Ectopic heart beats linked to indigestion.
Posted , 50 users are following.
I am a 63 year old woman with what has now become a chronic ectopic heart problem. Like other members, I have a lot of wind and the ectopia is always eased by bringing up a good burp. Baking soda in water has the best effect. I would like to concentrate on diet changes to minimise the problem. I have discovered that being constipated is a trigger, as is strong coffee and acidic wine, yeasty bread, and fatty food. Suggestions I have read on this forum such as taking magnesuim and iron are worth a try. A bad day is exhausting and stressful, and sleep can be difficult. It is good to read others experiences, keep them coming.
5 likes, 124 replies
julieanna ann02918
Posted
I finally got just diagnosed with this too. Im 56, I noticed the beats a few weeks ago.
I feel like my problems feel digestive related too. I'm waiting on thyroid results.
I've noticed my blood pressure had increased prior to noticing the beats.
I also suffer from IBS, I've had a bad bout of it for a few weeks. I have a feeling that my electrolytes ate out of control because I have had so much diarrhea. I've told the doctor that i feel like some chemical balance is out in my body.
I am curious as to how often sufferers get them. I've neasured up to 5 times in a minute. it's quite distressing. But they have been more frequent when my digestion is bad and prior to some burping.
I've taken extrs electrolytes and magnesium, i think it helps but I'm scared to take dosages higher than recommended even though i think it will help.
Anyone other suggestions, anyone?
julieanna ann02918
Posted
I finally got just diagnosed with this too. Im 56, I noticed the beats a few weeks ago.
I feel like my problems feel digestive related too. I'm waiting on thyroid results.
I've noticed my blood pressure had increased prior to noticing the beats.
I also suffer from IBS, I've had a bad bout of it for a few weeks. I have a feeling that my electrolytes ate out of control because I have had so much diarrhea. I've told the doctor that i feel like some chemical balance is out in my body.
I am curious as to how often sufferers get them. I've measured up to 5 times in a minute. it's quite distressing. But they have been more frequent when my digestion is bad and prior to some burping.
I've taken extrs electrolytes and magnesium, i think it helps but I'm scared to take dosages higher than recommended even though i think it will help.
Anyone other suggestions, anyone?
derek76 julieanna
Posted
Abuabu ann02918
Posted
First noticed these around 10 years ago ( now 63) and after excercise ECG was told harmess Ectopics and heart strong. Sometime between then and 3 years ago seems suffered a Heart attack and then in 2013 was stented.
At present i have spells of the ectopics going crazy and spells of a month or two when they disappear, so much so i deel really normal....lovely. . Holter monitoring has shown ectopics but not high levels and have never had a holter in place when had bad attack.
i have a hiatel hernia and what I have concluded is that when this is playing up my ecropics do as well. Just feel that something , perhaps my Vena Cava nerve which believe also serves the heart, gets affected and in turn affects my heart operation. The ectopics give me an intrusive fluttering feeling in my chest and throat and I generally feel a bit lifeless.
Otherwise i have looked hard at diet etc and whilst i avoid Caffeine and Alcohol i am not sure that anything specifically is behind my ecropic spells.
Ill keep trying tho.....,good luck everyone.
p83585 Abuabu
Posted
I am 78 years. Have been experiencing these since I was 30 years old. But not so frequently. To date I have had five episodes iinlife.
I am presently having one for the last one month. I am not bothering much about it since the last one I had was in 2012. I took that very seriously. It lasted for one week. I had my holter done which showed a triplet. On this basis I was advised to go in for an ICD which I did. However till now it has not given me any alert. So there is scope for a presumption that I was over evaluated.
I have had an MI in 2007 and then a stunt. In 2016 I had another stunt.
The intensity of the ectopic now has abated a lot for the past one month. I suspect I had a disproportionate beer and wine which triggered the ectopics this time. I have an active life and walk around 4-5 kms everyday. I have stopped alcohol, coffee, tea but not lean meat. Yes ectopics seem to have some link with stomach gases. Good sleep is essential and tranquillisers help.
Regards and good health.
Abuabu p83585
Posted
anneporter ann02918
Posted
Thanks for this. I am 65 and have bouts of ectopic so that can last hours, on and off. I feel mine are linked to digestion, tiredness etc. I just hope doctors don't just fob us off though. Being told it's not serious is hard to believe. But fingers crossed!
Wolf732 ann02918
Posted
43 year old male in the states...last night i ran the gaulent with pizza and red wine. Few hours later right as i was going to bed. Had terrible indigestion and was needing to empty bowels. I laid down and wad getting runs of skiped beats. I can normally handle a skip hear and there no problem, but the runs of them scare the heck out of me. Background on me is gerd, and gad. I have been throught the mill as far as tests go. Echo...fine. 48 hm showed few pac's, few pvc's and nothing more. I am convinced after years of having skipped beats that inflammation is the biggest culprit of having these ectopic beats. So diet is very important. I lost 40 pounds in 2016 so im pretty fit now and still if i have indigestion will have a bad time with ectopics, followed by panic. Still to this day no doctor has given me a reason or even agreed about inflammation causing this.
derek76 Wolf732
Posted
Chalky1991 Wolf732
Posted
derek76 Chalky1991
Posted
Chalky1991 derek76
Posted
I had a burst of VT whilst having a catheter angiogram as they hit some spot that set it off.
It's a real problem to live with Derek I have to say it's significantly life limiting for me
mary25852 ann02918
Posted
I'm female, age 65, and have experienced ectopic heartbeats for the last 15 years.
I had 24 hr monitor followed by treadmill, outcome was lots of ectopics throughout the 24 hours but, because they decreased during treadmill test, it is highly unlikely I have heart disease!
This was very reassuring at the time and I learned to live with them, working full time, otherwise quite fit and healthy.
I was a smoker for many years but stopped completely 4 years ago, this has made no difference to the ectopics, neither does abstaining from my favourite tipple...one small glass of red wine after dinner.
I retired and moved from UK to live in New Zealand 4 years ago, love it here, but recently my ectopics are waking me in the early hours, in fact I'm sat up in bed now, having been woken at 4am by a ridiculous amount of ectopics per minute, very scary (I'm not a panicky person at all) but I just wish they would settle down, feels like heart hiccups, although my heart rate is regular and not rapid in between the 'hiccups'.
Ive researched breathing techniques, taken 75g soluble aspirin, holding my breath and releasing slowly but nothing works!
Im so tired but, because I'm getting between 9 and 12 ectopics per minute, I can't drift off to sleep....so frustrating!
I live on my own, have done for many years, family close by, no real stresses, eat healthily, regular blood tests all normal but I definitely notice more ectopics when I've eaten a meal, my tummy gurgles and I often feel indigestion or trapped wind during these episodes, I've stopped drinking coffe altogether, avoid caffeine in any form but nothing helps!!
derek76 mary25852
Posted
mary25852 derek76
Posted
Hi Derek, my daughter married a Kiwi soldier and has lived in NZ for over 13 years, my son and his family followed 5 years ago on a work visa, then applied for residency and was accepted.
I followed 9 months later on a parent visit visa, sponsored by my daughter, then applied for residency when I got here and was accepted within 3 months, my case was very straight forward being alone and divorced for many years, no dependants left in UK, they do very thorough checks, including private medical and police checks (I was 61 and declared healthy for an ex-smoker of my age, ectopics were not considered a health issue)
I finished work the week before I emigrated, intending to find part time work to top up my UK state pension, but I can manage financially and prefer to spend time with my two grandchildren.
I don't have private health cover but NZ has a public system too, Doctors (GP) appointments are around $70 per consultation and dental is expensive, prescriptions are mostly subsidised and only cost $5 an item, accident and emergency treatment is free, hope this answers your questions
derek76 mary25852
Posted
Thank you. I'm not thinking of moving but wondered how you managed it as I've met elderly people with family in NZ and OZ who have been unable stay long term.
Our only medical need when there on holiday was when my wife had a fall on a glacier and hurt her wrist. The motel told us where to find the local nurse as there was no doctor in the area.
donald61613 mary25852
Posted
Hi Mary'
Have you tried sleeping on your tummy (best to use a tucked arm to provide additional suppor for your head on the . I found that this helped well during a particularly bad bout of ectopics I've had these loathsome things since 1974 - on and off. Umpteen changes of medication over the years but they have never disappeared completely. They trigger anxiety symptoms-- which in turn tend to feed back and contribute further to the ectopics - and I am currently on SSRI's - but the jury's still out. Definitely worth exploring as many avenues as is reasonably practicable, including going through the offerings/suggestions of members of this excellent forum..
Best regards,
Donald
donald61613 mary25852
Posted
Hi again. Donald here. Sorry that the word 'pillow' seems to have disappeared from the second line of my recent message to you!
mary25852 derek76
Posted
Hi Derek
Only just noticed your responses, I hope your wife got the medical help she needed in NZ for her arm.
Your suggestion for sleeping on my tummy is worth a try, although I've never been able to lie this way for long, I'll give it a go next time the ectopics kick in!
I've had a 'normal' week with just the minimal amount, apart from a couple of hours last night, after eating, so annoying and yes, you're right about them causing anxiety and the vicious circle this creates!!
I have an appointment for 24hour monitor next month, I had one 15 years ago which showed a high number of ectopic beats but no further help was offered (in UK) will be interesting to see what NZ has to offer!
mary25852
Posted
Oops sorry Derek, the second part of my reply was meant for Donald, I'll try to copy and paste to him 😊
mary25852 donald61613
Posted
Hi Donald
I mistakenly reied to Derek instead of you, I've now copied and pasted the relevant text below...hope it makes sense!
Your suggestion for sleeping on my tummy is worth a try, although I've never been able to lie this way for long, I'll give it a go next time the ectopics kick in!
I've had a 'normal' week with just the minimal amount, apart from a couple of hours last night, after eating, so annoying and yes, you're right about them causing anxiety and the vicious circle this creates!!
I have an appointment for 24hour monitor next month, I had one 15 years ago which showed a high number of ectopic beats but no further help was offered (in UK) will be interesting to see what NZ has to offer!
derek76 mary25852
Posted
charles61038 donald61613
Posted
Hello Donald, I was very interested in your post above. I am in the same boat as you are with the ectopic heart beats. I wore a holter monitor for an entire month and I experience many of the irregular beats. The result was they were PVC's which my cardiologist says are harmless and nothing to worry about. He told me to watch the salt, drink more water, cut down on caffeine, get more exercise etc. It is comforting to know these things are not serious, but they cause me a lot of anxiety as I'm sure they do you and most others on this thread. I sometimes take a small Xanax when they really get me down. That seems to help, but I only take those on occasion, and at night to get a good night sleep. I hate the anxiety these things generate. I was wondering what you mean when you say you are currently taking SSRI's. I take magnesium as I have read that helps. And I believe these things are worse when I eat dinner later than usual, or eat a heavier meal. I try to watch what I eat too. I also am interested in things that help and work for others. I also feel that the vagus nerve plays a part in the skipped beats.
The best to you,
Charles
kimberley27548 mary25852
Posted
Hi Mary,
I Hope you are well.
I have read this thread a few times now as I have been suffering with eptopics for about 8 weeks. the first time I read it I was worrying I had an issue with my heart and would drop down dead (very dramatic). Now, a few weeks on, I have noticed a connection with my stomach, what, I do not know, but I now do not think its actually a heart problem, and there is something causing it: most likely something gastro etc. but what do I know?!
How are you fairing now? I'd be interested to hear if you ever managed to make any progress medically?
Many thanks 😃
derek76 kimberley27548
Posted
Digestive problems can indeed have a connection. It is caused by the vagus nerve. and indigestion can mimic cardiac symptoms. Google will find information on it for you.