u/Artistic_21

I’m 39 and started having heart palpitations around 37 after going through a really traumatic family estrangement. Ever since then, I’ve felt like my nervous system has been permanently stuck in overdrive.

The palpitations are constant - skipped beats, fluttering, hard thuds, racing heart, adrenaline surges, etc. Sometimes it feels like my body physically cannot relax no matter how mentally exhausted I am.

I originally blamed it entirely on trauma/stress because the timing lined up perfectly.

But recently I started eating fermented foods daily (kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso soup) and something bizarre happened: my palpitations completely disappeared for about 3 weeks. My anxiety lifted too. I felt emotionally stable, calm, resilient, and honestly more like my old self again. Sleep also improved.

Then out of nowhere the symptoms all returned despite continuing the same diet.
I already eat very little sugar, avoid caffeine/stimulants, and eat protein/fiber. My labs are normal except for low vitamin D and B12, which I supplement.

Does anyone know why fermented foods could have such a dramatic positive effect at first and then suddenly stop working?

I’m a 39-year-old female and started getting heart palpitations around age 37 after going through a very traumatic family situation that ended in estrangement. Since then, I’ve basically been stuck in constant fight-or-flight mode. My symptoms range from palpitations every few seconds, flipping/fluttering sensations, hard thuds, and episodes of fast heart rate. My nervous system rarely feels calm anymore.

For the longest time, I assumed this was all caused by stress, grief, anxiety, and being mentally stuck in the situation.

A few weeks ago, I randomly started eating fermented foods daily like sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, miso soup, etc. Within days, my palpitations completely stopped. My anxiety and depression disappeared too. I felt emotionally resilient, mentally calm, grateful, and genuinely happy for the first time in years. It honestly felt like my cortisol/nervous system had finally balanced out.

This lasted about 3 weeks.

Then suddenly, despite continuing all the fermented foods, everything came back. The palpitations, anxiety, adrenaline feeling, thought loops - all of it. Now my heart won’t settle again no matter how much fermented food I eat.

I eat very little sugar, don’t consume caffeine or stimulants, I eat healthy amounts of protein/fiber, fruits and vegetable’s and my bloodwork is normal except for low vitamin D and B12, which I already supplement.

Has anyone experienced something similar with fermented foods helping temporarily and then suddenly stopping? I’m trying to understand what could explain such a dramatic improvement followed by a complete relapse.