Has this happened to anyone and what should I do?

Question

Recently when we were running laps for school soccer, I started getting heart palpitations and it felt really uncomfortable. I went to the trainer and she took my blood pressure and said it was fine and if it happens again just stop. I am in good shape and have a healthy diet. I also used to have a heart murmur when I was younger and I eventually outgrew it, but that's what it feels like when i'm running. I know that I should see a doctor ASAP and I do plan on it, but I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else and what happened to them and how serious this is? Thank You.

Answer 1

I have had heart palpitations twice, both from different cuases.

The first time was during my first year in college and it was due to too much caffeine and midterms stress.  I got them to stop by easing up on my caffeine consumption (from 3+ cups a day to 1).

The next time it happened it was because I was very low on potassium because I was taking medicine that depleted my potassium.  Once I was on potassium pills for a couple of weeks the heart palpitations stopped.

From what I hear, heart palpitations are usually due to stress and/or caffeine, so you shouldn't worry too much, but they can be due to an underlying problem so its good you are getting into a doctor soon.