I am unable to eat a meal with getting what I believe to be terrible ectopic beats

[7164]

Dear all

I need some advice.

I did have paf and had a cryo ablation 30 months ago. Until 2 weeks ago no problem.

Two weeks ago I started having about an hours worth of ectopic beats as soon as or within one hour of eating. They felt really bad and tight chest. I thought Af was coming back.

No alcohol and no large meals. Much worse at the evening meal. Accompanied by tinnitus going mad, cluster headaches and pain when rolling my eyes? Stomache bloated, burping and mucus stools?

Last night went to AE and they captured what they thought was ectopic beats they think and sent me home awaiting a holter monitor. Today are small breakfast and small lunch with little problems. Tonight after pm meal heart all over the place but pretty much in NSR belching etc. Feel lousy with tight chest.

Any of you have this? I don’t know what is going on. I have read about gastro cardiac syndrome?

Any thoughts appreciated

Rod

[mjames1]

Definitely a gut/heart connection. You may be having some sort of gut/GERD issue which is triggering your ectopics. You therefore want to ask your doctor if PPI's, H2 Pumps and/or antacids are indicated. In addition to that, I have personally found the FODMAP diet helpful. Also, while waiting for the Holter, consider getting a Kardia device to document what is going on.

Jim

[Tommyboy21 in reply to mjames1]

Try cutting out all bread products. Worked for ibs for me. Mucus stools sounds like ibs. PPIs made my ibs worse.

[mjames1 in reply to Tommyboy21]

Yes. Bread (wheat) is a high FODMAP food. PPI's can be a two edged sword. Lifesaver for some of us but with potential consequences. Jim

[Tommyboy21 in reply to mjames1]

Yeah PPI cured my duonditis but totally mixed up the natural bio of my stomach.

[7164 in reply to Tommyboy21]

thank you

Why bread products?

Do you have a similar problem Yhis has all just started for me. The ecg only shows a blip every two minutes ir so. No Af

Really uncomfortable

[Hidden in reply to 7164]

Bread = Wheat, gluten, oats or whatever ingredients the bakery throws into the mix. Try going Gluten Free ( Free From in your supermarket aisle ). Maybe consult a Nutritionist to get a professional review of your total diet.

[Dippy22 in reply to 7164]

Wheat is extremely high in lectins which cause leaky gut syndrome, then leaky gut syndrome causes all sorts of inflammatory health issues.

[7164 in reply to mjames1]

Thank you

I think all of this could be vagus nerve related. Tinnitus, bloating, painful eyes, gas headaches etc.

Too weird. Yet ecg at 2pm normal ecg?

Tonight uncomfortable thudding ectopic s??

I don’t understand.

Where do you get a Kardia device?

[mjames1 in reply to 7164]

Gut and vagus nerve are buddies (or enemies). Get Kardia online. Company is Alivecor. I like the 6L model.

Jim

[CDreamer in reply to 7164]

Amazon.

[ozziebob in reply to CDreamer]

Please let's not give advertising to Amazon, let alone more of our limited monetary resources.

[Hidden in reply to ozziebob]

I'd promote Amazon, they are efficient, their prices encourage a buyer to shop around if the buyer is so inclined. Nothing to do with you how I or anyone else spends their limited monetry resources. Freedom of choice of individuals how money is spent.

[ozziebob in reply to Hidden]

"Freedom of choice" comes with awareness of consequences.

[CDreamer in reply to ozziebob]

I was answering a question as to where you could buy a product NOT advertising - are you objecting to Kardia being ‘advertised’ as well?

[CDreamer]

Uncomfortable and I can relate to most of the symptoms you describe and I found the root of my discomfort which was Dysautomnia and nearly all of the symptoms are now controlled. I always refused PPI of any kind for all of the horrible affects.

I did cut bread and all other carbs such as cake, biscuits, pastry etc and dairy completely for 12 months because I found both caused bloating, GERD and nausea which made everything else worse - it helped.

Once the Dysautomnia was treated - as it turned out completely accidentally for a muscular/neurological condition - things improved. Symptoms further improved once I had a pacemaker.

I think we completely underestimate just how connected all of these types of symptoms are but unfortunately if we have tittinus we see an ENT specialist, GERD - gastrologist, heart - cardiologist, autoimmune - numerous different specialities - but very few seem to treat the person as a whole rather than the individual symptoms.

My Chiro told me to always take a walk after evening meal - that helped, nausea eased by sipping hot water frequently, be careful how much water you drink just prior to eating because often symptoms can be caused by too little stomach acid. If you can avoid eating any carbs in the evening - stick to mainly plant based foods, lots of leafy veg and a return to having a green salad or bitter greens prior to other foods that also helps. I also take at least 3 different fermented foods - some people say they cannot tolerate them and there is varying opinions but for me and my husband kefir, sauerkraut, kumboocha, yogurt and rye sour bread - my GP from 50 years ago suggested I stick to only rye bread and Prof Spectre - whose research I follow - is now of the same opinion!

Hope you find some relief but I found a lot of it was my own research and trial and error and keeping a very strict food/symptom diary.

[Lizty]

I had these stomach/ectopic problems some time back. It turned out that when I was stressed I was eating my evening meal much faster than usual. It took a while to notice that this was happening! Have to consciously focus on chewing slowly now!

[lizzily]

You are not alone! You’ve almost described the night I’ve just experienced. Paf for almost 17 years well controlled with 50mgs Flecainide x2, Bisopralol plus Apixaban. I’m now getting “ectopics” when I lie down at night which stop when up and walking and sometimes just sitting up. Loads of wind and gastric disturbance and I already have GERD but choose to manage with diet and not taking PPI. I eat early in the evenings. Kardia reading showed unclassified so I do have evidence to show my GP but unless there’s any major hiccups I’m going to try more dietary changes first as already stated it’s hard to persuade the medics to take an holistic approach, but that’s my choice and not “medical” advice. Good luck.

[7164 in reply to lizzily]

Thank you

THis has never happened to me before and I really dont want it to be a problem.

Interesting that I have my breakfast of Bran, Banana and a touch of honey and semi skimmed milk. Cup of tea. No problems nothing.

Then I carry on with the day. No exercise or movement problems really. I did start once when I bent over too long.

Then evening meal and bang. I am interested to know if we experience Bp wild fluctations with the ectopics. I certainly do.

I am on no meds these days as the paf left me with the ablation. I am male 64 so no apixiban etc. I e mailed my EP who said he would leave it to the GP.

\I am convinced that the whole lot is linked to my vagus nerve being irritated over xmas with too much food and sweets chocolate etc. Question is does it return to normal in time ?

I do want to find an answer.

[lizzily in reply to 7164]

Mine now is definitely due to irregular meals, more food than usual, small quantities of wine and chocolate over Christmas! Guilty as charged. When I first started with AF it was definitely vagally mediated, almost always kicked off at night and especially when I tried to lie down. I’m fine with breakfast and lunch and last night was ok sitting up in bed reading but once the light went out and I went flat, bingo! Got up and walked around and it stopped, back into bed and kicked off again. This has happened to me a few times before and it has eventually settled but in the past has been a proper AF episode rather than these “ectopics” so I’ve taken an extra Flecainide with EP’s consent which worked, but this is different so I’m tackling my diet, behaving myself and staying as calm as I can with fingers crossed. No idea where my BP is but it’s generally ok. I’m a fit 75 yr old, I exercise, yoga, swim etc, diagnosed 10 years ago not 17! Dr Sanjay Gupta (York Cardiologist) has interesting YouTube insights into ectopics etc.

[7164 in reply to lizzily]

Thank you.

I too was vagal Af and at night. I kicked the booze and that helped a lot.

[Ppiman]

The doctors I have seen seem not to have much interest in gastro-cardiac syndrome even though you'll find plenty on the internet. Having had rather similar to you (but not exclusively only during meals - bending down to check tire pressures yesterday was another occasion), I've concluded that anything that pushes other organs against the heart (via pressure on the diaphragm) can pull and push at the heart, too, and set of these ectopic beats and, for me, mild tachycardia of up to 130bpm.

I was convinced of the gastric link, even that the vagus nerve was to blame (again the internet is awash with that, too). But, no, I am now pretty certain it is the heart that is being affected physically, reacting to mild pressure to produce multiple ectopic beats and tachycardia. There's evidence on the internet that some people's hearts can be affected in this way and, many years ago, I was told similar by a cardiologist. The ectopics can then go on to set off AF in prone individuals (which I get only occasionally).

I do wonder whether the gastric symptoms (discomfort under the ribs and into the back and shoulder) are gastric or cardiac in origin, but my doctor and a cardiologist I saw both assure me they are not a danger signal.

Steve

[7164 in reply to Ppiman]

Steve

You do sound a lot like me. I have had the ectopics when I bent over too long.

But the tinnitus, cluster headaches, eye pain etc does not fit with just pressure on the diaphram.

Does your blood pressure shoot up then down with the ectopics ?

I have put on probably 2 stone over the last year and my stomache for sure presses on my diaphram too much.

Lose the weight ? lose the problem ?

Rod

[Ppiman in reply to 7164]

I’ve wondered for a long time what the link might be and have had both systems looked at by specialists over the past three years. I have tinnitus, too, but not the migraines thank goodness. Add in the anxiety and it makes for a less than ideal existence at times!

Steve

[7164 in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you

I need to find out if others have bp spikes when hit with ectopics.

I have perfect to low bp but when I get an ectopic up it shoots just like in an Af attack ?

[Ppiman in reply to 7164]

I haven’t noticed high BP when I have ectopics (very regularly), but I would suspect anxiety would push my systolic pressure up if I was aware of them at the time I took it. I find it easy to go up to 145 if I am stressed but would normally have 120/70.

Steve

[Hidden]

Yep, this sounds all too familiar.I am certain the stomach and Vagus nerve are more than a little to blame..ibs..makes me feel bad and then anxious and more eptopics even flutters.

It's a VICIOUS Cycle. 😝