I keep having heart palpitations.

Why do i keep getting heart palpitations?

• Ok, I'm 17 years old, turning 18 next month. Since about this past summer i've had heart palpitations but I didn't know thats what they were classified as until about 3 weeks ago when i went to the doctor. A lot of times when im sitting on the floor or im laying in a way on the couch in a position as if im sinking into the couch, thats when i usually feel them. Now, I was very scared because I thought it was SVT but my doctor told me it was palpitations. All he did when i went there was basically say "It's not SVT, it's palpitations." Then he just went on to talk about my blood work results and said "You have very high cholesterol. For a person your age, you should have under 100 but your number is 148." So now I know i have real high cholesterol. He didn't say this (I don't think) but can my high cholestreol be causing my heart palpitations? Please...I'm dying for an answer.. The time i had the worst palpitation was about a month ago, I had just eaten some chocolate ice cream then i sat on my computer chair and my heart felt like it was fluttering badly...then it would stop...then it would flutter again...then stop...then it would keep fluttering...until about 30 seconds later it stopped. And remember, this was after I ate chocolate ice cream (caffeine.) I just had another bad palpitation this morning and now it seems like i keep having minor ones and im so distraught... What can i do? The doctor didn't really say anything how to cure them. I've read that grapes/ grape juice can cure them? I don't know how that is..isn't grapes just balls of sugar? but if people say it'll cure it then by all means, ill try it. i bought some Welshs grape juice and im gonna try to get my hands on some grapes. Will they cure it? Also, is my high cholesterol triggering it? I haven't eaten chocolate ever since the incident (i think.) In fact, the bad palpitation happened about a half hour ago and i havent eaten since around 6 or 7:00 last night... please somebody give me an answer and a hopefully simple solution. Always Appreciated -John

• Answer:

  We all get palpitations. Most common cause is anxiety. Palpitations may be the reason for 30 to 40% or referrals to cardiology clinics but in most cases there is no significant organic pathology. If no cause is found and it is felt that the patient is being simply too anxious or introspective, perhaps with a degree of cardiac neurosis then the first line is simply reassurance. We live in a very chemical world, and many of the substances we put into our body appear to be adrenalin to the heart, and thus makes it irritable. Common stimulants include: * caffeine, * tobacc * alcohol, * over the counter medications: pseudoephedrine found in cold preparations and some herbal medications, including ma huang Not cholesterol. If your doctor thought you had anything wrong with your heart you wold have been told and various tests would have been done. Grape juice and grapes will not stop palpitations. Being more active and less anxious would be more beneficial.