term plan: you need a real vacation, time off and paying more attention to yourself. The key factor when treating Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism is become more aware of yourself, what you need and what you want. Since you probably are the type of person who takes care for the others, takes more responsibility than you can handle and usually is not very attentive to your own health and needs- this probably will be the most challenging part of your healing from Graves’ Disease and Hyperthyroidism.

You need to learn how to ask other people for help, delegate responsibilities and be truthful to yourself and the people surrounding you. 

Your body is speaking, listen to it!