Palpitations

First of all I must express my gratitude for this site and the information it provides. Mine was a very lonely journey until I found this site. My doctors do not know much about my condition and do the best they can to help. I have sickle cell trait with beta thalassemia so I often have the sickle cell symptoms, mainly very painful crisis. I have been administered all sorts of medications to help manage my pain when in crisis – morphine, fentanyl, Oxychodone, and others. In 2009 after a big sickle cell crisis that left my heart regurgitating, I searched the web and found this site. From the information on the site I started taking wheatgrass and carao, together with folic acid, Blackmore women’s multivitamin and glucosamine (for necrosis of my hip and other bones). The wheatgrass and carao worked wonders – every time I had pain and I took them the pain went the next morning. Without them it took me a week or more to get through a painful crisis that I could manage at home. In January this year an ECHO showed that my heart muscles have tightened and the regurgitation has almost stopped. I feel stronger – my Hb is usually between 85 and 93 although it can go as low as 75.

Unfortunately I am having side effects from the medications that has helped me so far. I get palpitations when I take the wheatgrass and/or the carao and also the multivitamins. My heart rate goes up to 87 – 94 a minute. Although my doctors say there is no danger, it worries me. I get breathless and can’t do much. I’m not sure what exactly is causing this. It does not happen when I take the folic acid and the glucosamine on their own and when I take the carao on its own for about 2 days, but not the wheatgrass.

I had a third shot of Pneumovax in Late October and found that in normal situations patients are advised against taking more than 2 shots – one every five years. I had a lot of reactions to it and then one problem after another – example lumpy feeling in the throat for about a month, chest pains (although the ECG and ECHO show there is nothing wrong with my heart), pains in the middle of the chest which has now gone from taking Losec ans so on – but the palpitations have not stopped, they still occur when I take carao and/or wheatgrass.

I’d be most grateful for any help that you can give- this medications were my lifeblood last year and if I can continue taking them with no side effects it will be very good. My doctors have suggested hydroxy urea and do not want to know about any complementary medications that I am taking 

Thanks

Hi mankobia,

What form of wheatgrass are you using, juice, tabs or supershots? And are you taking anything with calcium in it, and if so, what is the daily dose?

Hello Andy,

I take Blackmores glucosamine 1500 - the ingredients are as follows from the web site

Active ingredients per tablet
Glucosamine sulfate sodium chloride complex
Equiv. to glucosamine sulfate 1500 mg 1890 mg 

http://www.blackmores.com.au/Products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=1813

I also take the Blackmore's women's multivitamins which the following ingredients

ingredients per tablet
Betacarotene (from Dunaliella salina extract equiv. to fresh cell 36 mg) 1.5 mg
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine nitrate) 25 mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 25 mg
Nicotinamide 50 mg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid from calcium pantothenate 30 mg) 27.5 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine hydrochloride) 25 mg
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 50 µg
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 100 mg
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol 5 µg) 200 IU
Natural Vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopheryl acid succinate 41.3 mg) 50 IU
Vitamin H (Biotin) 50 µg
Calcium hydrogen phosphate anhydrous (Calcium 50 mg) 170 mg
Folic Acid 300 µg
Inositol 25 mg
Magnesium oxide - heavy (Magnesium 67.5 mg) 121.7 mg
Ferrous fumarate (Iron 5 mg) 16 mg
Zinc amino acid chelate (Zinc 10 mg) 50 mg
Manganese amino acid chelate (Manganese 2 mg)  20 mg
Potassium iodide (Iodine 120 µg) 157 µg
Cupric sulfate pentahydrate (Copper 600 µg) 2.4 mg
Chromic chloride (Chromium 100 µg) 513 µg
Selenomethionine (Selenium 26 µg) 64.6 µg
Silybum marianum (Milk thistle) extract equiv. to dry fruit 4 g (4000 mg)
Eleutherococcus senticosus(Siberian ginseng) extract equiv. to dry root 2 g (2000 mg)

http://www.blackmores.com.au/Products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=1838&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=sem&247SEM

My doctor checked my calcium levels about a month ago and said they were OK

I think I'm allergic to tannin, not sure though- I have similar reactions when I drink coffee, tea, have chocolate or eat ice cream.

Thanks so much for your response

There doesn't seem to be any explanation why wheatgrass would cause palpitations. What form of wheatgrass are you using? Since it has been beneficial, it would be a shame to stop taking it. Usually, palpitations can be calmed with minerals, but you are taking them in your multi. Do you know if you are iron deficient? If not, the iron in the multi is unnecessary.

Hi Andy,

I take the wheatgrass in powdered form which I buy repacked from a Healthfood shop. No, I'm not iron deficient, can I find multivits that do not contain iron? Should I try wheatgrass in other forms?

Thanks heaps

It shouldn't be difficult to find a multi without iron. Most companies offer both varieties. You might try the Wheatgrass Supershots from Australia, made by Doctor Chris Reynold's company.
http://www.drwheatgrass.com.au/

Hi Andy,

I will try the multivitamins without iron and the wheatgrasss supershots
Thanks so much for the suggestions