Do Certain Foods Trigger PVC's?

[ARHMOM]

Hello!

I am new to this forum and new to PVCs.  I began having them in April (5 months post partum).  I have seen 2 cardiologists and had all of the tests run--all "nomal" results.  I am a very anxious person and HATE to feel the skipped beats so I have been taking Propanolol (and I know the anxiety only makes them worse).  I would like to be "med free" so I am working on finding out my triggers.
I have cut out caffeine, alcohol, etc. and I am also trying to see if there are any foods that may trigger them.  My doctor said that sometimes peppers can cause them???  I ate something with jalepenos last night and I definitely noticed an increase.
Do you all have any other foods or food groups that you avoid?  Also, any books or web sites where I might find more information on preventing these?  I need all of the help I can get.  
Thank you so much--this web site has been so beneficial to me!  :)

[PVC man]

For me, caffeine and red wine are big triggers, as is lack of sleep.  I can have spicy food with no problems.

Feel better!!

[va_tony]

I've read that acid reflux will cause PVCs. So eating anything that brings on reflux is a PVC trigger.  Peppers would definitely fall into that category. I've also read that honey works to calm the stomach and reflux related PVCs.

[SillyHeart]

Caffeine and sugar trigger palpitations for me and over the years I've seen a ton of others report the same thing.  So try eating a low sugar diet and quitting caffeine.

[BHP39]

Heavy olive oil will do it for me and alfredo sauces (probably the olive oil again)  

[myjeepbeepbeep]

i have noticed that anything with nutrasweet cause me problems.....at least that was before my ablation.  I havent had th guts to try it since my procedure i few weeks ago.

[FLBrat]

why not start a food diary so you can learn your triggers?

[FLBrat]

also, food diaries make you more aware of the "little bites" taken here and there that tend to land on the hips and buttocks.  (Not that you may or may not need to lose weight.  Just a comment)

[ARHMOM]

Thanks everyone for your comments!  I have started a food diary so we will see what that shows...
I can definitely cut down on my sugar.  Also, I am wondering if maybe artificial sweetners (Splenda) and even aspartame may be a trigger?  I will report back if I find anything significant.  :)

[Maryell]

I seem to do pretty good during the day, but it's when I lay down and settle in to go to sleep, that my PVCs start.  

I don't know why I did the following, but for some reason I took an over-the-counter antihistamine, and as soon as it took hold, the PVC went away.  I now carry antihistamine in my purse, in case I might need it when I'm out and about.  They make non-drowsy antihistamine, so you don't have to worry about driving, etc.   The anithistamine maybe works because I am allergic to something, but I don't know what.  ARRGH!

This has worked for me, and is not necessarily a recommendation to others...just an FYI.

[anacyde]

Sugar, for me.

[aussie mum]

Well just like you i to am trying to figure out what (if anything) may trigger my pac/pvc/svt ?? I started looking into PHENYLALANINE in food thinking it  may have something to do with them but to cut a long story short it all seemed to came back to being linked with ASPARTAME.

I'm not sure what part of this wonderful world you live but in Australia all food products must state what ingredients and additives have been put into them. The additives are listed using numbers. So now I'm trying to stay clear of products with these addatives/numbers !!

Well it may have nothing to do with them but it can't hurt to try and see if it makes a difference. It may even be the toilet paper I'm using LOL.

You said you are 5 months pp, is this your first baby ?? There is a very good forum 08/18/07 " What's with females having babies and heart problems"  which you might find to be an interesting read.

[FLBrat]

Vienna posted a great link about aspartame once.  I wish I could find it.

ARHMOM, how is your diary going this week.  make sure you are noting the times you feel the heart funk too.

[ARHMOM]

Thanks again everyone!  Your comments and tips are very much appreciated.
Well, I have figured out that sugar is definitely a trigger for me.  That is kind of a bummer but I guess it is another reason for me to stick to a healthy diet.  :)  I have also noticed that evening is worse for me--maybe because I am more tired?  I am guessing that is it.  

[dolfnlvr]

Make sure you get plenty of rest too.  For some reason, not getting enough rest, feeling tired, seems to be a trigger for many of us.  I always thought it was just me, but amazingly...it's a large portion of us.

Hard to get rest with a 5 month old, but if you can, catch a nap here and there...it does help.

[KBDeB]

I recently discovered that food preservatives cause me to have a rapid, irregular heart beat.  I had first isolated the trigger to sulfur dioxide (a widely used preservative of dried fruit, processed cheese, wine especially white wine, restaurant potatoes) and have since eliminated all sulfites and sulfates, most preservatives, and avoid any highly processed foods.  My SVTs have now disappeared (for 4 weeks!) when I scarsely had a day (over the last 7 months) without episodes of rapid, irregular HR since I started eating dried mangoes from the Philipines last winter (listed ingredients are mangoes, sugar, sulfur dioxide).  Measurements show that I have no HR reaction to coffee with sugar and milk in the morning.  However, I don't drink coffee again during the day, do not drink soda and, happily, never had a taste for junk foods.  While I had never sought health foods or organic foods in the past, I am quickly evolving into someone who is very suspicious of food additives, growth hormones and antibiotics in the American diet.  So many new man made chemicals in our foods during my lifetime, in the last half of the 20th century.  I believe we will find that our migration from "natural foods" to man made "edible alternatives" will eventually be implicated in many human diseases and disorders.  Unfortunately, I haven't found a cardiologist who is interested in "triggers" that the client might discover.  To the contrary, they are really quick to prescribe heart meds that essentially treat symptoms but don't correct electrical anomalies of the heart such as, in my case, atrial flutter and SVTs.

[myjeepbeepbeep]

for some reason, everytime i eat at Pizza Hut, I get a racy skippy heart....wondering what they use as preservatives in their food?

[RC1088]

Just a note on foods, PVC's and the digestive system.  I was recently diagnosed with gallstones in my gallbladder, the gallbladder needs to be removed.  But it has/is causing some stomach discomfort, usually after eating, especially if the meal was oily or fatty because that's what the gallbladder does is add extra digestive horsepower to aid in breaking down oils and fats.  If fatty or oily foods seem to mess up your stomach, you may have gallstones.  I've learned they're pretty common in the population, just many people don't realize their indigestion is from gallstones.  Surgeon told me about 3 or 4 out of ten adult Americans 30 years of age and over have gallstones to some degree.  Indigestion, bloating/gas/belching/flatulence after most meals is an indicator of possible gallstones.  The surgery is very routine, laparoscopic for most patients I'm told, a same-day surgery usually go home the same day.  

Anyhow, I have lifelong PVC's and my gallstone condition definitely aggravates the PVC condition by varying amounts depending on what I eat.  I theorize also that the Vagus nerve plays into digestive problems and PVC's.  Its this long meandering major nerve bundle that runs from your brain stem to your colon area, running near the esophagus and stomach as well as near the heart.  But that's only my theory and I'm far from being a medical authority, LOL.

As above, I too also think some of the screwy food additives in use can aggravate our condition.  Wife and I are definitely label readers when it comes to buying groceries.  We try to steer clear of too much processed food with ingredient lists that read like War and Peace.  

Hey, one thing I just read in this one book by some MD who is into natural whole foods and such is that you should try to use organic sea salt instead of packaged refined table salt.  Has to do with what is done to salt during the refining process, they apparently add some form of aluminum oxide to the bulk salt to keep it from caking during processing, and this means when you use table salt you're getting some trace aluminum as a hidden "extra."  He said basically that the way refined table salt is, the body tends to not use it properly and there for it screws up the balance of sodium with potassium which both need to work synergistically together in the body to regulate all sorts of things, and we all know that potassium is important for heart rythm, so...  we don't want to screw up the sodium/potassium relationship in our bodies, we need it balanced more so than most non-pvc people. So if you're going to use salt, use organic sea salt.  Kosher salt is usually sea salt I think.    

[PVC man]

Maybe MSG which doesn't bother me but seems to bother others.  Chines food also loaded with it.

[bd1967]

  I'm new to the irregular heartbeat problem. My irregularity started about 2 months after my blood pressure medicine was doubled.  Now I'm on a low dose beta blocker (metoprolol) which seems to help the irregularity. I still have it from time to time though.
  A trip to the er got me this list of  non-heart-related causes: certain medicines (asthma inhalers and decongestants);  some herbal supplements; illegal stimulant drugs; caffeine, alcohol and tobacco; medical conditions such as thyroid disease, anemia, anxiety, and panic disorder.
  I've been through a bunch of tests and see a cardiologist Wednesday. I have acid reflux and I'll be asking the doctor about that being a trigger.
  My heart has been doing fine the  last few days, then yesterday I ate some chocolate chip cookies. I have an irregular beat this morning. This is the second time I've experienced this with chocolate. I believe it's a trigger to me.
Does your diet include chocolate?

[Betty46]

if you take soy that can be a problem with panic attacks and racing heart.  I have go through this many times only to find out from my doc that it could very well be soy.  I would always mix a preexercise shake with soy milk and right after get the worst panic attacks of my life.  It just doesnt happen to women either .  A friend of mine who was a trainer even went through it and ended up in the evmergency room weekly until he discovered it was the soy and got off it

[Donna-lee]

Coca cola does it for Stu sends his heart into a spin. Bugger have to drink ginger ale with teh burbon. Lol

[oldie]

Racing heart is not a PVC, which is a skipped beat. You may be chasing up the wrong tree in your research. Take care
oldie

[Barbarella]

Many additives can cause PVC's and a racing heart in "some" people.  Phenylanine which is in most diet sodas for example.  Splenda sweetener can cause it, mono and dyglicerides can do it, for some people caffeine, alcohol, watch out for the ingredients of chinese food, there is one that starts with a "g" watch out for that.  Hydrochloride can cause it in some people prone to PVC's and the list goes on.

[michi885]

sulphur dioxide was the cause of mine (two years of stress, worry, hospitilisations etc) the pharmacist I asked about my script told me all medication for arrythmia causes other arrytmia's so i never got the script filled. I realised one thing. their has to be a cause. a four hour really bad episode kicked in six hours after red wine (lots of it). Finally, an answer, and then detective work. For me, it's sulphur dioxide. it's in everything we eat but it was ineverything I was eating all day, vegemite, cereal with dried fruit, cordial, dips. I only eat natural food now, I don't even get so much as a missed beat which i'v e had for YEARS.

[michi885]

forgot to say, I've had ventricular ectopic beats for two years, (hours of crazy banging around keeping me awake)  but I've had the odd missed beat (which is normal) for years. It is benign, and worry (all that cortisol and other stress hormones) make it worse, so I stopped worrying after about one year, but was interested in the cause as why would a heart just suddenly go all arrythmic? sulphur dioxide in the air causes ventricular arrythmia (a scientific fact) in high enough concentrations, so why wouldt it in food, if you eat enough of it all day?  it's interesting how the medical profession think food doesnt cause anything. I tried going off coffee and chocolate it didnt make any difference thank goodness.  I think its a dose related thing.. also, when you add preservative 220 and its other names and derivatives, to a diet with MSG in large amounts you are really asking for trouble. I'm serious when I say, i've not had so much as one beat that i can feel since cleaning out the pantry. thank god my two coffee's a day don't make any difference. I'm too scared to eat processed food anymore I'm enjoying my 'quiet' heart so much..  I havent' not felt it banging around for so long. good luck to you all in your search, but seriously, it cannot hurt you at all to not eat processed **** so it's worth trying.

[v76]

I have been having Pvc's for many years now...on and off for many. The last year has been all the time. I had gone to a cardiologist at one of the best offices here in Southern California. He ordered all the test, blood , urine, ultra sound and I even had a holter monitor on for 24  hours.At one point during that time (when I was sleeping 3am) it had recorded 150 beats per minute. With an average atrial and ventricular  rate at 92 beats per minute.There was no evidence of hight grade S-A or A-V nodal heart block.
Diagnosis: "Moderate Density Isolated Premature Ventricular Contractions"

"Okay!" I said... how did I get it and how do I get rid of it.

Doc: I don't know how you got it, but you have it. All your lab work is normal, physically there is nothing wrong with you other than the PVC.

"In my opinion  you need to be a bit less stressed".


So, it's stress that brings it on??? I asked.

Doc: well it may be, we are not sure .... in my opinion it is!


Okay....... so I tried not to get so stressed out lately and everything was okay for a wile , but as all you know PVC's don't stop.


Last night  (New Years Even) I had what I call my PVC attacks. Every other beat would come with an extra beat.

I must say: It still freaks me out!!! I had experienced it a million times , yet it still frightens me a lot.

This time I believe was the worst of them all..... I thought about the feeling I had and what I was going through.

I am no Doctor nor am I a Scientist , but I think there is so much more to the story than just stress or the types of food that we eat or not eat.

So I had this horrible attack last night right?!  
I felt like my body wanted to give out yet my brain wanted to fight.
When I have my attacks and they are this bad it takes so much ENERGY out of me.
I felt like I was craving something. I just didn't know what.
Was I hungry? NO!
Was I tired ? NO!
Was I stressed out prior to the attack? NO!
Was I thirsty ? NO! Well, not that I have noticed anyway. I didn't feel thirsty at all.

My husband saw how much I was struggling and he handed me a big glass of Ice Water.Here he said, "drink!" It seemed like I drank that glass of water in one gulp.... yet I really don't remember being thirsty at all.

I drank my second glass of Ice Water and within 15 minutes the PVC's  had gone away.

I haven't had any attacks today... yet!

Look! I can't explain it... I don't even know if it's related, but it's worth looking into.
If/when I have another attack ... it will remember to drink water and see if the same thing happens. If this has happened to you let me know. Heres my email address, ***@****

[dabsinfiction]

I just read your post regarding Splenda. I use it a lot since my wife has diabetes. I just realized that lately the PVC's have stayed since I keep using it. I think I'll go back to sugar for a while and see if that calms things down.

Thanks so much.

[Rita11]

I'm 30 years old female.  I'm new to the PVC's and they are driving me crazy. I feel like there is more my doc could do for me.  It's hard to except that this feeling is normal and my heart is ok.  I've had panic disorder and anxiety all  my life but I've dealt with it. Now I'd rather have the panic disorder instead of these PVC's.  I'm going back to doctor to try to get more answers.  I can't believe the internet has no answers about PVC's.  

[Rita11]

I'm 30 years old female.  I'm new to the PVC's and they are driving me crazy. I feel like there is more my doc could do for me.  It's hard to except that this feeling is normal and my heart is ok.  I've had panic disorder and anxiety all  my life but I've dealt with it. Now I'd rather have the panic disorder instead of these PVC's.  I'm going back to doctor to try to get more answers.  I can't believe the internet has no answers about PVC's.  

[SillyHeart]

Sugar does it for me.  And salty foods (dehydration).  Other than that I can't link it to any specific food.

[jmcacdon]

I can't link mine to any specific foods, either. I seem to be OK for awhile and only have mild symptoms, then they get worse.  I work out, eat really well, don't drink or smoke.  There seems to be no rhyme or reason.
All I know is when I have them a lot, I get really stressed and that is all I can think of.

[DMAB]

Hi all!  I am a 51 year-old female who, 20 years ago was diagnosed with irregular heartbeats (PVC's).  I was on Propranolol for approximately 10 years - very low dose, as my system is super sensitive to drugs of any sort.  Eventually, the symptoms went away and I was off the medication altogether. Now, here I am, 10 years later, suddenly experiencing the PVC's all over again.  In December, I found myself in the ER with the irregular beats occurring about every 3rd beat - and me feeling each and every one of them.  UGH!   I, like so many of you, had a whole battery of tests run, EKG's, holter monitor, blood work, stress echo, etc., with everyone of them coming back just fine.  (Of course, while I was wearing the halter monitor and again when having the stress echo test the PVC's were not happening!)  My cardiologist said that a great deal of people have PVC's, but not everyone feels them.  (For me, I get the sensation of my heart either dropping or turning in my chest, and the feeling of my heart beating up in my throat.)  He went on to explain that a lot of times those who can feel them (besides when lying down on their side) are tall women whose rib cages are narrow (as opposed to a more rounded barrel-shaped rib cage).  He explained what is actually happening with my heart when I experience a PVC --- One chamber beats early, with the 2nd chamber beating on time.  The early beat allows one chamber the extra time to fill with more blood than usual, so when the 2nd beat comes it feels extra strong as it has more blood to push out.  He said that it pushes more blood into my lungs than usual, and that's what gives me the sort of breathless feeling I experience.  He went on to say that I feel the 'super charged' hard beat because it hits at a different place on my chest wall.  I have the urge to cough to regulate my heart, but my cardiologist assures me that coughing will not have any effect on PVC’s.   (He’s right, but I still have the urge to do so anyway!)  After having given me the other tests with all results coming back fine, he assured me over and over again that my PVC’s are benign and totally harmless.  In fact, after the stress echo test, he said the health of my heart is in the top 10% of women my age.  I must admit that his double, triple, quadruple assurances have given me some peace of mind, but I STILL get anxious when the PVC's start.  Tonight I am sitting here with PVC's occurring about every couple of minutes.  He did prescribe metoprolol which I found gave me EXTREME headaches, and have since been back on propranolol for the past 3 weeks.  I worry a bit as I know beta blockers lower blood pressure, as well as heart rates.  My blood pressure generally runs about 110/70 (or lower) and my resting heart rate is in the low 50's. He said not to worry about my blood pressure as long as I am feeling OK, and to just watch my pulse rate.  If it goes below 40/minute I need to cut back on the medication.  (I am only taking 10 mgs in the am and 15 mgs in the evening...sure is hard cutting up those 20 mg tablets!)  Sorry for the long story here, but I did have a couple of questions I'd like to ask to see if anyone has experienced the same results as me:  1.  Are any of you tall women with small rib cages?  2.  Is anyone on propranolol experiencing their fingertips drying out and peeling? (I didn't notice this side effect when I was taking this med years ago, and am trying to figure out, if in fact it's the propranolol that's causing it.)  Thanks so much and here's to strong, healthy hearts for us all in 2009!

[jkfrench]

sulfates and msg cause me problems too.  I ended up in the ER with my first episode of PAT after a plate of chinese food.  Red wine bothers me but not right away.  I wake up around 1am with a racing/skipping heart.  Does beer have sulfate?  I have one or two sips and I swear my heart wil skip.  I stay away from that stuff.  I thought white wine was safer.  There are new organic wines that are supposed to be sulphur free.  Have you heard of any of those?  
to DMAB - I am not tall, just 5'5" but my rib cage is small and narrow.  I too notice all skips and I hate it.  

[Wisconsin2007]

I know this is an old discussion, hopefully you'll get an email notification of the discussion's update.

These are stats I've found recently on other sites:

In a study of elementary-aged students, 10-15% had PVC's.

It's estimated that more than half of people over 40 have PVC's.

It's estimated that 90% of people over 60 have PVC's.

Some feel them, some don't.  I wish I didn't.  But I do.  And for me, sometimes having very few is worse than having thousands in a day (as I've had in the past).

If panic and anxiety are things you live with, they may well be what's triggering your PVC's.  Are you on any medications for the anxiety?  I've read from others here that that can help.  Trying to remove stress from your life can also help (sometimes easier said than done).  Exercising can help (but it can sometimes be a real leap of faith to go stress your heart when the problem is with your heart).

Good luck!

[gemart1]

DMAB - I am tall with a narrow rib cage and when I have my PVCs (if that's what they are, I am still not completely convinced) I feel like my heart is doing back flips (like a frog in my chest).

I have been on bisoprolol for some years now and I haven't noticed dry tips of fingers, but my fingernails when I try to grow them out past 1/8th inch they begin to twist or bend down, not sure if related to the meds though.  I assumed I wasn't getting enough water as my hair is pretty dry and frizzy too, when it didn't used to be.

I have a defibrillator implanted and have gone into v-tach and v-fib with a heart rate above 350.  I had my first shock since it was implanted (8 years ago) which I did pass out just after the shock.  So now I am cursed with panic attacks that come totally out of the blue, plus short term scary heart rhythms.  I do notice it a lot after eating, but I don't think it's the food type, i think it's the food at all.  I had a half of a sandwich (vegetarian) today and I got the beats that make me feel like I may pass out over and over after the sandwich.  (However I don't know if it's something in the whole wheat bread like "high fructose corn syrup")  I do wonder about this vagus nerve though as I have coughed and made v-fib stop.  (but doctor says, "maybe it was about to stop anyway.")  Sometimes the faintness comes too fast to cough though, then it stops.  

One thing I wanted to say though, is before I had my shock I had complained to my doc about having an irregular heartbeat, many pvcs when I didn't used to.  I noticed mostly when lying down on left side in bed.  I once thought to try to relax, take deep belly breaths, etc.  I noticed just changing my breathing from the regular shallow breaths i was breathing to controlled deep breathing (not too fast), they stopped after the third breath.  They were happening every time I would inhale - this brought me to believe that the vagus nerve was getting pressed on or something, but then again doesn't explain the deep breathing helping.  Just thought I'd pass it along as it worked for me.

[April2]

I've noticed too much caffeine, sugar,not enough sleep, stress and dehydration (not enough water) will increase mine, but I also have acid reflux and other digestive issues so I've been getting them a lot lately. I think it's in connection to when I'm having more digestive problems.

[NORTH572]

Stress, Tiredness, Alcohol and above all Aspartame seem to trigger mine. However the stress caused by "Tuning In" to the PVC's seems to be the reason why they stay around for a long time. I used to be able to hear my heart beat when I was walking around/lying down/any position - I was concious of every beat, listening out for the "missed beat". Over a period of months I deliberatly tuned out - stopped listening for them. You start by refusing to feel your pulse when you know that they are happening. Change position in bed, so thay are less obvious etc...
Eventually the stress associated with the PVC's reduces and the attacks are over quicker and further apart.
Today is one of the few I've had in months so i though i would catch up with the latest news on treatments etc... by having a surf...and then i found you lot - fellow sufferers.
I firmly believe PVC's can be managed - so good luck!

[Nent]

I have had PVCs off and on for years, too.  I have gone thru a battery of tests and everything has been normal.  Nevertheless, I noticed that when I have gotten very little sleep the night before that they are worst.  I don't get them every day; however, I have been experiencing them recently because of the recent deaths of two close friends. Thus, I tend to think that mine are stress-related. Anyway, I have been on atenolol for years (A-personality), and now I take Alprazalom as needed.  I don't really like taking the anti-aniety drug but I must say it relieves my symptons within minutes. Thus because the symptons are so frightening, I take the Alprazalom for some relief.  Lately, though, I have been fine until after I eat something (anything).  Now I'm wondering if this has to do with your heart rate after eating.  I remember reading that when the heart rate is slow, the PVCs are likely to occur.  Has anyone experienced this?

Thanks,
Nent

[gemart1]

I was on alprazolam for about 6 months (as needed).  I thought I "needed" it more often after going into v-fib as I was very scared and anxious.  I found that it made everything worse.  Yes it brought relief for a period of time after taking it, but I soon found that my anxiety worsened and I couldn't go without taking it.  I've been off it for over 2 months and I am still having weird "head spinning" symptoms (vertigo?).  I can't say for sure, but I believe the xanax caused these symptoms because they were much worse when I would go without the xanax, and severe when I tried to stop it completely (cold turkey).

As far as PVCs are concerned, if you have no symptoms of lightheadedness or coming close to passing out while having the PVCs, I would try, as someone said above, and put it out of your mind.  PVCs are normal and there's nothing you can do to stop them and they are not dangerous.  Worrying about them only perpetuates the anxiety which probably causes more.  

That being said, in the past I complained to a doctor about palpitations (PVCs?) and I had an EKG, echo, mini stress test, and nothing was found.  Nothing was found until I actually went into V-tach at the hospital (they had to see it happen to believe it) I was 34.  They still don't know what I have but they suspect ARVD that can only be diagnosed with a MRI which I cannot have now because I have the defibrillator implanted.  However, there's nothing different that can be done if they did knew what it was.

[digger50]

Hi
I have a slow irregular Heart  and have tried all beta blockers and calcium channel blockers none work  with very bad side effects pulse down to 45 and irregular BP 96/56  with verapimil great for a while then Heart went into very fast mode at rest needed a Hospital visit .due to see cardiologist again  in 2 weeks .
As to Food I have found cutting out SALTY foods like Crisps e.t.c.and cutting down on SALT added to food helps me a lot ,not a cure but I do know if my intake of SALT is to high even though I dont use a lot of SALT, give it a try it may help you.
regards
Roly

[Madge270]

I too, am a tall woman with smaller rib cage. You might be on to something here. I'm saving this message strand.