Stomach/intestinal gas realated palps/afib

[tigger2211]

Im posting this in hopes that somebody out there is going through the same thing as me and has found a "cure"!

I get heart palpitations and episodes of afib from stomach and intestinal gas. Been to the doc, heart is fine, blood work is fine, blah blah blah. Been reading FAR too many posts where Dr's do NOT believe that there is a connection between stomach issues and heart rhythm and Im starting to get VERY frustrated. You can't call yourself a Dr, if you're not going to LISTEN to your patient and BELIEVE them. I know for FACT that it is stomach gas that is causing my arrythmia! Nobody knows my body like "I" know my body, but nobody is willing to listen and help.

Anyway, I have lost 35lbs over the span of a couple of years because of this. If I eat too much, my heart palpitates like crazy, so there are times where I've resorted to eating toddler size portions because I didn't want to "upset" my heart. I don't know why this has even started to begin with?! If I have trapped gas in my stomach and twist or bend over the "wrong" way, then my heart goes into afib.

I've been trying to find a cure for the stomach issues in hopes it will fix the heart ones. Changed diet, researched stomach diseases, meds after meds after teas after vitamins, blah blah blah. Nothing. Its still happening. I DO have a thyroid nodule, but it is benign and my TSH is in the "low normal" range. So, I don't know if maybe that has something to do with it? Doesn't matter anyway, cuz my stupid doctor is doing nothing to help me figure this out.

I have lost ALL faith in doctors and pray that I don't get a serious illness or injury because Im sure to be left to die. Im on my own now and resorting to the help of fellow sufferers.

I just really want to know why this came out of nowhere and how to make it stop. Of ALL the health issues in the world, I had to get THIS one. I know it could be worse, but this is ruining my life and the lives of my children because I cant do anything or go anywhere because god forbid, I have a freakin' heart attack in the middle of the grocery store because some stupid doctor "has no idea whats wrong with me, see's no connection between the stomach and the heart, pushes pills saying its just anxiety, etc......".

SOOOO sorry for sounding ignorant, but Im beyond fed up living like this. Please help!!

[sian333]

Hi there.

I feel your frustration. Really. I am here for you if you need to chat!

I stumbled across a great doctor who actually told me there IS a connection between gas and PACs/PVCs. He said pressure in your stomach puts pressure on your heart. He said it's common sense. I'm glad he uses his brain, cos it does honestly seem like a lot of other doctors don't.

I always notice my arrhythmia is worse after a big meal, especially pizza for some reason. I love pizza. LOL.

[iamfaithful]

Hey there.  I have dealt with this before and you are correct.  I get weird "rumblings" in my chest as well as PVC's because I am unable to  eat much because of my anxiety.  Therefore the gas starts and then I feel it in my chest.  Hang in there.  It is hard because you feel like the doctors are not listening to you and it can be nerve racking to say the least! Be encouraged!

[ProximaCentauri]

I posted the below on Dec 15, 2017. As I think it is perhaps significant, I am presenting it here so it will appear at the top of this thread:

"I suffer from most or all of the symptoms described by posters in this forum. My doctors dismiss any connection to the gut - yet here is what I found: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roemheld_syndrome.

This EXPLAINS IT ALL. From my own experience, I can categorically state it applies a hundred percent to my symptoms.

The strangest part of it is, Roemheld Syndrome appears to be recognized as a distinct condition only in Germany.

I hope this helps ..."

[RBBat]

I had the same problem. Palpitations that started after I ate, when I walked, when I was hungry,etc. Doctors argue that it didnt have anything to do with the stomach.  Against my PCP and Cardiologist advice, I booked an appt with a Gastroenterologist and asked for an endoscopy, because i had read in one of these blogs that a iatal hernia could be the culprit. Sure enough, I had a small iatal hernia and that was putting pressure on my esophagus and making my chest muscles contract and trigger my palpitations. He precribed pantoprazole in the morning before eating breakfast and pepcid at night before going to sleep for 3 months and Ive been palpitations free for 4 months now. Not taking medications anymore. If they come back, I know what i have to do. Hope this info can help. Good luck!

[Jenn1302]

Stomach gas can cause arrhythmia by irritating the vagus nerve. This condition has a name. It's called gastric cardia (or Roemheld syndrome)

[Nikkilong75]

SVT and atrial fibrillation are known to be triggered by large meals and acid reflux. The vagus nerve runs past your stomach and left side of your heart, causing it to become irritable when food or acid in your esophagus gets close to it. Cold drinks can trigger atrial fibrillation as well, for the same reason

[Joseph359]

This is a wide-spread problem, which for some reason doctors ignore.  Gerd/gastritis, etc can irritate the vagus nerve causing palpitations and sometimes leading to afib. Hiatal hernia can also contribute to this problem/cause this problem. Hiatal hernia is when the top of your stomach pushes up through the diaphragm.
I’m doing everything I can think of; weight loss; Apple cider vinegar; probiotics; beano before meals; and drinking aloe juice 2xday.
Beano seems to really help. I recommend taking care of gut health and trying to be as healthy as possible.
I believe someday there will be a simple fix to this issue but for now, for whatever reason, physicians won’t even acknowledge it. It’s shameful on their parts.

[Royal53]

Hi I'm Roy .I'm going through the same thing .I'd like to talk to you 920-479-5662

[doro722]

AFIBs are not that dangerous. The only dangerous thing about AFIBS are you can get a stroke. That is why a blood thinner is the most important thing you can do for your AFIB.

[wooskie75]

I was told by an er nurse that it's most likely a vagal nerve response. That is the nerve responsible for regulating heart lung and digestive organs the wrong stimulation and your bpm can increase or decrease. Dunno just thought id throw that out there. Ive cut gluten or am in the process of and seems to be improving.

[RustyRus]

I, too have palpitations after eating a big meal. I’ve lost roughly 10 pounds in a month because of this. Small meals hardly effects my heart rhythm, but big meals make it race.

[Gooch06]

Way to go tigger2211 for losing the weight. There has to be some connection with cardiac & gastrointestinal. I've always suffered from palpitations for years but they're slowly getting worse, stronger skipped beats felt & last throughout the day & night off and on versus just an episode here or there. They're now coming on after almost every meal. My heart checks & holitor monitor show nothing serious just benign. It's toally ruining the quality of my life! I know others can relate. I'll try the advice someone said of the FODMAP diet see if that helps relax this dang Vagus nerve. Oh for the record I'm on Losartan HCT, motropolol at night, multi vit, cQ10, 500mg magnesium oxide & omega 3's. I also heard that beano or gas ex strips you put on your tongue might help? Prilosec only helped a little.

[Funzie1234]

I am having the exact same thoughts and issues,

[Funzie1234]

I seem to get it from gas in chest. I feel gurgling, once gas is removed heart heart imeadiatly goes to normal. I walk every day eat low carb diet and feel great when feeling is gone. I am concerned but sure it happens after meals heart rate is normally 60 bpm if some has some answers please call because I can use some ideas. Started about 10 months ago.  

[Czeslaw_W]

I had the same problems. In my case, I stopped eating bread. It was the cause of gastrointestinal problems and consequently heart rhythm disturbances. I went on a gluten free diet and it helped.

[GlikeGiraffe]

Below is a message I sent to somebody who commented on a different post but it really applies to this question as well I can relate to this we are told its anxiety way too often without any Real explanation.  That's also why am here.

Hello Rob ! (rob225)

Good lord finally someone who feels the same way as me. I read your detailed post about the heart arrhythmias you were experiencing. Honestly, your post really felt like I wrote it myself some details are just part of the story of my life. I am glad you feel better. Also thank you so much for sharing your experience.

My issue is mostly Tachycardias 160/200 Bpm and occasional skipped beats. Most of the time it happens at rest and in the evenings but it could be morning or afternoon as well.

Had Tachys since I was a kid but now it's way more frequent and they last longer. Am 33 btw, went from 210 lbs to 180 lbs in the past 6 months, 6'4 very tall, am a computer tech so sitting on my desk all day but very active outside I worked out a lot, biking, swimming, weight ...but now I stopped all that suddenly and my only workout is going for a walk and lite stretching. Lifting weights or running makes me short of breath and tired quickly and that increases the chances of getting a tachy latter or the next day.

Whenever I get a tachy I have to get a trip to ER to stop the Tachycardias using Adenosine injection. It doesn't go away on its own after 30 seconds or one minute like it used to.

Just like you, I always believed my condition was related to my stomach. Here are some of the triggers:

- Wearing tight belt/pant
- It happens Guaranteed if I bend to pickup something especially when my belt is tight or/and am full; always felt something was physically interfering with my heart. But docs don't see that
- Happened after shower with my towel around my waist I bent to lotion my leg and I ended up at the hospital
- Any exercises that applies pressure on the chest
- Any movement that compresses the chest mostly from the bottom like
- Sitting with my back not straight and that pressures the chest a lot from the top and the bottom both sides.
- Bloating, eating big meals, specially gas stuck in my chest or stomach this one happens a lot I feel better after when the gas is out or when I have bowel movement.
- Acid reflux
- Sleeping on left side but feel better on right side.
- Discomfort sleeping on the back
- Sudden movements like sitting on bed abruptly
- Yawning and Stretching especially when tired After long days or in the morning
- Laughing hard :D
- Some irregular beats will just make me jump out of my seat or out of bed or wake me up, kind of scary I feel like I stop breathing for a moment or something and I wake up fast to breath.

When it comes to cold drinks I have noticed that when drinking cold smoothies I just feel discomfort I can't really tell if it was a skipped beat or anything like that but I do know I feel some chest discomfort.

Last but not least I would like to ask you what kind of specialist you saw, a cardiologist or Gastroenterologist ? Any helpful comments you may have are appreciated !

Cheers my friend. Take good care of yourself.

[GreenEyedJanine]

Wow, this is all so new to me. I have felt gassy and like their is a pressure on my heart.  I actually went to the ER the other day because my heart rate would not come down.  They ran a lot of tests and said my heart was normal, and said I had anxiety.  I KNOW what I feel though.  Thank you all for these suggestions, I am going to try them.

[jelg]

I have exactaly the same problem.  The cure is to eat small portions and avoid foods that cause allergies, in my case; rice, wheat  (gluten), milk products and beans. The other day I had a big meal with rice and the stomach inflammation, pressed my heart (that is the real connection), and gave me a very serios arrhythmia. I thought it Washington a heart attack. After 30 minutes the heart stabilized at 137 beats per minute. After terrible hours and almost no sleep; I discovered that a sudden push in the stomach returned my heart to my normal 50 bpm. I only gerardo excellent comento related to my heart in my anual médical exam. Hope this helos; I have a perfecto y normal, high physical activity

[Mynameiswendy]

Oops sorry for typos in my post, should say "methane dominant"

[GeorgeHP]

I know I am a little late on the post but there is a connection between gut and the vagus which leads to palpitations and/or AFIB. I was diagnosed AFIB in 2015. It started when I was 50. Did many heart test, went to the gastro and had an endo and colonoscopy. Nothing.... They told me there was no connection.

I went on to do some research on my own. Found that a change of diet (reduce wheat and gluten) reduced alcohol consumption and meditation helped a lot. Started exercising because I also had some anxiety. This reduced my stress over the AFIB episodes. Lastly I started taking supplements that helps the Vagus and stomach. Magnesium (500mg) and aloe. Apple cider vinegar is great when you are bloated. And finally I do mediation and some yoga.

All these things reduced my AFIB to almost nothing. I may get them on occasion but very seldom. I am off the medications they had me on and feel much better.

All these things do help!

[Mynameiswendy]

I can relate to what you wrote re having irregular beats and diet, etc.  I also went to cardiologist and was checked out and he said everything ok.  I already had a hunch that gas pressure causing my rhythm issue by putting pressure on, or irritating vagus nerve, and did research and realized i might have sibo.  Started eating less and lower carb no alcohol, etc and gastro breath tested for sibo and i do have it (methane doninant).

It's hard to treat so controlling symptoms with diet, magnesium for increased motility, and stress reduction and i am about to start yoga.

Reading what others write about their experience helps me stay calm and not give in to much to my anxiety re having palpitations and skipped beats, etc.while i wait for effective treatment for the type of sibo i have (an medication is in works and should be approved soon).

[RGB12345]

I have a similar issue. There are just times when my heart goes into arrhythmia and beats irregularly. I know it is related to my digestive system. In the past, the arrhythmia would go away after my 2nd bowel movement. I've had the problem now for at least 10 years, and it seems to occur more frequently now and lasts longer. I recently turned 59. Both my cardiologist and gastroenterologist think I'm crazy. Both are useless...

I have some pressure in my feet and believe it is related to peripheral neuropathy. I have some nerve loss in my feet and actually can barely feel them anymore. But, my hands are fine.

I also have had a white bowel movement before. This is caused by a blockage in the biliary tube system, which is comprised of the gallbladder, liver, and pancreas. The most common cause is gallstones. Fortunately, that issue cleared itself up within 24 hours. Otherwise, I would have had to go to the hospital where they most likely would have removed my gallbladder.

My sister had her gallbladder out about 20 years ago. She said that the doctor told her that it was full of gallstones. She is about 13 years older than I am, and is doing fine now.

To others that are having issues with their digestive system causing heart arrhythmia - try eating pineapple. I buy canned Dole foods pineapple. But, I suspect that fresh pineapple or pineapple juice would be better. It is not a perfect solution, but it definitely helps. I also am planning on trying the Aloe solution that someone above mentioned.

[Marcyjo62]

Y'all don't even know how comforting to read so many people with same symptoms. I've been deenough with PAF for 21 years off and on and is ALWAYS associated with stomach issues. Especially when I had gallery bladder disease,  but still flares up when I am having esophageal spasms from eating the wrong food or overeating. I've had so many tests on my heart over the years with the same results. My cardiologist said my heart is beautiful...all arteries clear and valves work properly. I took propranolol ES 60 MG daily for over a year while I was dealing with my gallery bladder issues. Prior to that, it had been 10 years since I had an episode of PAF. After my surgery,  I discontinued the Propranolol and only take a half of a 10 MG Propranolol if symptoms occur. After reading some of the comments,  I am definitely going to change my eating habits. Thanks for sharing everybody!!

[Tryeverything]

Try taking GABA. It worked to resolve my PVCs which were closely linked to my esophageal, epigastric issues. Go online and look up articles about GABA and PVCs. I took 500mg twice a day for a long time and it worked like magic...I actually started out taking even more than that but I think 500mg twice a day is sufficient. I'm down to 500mg daily now and some days I take less or skip and am still PVC free. There is good science supporting why this therapy has worked. Palpitations are even documented to be a symptom of GABA deficiency. Give it a try. It not only has resolved the PVCs but has resolved the trapped gas and inability to belch issues. The PVCs are caused by the vagus nerve which is strongly influenced by the parasympathetic nervous system which is in turn influenced to a large degree by GABA levels. I have studied everything I could get my hands on and have come to the conclusion that the GABA works and the reasons it works is rooted in good science. When I spoke to 3 cardiologists at my work, they all agreed that it makes sense that it would work and they all said they would try tori patients on the GABA before trying them on beta blockers. There is real hope for people with benign PVCs here. You can order GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) at any Heath food store or on line. GABA is an amino acid that your body makes from glutamine and vit B6. It works as a neuro transmitter in your brain and body. Read all you can on the Internet about it. I started looking on yahoo search engine..."GABA and PVCs" and that's where my study started. By the time I connected the dots, I decided that it might help and wouldn't hurt to give it a try. I am PVC free now and have been for months. I know now that I was GABA deficient and that I had a GABA deficiency crisis which triggered a flood of chronic and frequent PVCs as well as upper GI digestive/gas issues. The crisis in my case was triggered by a period of prolonged high stress (I built a house while working full time as a nurse and was my own contractor.) I sure hope people will give this therapy a try. It has been a miracle for me.

[JACQUI10]

I've been dealing with VTach for almost a year now. I am 33 yrs old. I've started noticing a pattern related to fullness or over eating and my arrythmia. I noticed that the times my VTach starts, is when I'm full, bloated, over weight, or gassy.  I truly feel there is a correlation between the two. I now eat minni meals with fear of another episode. I do feel that I am burping up more air than usual. I think if I get the bloating/burping issue solved, that I can prevent my episodes from happening.  This question you posted makes me feel better that others have had this problem and I'm not alone. Yet, in turn, I feel that it may be over looked by cardiologists or even EP specialists. I will discuss this in detail with my EP and see what his thoughts are.

[Ariellaa]

I have had issues with AF SVT and ectopic beats. I was hospitalised numerous times from severe episodes. I felt like it was ruining my life and getting worse and knew it was somehow related to digestion. I started an autoimmune protocol diet that eliminates nuts, seeds, grains, dairy, spices, nightshades and any artificial flavours colours and preservatives. About a week into it I noticed no more ectopic beats or runs of SVT or AF. When I started to add back some foods I realised I reacted to nuts, gluten, dairy and tomatoes and chilli. I had unknowingly been eating foods I had an intolerance too. Since cutting out those foods for good I have been symptom free. Try an elimination diet or get a food sensitivity test done. Good luck.

[bchambers05]

So primarily what can you eat then..that takes out alot of healthy foods and ingredients in foods and food prep

[SteveK0524]

Nexium helped my stomach issues which helped my irregular heart beats. As long as I take nexium cut down on caffeine nicotine and alcohol my heart doesn't skip beats or shoot up to 250bpm. I no longer need to take propanolol. Exercise is not a bad idea as well. Thanks for your post I felt the same way it's nice to know it's not just in my head. Every dr I've seen has been useless.

[ProximaCentauri]

I posted the below on Dec 15, 2017. As I think it is perhaps significant, I am presenting it here so it will appear at the top of this thread:

"I suffer from most or all of the symptoms described by posters in this forum. My doctors dismiss any connection to the gut - yet here is what I found: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roemheld_syndrome.

This EXPLAINS IT ALL. From my own experience, I can categorically state it applies a hundred percent to my symptoms.

The strangest part of it is, Roemheld Syndrome appears to be recognized as a distinct condition only in Germany.

I hope this helps ...

[Eldub]

I am lactose intolerant. If I consume dairy products without taking lactaid, I will surely develop gas and the irregular heart beat will follow which produces a bit of anxiety. Gas-X will help relieve the gas and the arrhythmia. I will often take a Pepcid AC Complete as well. If my gas issue is relieved, my arrhythmia goes away. You can also have an intolerance to certain carbohydrates. If so, you lack the enzyme to properly break them down and gas and bloating results which brings on the arrhythmia.   Beano will often prevent excess gas cause by the improper metabolism of the carbs.
I have had this issue for more than 20 years and had to figure it out on my own. Most GPs just don't get the connection. It's been frustrating and scary at the same time. Thankfully, I have learn through trial and error how to control my symptoms. Hope this helps.

[professorruss]

I have found that certain foods will set off the exact symptoms described by many here. Sometimes my symptoms last for a couple of days or longer. In my case, some, but not all, fried foods like french fries seem to trigger irregular heart beats. It may be potatoes in general, but I really notice it after eating fried foods at a restaurant. Not so much at home. I think it's the kind of oil used. Some bread products will also trigger my irregular heart beats... particularly pizza. I've been seeing a cardiologist for three years now. He says my heart is healthy with the exception that one of the aortic muscles is thickening. Also, I've gone to the emergency room on three different occasions with my symptoms, thinking that I'm having a heart attack. The doctors can find nothing definitive. I'm glad to know that I'm not alone in this situation, and hope that as more of us share the concerns, there might be more research done in this area. I'm convinced that there is a correlation between stomach functioning and heart palpitations.

[Joaquin7]

Same thing happens to me, starts couple years ago. I take out a lot of foods from my diet to see and i get couple months free of skeep beats. If i eat bread, cakes ,pizza starts again. Iam glad to find this post. Doctors always told me that is not a conection between Heart and stomach,but isnt true. J.O NC