Ectopics....The Stomach and The Vagus Nerve

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Hi there

Alot of people on here are asking the question if whether Ectopic Heartbeats can be brought on by Stomach issues like gas, acid and a full stomach. My doctor went into great detail to tell me of the link. There is a nerve called the 'Vagus Nerve' that runs from the stomach to the heart to the brain. One of the jobs of this nerve is to work the 'Sinoatrial node' (The hearts natural pacemaker), to charge the heart, thus giving the heart a contraction (heartbeat). When this nerve becomes stimulated it can intterupt the 'Sinoatrial node' thus giving your heart irregular electrical impulses to the heart. The question is.. Does eating too much for some people, stimulate the Vagus Nerve? Whenever I get my Ectopics they are always worse after a big meal, or when I have gas and acid. I also get a slight contraction in my stomach when I get the beats. I find taking Gaviscon reduces my ectopics and sometimes will kills them dead.

Lets hope someone get to the bottom of this as its ruining my life!! :cry:

5 likes, 16 replies

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  • Posted

    I have been started on Omeprazole/losec and at first they did help to calm the ectopic heart beats. Then they started to come back so i did a lot of research on the subject and spoke to a lot of people with similar symptoms and i commenced a low fat diet. This did help enormously, although very difficult to shop for. I do still get them but not as bad and i am now waiting for a barium meal to see if i have hiatus hernia/reflux or an ulcer.

    Angibaby.

  • Posted

    I have had relatively mild ectopic beats for years. I later had atrial fibrillation

    after having my aortic valve replaced. A cardioversion four months later put me back in sinus rhythm but I still had ectopic beats. Like you I have had digestive problems for many yers.

    Fifteen months after my cardioversion I went for a colonoscopy. During it my BP dropped to 40/27 and my heart rate to 30bpm. This had been caused by the probe stimulating my vagus nerve during the procedure. I soon found that I was back in AF. I was put back on warfarin and had to wait about four months for another successful cardioversion.

    Speaking to the cardiologist last week after an ECG to confirm that I was still in sinus rhythm he told me that cardioversion also stimulates the vagus nerve to get the heart back into sinus rhythm.  

    If you Google ‘Vagus nerve and ectopic beats’ there are many discussions on the connection between the digestive system and ectopic beats.

  • Posted

     I'm having this exact problem right now for my first time. I've had heart skips before but not as bad as it is now it's been all day. First it was every five minutes than three minutes than two minutes now everyone. Went to the doctors they said my EKG was fine and that these are benign. But goodness gracious are these things very Scary

  • Edited

    I have palpitations. I also have a hiatus hernia and acid reflux with IBS.

    I think there's a connection. Because I can get bumps straight after eating. Although I do get them at other times too.

  • Posted

    Your doctor is at least helpful. There are so many people suffering from these extra or missed ectopic beats includng me!! Can't they give something to tone down the vagal nerve. Its ruining my life when I have them all day long. It seems Propranolol and Atenolol don't do much to help if anything. Apparently its possible that Flecainide help or Amiodarone which are a totally different class of drug. Not beta blockers.

    Has anyone found this to be so?

  • Edited

    So apparently it's more of a neurological defect per se...  

    i have SVT ... and got it fixed by an ablation.  But the other problem is I'm a very neurotic person in how I react to things. 

    So in events of nerves - Mr. Vagus is triggered... but to some if functions normal.. to others to the point of passing out.

    its perfect sense ... like getting nervous about a test (vagus) - all those symptoms (shakes, sweat, upset stomach, neck pain...)

    If ectopic was 24/7 then that would be a clear defect.

    but if it's situational then its cognitively triggered... and perhaps time to see a CBT

  • Posted

    Hi there don't feel alone i suffer with the same nightmarish issues. After I eat a heavy meal I suffer with horrible ectopic heart beats for hours. Sometimes it feels like my heart is doing weird things as I start eating my food, it's absolutely awful. I am overdue for an endoscopy and colonoscopy and hope at some point to be able to find out what exactly is causing this discomfort when I eat. I'm a true believer that my vagus nerve is to blame for all these weird ectopic beats.

    • Posted

      did you ever find out what is causeing it. i have constant belching and air. i get the pause then harder heart beat when i have it. i sends my anxiety thru the roof. they want to donthe scope im so scared

    • Posted

      No i havent found out what causes it but its gotten better lately since I'm now taking my pantoprazole on an empty stomach one hour before i eat anything. i think there are just some people out there who have very sensitive stomachs and certain foods coupled with anxiety cause this frightening heart fluttering to occur. I am scheduled for a scope and colonoscopy on Jamuary 7th and I am petrified also, Its my first one and im almost 60.

      Try not to stress over it as it will make it worse. Good luck!

  • Posted

    hello.im new here.i just read ur post and I can relate.it all started in 2015.i had begun to get heartburn so bad to the point I couldn't eat.they gave me meds still not wrkn.they did blood wrk came back h.pilory I did 4 diff antibiotics for 2 weeks and then a endoscopy. nomore h.pilory but now chronic gastritis. also colonoscopy.that was clear just constipation due to meds n my choice of food.well a yr later now I began having the flip flop thuds.now I'm scared .dr said don't wry its just palpitations,not harmful.he put me on metoprolol 25mg 1 a day.well I continued to suffer the dr ignored me so I had my gi specialist refer me to a heart specialist. here's where my story begins.well after 2 more years of tests after tests my anxiety my mental state had gone down.2 nuclear stress tests,Holter monitors, echocardiagram, many many ekgs,trips by ambulances to er ,2 more eendoscopy, heart specialist opinions,and finally 2 event monitors. that's where the pvcs were detected and diagnosed. finally came down to vegus nerve damage,and anxiety attacks.there was one more test called cardiac catherization.my insurance would not cover due to insufficient evidence.soooooo now present date.im in a new state now NC I've been here a year and thank God my pvcs have been dormant. until NOWWWWW 3 DAYS NOW.i just had a echocardiagram and well his report shows mild regurgitation meaning a leaky artery but not to worries almost 90%of Americans have this.thats all I got.smh.i have 2 things I found that help.take peeled ginger root with either milk or water preferably milk boil with cinnamon and lil honey drink 1 cup day for a week.2nd stomach dr prescribed a mixture liquid lidocaine, liquid benydryl,mylanta mix equal amounts.take 10ml up to 4 times a day.it numbs it all away n like magic gastritis gone pvcs gone.

  • Posted

    hi there I to battle from ectopic beats had the works done 24hr monitor, scope which found a hiatus hernia so on, I'm a personal trainer so I found diet causes issues, the Vagus nerve helps with heart rhythm and digestion so there is a link, if my stomach is bad i find my ectopic beats are savage.

    I eliminated gluten which did wonders, to much sugar send them off as well, another big thing most people dont know is that low stomach acid can cause serious issues to one's health most doctors just say you have Gerd or IBS so on but no one ever looks at low acid, so low acid caused me so much discomfort and pain and when i had bouts, my heart went crazy.

    I still have ectopic beats but found diet is key 'too much sugar causes issues, I got a handle by keeping a food dairy and looked for triggers. Another issue is the pituitary gland if it's over active it will cause us to be in fight or flight mode 24 7 and that's not good on the body all that negative adrenaline is so bad for us, causes so much issues, cortisol levels climb, stomach acid climbs Vagus nerve gets irritated effects digestion and bang there goes the heart rhythm.

    I use urbanol 5mg to keep me grounded since I've been using it ectopics are down, I'm not a doctor this is just my experience and what I've learnt with body and what I've studied .

    Most doctors just right you off with no explanation .

  • Posted

    You mention a big meal. I am curious after reading the long thread with 91 replies as to how many people with ectopics are overweight as weight seems to be a contributory factor, I am not necessarily talking about obese, but merely above their recommended BMI

    • Posted

      I was in half decent shape before it all started, going to the gym five times a week, playing football once a week. Since then I have put on weight, slightly above BMI rather than obese. No real exercise for 18 months now. It has got worse.

      It's frustrating not knowing the link. I can have a rough day, with a lot of stress and nothing happens. I can be chatting to someone, all smiles, and it's the first of many over a 3/4 day period.

      On Friday evening I started a detailed diary of EVERYTHING I do, eat, even feel. regardless of whether it happens. Hoping something will make sense.

  • Posted

    So you would say you are a little overweight and fairly unfit? Sounds like me, although I do 10000 steps a day. Mind you there are plenty here who seem to be fit and the right weight, but I guess we are all different and becoming fit and the right Bmi might resolve it for some people.

    I have been keeping a very detailed health diary for well over 2 years. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Possibly one of the many factors is bending over. Possibly having large meals. Possibly stress.

    However there are plenty of times when neither of those three factors is relevant.

    Perhaps the damage was done when we were younger, living near a polluted busy road, or having some illness that catches up with you in later life.

    May I ask if you have you ever had Irritable Bowel syndrome or shingles? I had both when younger, the first being a sign of stress, the second more complicated but diet related-both mentioned as being possible factors although I don't have a problem with either condition now.

  • Posted

    I'm currently laying in bed having a flutter every minute or so. they are so stressful. i went to the hospital today. full range of tests. everything looks fine. doctor called it palpitations and sent me on my way. I've never had them this badly or this frequently before.

    I've had them on and off for a few years now. I'm 33 and I've been sober from alcohol for 3 months and lost 27 pounds in the last year from exercise and diet. I thought all of this would help them to away and never come back. I'm in the best shape of my life and yet... this weekend after a late night bout with some spicy wings the ectopics are back with a ferocity I've never experienced.

    i do have HSV-2 for about 8 years now. i wonder if that could have damaged the vagus? i visited a great acupuncturist for another issue several years ago and I'm considering going back to have her try to tackle this. it seems like traditional doctors have no knowledge or interest in the vagus.

    just want to say it's helpful to read that many people have the same problem as

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