Heartbeat Skip - GERD - Anxiety

I first noticed my "skipping" heartbeat about 13 years ago when I was 26 - I was raking leaves (strenuous activity) and my heart started "jumping" around - it would seem to stop for a beat or two - then start again with a "thud".  I went to the ER - they saw the irregular beat on the EKG and said it was "benign".  They immediately prescribed Prevacid.  This was the first I knew that I had GERD.

Since then my GERD and the accompanying heart skipping has come and gone in varying degrees of severity.  I have had every test done including upper GI, lower GI, abdomen ultrasound, barium and the week long heart monitor.  All have come back negative except for the GI's which showed 9 duodenal superficial ulcers.  I am a semi-heavy drinker and smoker but I do take breaks during the week to ease my symptoms.

I have found that the following things tend to ease my symptoms:

Plenty of sleep - if I don't get enough sleep my symptoms are doubly severe.

Bowel Movements - my symptoms improve after bowel movements.

I seem to get the symptoms on both the days that I drink and smoke and also on the days that I do not drink or smoke so I'm not sure that drinking and smoking are anything except an irritation on an already existing problem.  I am currently on Nexium for the GERD and Xanax for anxiety (which I only take as needed).  I have read online that Hiatal Hernia could be a possible problem, but I think that would have shown up in one of the tests that I had.

Could this be a disease that they haven't discovered yet?  I see a LOT of postings with these symptoms and they have all had the same diagnosis from their doctors - pretty much nothing.  HELP!


This discussion is related to irregular heartbeat.