PALPITATION

[ravi58]

I am 54. I used to smoke about 40 cigarettes a day (I completely gave it up 27 years ago) I used to be a heavy drinker as well. Since 1995 I have almost stoopped drinking. I used to take lots of tea, have been suffering from accute constipation during my young days. Got operated for inguinal hernia (both sides) and appendix between 2005 & 2008) Sometime in 2003, I started feeling miss beat of heart, which used to feel more after having food and while lying down. After visits to many a doctors and many an ecg, the problem could not be documented untll January this year when a cardio in Delhi understood it and related it my tea intake. He advised me to go low on tea and take only 1 pantaprozole 40 mg twice daily for 15 days. The problem completely vanished after about three weeks of this treatment. Thereafter, I reduced on tea, changed to green tea, lemon tea, light tea from time to time but the problem resurfaced from time to time. However, with same treatment of pantaprozole I would get relief withing 10 - 15 days. For about 3 months now I am totally off tea but the problem still comes on. Yesterday I saw another cardio who again advised to start pantaprozole 40 mg once a day and said it could be related to gastroentritis/ infection in duodenum. Can I have views please on how to address it.

[Jerry_NJ]

Good thing you gave up the smoking, I too quite about 25 years ago.  I doubt that the  past smoking is the source of your current heart rhythm problems.  In the USA too much coffee is more likely to be a problem than too much tea, but  in either case I think moderation is a good practice  I don't believe it is necessary to stop drinking tea/coffee altogether, but a non-caffeine brew may be best.

I suffer from AFib and don't seem to have any aggravation of this problem from having a couple of caffeine drinks a day (coffee and tea).   I have such drinks in the morning only.

[Bamajoe]

It is very interesting indeed that your doctors seem to relate the rythmn and touble. I too have both. I have PVC's and som A fib. I also have a hiatial hernia, gerd, and some esophogeal spasms. I have suspected they are linked together as well. Keep us all posted on what you find out.