GERD, Esophageal Spasms, and Heart palpitations

[GV40]

I have been suffering from episodes of pain and discomfort in the epi-gastric area. It feels like I am going to have a heart attack, it is a pressure/discomfort in upper abdomen and back between shoulder blades with palpitations and difficulty getting a deep breath. It seems to come on as an "attack". I find that it happens most during my walks for exercise, when bending over, before or after meals, and also before bowel movements. I have had several tests run: abdominal ultrasound normal, several EKG's normal, Echocardiogram showing MItral Valve Prolapse, Endoscopy showing gastritis, eosinophilic esophagitis, incompetent LES. I have been taking Achipex in the AM and Zantac in the PM. Plus really watching what I am eating.  It seems to be OK for awhile and then like out of the blue I will get one of these attacks. I'm not sure what else to try, the Dr's haven't been very helpful. The last few episode I went in feeling terrible and left feeling the same way, their only suggestion is to double up the medicines. I really believe that the episodes are been caused by the esophageal spasms, is there any way to treat that other than double up the Gerd medications?

[GV40]

I understand your frustration!! I have on my own decided that the palpitations have to do with my digestion. Specifically gas due to poor digestion. I did eventually find out that I have Gastro-Paresis after all the tests I had gone through I was shocked that this was the one that came back positive.
I deal with this by watching my diet and actually eliminating what I would consider healthy. I limit any raw fruits or veggies that I eat. If something has skin on it either I remove it or only eat it cooked. I do not eat salad as often (so hard, I love salad!) and when I do I limit it to one time per day. I have found that hard to digest foods are the biggest trigger for me, since my digestion is already compromised.
The other thing that really helps is I take natural Digestive Enzymes with every meal, I just pop those right before I start eating. I also take probiotics daily and for the muscle spasms I take 800-100mg of Magnesium.
These things have helped me tremendously, I still have episodes when the symptoms flair up and at those times I try not to freak out and just eat a very bland diet until everything settles down again. However, things have improved so much that only take 1/2 a Protonix in the morning (hoping to cut it out all together soon) and I very rarely take any other heartburn meds. When things flair up I will still pop some Maalox or Gaviscon but very rarely and certainly not daily like before!! Also, when symptoms are so bad I find that a Xanax really helps, I thing stress and worry make all the symptoms so much worse.
Good luck to you! I hope that you are able to get some relief soon.

[Schoj]

I have had reflux for several years. I have been on Protonix for years. About 5 years ago I started having severe pain in my left abdomen right under the rib cage.  I went to a couple of different doctors and none of them could figure out the problem. Endoscopy and biopsy were ok; just some inflammation in the esophagus.  We tried all the different PPi,s but still had the pain. I finally went back to the Protonix because my reflux had gotten worse while trying different meds. The pain comes on at night and is worse when I lay down. I try to sleep in my recliner so I am more upright. The pain has been so severe I just want to go to the ER but I don't because I know they can not help me. I have realized it is a cramp like a charley horse in my gut. You can actually feel the muscle cramping. My reflux has affected my voice box and created Vocal Chord Dysfuntion (VCD). I'm trying really hard to get the reflux under control by eliminating diet coke, chocolate, mint, and other foods that worsen reflux. Plus I sleep elevated.  My speech therapist I go to (the only way to treat VCD) had me up my Protonix to control the reflux even more. After doing this my side pain became almost unbearable!!! Protonix side effects include muscle cramp and stomach pains, esophagial spams, throat tightening, among other things, I decided to go off the Protonix and just try Zantac morning and night for awhile and see if between that and the diet change if my reflux would be controlled enough. I have only been off the Protonix a few days and my reflux is terrible. I started having, what I think are esophagial spasms, a few months ago. They happen at night while I'm laying down. At first I thought it was my heart fluttering. I get a quiver/flutter in my chest and it wakes me with a gasp sometimes and lasts a few seconds and settles back down. It usually does this a couple of times soon after I have fallen asleep. Tonight my reflux is so bad the spasms are happening every few minutes. I started back on the Protonix tonight. I went and drank Malox to see if that would control the reflux better and minimize the spasms so I can sleep. I am so past frustrated I just don't know what to do anymore.

[michaesolomon314]

when i first got the palpitations 3 to 4 years ago for the first few times i found myself jumping out of bed straight out of sleep with a rapid heartbeat it seemed odd but i figured my body was telling me something! back then i noticed i was coughing up a lot of brown phlegm from reflux into the lungs because of way way too much acidic foods ie pure orange juice, tomato based foods tea chocolate and smoking. ive had the palpitations for around 3yrs now sometimes reducing the palpitations but within the past 6 weeks ive completely stopped them. this is how i did it. no orange juice of any sort, no curry, tomato based foods, tea, chocolate
and cut down daily sugar intake to around 40 grams, i still smoke but ive cut down, a very important factor which has also helped me is by cutting wheat down and adding potatoes for carbohydrates seriously! i'm a man
on the guideline limit of 180 grams daily allowance of complex carbs that's at 2500kcal daily guidelines for men yours will be less!!! now i have 120 grams  daily from wheat 30 of those grams from oats, i have about 70grams complex carbs from potatoes "2 200 gram portions" and i'll tell you it's decreased acid because when i have a 1 hour nap in the evening the palpitations have gone but today for the first time in weeks i got the palpitations attack at nap time because i had a tuna baguette instead of my daily pie with 200 grams of boiled potatoe! 200 grams of boiled potatoes equals about 35 grams of complex carbs i have another 35 grams of complex carbs from potatoes in the evening, wheat messes people up with gerds it's a well known and neglected fact, i only get palpitations rarely at nap time in the evening but never at night time ive done this with precise calculations even going to bed 20 minutes earlier than the prescribed time of empty stomach can set of palpitations, here's my schedule after completing final meal leave stomach empty for exactly 5 and a half hours that's my personal customised time that works perfectly for me, the reason i sometimes get palpitations at nap time is because i jump in bed 3 hours after a meal so it's expected, oew i never snack in the prescribed time!!! my palpitations have reduced to nothing infact ive reduced esophageal spasms by 80 to 90% compared to when they first started 3yrs ago back then my neck and head would move due to the severity of the palpitations. one other massively important factor for me is 6 weeks ago i raised my bed posts at the head side by putting a couple of bricks under them my palpitations alleviation came when i hit a certain number (6 inch) 5 inch wasn't enough inclination but 6 works good ! i had to put additional metal weights on the bricks to make it to 6 inch, if you have a partner they wont like it but they'd get used to it, at 6 inch inclination it feels a little odd at first and if you've got silky satin type mattress and quilt covers you will find yourself slipping down the mattress try cotton instead it will help at least a little. if i wouldn't have had that baguette today and instead just had my potatoes and pie i would not have got palpitations at nap time and i already know this but i broke protocol. i also have 30mg lansoprazole every day without it my intestines would be on fire. if i added some vegetables like swede it would help me a lot more by soaking up excess acid and alkalising but i'm a lame cook. ps although i never experience pain whilst eating i often get a rashy tickly sensation in the exact same spot of my esophagus
i definitely suspect a unhealing ulcer.

[michaesolomon314]

when i first got the palpitations 3 to 4 years ago for the first few times i found myself jumping out of bed straight out of sleep with a rapid heartbeat it seemed odd but i figured my body was telling me something! back then i noticed i was coughing up a lot of brown phlegm from reflux into the lungs because of way way too much acidic foods ie pure orange juice, tomato based foods tea chocolate and smoking. ive had the palpitations for around 3yrs now sometimes reducing the palpitations but within the past 6 weeks ive completely stopped them. this is how i did it. no orange juice of any sort, no curry, tomato based foods, tea, chocolate
and cut down daily sugar intake to around 40 grams, i still smoke but ive cut down, a very important factor which has also helped me is by cutting wheat down and adding potatoes for carbohydrates seriously! i'm a man
on the guideline limit of 180 grams daily allowance of complex carbs that's at 2500kcal daily guidelines for men yours will be less!!! now i have 120 grams  daily from wheat 30 of those grams from oats, i have about 70grams complex carbs from potatoes "2 200 gram portions" and i'll tell you it's decreased acid because when i have a 1 hour nap in the evening the palpitations have gone but today for the first time in weeks i got the palpitations attack at nap time because i had a tuna baguette instead of my daily pie with 200 grams of boiled potatoe! 200 grams of boiled potatoes equals about 35 grams of complex carbs i have another 35 grams of complex carbs from potatoes in the evening, wheat messes people up with gerds it's a well known and neglected fact, i only get palpitations rarely at nap time in the evening but never at night time ive done this with precise calculations even going to bed 20 minutes earlier than the prescribed time of empty stomach can set of palpitations, here's my schedule after completing final meal leave stomach empty for exactly 5 and a half hours that's my personal customised time that works perfectly for me, the reason i sometimes get palpitations at nap time is because i jump in bed 3 hours after a meal so it's expected, oew i never snack in the prescribed time!!! my palpitations have reduced to nothing infact ive reduced esophageal spasms by 80 to 90% compared to when they first started 3yrs ago back then my neck and head would move due to the severity of the palpitations. one other massively important factor for me is 6 weeks ago i raised my bed posts at the head side by putting a couple of bricks under them my palpitations alleviation came when i hit a certain number (6 inch) 5 inch wasn't enough inclination but 6 works good ! i had to put additional metal weights on the bricks to make it to 6 inch, if you have a partner they wont like it but they'd get used to it, at 6 inch inclination it feels a little odd at first and if you've got silky satin type mattress and quilt covers you will find yourself slipping down the mattress try cotton instead it will help at least a little. if i wouldn't have had that baguette today and instead just had my potatoes and pie i would not have got palpitations at nap time and i already know this but i broke protocol. i also have 30mg lansoprazole every day without it my intestines would be on fire. if i added some vegetables like swede it would help me a lot more by soaking up excess acid and alkalising but i'm a lame cook. ps although i never experience pain whilst eating i often get a rashy tickly sensation in the exact same spot of my esophagus
i definitely suspect a unhealing ulcer.

[bumdie]

I went to the doc yesterday and was complaining about the problems going on in my chest, left side, stomach and back.  I am a survivor for 6 yrs now, I have aways as little girl had this quivering in my chest and stomach.  If I jumped to hard or moved too quickly they would happen.  I am 62 yrs old now and have had these to come on maybe once a year, but lately for the last 3 weeks, I have had feelings similar to all of the above responses.  I suffer with hypothyroidism and that pain in the butt messes up everything.  With the meds I have been given they were for diabetes, hypertension, low vitamin d, acid reflu, bladder not empting, blurred vision, and only God knows what else LOL.  I do not ake anything for diabetes it is controlled by my diet, I do take vitamn d, multi vitamin, and extra calcium and magnesm I was told yesterday to see a heart specialist, and my regular breast doctor WOW!! I did the research for old doc and gave all the info now the diagnosis was palpitations.  I have been helping myself with synthetic meds and herbal meds.  I truly believe that undiagnosed thyroid problems causes a lot of the problems I have.  When I missed two weeks of my Herbal thyroid assist the palpitations and spasms came.  I too had an accident and had neck and back problem but they have gone sense.  So take control and demand a test for your thyroid it controls the harmones, temps and even diabetes.  Pain in most of us is caused by inflammation and will cause your heart palpitations, and so many other things. Most tests does not detect a problem with the thyroid but there is one out there that does.  I know how each of you feel but different meds and herbs effect each of us differently.  I pray most of the time that helps all the time Isiah 53:5. I am only experiencing a little of the jumping and choking feeling in the throat.  After taking my thyroid assist an herbal med I feel better.  I had to take charge of my body so I only take a half pill 5mg of Bystolic BP med,  prescribed to help but I feel makes it worse.  Lord help us all!!!

[patient915]

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