Abnormal heart beats and sensations

Hello,

March 2006 began having 150-180 bpm aytwork, sent to emergency.Over next 3 months several tests, suggested anxiety. Continued on and off for 2 years, have discovered these occur mostly after eating or drinking coffee and symptoms included :

fluttering in stomach and upper chest followed by irregular heart beat which goes away with severe( up to 5-10 minutes) belching.

Seem to be triggered by cold wind or blustery wind

triggered panic attacks and caused severe anxiety - have since learned to manage these events and anxiety greatly diminshed

I feel this is caused by GERD type symptoms and have cut out coffee and alchohol, big help but, still have occasional events. Also convinced somehow when after eating , stomach area presses against heart wall and touches heart creating irregular beats briefly and in the past panic. Had two scary episode in Nov 2007 and Jan 2008 after eating and exercising heart went into abnormal rythym where top of heart and bottom were beating seperately for 5-10 minutes. Do not exercise after eating anymore.

Based on all this info and fact I have had two EKG,stress test,holter and some sort of x-ray and have consulted my Doctor's who have never truly diagnosed me concisely with any one thing, are my assumptions somewhat accurate?

Thanks

[SassyLassie]

Wow, you sound almost exactly like me and my symptoms. I would say you have a hiatal hernia. Your symptoms all point to that at least.

Whenever I eat, I get the flutters, tummy ache and belch a lot, and if I exercise right after eating or drinking water, I get them as well. Also, eating ice cream or real cold foods act them up.

You are very correct, when we eat, our tummy's press up against our diaphragm, and this in turn touches the vagus nerve or the cardiac reflex, and bingo, the PVC/PAC's march right on in. They will also act up if you lie on your left side, and will be more noticeable when you have a tummy ache. Like I said, I can relate to what you said as I have had some of these exact symptoms.

You are the only one, other than me that has noticed wind and cold weather causing them to act up. I guess because when we are cold, we tense up and this causes our tummy's to rise up, thus lifting up the hernia. Also, gas can cause these problems, the more bloated with gas, the more the flutters.

Yes, anxiety is as big contributing factor also. In fact, I believe you can almost think yourself into having them. If I take a walk and am real apprehensive about having them, then, nine times out of ten, I will surely have one. I get scared, and it is a vicious circle.

Have you had an echocardiogram? Have you been checked for gastric problems like ulcer or the hiatal hernia. I feel it would be beneficial to see a gastroenterologist, tell him your problems and have him check for the hiatal hernia. Also, try drinking two ounces of pure aloe Vera juice three times a day, that will help the GERD, and could possibly help the PVC/PAC too.

If you see a chiropractor, tell him what you are going through, there are certain vertebrae in the spine and neck that can contribute to the problem, in fact, when my back is out, I have more acid reflux and flutters, when I am "put back in" I am better for awhile.

Hope some of this helps. Keep us posted on what you are doing.
Blessings
Susie

[Scooter B]

Thanks for excellent advice. I have had two echocardiograms and several tests and only confirmations were I had PVC.s. However after many scary episodes such as ridiculously fast and irregular heartbeat while walking outide on a cold or windy day, started tracking events and spoke with GP . GP very open and we have tried everything, have discovered I can control these and don't panic like before. Hiatal hernia definite possibility as runs in family , will see doc again. Exercise and weight loss have helped a great deal.Good news for new or long sufferers, these are scary but I suggest tracking them and you may find out what the triggers are like eating or drinking too much or the wrong things.

Thanks

[RNRita]

Cold and blustery wind?  Noticed that one YEARS ago.  I used to come out after work in the winter and my heart would skip, jump, hop, run all the way home until I got warm.  This is why I wanna move south.  I dread winter and it is a-comin'.  I am not pleased.

The stomach symptoms?  Absotively!  Even taking meds for heartburn cause PVCs.  Here is my life:  I have fibromyalgia, I take ibuprofen.  Ibuprofen gives me acid and heartburn, Prilosec and others give me PVCs.  I just gotta decide which one I want in a day!  hahahaha

[Scooter B]

I used to take nexxium but i take no meds now, cut out coffee, drink green tea or chai tea, walk or bike 3-4 times week and , wait for it, went back to church! HaHa People who naturally worry a lot( probably us types) get these things and make them worse ...we should go back to something  we once did that keeps our minds occupied or take up a new interest...fibromyalgia is rough...family memeber has it and it has a lot of symptoms

Thanks