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Can anybody explain what is happening to me. I started RRAFing 3 weeks ago and I already see some improvements. However I sometimes get this racing heart out of nowhere, but especially at night when I’m trying to sleep. It all of a sudden starts and wakes me up/is keeping me awake. Tonight it was also triggered by eating a bowl of cornflakes (corn as the only ingredients and I have added unrefined sugar and salt to taste myself). I suspect it could have something to do with the sugar/insulin…etc. ? It drives me nuts and it is scary. It also makes me feel a bit light headed, sometimes a slightly dizzy and shaky. No history of heart disease btw., no illness. Just doing rraf to get rid of my food sensitivities.
Many Thanks!For me this happened when I had a similar issue from going overboard on the cardio. Typically I had a racing heart beat and I could feel the pounding in my head time to time. What I found out was that my calories of 2000 at the time were not enough. I also got a cortisol 24 hour test and a 8 am and 4 pm test done. The tests showed that my cortisol/stress level was 3 times the norm. I now eat 3000-4000 calories a day and have lowered my cardio. Currently my cortisol is close to a normal level. A lot of the symptoms I had earlier have disappeared except for frequent thirst and urine color. Once in a while i get cold hands, but this occurs in the fall and winter months. I am curious to what Matt and others will chime in. I know that the racing heart beat sneaks up if I get re stressed either emotionally, or by pushing myself physically overboard with out sufficient calories.
Thanks for the message. I’m not doing any cardio, however it is interesting about the high cortisol levels. I’m not sure how I’m stressing my body, perhaps I’m not eating enough as I should, but I feel really wired, have been unable to fall asleep and tossing and turning for 4 hours in bed now. Also, I felt immediate effect following the bowl of cornflakes so I wonder whether it could have something to do with the pure high starch meal affecting me? Any thoughts?
I remember some mention of high blood volume being an issue in cases like this. high blood volume can sometimes causes blood to be pumped into your heart with such force that it feels like its pounding. this used to happen to me if I would eat really salty, high calorie meals before bed, which it is suggested you taper off your heavy meals as the day goes on. heavier in the morning, lighter at night.
increasing blood volume is a good thing usually, and a symptom of improved metabolic rate. it only becomes an issue usually if the meals are heavy before bed.
Scarlett I hope you find out what is going on with your body. There are so many variables and what affects one person might totally be different to another person. Good luck!
Thank you both very much for getting back to me. It could be both that I don’t eat enough or eating late. But I should mention that I used to suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and upon reducing my water intake this has improved hugely. However I used to get this racing heart before RRAF, so even when I didn’t eat at night, and I am hoping that by raising my metabolism this will stop. The racing heart is now worse though than before RRAF. This sort of feels like anxiety, but without the panicky thoughts, I only have the symptoms of wanting to empty my bowls, sweaty, hot, racing heart, etc. What hormones does it involve? Is it cortisol/adrenaline? I am also very reactive (mood wise and prone to heart racing) to all sorts of food stuff, lots of different foods can destabilise me and stimulate me. I experience this with alcohol, coffee and even some benign substances. So this should be a clue to what is going on, but I don’t have the knowledge to put it together and make sense of it all. All I know is that my body is experiencing some sort of stress when this is happening. However when that happens, food is last thing on my mind. Same thing also happens when I’m trying to take a nap. I am so tired and there comes my racing heart, almost like giving me a kick just right before I dose off. It is morning here now, and I still feel shaky and not quite alright after a rough night. I just wish somebody would have a definitive answer for me and tell me what to do to make it go away. I am hoping for a good night’s sleep tonight after three uncomfortable nights. This is so frustrating!!
I also get a racing, pulsing feeling that interferes with falling asleep and staying asleep. I have taken my pulse at these times, and it isn’t my heart, it goes faster than my pulse. I’m trying progesterone. I’ve purchased both a cream, and the oil that Ray Peat recommends. I believe that results are not immediate, and I haven’t been using the cream long enough, haven’t tried the oil yet. An app for my Kindle called Deep Sleep Meditation has helped some.
I too get the heart palpitations. It started for me about 8 months ago when I began GAPS diet. I’ve had a very difficult time figuring out why it’s happening. But, now that I’m off of GAPS, I suspect it’s from meat. I have never eaten meat for 3 meals a day until starting GAPS. I’ve been off GAPS for about a month, and every time I try to eat a small piece of meat it seems to come back- but not until about 5am the next morning. Bizarre!
I have the same problem, MUCH better after going on bioidentical progesterone cream, but it still took awhile to get to the right dose. For me, I have to eat protein and fat with sugar or I will get palpitations. Not outright racing though, usually. I feel your pain, sister. It is NO fun and no one has been able to tell me exactly either. I have had to experiment and work on stress reduction. Adding more salt and sugar have helped, but I just could never do something like a bowl of cornflakes alone. Milk just doesn’t do it for me for protein. Strangely enough though, I do OK on icecream alone. I started trying Sonic milkshakes lately and they work OK and I get really RELAXED AND WARM!!! Experimenting with raising basal temps, since nothing else has worked. I did in fact go up .3*! First time anything raised it in 16 mos of 180D.
It sounds like your cortisol is mixed up… too high at night. I had to change things up A LOT to turn that around… getting off of computer/phone 2 hours before sleep, taking a hot bath with Epsom salts, etc. Still takes awhile, and I know it sucks, so try and be patient and keep working at it!
I had the exact same symptoms as you for a few years, and it seems to have improved when I decided to have regular meals once and for all. And to never snack as a substitute. I would have it real bad if I had been running around all day (i’m very sensitive to stress), not having time to eat and then at night eating something high in sugar and/or additives. Usually something store bought though. Like you I react strongly to various foods too.
I still get it, but not nearly as bad, and usually only when I have to go to the bathroom (which makes me think it’s my digestion affecting it rather than the other way around). I avoid stress like the plague nowadays and eat a solid, cooked and homemade lunch and dinner most days (lunch always). If you don’t get enough food during the day, definitely work on that.
Thank you so much everybody. It is reassuring to know I’m not the only one with a racing heart. I now believe that it is mainly due to not eating enough. I have been restricting and ignoring my hunger pangs lately for fear of gaining too much weight. I’m now back on track stuffing my face again.
Also, it is interesting what bambipel said regarding having to add some protein along sugar and starch. I think I have the same thing. If it is just pure starch or sugar, I feel awful.
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