Palpitations from Hypoglycemia?

Nutrition
1

I am 7 days in on my V-Diet (turkey breast for my HSM yey!). I am following it exactly as stated, except I am not taking HOT-ROX, and I take a multivitamin each day. Also, I am supplementing Beta-Alanine. Everything else is pretty much by the book.

In the last 2 days, I have been getting the occasional heart palpitation. I know that these aren’t harmful themselves, but they must be showing a sign that something is wrong.

Since I am not taking HOT-ROX or any other supplement that affects heart rate (the most caffeine I get in a day would be from the occasional can of Coke Zero- and by occasional I mean less than 1 a day) I am wondering what could be causing this.

Would there be anything in the diet that could cause this? I have searched and searched, but haven’t come up with anyone talking about issues with heart palpitations (or anything to do with the heart, which is surprising considering how much HOT-ROX these people take)

I gather from reading the diet that the in the first week, we flush out a lot of water and glycogen stores. I don’t think I would be dehydrated, considering I am drinking several litres of water per day. The other idea being lack of glycogen. I looked up symptoms of hypoglycemia, and sure enough, palpitations are a symptom. However, I am not experiencing any of the other symptoms, which include nervousness, dilated pupils ‘pins and needles’ in the fingers, etc. I feel perfectly fine except I am a bit hungry between shakes, and these palpitations.

I haven’t had any issues with hypoglycemia before in my life, as far as I know. The only other time I can recall having issues with palpitations were directly after a caffeine overdose a few months ago.

Any ideas? If it is a problem with glycogen levels, should I add some form of carb to my daily plan? Maybe a bit of fruit or something?

I really REALLY want to stick to this diet for another 21 days, and I can put up with the annoyance of palpitations. But if it’s a sign of a major health issue being brought on by this extreme diet, I need to know if I should consider quitting. I am NOT a quitter and do NOT want to give up though, so I’m torn on what to do. Hoping that someone with experience, or Chris himself could help me out here.

Thanks!

2

I would cut your HOT-ROX dose in half and see what happens…I have had my heart feel funny n it with too much

3

Thanks but as I stated in the first paragraph, I don’t take HOT-ROX at all.

I am not “blaming” the palpitations on the diet. I am just wondering if the lack of glycogen can cause it, or if any other dieters have experienced it.

4

See a doctor…I developed whats called reactive hypoglycemia…which means my blood sugar is usually stable fasting…but when I eat some carbs particularly fast ones my sugar spikes up and then crashes…symptoms are different for everything…when my BS crashes it is the closest feeling to dying I have ever experienced…Heart palps, tachycardia, fast uncontrollable breathing, sweating profusely even in the AC, vomiting, unable to stand, very disoriented and alot of other things…its not fun…you would rather die than go thru it…

Only sure way to tell is buy a 20 dollar blood glucose monitor…CVS sells their brand for cheap…prick your finger and measure it…take morning fasting glucose measurements and PM back to me what they are…also take measurements when you “feel” those symptoms coming on and see where it is, take in a high carb meal and take the measurements…Hypoglycemia without diabetes is a sure sign that you are insulin resistant(insenstitve) you have too much insulin in your blood and your body reacts with too much insulin when you eat…thereby like myself even after a huge high carb meal rarely have I seen a blood sugar above 120mg/dl…

Caffeine is also the worst thing to take with hypo…it increases your adrenaline and hormones realted to stress which drive your BS levels down alot quicker and abrupter…

Let me know

5

Caffeine on a diet like this could take your BS levels which you have little carbs to counteract and drive them into the low ranges…before you get the monitor ditch the caffeine soda and see what happens…I used to love caffeine…now I cannot even have so much as a few sips of coffee without going thru those horrible symptoms above…

6

[quote]Pugsley wrote:
See a doctor…I developed whats called reactive hypoglycemia…which means my blood sugar is usually stable fasting…but when I eat some carbs particularly fast ones my sugar spikes up and then crashes…symptoms are different for everything…when my BS crashes it is the closest feeling to dying I have ever experienced…Heart palps, tachycardia, fast uncontrollable breathing, sweating profusely even in the AC, vomiting, unable to stand, very disoriented and alot of other things…its not fun…you would rather die than go thru it…[/quote]

Are you saying that you developed this after doing the V-Diet? Or were you just confused by the title? (the mods changed it, saying that I was “blaming” the symptoms on the V-Diet.

The thing is, I don’t think this is a direct response to carbs. After all, the palpitations occur every day, regardless of whether it’s a typical low-carb day, or a PWO day (50g of carbs) or a HSM day.

It must be something else. My guess is that it’s just stress caused by the diet, and my body’s way of trying to convince me to give up.

But if there is danger of developing heart problems or blood glucose problems, I need to find out. Thanks for your help!

I am seriously considering changing my V-Diet to a “1 HSM Per Day” diet. Anyone try that before? Usually people do this coming off a full V-Diet, and see great results still.

7

Pugsley’s information is good.

I use a GNC product, Magnesium & Potassium in an asportate base. First I read about in a Health & Healing by Dr Whitaker. Next my mother had a heart attack. When I told the E room dr that her script for potassium was not renewed, he looked at me said if you have never seen this sone look away. With my approval he took a hypodemic needle of mag, and one of pottassium in one hand and stabbed my mother in the chest/heart. Within 30 seconds you could watch the machines showing her heart pumping better and better.

I take 3 or 4 of the 250’s a day.

8

[quote]philipj wrote:
Pugsley’s information is good.

I use a GNC product, Magnesium & Potassium in an asportate base. First I read about in a Health & Healing by Dr Whitaker. Next my mother had a heart attack. When I told the E room dr that her script for potassium was not renewed, he looked at me said if you have never seen this sone look away. With my approval he took a hypodemic needle of mag, and one of pottassium in one hand and stabbed my mother in the chest/heart. Within 30 seconds you could watch the machines showing her heart pumping better and better.

I take 3 or 4 of the 250’s a day.[/quote]

I actually looked into Potassium as the cause, but anyone on the V-Diet gets some from the potassium chloride in Metabolic Drive and acesulfame potassium in other protein products.

I wonder if that’s enough though…

Maybe magnesium could be an issue; for the first 10 days I have only been taking a multivitamin which has just 100mg of magnesium. I have started taking ZMA, so that adds another 450mg per day.

I hope I can stick with this!

9

No I wasn’t on the V-Diet…mag and potass help insulin sensitivty alot…but nonetheless check you blood glucose with that monitor at CVS and pm me afterwards…you want to take it after a long fast like sleeping 7 hours and monitor it after meals as well…this can show you more clearly if this is the issue…