Arrhythmia and GERD

  I am a 32 year old female and was diagnosed with GERD about 2 years ago.  My physician has rotated me back and forth on Prilosec and Zantac.  I can go weeks at a time with no occurrences of GERD and then I can suddenly have several weeks with GERD.  Recently, during my last epidsode of reflux, I have noticed that I have irregular heartbeats.  My heart seems to skip beats and then make up for it by beating an extra beat.  This usually occurs right after I eat.  I have no history of heart problems, nor does my family have a history of heart disease.  Other than GERD, I am healthy.  I have read similiar problems from others on your Forum and I wondered if there is any literature on this issue.  This has been an unusually bad bout of GERD and that is when the irregular beats began.  Any ideas?
  Thanks
  JSP  
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Dear JSP,
Acid reflux may initiate cardiac arrhtmias.  However, before you attribute your problem to reflux, it is necessary to meet with your physician and confirm that there is no heart disease.
This information is presented for educational purposes.  Always consult your personal physician for specific medical questions.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: esophageal reflux, arrythmias
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