27 y.o male with palpitations, gerd, and anxious
Posted , 6 users are following.
I used to be a very active person. Would regularly practice sports, and feel energetic until the last couple of years when various strange symptoms began taking over me. About 5 or 6 years ago, I started getting palpitations out of nowhere. Since then I've been through many tests, like: EKG, Echocardiogram, Holters, and many blood tests. Three different cardiologists have told me to relax and not take caffeine, that Im alright. But for these last 5 or 6 years Ive been having those pvcs,pacs, pretty regularly. And lately tachycardia episodes have been somewhat regular too. At this point I actually start to feel anxious, cause it feels like its too much. My cardiologist says I have a "sensitive electrical system". What does that even mean?? Lately Ive been very sedentary and when I try to exercise I get palpitations. No other symptoms tho.
My issues dont stop there. for about 5 years too, Ive been suffering from GERD, my last endoscopy showed improvement, but I dont feel much better. Most days I feel bloated or with esophagus or stomach disconfort and pain, despite sticking to the diet the gastrologist gave me. (No citrics, or spices, fatty, fried food, chocolate, coffee, etc).
The GERD combined with the constant palpitations are driving me crazy. Recently I feel all sorts of weird symptoms like lack of balance, tremors, dizzy spells, and things like that. Ive been to the ER several times because of fear of having something bad, but everytime all test look fine. So Im thinking those additional symptoms might be psychosomatic in nature. I dont know anymore. I feel like crap all the time.
Ive also been skinny guy all my life, but all my vitamin and nutrient test appear to be on normal ranges and I love eating, it just doesnt help that my GERD diet is so restrictive.
At the very least, I need some peace of mind.
0 likes, 12 replies
snow802 Nin7
Posted
Hi Nin,
I can't diagnose you, but it sounds like you might have some form of dysautomia and maybe, you might have POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). Does your heart rate go up when you stand up? Or is the tachycardia random? The vagus nerve regulates both your gut and your heart. If your sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive, you could get the symptoms you mentioned.
Snow
Nin7 snow802
Posted
My heart rate does go up when I'm standing. There are times it happens more than others. Beta blockers help me a bit with that. But I still get palpitations regularly.
Onre Nin7
Posted
Hey buddy sorry you're going through this situation. But sounds to me like you are stressing yourself out that's why you are getting more symptoms on top of that and starting to feel more like crap. I know you are in a restricted diet but are you eating healthy choices? I think you should detox your whole body and reset your body.
judy1234 Nin7
Posted
I am much older than you (69) but have had almost exact symptoms and experiences as you.It started about two and a half years ago. I knew I had a LBBB and had been diagnosed with a heart murmur in my early teens.I had numerous cardiac tests monitors ,echo etc and visits to A and E by ambulance. At the same time I had gastric problems resulting in colonoscopy /endoscopy etc etc.It was suggested that it may all be connected to the vagus nerve. The gastroenterologist suggested a probiotic called Symprove which I now take every day as well as Lanzoprozole. Anyway after 18 months and being diagnosed with lots of ectopic heartbeats my cardiologist put me on betablockers and suggested we try a medication called Ivabradine ,this has been a life saver for me ,at first I had pretty awful side effects but now almost a year later am back to my normal self. I found that I had to keep on insisting on further investigations I was absolutely certain it wasn't psychosomatic and I was right.Apart from anything else it was all really frightening and my life was on hold for about 18months. I wish you well.
charles61038 Nin7
Posted
Hello Nin7, I too have been having the PVC's on and off for a number of years. They sometimes go away for a while, then they will return. When I have them, it seems like they happen very frequently and last for weeks at a time. I have read many things and watch many videos from the York cardiology clinic. I have tried adding magnesium supplements, cut down caffeine, little to no alcohol etc. And I still get them. I have noticed a relation with the GERD. I read about something called gastrocardiac syndrome - also called Roemheld syndrome. It plays into the vagus nerve somehow and can cause palpitations. I've also notice when I get these palpitations, I burp frequently and that seems to help. I have have had the EKG's, stress tests, wore a holter monitor for an entire month, and my cardiologist says all is fine. I even met with a gastro doctor and talked to him about the gastrocardiac syndrome. He pretty much dismissed it and said things like that are very rare. It is so frustrating to know something is not right, and no one seems to be concerned about it. It just causes me great anxiety. My primary care doctor prescribed a low dose Xanax that I take at night and it helps me sleep better. But I think you are on to something with a correlation to certain foods.
Nin7 charles61038
Posted
Do you feel a significant difference with Xanac?
charles61038 Nin7
Posted
The Xanax at least helps me get better sleep. I take the very low dose - .25 mg. I really feel that the palpitations are somehow related to foods and the digestive track. Certain foods have triggered bad palpitations. I think some of the food additives can contribute - like MSG for instance. Try looking up the gastrocardiac syndrome and Roemheld Sydrome. It makes sense and it fits your description and mine also.
savanna1200 Nin7
Posted
i been going threw this the last month its runing my life
savanna1200
Posted
when i eat and sleep its gets worst i just want my life back its ruin everything to the point i just stay in my room my so call boyfriend decide im to much to handle avoids me
Nin7 savanna1200
Posted
I've been there. Had an ex that left me partly because of that I think.
If your cardiologist says your fine, then you should step outside your comfort zone from time to time and that might help you get closer to a normal life. I do it from time to time, but there are seasons where the anxiety takes over me.
snow802 Nin7
Posted
Hi Nin,
Take a look at the articles in this issue of Autonomic Neuroscience, https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/autonomic-neuroscience/vol/215/suppl/C, particularly this article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1566070217303545. If your heart rate goes up by at least 30 beats per minute, within ten minutes of standing, you likely have POTS. It is normal for the heart rate to go up a little when you stand, so it will depend on how much it goes up. It's a syndrome and has lots of other manifestations, including GI symptoms and tremors for some. Most people with POTS also have exercise intolerance. It is under diagnosed because most docs don't know much about it--even cardiologists. I've had POTS for years, but only recently started to develop lots of PACs and PVCs. I don't know how/if that is related to POTS though. There's still a lot they don't know about it. But have a read and see what you think.
Good luck!
snow802 Nin7
Posted
Also, I would ask your doc why you have GERD--what's causing it. It can be misdiagnosed. You could simply have a stomach that doesn't empty quickly enough and that makes food back up into your esophagus. POTS could cause this. Also, sometimes the problem with GERD isn't acid reflux, but something else, but they tend to treat for acid reflux. I don't know a ton about this, but there's an article in the issue I sent the link to about this.