Irregular heartbeat caused by gastric upset

[tallfitz56]

I have had IBS for some 20 years. It has become a real plague because every attack is accompanied by an irregular heartbeat.
I was told that the gastric upset had nothing to do with the heart irregularity by a so called expert. I know for a fact that the only time I experience the heart thing is when I have severe bouts with gas and diaarhea. I take pronestyl and it helps a little bit. I have tried beta blockers and they have no effect.
The irregularity stops ONLY some time AFTER my bout with gas and diaarhea ends. I eat rice and anything bland, I am now taking belladonna for the first time along with the pronesty and ranitidine for my acid stomach. I have had all the heart tests and they were all negative. Over the years I have been in and out of shape. Just six months ago I was able to walk/jog 12 miles a week and lift weights( I could bench press 270 lbs).
     Can my irregular heart beat be caused by other sensations coming from my gut, and if so is there anything other than beta blockers (which do not work at all) or pronestyl to stop the irregularty. Do you know anything about my situation?
     Thanks in advance for your reply.

[Olive Oil]

I get this too. I have been having tachicardia's on and off for 10 years. The frequency has been low. Generally I am moving, bending down when I trigger one. They beat exactly double and last for about an hour.

I had a nasty cough that lasted months late last year and have now been plagued with pinching pain in my chest (right on heart area). I have had an ultrasound and my heart seems fine... however I have now noticed the feeling like I am getting palpitations now after every meal. Sometimes I have to let out an involuntary cough to get my breath. I feel short of breath and have a rapid heart beat. I am sure this is related to eating and am wondering if I have a hernia or someother problem that is causing my heart to react this way. Please let me know if you find a solution. I am very eager to get to bottom of this so I can stop worrying and get on with my life. Sometimes I can even feel a little click in my chest when I take a deep breath.

[Addie]

I have GERD/REFLUX....I am also now getting Heart Rhythm Flutters that can drive a person crazy.  My Holter reading came back yesterday as many many PAC's in the upper chamber.  Doctor called them benign and to live with them. Yesterday, I also had a Dobutimine(sp) stress echo at a Large teaching heart center. For almost 2 hours, I was poked and prodded by the Echocardiographer as 4 Cardio Docs looked on and gave instructions.  I did very well (very sore today) They could find nothing that would contribute to the heart irregularities or the severe occasional chest pain that come without exercise.

I feel it is the Esophagus? Hiatal hernia? Reflux? doing all this to me.  Vagus Nerve?  

Good Luck.

[CCF-M.D.-CRC]

Dear tall,

There may be a connections between gastric reflux and irregular heart beats (see archives for more information) but I have never heard of a connection between them and IBS.   Pronestyl is a good antiarrhythmic and can be used on an occasional basis.  Depending on the type of rhythm disturbance you have you may be able to have an ablation to stop the problem.  The type of doctor to see for this condition is called an electrophysiologist.  Hope things work out for you.