I am 63 and have suffered this terrible condition for 47 years, climaxing with 23,000 recorded ectopics in a single day. I am absolutely sure from my own experience that there is a relationship between my stomach and my cardiac rhythm. When I eat my heart rate rockets but my wife's does not. When my stomach is empty my ectopics increase severely. When I eat something I get short term easing. But after trying all of the available solutions such as medicines and a failed attempt at catheter ablation (failed because the ectopics stopped before they got the wire in) there is one thing I can do that gives me considerable relief. When they are bad I take a dose of an antacid called Gaviscon. Within half an hour the symptoms ease and I can go to bed with my heart in perfect normal rhythm. This lends itself to my belief that heart rhythm is linked to the Vagus nerve which feeds the heart and stomach. This Gaviscon claims to create a raft which floats on the stomach contents and to my mind would be closer to calming the vagus nerve. Fellow sufferers should try it and see if this helps them too or is just confined to me. In the last few weeks it has worked every time. And please, if it does help let us all know. Wouldn't it be great if this could promote a new field of research?
Hi. I had this when my reflux is bad. I have a hiatal hernia too which doesnt help. Gaviscon can help if this is what is causing the ectopics for me also it did work. I have GERD so am on PPI's
If you research PPI`s it has been found that they weaken the muscles that keep the food in the stomach and also weaken the bones and leave you prone to fractures not counting the effect on the kidneys. I was treated for a hiatal hernia for over 15 years before one doctor who was scanning my stomach said there was no sign of one and was baffled as to why I had been sent for a camera scan. I have now been off PPIs for three months and have used Gaviscon Advance which is different to ordinary Gaviscon and ordinary did not work for me. I am able to reduce my Gaviscon now that my stomach is getting better. I was horrified when I found out all the adverse effects of PPI. Your are not warned about the long term use of these drugs. Ok for short term. I never did find out what happened to my hiatal hernia. But what do I know.
I too have several thousand ectopics per day. I also have stomach reactions - especially constant burping when it is bad. I have had several ablation attempts with varying degrees of success for the same reasons as you. I do think research on this would be valuable as EPs seem to dismiss the coincidence of ectopics and stomach disorders.
You might consider getting prescription Nexium or whatever it is called in your country. It repairs damage at the top of the stomach and reduces acid in the stomach.
Thanks Cliffo I am seeing a gastro end of next week in London and hopefully together we can find something to aid me. Nexium is a ppi too known here as Esmeprozole and made my ectopics and heart pauses go mad. I had to stop it after just a few days. The other ppis here are lansoprazole and omeprazole and all of them have caused the same issue. So annoying when one thing causes another problem.
Will see what gastro says but it seems to be ppis if they can't be tolerated then Ranitidine and if that can't be tolerated either then its gaviscon. Have to say gaviscon is my friend currently lol. Best wishes with your ectopics and stomach connections. Hopefully one day there will be a solution.
I agree, definitely a connection between my ectopics and stomach. I use gaviscon too daily but not used with ectopics in mind. Will look into the connection. My ectopics are here now just as I am eating argh!
I had to stop ppis for my hiatus hernia and acid reflux as they caused my arrhythmias to kick in, my EP agreed they were an issue for me so stop them.
The connection between stomach, vagus nerve and arrhythmia is accepted by more and more medics now but the issue is what's being done with that knowledge, something soon we can only hope.
You might try prescription Nexium or whatever it is called in your country. It repairs damage at the top of the stpmach and reduces acid in the stomach.
I agree the vagus nerve causes palpitations because if I,ve gone out to eat and eaten too much it sets my palpitations off. I may get some of that gaviscon in case, you replied to my post about Svt. Hi Cliff
in reply to
Hi Delythn you could also get a prescription for Nexium or whatever it is called in your country and take one before a big meal.
Good luck Tracey. Just remember that your heart is not actually stopping when we get PVC's. Imagine 3 heartbeats with regular spacing, say 1...2...3. With a PVC it goes 1.2......3 but the second one is caused by a trigger in a different part of the heart. That's what we need to suppress. Notice that 1 and 3 are still where they belong, but for we sufferers 3 has to pump harder to get rid of the extra blood that number 2 did not pump. That's the awful sensation we get.
I am a worrier! My heart copes through big stressful situations but it is only when things calm down in the aftermath that the ectopics start. Typical , just when you are starting to feel better it hits you. I have had these for 25 years and I am currently 47. Try not to worry it only makes it worse. Best wishes.
I am the same! Ectopic only come when I calm down after stress. I have bad anxiety and these ectopic make it worse. I feel like mine are also linked to build up of gas which feels like pressure in throat!
I hope time comes and I could say the same that I have had ectopics for over 25 years and I am fine. Currently I am 27 and I have had ectopics since I was 17 but for the last year they just got worse. Can feel them every day.
Sounds like how I started too at 17. But the more we worry about them the worse they get and the more we worry. I feel so much better with a non addictive anti-depressant called Escitalopram (Lexapro) and only on 5mg. They take several weeks before any noticeable effect but then I got my life back. Taking 400mg of Magnesium citrate daily too. Try it.
I have been on and off of antidepressants since 17. I lost my father when I was 17 hence the anti depressants. I was having severe panic attacks which interfered with my life. I also had ectopics but did not know that they were happening in my heart so I always blissfully thought it was my stomach for 7 years. I took them without question for about 2 years then I stopped. Everything was so good for 7 years I didn't have anxiety. Until last year. Somehow my anxiety returned with increased awareness of ectopics or more ectopics I am not sure. I sadly learned that these feelings were coming from my heart not my stomach. Which of course set me in to an uncontrolled panic mode. I fell too deep this time and it was very hard to pull myself together. I wouldn't say I achieved that completely. It feels like my life will never be the same knowing these things will stick with me for the rest of my life. I tried antidepressants now but they sadly made everything worse for me. I wanted to beat my panic without using drugs. Now I have good and bad days. Mostly good I suppose but just one bad day is enough to ruin a week sadly. Sorry for ranting on your thread Cliffo23. But I just feel so helpless sometimes. I just want to know why these things happen and why do doctors brush off people for something that bothers so many of us. Even if it's benign it still is very troubling. I just can't stand doctors who tell us to just ignore these things. I just want to turn around and say "Oh ok. So I'm going to punch you in the chest throughout the day but you should just ignore it since it won't kill you ok?".
Not ranting at all. It is such a lonely thing having these issues and decades ago i thought i might have been the only person on earth who had this problem. they didn't even have a name for them when i started getting them.
But 4 weeks ago I started on 400mg of Magnesium citrate as recommended by a doctor friend and the 5mg Escitalopram. I feel infinitely better. My anxiety level is right down and my ticker feels like everyone else's ticker- I can't feel it in my chest which is a wonderful thing after feeling every beat of my heart for 45 years. When I used to get seriously disturbing bursts of these things I also found that a dose of Gaviscon worked wonders.
Hi Cliffo23. are you still having a beneficial effect? I’m 57 and had the same issue for just over 10 years. I’m now at a stage where it’s getting everyday and I think it’s related to my stomach and anxiety. It’s now affecting my daily life and I find that on occasions I get light headed and have to sleep. I was diagnosed as having AF about 8 years ago and was prescribed Bisoprol which I came off about 18months ago
Gidday Oscar. Yes still taking the 400mg of magnesium citrate every day and still feeling great. I dropped the antidepressant though. Ectopics down to around a dozen a day now.
I also have stomach problems and I’m on PPI’s and take the full dose of maalox every day. If I eat carbs or a big meal my PVCs go crazy. It’s annoying.
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Multiple ectopic beats in a row (2, 3 and 5)
