Irregular heart beat and reflux

[Jhg555]

Anyone ever have fluttering or irregular heart beat from reflux? seems to have slowed down quite a bit since taking nexium. Still have some issue with discomfort above heart area at night, just after going to sleep

[MizzHobby]

Hi there, I to was diagnosed with reflux shortly after having my gall bladder removed. In still having problems with it to this day and Im personally at my wits end. Sometimes Im in so much pain that Im sure Im having a heart attack!!! LOL Which has resulted in many ekg's and trips to the ER for naught.

Anyway, back to your question, on one such occassion I went to the er when I first developed the Reflux, convinced it wasnt stomach problems but a heart problem, again the EKG was normal but I did have an abnormal heart rate. I was told that sometimes reflux can do that especially if it is severe. Which mine is.

I often get a fluttering sensation in my chest along with pressure and sometime a dull ache when I lie down at night, Ive been assured that this is normal. So youre not alone!

[Dee4859]

I have been having fluttering in my stomach area and it feels like it is in my chest/heart area too.  It has been going on for the past two days without stop.  I am so fed up with it and it is driving me crazy.  

It feels like constant hiccups in my stomach area without the sound coming out my mouth. Sometimes it starts happening when I eat foods with sauce or drink alcohol drinks. Sometimes it will happen with anything I eat. Sometimes it will just come on all by it self.

I thought I was having a heart attack or it was heart failure signs.  I have no clue what it is and it is scary.  

I had an EKG and a Stress Test done and they both came out normal.  Although, I don't feel normal, when all this goes on - it takes all my energy out of me.  I feel tired and sluggish.  I took my blood pressure it was 108/60 and my pulse was 52 - nothing high - actually from what I read it is in the normal range.  Seems low to me though.  

Anyone have any suggestions as to controlling these pain in the *** symptoms.  

[mrwjd]

Not to scare anyone, but I can go beyond that.  On at least two occasions, spasms of my esophagus were so violent that my heart stopped--I say at least two, because those were the ones confirmed by medical personnel.  The first time, I was on a plane and landing, so I couldn't stand up.  As the spasms became more violent, my heart rate slowed--regular, but very, very slow--and  stopped.  Of course, I seized, terrified my children.  The passenger across the aisle was an M.D., had his stethoscope, confirmed it stopped.  He said he'd heard of it happening, never seen it--didn't know anyone who had.  Fortunately, my heart spontaneously restarted with unconsciousness.  Second time was in an ambulance on the way to the ER.

I was younger then.  Medical advice and Dx was useless for many, many years; I finally figured out some things, like sleeping upright (now I can recline quite a bit) and always having milk to rinse the acid out of my esophagus and into my stomach.  Like you, it was Dx after gall bladder surgery--big surprise, when the gall bladder turned out not to be a problem, it was something else.

In March, I awoke after AVR headed into the most violent esophageal spasms in many years (usually I control them, but not for 3+ hours on the table).  The pain was horrendous, but the knowledge that my heart had just be assaulted and was now going through these giant spasms  

.  

[mrwjd]

continued (computer glitch):  and knowing what could happen was terrible.  Luckily, my kids were there and the nurse called them in.  They knew what it was, told the nurse, she asked if the pain was really bad and I motioned yes (kids said I was twitching with the pain, my legs thrashing; I didn't know, of course) and gave me something in the IV that knocked me out.  When I came to again, the nurse pulled the tubes out of my throat and my daughter was standing there with milk and a straw, and I survived.

The surgeon had said I could take pepcid in the morning, and they would give me something more powerful anyway.  Apparently it didn't do the job.  Anyway, the incident surely put the recovery period into perspective--after that, post-surgical pain was a walk in the park.  

But I had a point here--I'm sure I did.  ;-)  Oh, yes.  Treat your esophagus early and often, keep it from being irritated as much as possible, don't lie flat, and have milk or maalox or something to rinse down the inside wall of the esophagus when you do get acid in it.  Untreated, the irritation can result in all kinds of evil esophageal things like cancer.  Don't get on a plane without milk--they won't have it on board--even if you have to arm wrestle the security guy.

And yes, although I'm told it's seldom, it can definitely affect your heart!

[lcjackso]

Hi,

I started getting severe acid reflux in January, but the first symptom I noticed was heart palpitations (loud beating and irregular beats). I wasn't getting typical heartburn so had no idea what it was. I also got stabbing pains in the chest. It's pretty scary when it happens, and of course getting worried about it just makes it worse. So yes acid reflux definitely can cause palpitations, although it's worth getting the doctors to do some tests if they haven't already to check there's no other problems. Taking proton pump inhibitors stopped the reflux and the palpitations and pains. I still get the occasional irregular heartbeat, which is completely normal, but I tend to be more aware of it now. It may simply be that having had these problems you're more aware of irregular heartbeats, and then worrying about it makes you stressed and makes it worse.

[keanugirl]

I live with stomach spasms and esophageal spasms. It drives me crazy. Depending upon my stress levels, what I've eaten and how tired I am the spasms will disappear, sometimes for months or occur non stop for weeks disrupting everything from work to sleep. If I eat tomato sauce and cheese its almost guaranteed that they will start. When they happen my heart starts skipping beats and I am just miserable. It's just incredible that there is no definitive way to treat this and just make it stop. I have Tums with me at all times since they seem to control the spasms and help my heart rate to return to normal. I have had all the cardiac tests, barium swallow, etc, etc... I have tried Nexium and otc olmeprazol and even magnesium, potassium and iron supplements. I've even Aspen Bach flower remedy. All of this stuff helps but nothing, NOTHING makes these spasms go away completely.

I am grateful that other people post about this problem because you make me feel sane! Thank you! I hope everyone feels better someday and that something will be discovered or created that will make these problems completely disappear.

[DramaG]

This discussion has filled me with relief and I am so grateful to all of you that have contributed! I have had fluttering sensations in my chest for a few years now. I've been to the doctors, they hooked me up to an ECG machine and told me that my heart rate was absolutely fine. This would pacify me for a few weeks but then the spasms would start again and I'd be frightened that I was going to drop dead.
When I am having a flutter/spasm I have felt my pulse in my neck and the spasm has slowed my heart rate, skipping beats. My doctor told me that the one way to tell if it was a heart related problem would be that my pulse would be affected. This obviously worried me even more as that was the case for me.
I realise I am self diagnosing but from reading everyone's comments I'm pretty sure it is due to esophogus spasm and not heart problems.
I have huge respect for the medical profession but wish one of the 3 doctors I've visited could have diagnosed this correctly. I've had a worrying 2 years of thinking I was weeks/days away from a heart attack. I'm sure my aniexty contributed to increased spasms. The next time I am at the doctors I will quiz him/her on the possibility of it being esophogus related.

[NotaDoctor1]

I do not have an answer except to say I had a feeling this was what was happening to me. I had to google it a certain way to find this page, one out of many. Esophagitis, palpitations, or skipping a beat/feeling like it stopped and started again. maybe a 2 second interval.It is 3 am I am up again after laying in bed and praying I wasn't going to die tonight.Now I see these testimonials here, it's comforting in the sense that it's not just me. Also that I was right in my thinking that the two were connected. I had all the tests, taking 2 different medicines but if I eat the wrong things, eat a heavy meal then I am in trouble. I had a relative that died from cancer stemming from untreated esophagitis. It is called barrels esophagus.The tissue in the esophagus isn't used to the stomach acid, and it changes it's cellular structure and becomes cancerous. It scares me. We all have to do what is right for our bodies especially when we know what aggravates it and we do it anyway. The thing is, I can eat almost anything until I  eat the wrong things when I am under stress. Okay thats all I have. Up all night tonight, buying some Gaviscon tablets in the morning. Best thing that works for me if I catch it early enough. Take it serious enough to be careful but try not to stress, it makes it worse.

[NotaDoctor1]

There was a mispelling, I said Barrels Esophagus. It is actually spelled Barrets Esophagus.