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170935 tn?1225371076

PVCs back but this time i know why....

Hope everyone is well :)

A quick question:
Why is it whenever i become careless with my diet and get indigestion/acid etc my pvcs come back?
I have months and months with no pvcs but as soon as my tummy gets upset the pvcs come back?? Does anyone else get this??
37 Responses
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584903 tn?1233831386
I had a similaar thing on Monday night where I had been pvc free for a few weeks but something really upset my stomach which was gurgling away like mad and I had hours of terrible pvc's which kept me awake until 3'ish the next morning.
My stomach is Ok again now and my pvc's have gone!
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Its strange that many doctors seem reluctant to acknowledge a relationship between acid reflux and palpitations.  I am convinced that it contributes to the problem.  I never have heart palpitations in the morning on an empty stomach.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I suffer from celiac disease, a condition known for causing bloating and irritation in the digestive tract with a slew of other potential issues. It seems whenever I am heavily 'glutened' I experience a few days of PVCs which resolve over the course of a few more days carefully watching the content, timing, and quality of my diet. They seem worse in the morning but resolve once I put good food inside of me. Presence or absence of nicotine, THC and CBD seemed to have no effect one way or another.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes! I have silent reflux and get periods where I'm constantly burping, then I notice a higher frequency of pvc. If I have a lot of acid and gas it seems like I get positional pvcs as well.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
A few years ago or so I suffered from these same issues.  I began to notice that I would have PVC's after eating.  Sometimes only for a little while and other times it could go on for over an hour.  I went through the same ordeal that many of you have talked about here.  I persistently told my doctors about how my PVC's seemed to be linked to digestion or gas and was told that there was no known relation.  It was very frustrating being told the same thing all the time and never being able to do something about a very alarming and annoying issue.  Then in 2009 something changed.  I began noticing a much quicker irregular beating at random times - Sometimes after eating but when it would happen became much more random.  After two more doctor visits one doctor decided to have me do a stress test (treadmill) asap.  I got lucky and they were able to catch what I was feeling during the stress test.  It turned out that I was now having the very dangerous arrhythmia ventricular tachycardia.  These where very short runs of v-tach.  Maybe only for about 4 to 5 seconds before it corrected itself and returned to normal rhythm.  All of the tests that I had had done on my heart up to that point showed that, structurally, my heart was very healthy so the doctors were perplexed when I started having v-tach.  More tests were run and the same results showed.  My heart was structurally fine.  Then I met the amazing cardiologist that would ultimately figure out what was happening to me and set the wheels in motion for me to get it resolved.  He arranged for me to have an EP (electrophysiology) study and they discovered that I had 3 spots in my right ventricle that where misfiring.  This created a bad pathway that was causing my v-tach.  Once they discovered the 3 "bad" spots they did a procedure called cardiac ablation which essentially blocked the 3 bad spots and prevented the v-tach.  The procedure itself was very easy.  I was able to leave the next day and haven't had any more v-tach.  I still get random PVC’s from time to time but not often & my Doctor said that is normal and no big deal.  The best part is that I don’t get them after eating anymore.  What was interesting, though, was that all three spots were in the area of the right ventricle that ran right up against my esophagus.  My doctor believed that this may have been why I was having issues after eating.  His theory was that the eating (swallowing food in particular) may have stimulated the area triggering the arrhythmias.  Apparently an issue with PVC’s and digestion is an area where very little study has been done.  I would suggest to anyone that is having ectopic heart beats after eating to find out more about an EP study from your cardiologist.  I cannot tell you the relief I felt after the procedure.  An important note to add to this post so that I don't scare the crap out of anyone  --  The fact that I began having short runs of v-tach as a result of the misfiring spots in my heart was apparently a very rare problem.  My doctor said that normally this issue only leads to PVC's or PAC's.  I merely wanted to share the story and share the info on the EP study and ablation just in case someone else finds them self in the same scenario.      
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My doctor says they are very much related to the food you eat, i can clearly link it with heavy meals, fried food and red meat.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
PS, forgot to mention the reason posting is I am having a strange episode this time that has now lasted 46 days so far instead of my usual 5-9 days. Thought something might really be wrong with me this time so got a echocardiogram and my heart is that of a young athlete I am told with no issues yet having this problem. The first 15 days I had pvcs 24 hours a day with many bi and tri skips around 20-30 skips per minute then the last four weeks it changed to just 8 hours a day then the last week down to just a few hours a day but nothing from 10PM to 10 AM which leads me to think something is relaxing in my stomach. The day before this started I ate chicken and rice and felt a tiny sharp piece go down maybe a tiny bone so may have scratched something in my stomach. The other thing to note is when I am having pvcs and am in the heat loading home furniture and pouring sweat my pulse is perfect. Once I slow down it goes back to skipping about 6-12 times a minute. Really hoping the GI doc will find something in my stomach to explain what I long knew was related to my episodes. Also regarding vagus nerve issues I used to get massage regular and have gone about 8 months without massage and my neck muscles are very tight so started back to getting massaged to see if that helps. Maybe a tight neck knot is stimulating the vagus nerve.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Im a 40 yr old female experiencing exactly what you are saying. Ive seen a cardiologist for a year with no result. Im just curious if you ever found out what was going on? I would love to get some relief!
Avatar universal
Hi Everyone, since I was 8 years old I would have episodes for 5 days about every few months. I KNEW at a young age that spicy food kicked them off especially saucy foods. I am VERY active, black belt hapkido and taekondo, ex military, rescue diver, horse trainer, powerlifter etc. 60 resting heart rate, 110/60 BP, perfect blood work, life insurance 500,000 and my insurance actually gave me an extra 100,000 free for being platinum health customer. Yet once every 3-6 months I have a 5 day episode usually brought on by stress or something bad I ate like gravy etc. This has gone on all my life and the last few years (now I am 50) I have had to stop squating down when opening boxes for more than 10 minutes at a time because it will set off pvcs. I now have to sit boxes on a table or chair when opening and removing contents for work. This is yet another obvious reminder that my pvcs are set off by something in the stomach in this case when I am bent over for long periods of time. I have set up a GI appointment to put a camera down and look into my stomach and see if something is pushing against vagus nerve or some other strange think down in my stomach that could be causing this. Hiatal Hernia runs in my family. I also cut out soda a year ago because I found out it causes hernia that can push against the vagus nerve and cause pvcs. Cheese should also be cut out 90% of your diet as many have lots of oil and anything oily will set off my pvcs such as chips.  I have also been to three cardiologists in my life while having pvcs and they told me they are normal nothing to do about them. Makes me feel better but never makes you think your about to die when having these episodes.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You took the words out of my mouth about doctors there. Excellent post
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
"Doctors that have more education and training than your entire family"?? And how exactly do you know you're not addressing someone who's entire family has PhDs ? How incredibly

In my experience most doctors practice medicine that is twenty years old because they are too busy to keep up with the latest research, and only those who are most passionate about their careers or are actively in research actually keep up with the latest knowledge.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I started having PVCs in 1999.  My first thought was that they were related to an endoscopy with dilatation that I had after getting food caught in the lower part of my esophagus.  After a 2 years, all the heart tests, my doctor, prescribed 37.5 mg/day Effexor.  Once I started taking Effexor they disappeared.  I also take Liptor, Diovan, and Prevacid.  I do have GERD.  In 2010 I stopped the Effexor and 5 months later the PVCs started up again.  I would like to get off all the meds but the Effexor worked and I am considering going back on it.  The stress seems to be the culprit however, when I feel stressed, really stressed I don't seem to get PVCs.  The arise at times of no stress.  Alcohol does cause episodes but I drank while taking Effexor and had no episodes.  I am off all caffeine, no garlic, onion, tomato, or spices.  Effexor is not for everybody and can have side fx.  I think even a lower does would work but 37.5 is the smallest they come.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I also have skipped or extra beats only when my stomach or chest is burning.It is somewhat of a relief to know I'm not the only one.i never experience this until the burning starts and can predict it right before it happens.Its such a disappointment that no one can figure this out or at least I haven't read anything that can explain it.Its frustrating and scary and I try to keep myself calm so I don't panic.If anyone has any new information please share it.Thank you
Helpful - 0
363281 tn?1643235611
Great post Marya, I agree totally. I just ate a rather big meal, and I think my hiatal hernia would like to play a game of "jump" with my heart, I am trying to stay relaxed though and not get too upset.

I have not found one doctor that will really come right out and say my PAC's are related to tummy problems, it infuriates me, the only one that comes close is my chiropractor. Just the same, I keep telling the docs it IS related and they keep looking at me and saying they don't really know. UGH, grrrrrrrr.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just had a bad episode last night after eating the wrong foods and a slightly stressful work day.

Doctors do not have all the answers.  In fact, rather than speculate a connection, they will tell you (if they have not learned it) there is no connection.  Also, it seems that there is a problem with specialists talking to each other as the cardiologist does not understand the specialty of gastroenterology.  In fact, once I was admitted to the hospital for severe abdominal pain.  I had two things going on in my lower stomach, one involved the large intestine the other my uterus (as I had been bleeding for 8 weeks).  I had to laugh when the gastroenterologist visited me at bed-side and suggested I return as an outpatient for a gastroscopy.  She suspected bleeding in my stomach just because I was severely anemic.  At that point I became angry and bluntly asked her if she had confirmed with my gyne that I had been bleeding for 8 weeks.  She said NO and sheepishly left the room.  End of story, I was diagnosed with a uterine polp and large fibroid.  A DNC and later a hysterectomy corrected for this.
Case in point:  The medical profession is so specialized they are incapable of finding the source of the problem beyond their field of knowledge.  Ego plays a big factor as well as they will not admit "they do not have an answer". They will stick with what they learned in medical school rather than risk a speculation that could lead to malpractice.

If doctors new everything, they would not have prescribed drugs like Viox and others, procedures to cure mental illness ....like labotomy's only to find out later that these things were in fact harmful to the human body.

There are very few good diagnosticians today.  Most doctors get paid for reading lab reports and are too busy to connect the dots.  Few are willing to "think outside of the box."  

It is good to have this forum.  True sufferers of PVC's understand the triggers of stress and food.  It seems to make sense to me if the hiatal sphincter is protruding through the diaphram into the chest cavity, the pressure of over-eating or eating spicy foods that irritate the stomach lining will cause more vagal nerve activity.  The word vagal translation is "wandering" as in wandering nerve.  It is the largest nerve with branches throughout the body that regulates all the autonomic processes like breathing, heartrate, digestion and so on.  Ever scratch a dogs neck and have his back leg start a thumpin?  Dogs and human nervous systems are interconnected in ways that science does not thoroughly understand.  Perhaps this is why acu-puncture works for many.

There are a few great doctors out there who are capable of "thinking outside of the box" and making the connections by the treating the body as a whole.  Thank God for them.

It is hard for me to understand why someone hasn't come up with a combo pill that would address this issue by reducing stomach acid and a little somethin to address the vagal response at the same time.  It has the potential to be a nice money-maker as there are many that have been reporting this and also far more suffers that are unreported.  

Marya Taylor    
Helpful - 0
203342 tn?1328737207
Hmm, interesting. I wonder if this is what's going on with me? I noticed my PVC's are back and had wondered why. The interesting thing is they first came on, or when I first noticed them, about a year and a half ago. A few months later I was doubled over in pain and went to the ER. Came to discover I had a blockage in my small intestine. I had the surgery and the PVC's seemed to disappear. I haven't had the PVC's now for a year but all of a sudden, the last few weeks, I'm getting them constantly again. I'm wondering why? I'm wondering if this could have anything to do with my digestive issues. I was diagnosed with Crohns after they biopsied the mass they removed. Interesting thought.
I know stress, lack of sleep and caffeine can make them worse but I didn't think anything changed that significantly lately.
I wonder if I should see the doctor again or not? I'm wondering if I could have a flare up again. Hmm.
Helpful - 0
584903 tn?1233831386
only just read this but find it interesting. When i ended up in hospital with a suspected heart attack all those years ago they kept me in for a week and ran loads of tests but found nothing wrong.
when i was discharged and asking 'what happened' one doctor told me that in his opinion my incident was caused by alcohol irritating my stomach which affected the vagus nerve and mimicked the symptoms , for me, of an heart attack.
Since then i have proved many times that alcohol does do this to me and when i have an upset stomach I will also have PVC's. Too much alcohol will also cause me to have a prolonged SVT incident.
So i do not have any medical knowledge but i have spent years watching my bodies reactions and know that for me there is a 100% connection.
dave
Helpful - 0
170935 tn?1225371076
nikgirl
I find that hormones cause my stomach problems too. Around ovulation my tummy gets very bloated and thats when i get a lot of acid and gas which can trigger the pvcs and sometimes the svt!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Your are right! Everyone has different symptoms and triggers, and the stomach for me is one as well, Eat a large meal or something greasy and heavy and my heart will skip for hours, but very small meals with chicken and fish make my heart and my body feel so much better and helps my mind think Iam doing the right thing for it so my overall health feels better. Everyone needs to find out what works for them bc PVC's are not going away but we dont have to let them rule our lives, bc if you let them, they will, I know, they did for years.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my pacs act up completely when i'm bloated...but i relate all this to hormones making my upper stomach and gall-bladder being sluggish...then i go into a spiral of svt...i have completely changed my diet...and lost a lot of weight also from this....i also stick to a bland diet...spicy food, greasy food, alcohol - which i haven't had in over 2 years would make my heart act up...even i found...
wearing tight clothing around my stomach...also sends my heart into svt....it really ***** cause i hate svt...it's really scary...it feels like my upper heart is going way too fast and my lower heart is trying to keep up...
but pvcs, pacs and svt is definitely linked to your stomach....
Helpful - 0
170935 tn?1225371076
Thanks outtarhythm :)

JONDSAM:

I can tell you that i have NEVER felt any pvcs when i have no acid reflux or stomach gas. I have years with none because i treat the acid and indigestion with meds and diet but recently i had a stressful time in my life and stopped taking my acid meds and stopped eating and my pvcs are back now but i know that when i take control again the pvcs will hopefully dissappear again.
I spent a lot of money and time visiting EPs and cardiologists in England and eventually i was told that in MY case my trigger definitely was acid etc. Its true there are many other triggers too but for ME it is all stomach related.
Just recently i went through a VERY stressful time and i had NO pvcs until the effect of stress took a toll on my digestive system and i started getting severe acid reflux and stomach gas.

I have no reason to LIE! In fact there are many people that think that acid/gas triggers their pvcs too why would we lie? How does that even make sense??
If your trigger for pvcs is not acid/gas related then thats YOU not me your circumstances/symptoms must be different, find your own triggers thats fine but please do not say i am  posting things that are not true because they are for me hence why the pvcs that i used to have 24/7 now dissappear for years thank God.
Helpful - 0
363281 tn?1643235611
I, too, get those nasty PVC's after I eat, I especially notice them when I feel bloated, or when my tummy just feels out of sorts. Acid Reflex makes them act up too as does my hiatal hernia. The stomach and heart are so close and there are so many nerves associated with them, I am not surprised that one thing is not related to the other.

It seems to me, I do remember one doctor here that did say that the PVC's can be related to stomach problems, etc. I can not remember which one though.

Anyway, they are no fun, and for me, I am even afraid at times to have a drink of water as that can start them. Dang, I hate them.
Helpful - 0
520292 tn?1232035850
Sorry if I was rude to you.  I should not post on here when I have had a bad day.  Furthermore, acid reflux is is not fun as my uncle got throat cancer from it.  I am sorry to hear about your condtion, and I hope it improves.  I wish we all knew the real reasons behind PVC's and find a cure for them.  I believe that your reflux does affect your pvc's because triggers are different for everyone.  Once again I apologize for being to blunt earlier as I did not mean to **** you off

GoOd ByE
Helpful - 0
520292 tn?1232035850
Why come on here and comment on things that are not the truth.  If you would like me to sugar coat everything, then what is the point of this post.  Sometimes you have to be honest with yourself and not try to deny everything.  If im rude I only mean to help.
Helpful - 0
212633 tn?1277307127
I have noticed that many of your replies are pretty rude and nasty. People who come to these boards are looking for others to help calm their fears or just simply be supportive...They're definitely not coming here to read your sarcastic, unfeeling remarks. If all you have to offer are snide, juvenille lingo ie. ROFL, OMG, LOL to those who do not find what they're going through at all funny! why do you bother? Do you have nothing more to do with your time? And according to one of your past posts...refer to yourself as an RN! Were you asleep the day they talked about bedside manner?

In response to the above statement made by the Dr:

"Some people comment about increased PVCs after meals.  There is not a lot written or studied about this.  It may have to do with the vagus nerve, but there is no definitive evidence of that. "

This was written by a Doctor so what do you have to say about that???

Well, we could argue the same thing since there is no evidence to say that it doesn't. So, for future reference it might be best if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing. Didn't your mother teach you that one?


Helpful - 0
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