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    Autoimmune & Complex

    Heart Palpitations: When Your Heart Races and Doctors Say 'It's Anxiety'

    Dr. Nicole Rivera·January 16, 2026·7 min read

    The short answer

    Heart Palpitations: When Your Heart Races and Doctors Say 'It's Anxiety'

    Heart palpitations are terrifying — and dismissing them as 'just anxiety' misses potentially treatable root causes.

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    Heart racing when you stand — where does your energy land by 3pm?

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    Heart Palpitations Are Not "Just Anxiety"

    Racing heart, skipped beats, pounding chest — while anxiety can cause these, stopping there means missing treatable conditions.

    Root Causes to Investigate

    • Magnesium Deficiency — 75% of Americans are deficient; standard blood tests miss intracellular deficiency
    • Thyroid Dysfunction — complete thyroid panel is essential
    • Histamine Intolerance — excess histamine directly stimulates heart rate
    • Dysautonomia / POTS — inappropriate heart rate responses
    • Electrolyte Imbalance — potassium, calcium, sodium
    • Stimulant Sensitivity — caffeine, medications, supplements
    • Mitral Valve Prolapse — common structural variant

    Our Cardiac Investigation Protocol

    1. Complete electrolyte and mineral panel (including RBC magnesium)
    2. Full thyroid panel
    3. Histamine and mast cell markers
    4. Autonomic testing for dysautonomia
    5. Nutrient repletion — magnesium, potassium, CoQ10
    6. Nervous system regulation — vagus nerve exercises, meditation

    Also read: POTS syndrome treatment | Blood clot prevention

    Find the root cause of your palpitations →

    heart palpitations
    heart health
    anxiety
    magnesium
    dysautonomia

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