I suffer with ectopic beats and after I eat they seem more noticeable , I don't think it is linked to any particular food maybe just a full stomach ? I also need to burp a lot 🤭 thankfully just burps !!
I occasionally get a little heartburn but not that much . I have read about the ' gastric cardio ' syndrome but not quite sure if it is that . I had stomach ulcers many years ago but they had healed themselves but similar symptoms now . My GP takes 3/4 weeks to do a phone consultation then another 3 weeks to see him if he deems it necessary . I would do anything to get rid of these ectopics and after 37 years of them they still send me into panic mode so I would love to be able to take something to settle my stomach after eating and hopefully not trigger them they are bad enough without food ☹️
I understand if you are taking beta blockers you should not use them ? I am on Bisopropol , thyroxine, anti depressant ,folic acid I just don't want to make this worse than it is but need something !
Any advice out there would be greatly appreciated 🙏
Written by
bl00bell
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Although it is possible that your burping and mild heartburn could be caused by medication it is also possible you could be suffering from reflux disease (where acidic food flows back from the stomach into the oesophagus) or a hiatus hernia. It is important that you speak with your GP to find the cause, and not self medicate through over the counter antacids for a long time to try to struggle through it. If necessary call 111, and give that a go if you are having difficulty seeing your GP in a timely manner. Otherwise in the meantime the following might be useful. I suffer from reflux disease which has been mostly kept under control by PPIs for over 15 years. However there are things I have done to help myself which you could try. First, avoid large meals which bloat you, better to eat little and often. Dont eat aany foodl less than 3 hours before you go to bed. Avoid lots of slow digesting food like lots of meat. Avoid foods which are acidic (e.g citrus and tomatoes), gas forming (onions and fizzy drinks), irritating (strong alcohol and spicy), and relaxant (coffee and chocolate). And bearing all that in mind keep a food diary to see if there are particular trigger foods for you. Avoid compressing the abdomen by bending over, try not to lie in bed on your right side when in bed, and if you struggle at night, sit up and prop yourself up with pillows. And if you have a relapse eat bland foods to allow your insides to heal.
Thank you so much for your advice and information , it really is appreciated . I will definately be keeping a food diary from today . I am going to try to see my GP even if I have to wait the seemingly statutory 6 weeks : ( As a vegetarian I eat lots of tomatoes ,fruit , also I must admit that I only eat 1 proper meal a day although I have made myself eat some toast /cereal in the mornings . This is something I have done since very young but I suppose it will have an affect over time . Once again a huge Thank you and I hope your reflux disease improves for you 👍
As a matter of interest have you ever had irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS) or any other known stomach condition that lasted some time? You have presumably read up about the Vagus nerve as this seems to be a key component.
Unfortunately GP's can be very dismissive of ectopics having learnt at medical school very little about the condition other than they won't kill the patient.
I am also a Vegetarian and to the good advice above about small meals etc I would reiterate the need to keep a detailed food and general diary to try to identify what brings the ectopics on. More importantly, if you have extended periods without then, why that may be.
by the way, caffeine (in coffee, chocolate and tea) is not a relaxant - but the advice is to reduce intake if Gastro-esophageal conditions are suspected
also any natural acidity in foods is immediately swamped in the stomach by the extremely acidic environment caused by the digestive secretions - these are what makes reflux acidic
I read somewhere many years ago that there is something in coffee and chocolate in particular that relaxes the sphincter at the inlet to the stomach which increases the tendency for backflow. Tea was not mentioned.
And certainly avoiding acidic foods has in the past helped me. And if you already have an inflamed oesophagus, or Barretts as I have, eating something known to cause problems is to be avoided. That's why in particular I avoid drinking spirits and citrus fruits and tomato soup .
At the end of the day it really is down to the individual to sort out their own trigger foods and they may in fact find that they can happily eat foods on my suggested list but there might be others, that are to be avoided, as I have found with sweet green peppers although I can eat hot chili peppers and sweet red peppers.
indeed, the caffeine in coffee, chocolate and tea can have that effect, but in general it is a stimulant
as for the acidic foods, I was referring to the effect they have on the acidity of the stomach contents which escape to the oesophagus
as you say it is important to identify the foods and issues which are triggers for yourself as they can vary - understanding how things work can also make it easier to work out what is likely to cause problems
I take a H2 blocker for a hiatus hernia, along with bisoprolol, warfarin, and aspirin for a mechanical aortic valve, and a couple of antidepressants (escitalopram and lamotrigine) for being a wee bit off my rocker.
I did have an endoscope years ago to confirm the diagnosis before starting on the H2 blocker. (That was in the States; I get the impression they use PPIs over here more, but I may have the wrong end of that stick.)
There’s only one H2 blocker - famotidine - as ranitidine was discontinued. PPIs are the first line of treatment for GERD, partly because they’re cheap and relatively effective
it all depends what you've eaten and how big your meal was, I have them every day too and I'm on a pretty healthy diet I cut most sugars out don't have anything caffeinated etc and when your in bed laying on your left side also makes them worse because it puts more pressure on your heart.
Unfortunately lying on your right as a preference might be a conflict of interest if you have reflux disease, where food flows back into the oesophagus from the stomach. This is because the inlet to the stomach from the oesophagus is on the right of your body and if you lie on your right side there is a greater tendency for food to leak out of the stomach due to gravity. So those with reflux are better lying on their left side.
hi I suffer from Barrett’s asophugus and acid reflux if I eat tomato and supermarket bread it can cause issues. I have swapped to artisan bread mainly sourdough and cut tomato down I also eat a lot of watermelon which I have found reduced symptom a fair amount
You just have to find what works best for you , I miss some foods like chocolate but not having my trigger foods far out way the reflux
When you have a heart attack they chuck you out with a standard cocktail which includes beta blockers and antacids, usually Lanzoprazole. I’ve been taking both for years with no issues.
After my OHS I am on a beta blocker and Lansoprazole, it is the standard cocktail of drugs. The Lansoprazole is there to stop long term damage from the low dose aspirin that is also a standard item in the drugs cupboard for us.
Checking the leaflet with both Lansoprazole and also my beta-blocker there is no mention of not taking them together. There is a very, very small chance of, between the two, your blood pressure falling lower than expected causing dizziness but that is the only interaction I can find.
No interaction between Omeprazole and Bisoprolol. In fact, BB reduce your melatonin which is partly responsible for oesophageal tone. It's wise to take an anti-acid with a BB to avoid GERD. I've been on both for years and they do a good job of soothing my vagus nerve and reducing PVCs. Gastro-cardiac syndrome is a real thing. Dr. Sanjay Gupta of York Cardiology, he explains it on his YouTube channel. Persevere trying to get in with you GP, or have a chat with a Pharmacist.
Thank you for your reply , I have booked a consultation with Sanjay Gupta for next month as I am tired of battling through for a GP appointment ,it's my Christmas present to myself and I really hope he can reassure me that there is nothing more sinister going on with my heart/stomach more so the damn ectopics that have made my life a misery for the past 35 yrs 🙏
Amazing! I'd love to hear how it goes. I found him too late - I'd spent 3 months and £4.5k on cardiology in Nottingham, well worth it, and very thorough, But Dr. Gupta's package is cheaper.
It maybe a digestive problem but my experience with ectopics was different. They did record some ectopics and said it as ok nothing to worry about but a good while after I was taken into hospital with myopericarditis and was wired up for 8 days and was told I was having 34,000 extra ectopic beats a day making me feel very ill. A few months after I was told that I had no choice but to have a pacemaker defibrillator fitted with a Resynchronisation to get rid of the ectopics. I still have a few but that’s ok. Next time you see your cardiologist ask some questions like how many ectopics do you have presently and are they going to keep an eye on it? They can say ectopics are nothing to worry about but way too many can cause other problems that need to be sorted. Good luck and make a list of questions to ask for next time. X
My symptoms are very similar to yours without the heart diagnosis. To give you context, Because my smart watch reported AFib I've had a Stress Heart MRI then a 7 day ECG monitor during which my Watch reported AFib and the monitor disagrees. So I had a gastro endoscopy which identified Barrett's and a small hernia. I'm now Omaprazole to protect the Barrett's area by reducing stomach acid but still get these symptoms. Previous reply mentions start sleep on your left side and other helpful tips. My addition is that a small amount of ginger helps me. I found a slow release soft ginger sweet in the form of a bear 😀 (I can bite the bear in half and that's often enough).
We are all different so please treat my reply with caution but I hope it helps.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Atrial / Ventricular Fibrillation and Stomach issues?
Stent or meds?
I finally have one answer (and it's from a mistake)
Meds 
