Understanding Anxiety & Palpitations

Anxiety has a physiological dimension that is measurable and correctable, not only a psychological one.

Anxiety, the persistent experience of worry, tension, and physiological arousal, is most commonly managed through psychological intervention (CBT, mindfulness) and pharmacological treatment (SSRIs, benzodiazepines). Both are appropriate when indicated. But the physiological contributors to anxiety are frequently not assessed or addressed, and they sustain the anxious state independently of psychological content.

Blood sugar instability produces adrenaline release during glucose dips, triggering palpitations, tremor, sweating, and chest tightness that are physiologically identical to panic attacks and occur predictably in the hours after meals or when meals are skipped. Gut dysbiosis reduces GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter that calms nervous system activity, directly lowering the threshold for anxiety activation. Magnesium deficiency increases neuronal excitability and is one of the most commonly identified nutritional contributors to anxiety. HPA axis dysregulation from chronic stress maintains sympathetic activation that produces the physical symptoms of anxiety independently of external stressors. Thyroid overactivation, even subclinical, produces palpitations, tremor, and anxiety symptoms through direct sympathomimetic effects. Each of these is identifiable and correctable through structured assessment.

Possible Conditions

Conditions that commonly cause anxiety & palpitations.

Persistent anxiety and palpitations can reflect several conditions with physiological bases. Assessment identifies the specific contributors alongside psychological factors.

AnxietyNeuro-Fatigue
Persistent worry and autonomic arousal with physiological contributors, gut dysbiosis, blood sugar instability, magnesium deficiency, and HPA axis dysregulation assessed and addressed in parallel with psychological care.
View Anxiety care →
Chronic StressNeuro-Endocrine
Sustained stress maintains sympathetic nervous system activation, producing the palpitations, chest tightness, and tension that characterise stress-driven anxiety independently of specific worries.
View Chronic Stress care →
Burnout SyndromeNeuro-Fatigue
Paradoxically, severe burnout can produce heightened anxiety alongside exhaustion, driven by adrenal dysfunction and dysregulated cortisol patterns that impair the body's capacity to down-regulate the stress response.
View Burnout Syndrome care →
Insulin ResistanceMetabolic
Blood sugar dysregulation produces counter-regulatory adrenaline release during glucose dips, triggering palpitations and panic-like symptoms in the hours after high-carbohydrate meals. This metabolic anxiety pattern is frequently misidentified as psychological anxiety.
View Insulin Resistance care →
Hashimoto's ThyroiditisAutoimmune
Thyroid fluctuation in Hashimoto's, particularly during hashitoxicosis episodes, produces transient thyroid excess that causes palpitations, tremor, heat intolerance, and anxiety through direct sympathomimetic effects.
View Hashimoto's Thyroiditis care →
Stress & Adrenal RecoveryNeuro-Fatigue
HPA axis depletion paradoxically increases anxiety sensitivity, the blunted cortisol pattern of adrenal depletion impairs the body's capacity to regulate its own stress response, making minor stressors feel overwhelming.
View Stress & Adrenal Recovery care →
When Assessment Is Needed

When anxiety & palpitations signals something that needs addressing.

Palpitations that occur predictably 1–2 hours after eating, blood sugar-driven adrenaline pattern
Anxiety that is worse in the morning and improves through the day, cortisol pattern
Palpitations with sweating, tremor, and heat intolerance, thyroid assessment warranted
Anxiety that began or worsened after a course of antibiotics, gut dysbiosis pattern
Physical anxiety symptoms (palpitations, chest tightness) without identifiable psychological triggers
Anxiety alongside gut symptoms, bloating, loose stools, or indigestion
Anxiety associated with irregular periods, hair loss, or weight changes, hormonal contributor
Palpitations that are rapid, irregular, or associated with breathlessness, cardiac assessment warranted first
The CLCC Approach

Assessment first. Then a care plan specific to your profile.

01
Assess
Full physiological assessment for anxiety, gut, metabolic, thyroid, and HPA axis
Gut microbiome indicators and GABA-producing bacterial species. Fasting insulin and blood sugar pattern. Magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin D. Full thyroid panel. Cortisol pattern, morning and afternoon. Anxiety severity scored at baseline.
02
Identify
Identify the dominant physiological contributor, gut, metabolic, thyroid, or HPA
Gut-dominant anxiety responds primarily to microbiome restoration. Blood sugar-driven responds to dietary correction. Magnesium deficiency responds to repletion. Thyroid-driven requires thyroid management. HPA-driven requires adrenal correction.
03
Reduce
Targeted physiological correction alongside psychological support where in place
Gut restoration for GABA pathway support. Blood sugar stabilisation through meal timing and composition. Magnesium glycinate at therapeutic doses. B vitamin complex. Thyroid support where indicated. HPA correction with adaptogenic support. Caffeine reduction where relevant.
04
Restore
Track anxiety severity, sleep quality, and physiological markers at monthly intervals
Validated anxiety scoring reviewed monthly. Sleep quality assessed. Blood sugar and nutritional markers at 3 months. Cortisol pattern reassessed where adrenal correction is primary. Protocol refined based on measured response.
05
Continue
Sustain nervous system regulation through long-term physiological maintenance
Anxiety recurs when gut dysbiosis, blood sugar instability, and nutritional depletion reaccumulate. The Continue phase monitors key physiological variables and maintains the nervous system regulation achieved.