heart palpitation and bowel movements

[twogirls]

I am a 35yo female that has suffered from heart palpitations for the last several years. I have had every test that you can think of.  They all come back as normal.  My cardiologist says that some people suffer from palpitations for no reason.  It just seems like when I have palpitations that I automaticlly need to have a bowel movement.  Does anyone else suffer from that? I have been told that is not a sign of any heart problem.  The palpitation bother me to the point that I am afraid that I will have a heart attack.

[angelomb3]

Thank goodness for this forum I feel better already..I'm a quite active guy I bike and play basketball in my 30s when I was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid..I was on Tenormin for my arrhythmia and PTU for my thyroid for 5 yrs ..after my thyroid was completely normal..they've taken away the PTU but the Atenolol my doctor couldn't seem to remove as I have tachycardia rebounds, besides it also helps lower my blood pressure..

Fast forward to today I'm an expat working in Qatar, I'm 47 now my BP could not be controlled anymore by Tenormin so he added Diovan 80mg..it was this time I had a gastric episode that eventually was attributed to lactose intolerance and gluten sensitivity.. I went on an elimination diet and was able to lose 25 pounds, (I'm 5'7" was 185 before now I'm 160) and avoided meat and lessend my wheat intake..

This weight loss eventually helped bring down my BP from 150/90 to 120/70 so my cardio was very happy that he took me off Tenormin (my heart rate was on the 50s to 60s, he said it might make me dizzy) and just kept the Diovan. I also exercise regularly by walking and occasional jog 1-2 hrs a day..I also have a heart rate monitor so I can see my bpm while I exercise..

So now here's whats happened lately..I've been trying to push myself to be more physically fit after taking off Tenormin so I was gradually increasing my max heart rate..usually my recovery time after exercise was pretty good..but it's when I hit 145bpm that I had triggered tachycardia which went into a high of 180bpm, I had no chest pain or dizziness but I noticed that I had the urge to have a bowel movement which I had then my heartbeat returned to normal 77bpm..

The next day I went for my usual exercise again I was careful not to push myself too hard, but when I was on an quite uphill slope and my HR was just 110bpm when I felt a twitch on my abdomen then my HR went to 160 in just a few seconds..I had to stop my exercise and walked slowly back to my house good thing I was already near..this time I again felt an urge to go to he bathroom again..

I panicked and I took 25mg of Tenormin..my question is could my stomach triggered my arrythmia? I had already taken tests like stress 2D echo, treadmill, thyroid test all normal, although my EKG says I have RBB which my doctor says it's not something to worry about..

So sorry for the long story guys..hope o can find comfort and assurance from this forum..warm regards..

[harmonytx]

Just want to thank you for your post.....even though some time has passed, it was good to search and find you comment......and it has offered a peace of mind my own doctors never took the time to talk to me about....So again, thanks :)

[4hearthealth]

Thank you!  Thank you! For all these posts.  I have had palpitations all my adult life.  Many times ending up in ER with fear of dying from them.  Tests have been run and always being told that they are benign PVC's...This past week I had a really scary episode and thought I was going to have to call 911...and now once again they are going to run test....
I have for a while now been trying to understand why it is that everytime I get a run of palpitations or racing of heart I sense bowel activity leading up to a bowel movement and then shortly after that the palpitations subside and my heart rhythm seems to get back on track...as far back as I can remember there was always a connection between intense palpitation incidents and bowel moments...either before and leading up to the BM or a while after but always stopping after the emptying of my bowels...
SO THANK YOU to all who posted because it is providing some hope as to the WHY of this journey with palpitations...and the anxiety that comes with having them....it is so comforting to read your stories because they sound like mine...and unless you have palpitations people just dont understand....they dont understand what happens when you get these and you feel like your going to have a heart attack or die...and then what that anxiety does to us....and how because its the unknown it sets off more anxiety....
Reading all your post has been more helpful than any of the responses I have received from the doctors in that they say things like, "you wont die from this."  "Okay, thank you but it sure feels like it"....but reading these post provide avenues of being able to research for myself possible answers to the questions of  the possible connection between bowel movement and palpitations...
And also food allergies because in my case if I have artificial flavors or white sugar found in so many foods it sets off palpitations leading to the bowel activity promoting more palpitations...so I do believe from my own life journey with palpitations that there is a connection with diet....of course every body is different but there is wisdom in paying attention to our body and how it responds to what we put in it....like we have heard...we are what we eat...and then Beccadex post on Feb 11th, 2014 referring to unhealthy colons....
Again, thank you all for sharing your stories it has provided a helpful calmness in regards to the ongoing mystery of the why behind palpitations and bowel movements....
And now I'm off to research more from all that I gleaned from this site....

[Beccadex]

I too have had many run-ins with doctors for irregular heartbeat and intestinal problems. They also say my irregular heartbeat is not dangerous after many lengthy tests. I can't tell you how many times I've had hospitals and doctors think I was having a heart attack right there on their table!

I have found, through working with my Naturopath, that it is due to food intolerances. Once I cut out the offending foods, I was in the clear for the most part. I also see a physical therapist that specializes in "Strain, Counterstrain" method. His explanation is that the fascia that surrounds my heart is being restricted by the toxins in my body from the undigested food my body could not process. I have found this true especially when I have a lot of gas. I believe it all stems from an unhealthy colon.

[countingcards]

I too have just had another incident which prompted me to find this site.  My problems started in 2009 when, without warning and otherwise feeling fine, I turned beet red, broke out in a hot sweat, felt like my head was going to explode from the pressure, lost my vision and passed out.  When I came to, I had to immediately have a large bowel movement.  Happened again in 2010, and now occurs intermittently but with less intensity (i don't pass out).  Have been on anti-anxiety and heart rhythm medication ever since.  Don't believe I have ever had a problem with anxiety, but noticed an immediate difference on my vagus nerve thanks to the medication.  Still get palpatations which can occur at any time and any duration, but are usually short.  When I get them so bad that my heart is just beating erratically, feels like it is loose in my chest, speeding up, then slowing down to the point I cannot even ascertain a pulse, it means a bowel movement is imminent.  I have never been diagnosed with a bowel disease, have occasional heartburn and noisy bowels, but 30 day heart monitor found many PVCs, most of which I was not even aware of.  Just wanted to give my experience and hope that BrokenHeartedBella or KristyEithier and others might be reassured that it is scary but probably not life threatening.  The search for a solution continues.

[Dudse]

I have suffered many ( and just suffered another really bad one-which is why I am visiting this site today) episodes where when  I  need to have a bowl movement,  my heart starts palpitating. My heart then slows down for what seems like an eternity( but it is usually only for about 10-20 seconds), speeds up and then goes back to its normal pace. I usually feel the need to lie down after the episode. I tend to get light-headed and have a headache after. Due to this, I have had many procedures to check out my digestive system, and the finding came back that I have Celiacs Disease and they cannot determine if it is related to my episodes. Great information on this site. It does make me feel better knowing that its not just me, however even after having a lot of these episodes, it still scares the heck out of me.