skipped beats after eating

[Valeen2]

While I have experienced a variety of frightening abnormal heartbeats over the past 20 years, they have come and gone. Over the past 2 years, and with more frequency, I am experiencing day after day of skipped heart beats. Some days worse than others. The skipped beats are strongly felt, and sometimes make me cough. It is like feeling my breath has been suddenly sucked out of me, as if I've been hit in the chest. Most of the time the feeling is just a very noticed skipped beat. The Skipped beats may be a few in a minute, or a few in several minutes, and this can go on for hours. It seems worse as the day goes on, being more frequent after supper. It has come to seem that eating may bring them on or make them last longer. The good side of that is I'm losing wt, because I'm eating less. The bad side is I fear every meal. I am in a normal wt range so Wt has never been a factor in my heart issue. This beat skipping is frightening and has caused me a few trips to the ER. and consultations with Drs. The Drs. told me that while what I am experiencing may be annoying to me, that It will not kill me. WELL IT MAY NOT KILL ME, but it sure does affect the quality of my life!! When the beat skipping is happening all I want to do is sit quietly and not have to do anything other than try to relax and overcome being anxious. Recently ZOLOFT was suggested. I rejected the offer. If ZOLOFT would end the beat skipping I would take it, but if it simply makes me less stressed over it, well I'd rather cope with this on my own, than take another pill with it's side effect risks. I am on Blood pressure pills. (The BP pills took care of the FAST beats and scary, sudden spells of High BP that I used to have). In conclusion, I appreciate reading that I am not the only person having this experience. The doctors were making me feel that I was overreacting to "nothing to be worried about". How I HATE HEARING, "IT happens to everyone but some people are just more aware of it". At times it feels like I'm in a car going over speed bumps, which certainly IS a sensation that ANYONE would notice, and be alarmed by!.  If any of you with this problem have done anything that seems to bring relief, please share. Thank you.  

[Jag1000]

I have suffered from palpitations (skipped heartbeats) for over 25 years. Have been to the ER several times, seen general practitioners dozens of times, cardiologists multiple times and have had every exam you can think of.  Every time they said that everything was normal. Had EKGs, stress tests, echocardiograms, x-rays and Holter monitors multiple times. Every time the results were normal. The episodes would come and go over the years with no discernible pattern. The only diagnosis they gave me was anxiety. One physician even referred me to a psychiatrist. I felt like the anxiety followed the palpitations not the other way around. After 20 years of episodes on and off, I had a check up with a doctor for something totally unrelated. Had a blood test and found I had low magnesium. He prescribed magnesium supplements and when I did research on it, I believed I had found the cause.  For the next 5 years I didn't have a single episode. Then recently, I notice a palpitation that was barely perceptible. Over the next months, they became more frequent and more pronounced. My blood pressure would skyrocket when I would have an episode, sometimes getting as high as 190/110. The cardiologist recommended I keep a daily log for blood pressure and I included a log of the palpitations. That's when I noticed they occurred almost exclusively after eating.  Also noticed that i would get alot of gas in the upper stomach followed by burping. When I mentioned it the the Dr, she recommended a blood test for H. Pylori which came out positive. Had a 2 wk treatment of antibiotics and have been symptom free for a couple of months. There is definitely a link between gastric problems and heart symptoms.

[pvctom]

like it has been noted, and I also now believe in a connection with palpitations and GI problems. my PVCs are acting up tonight, and thought I would throw in my 2 cents. best to you

[Jenn1302]

I can relate. I can feel my palpitations too and they feel similar to what you've described. I've been told they're benign by multiple doctors but I still really really want to get rid of them. I feel that if my body is so sensitive to them that it makes me feel each and every palpitation, than they are not normal for my body, even if they're benign.

My palpitations seem to be related to eating and gas, but sometimes I get them when I don't eat for a long time and get really hungry. I seem to get less of them when I eat very slowly and don't lie down for several hours after eating.

[Artaud]

I've frustrated my E.P. and to a lesser degree my cardiologist. I'm adament that there is a GI component to my rhythm issue, they believe otherwise. In April/May, I had a Holter, it showed 6000 PVCs, there was a very strong component of disturbed rhythm during and after I ate, very strong, but despite being captured on a Holter, they were unimpressed.

Actually, several years ago I had the beginning of this mess start. After work, in the evening, when I would swallow solid foods, with each swallow I would get an isolated PVC. My cardiologist said it was a Vagal response, don't worry about it. It eventually went away.

For much of my life, when my stomach would churn, I'd get a few ectopics (of some sort). So there is a cause and effect. Your heart is connected to the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous systems. When one dominates, the other is suppressed. The sympathetic system speeds up your heart rate and slows digestion. The reason why has to do with Fight or Flight reflexes. If you're going to beat-up something, or run from it, digestion is not a priority, but increased heart and respiration rates are. When the tension is over, something needs to slow your heart rate and speed up digestion. Enter the parasympathetic nervous system, that's its job.

So there is a dynamic, your heart rate is constantly being adjusted by those systems. But therein lies the rub. If you read the link I sent, by experimentation in a hospital setting, they learned that some people's parasympathetic system is too dominant, other people's sympathetic system is too dominant, and incredibly, in others, it's actually a combination of both that's the problem. But these would be neurally mediated, i.e. caused by nerves.

But with digestion, physical aspects can also be the cause. In that article, they mention a patient who's esophagus was pressing against his atrium, so they surgically moved the esophagus. Others have hiatial hernias, likely pressing against the heart and irritating it, causing the rhythm issues. During balloon dilation of the esophagus during endoscopy, they noticed if they inflated the balloon tool near the atrium, the rhythm would worsen. Viola. Problem is that they noticed if they inflated it further down, away from the atrium, it still caused the rhythm issues, and this form would be neurally mediated.

The Vagus nerve is a cranial nerve (comes directly from the old noggin) that travels along the esophagus to the stomach and beyond. Inflammation in the esophagus, stomach, and all points south are also believed to be the cause of some rhythm disturbances.

Hope this helps.

[Artaud]

Cardiac manifestations of gastrointestinal disorders, a must read.

http://bjcardio.co.uk/2009/07/cardiac-manifestations-and-sequelae-of-gastrointestinal-disorders/

I'll write more later, I'm at work now.

[MichelleP_3811]

I also dislike being told they are normal.  I don't see them as normal but I can accept that they aren't a danger to me.  I would suggest trying to watch your food portions and see if smaller meals helps.  As well avoid, caffeine, carbohydrates and sugary foods.  If you have any stomach issues address them.  Maybe try an antacid at dinner and see if it helps.  Best of luck getting a handle on them.

[pvctom]

please do not feel alone. I can relate to everything you said. 38 years worth of these things, coming and going their capricious way. after eating, lying down, belching, trying to go to sleep, being unable to sleep, triplets, mutiple runs, flipflops, lying on left side, lying on right side. when they are acting up, it is hell. anyone here will tell you that. If you have been tested, and are ok, then that will give some peace of mind. I just got over the WORST period of these things, and they still are not totally gone. just hang in there. I take Klonopin .5 mg daily, Lopressor 25 mg twice daily and Ramipril 10 mg daily for all of the PVCs and more. you are in good company here. I never realized just how common they are. also, GERD, GI problems can also contribute alot to PVCs, eating, worrying, lack of good sleep, all of it contributes to them. I envy the multitudes of people that gets these PVCs without feeling them. I dont know how that is possible, but apparently it is. hope this helps. this is a good forum for us PVC folks.