Digestion and PVC's

My PVC's have been constantly changing since I first began having them about a year ago. At first, I would have 1 or 2 a day a couple times a week. Over time, they became more and more frequent until I was having hundreds per day. Then, they calmed down and practically vanished for several months. However, they have recently started up again but are different--I don't feel as many "thuds" anymore, but rather, a sinking feeling in my chest accompanied by pauses. Also, I seem to get more of them when I'm eating or when I'm digesting food. Today, I felt only two, but while eating dinner tonight, I was having numerous pauses (over a dozen in less than 5 minutes). As soon as I stopped eating, they subsided. AAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so freakin' sick of these things I'm ready to scream. Food is a trigger, but it's one I cannot avoid. DOES ANYONE ELSE GET THESE WHEN EATING???

[TTOM1116]

yes their is a link in eating and skips their is a nerve that comes from your stomach to your heart and sometimes that is what set these palps off i was afraid to eat lost around 70 lbs i having these nasty things for 29 yrs and it still bothers me a lot hang in thereand maybe we can stop having these things soon

[TTOM1116]

the nerve is called vega nerve the spelling might not be right

[Darwingirl]

I occasionally get something similar. Sometimes when I am sitting down and eating I will get runs of pvc's but they will stop as soon as I stand up.... my only solution when I am having this (which is not very often) I have to stand and eat.

[Darwingirl]

it's called the vagus nerve

[kim62]

Very interesting!  I have also noticed some connection with eating and PVCs...Thank you!

[kim62]

I just read a few things on the Vagus nerve....As soon as I read it I thought of something my chiropractor told me. He said that the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves(which are controlled by the T1 & T2 area of the vertabrae) have a very large part in the heart rates and rhythm. I have been treated on and off again by him for about 12 years for lower back problems. After my attempted ablation and ICD implant, I went saw him for a treatment on my lower back and told him about my heart issues. He explained about he sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves and how they work and adjusted my T1 & T2 areas.. I went back once a week for several weeks and then stopped going...thus... after about 3 weeks the PVCs got worse and I was thrown into VT last week. I had my device read last Thursday which was 8 weeks since the ablation/ICD implant...these were the results: I was paced out of VT 6 times from the time I left the hospital until I started going  to my chiropractor...no pacing or VT while I had adjustments on regular basis. I stopped going to Chirpractor and after 3rd week... VT again... and the PVCs came back full force. Hmmmm see any connection?

[FerdyBoy]

This is definitely caused (at least in my case) from the vagal nerve.  I suffered with the same arrhythmia problem for years, just after eating during digestion or consuming alcoholic beverages, and all of the doctors I spoke with never even mentioned the vagal nerve as being causative for the skipped beats or PVC's.  There seems to be VERY little research in this area---and diagnosis or knowledge  connecting the two also seems to be very rare.

So, I took matters into my own hands after doing MUCH research through forums such as this one.  Although I don't suffer from GERD or any other type of digestive disorders or acid reflux, I decided to try an acid reducing over the counter medication.  THIS WAS THE MAGIC BULLET!  75mg of Ranitidine (Zantac)----one first thing in the morning and one before dinner at night, and the arrhythmias WENT AWAY COMPLETELY.

Your results may vary, so please don't take this as medical advice--I just wanted to let you and the group know (and the MD's and cardiologists if they are reading this)  that there is a definite connection between digestive tract acid, vagal nerve stimulation (or destimulation) and heart arrhythmias.  

Good luck, and if you decide to try this and it works, God Bless.