endoscopy with vagal tachycardia

[Lbeat796]

I am due to have an endoscopy exam but my tachycardia episodes are usually started with vagal stimulation. Even turning my head to the right or down can start an arrythmia which can last for hours.

Has anybody else had an endoscopy?

I live in UK and will be offered sedation but despite this will be awake

[Jalia]

Yes I've had several. Not the most pleasant experience but take any sedation offered and you will be fine.

[Lbeat796 in reply to Jalia]

Thanks for your reply Julia. I had one about 20 years ago with no sedation and it was awful but apparently I had a very rough doctor. had sedation for colonoscopy recently but I was awake all through it!

[Ppiman]

I was told by the heart specialist I asked, that pressure on the vagus is a very unusual cause of arrhythmia despite what is said on the internet, and that it would cause bradycardia, then with swings of tachycardia along with other symptoms in the other organs that the vagus also innervates. Are you sure your tachycardia is definitely caused by vagal issues and not some other cause?

When I had a colonoscopy, lat March, my GP prescribed extra bisoprolol, which worked and I had no problems. Perhaps you might ask about this?

Steve

[Lbeat796 in reply to Ppiman]

Thanks for reply. Yes arrythmias caused by vagus nerve. I have had colonoscopy but my question was would an endoscopy cause an arrythmia

[Ppiman in reply to Lbeat796]

I was wondering how you can get tachycardia since stimulating the vagus slows the heart. This was the point my specialist made.

Steve

[Lbeat796 in reply to Ppiman]

Definitely vagal diagnosed by my consultant. I can stop them sometimes with vagal manoeuvres.

[Ppiman in reply to Lbeat796]

That’s interesting. I thought mine was vagal as it always seemed linked to my hiatus hernia and gastric issues. In fact my GP used to blame it on that.

When I asked about the specialist I see about this, he told me that “vagal AF” was nothing to do with the vagus nerve directly (i .e. not caused by any pressure on it by being close to the oesophagus, etc. which he said would cause severe bradycardia rather than AF); instead, it was a proposed term to describe one of two kinds of AF. Vagal AF starts when the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant such as when resting, digesting food, or sleeping. The other is called adrenergic AF.

Steve

[Lbeat796 in reply to Ppiman]

It is tachycardia episodes not AF. Anything that causes ectopics disrupts my regular sinus rhythm which can in turn lead to a long tachycardia episode. If I carry out a Valsalvar manoeuvre I can stop it in its tracks but not always.

[Ppiman in reply to Lbeat796]

Aha - I see. I get this on occasion, with palpitations followed by mild tachycardia up to 130bpm but no AF. I wonder if the valsalva manoeuvre causes the heart to slow but presumably not form into bradycardia because of the existing tachycardia?

Steve

[Lbeat796 in reply to Ppiman]

If it works and that’s a big if, it just goes back to normal rhythm which is such a relief. But even touching right side of my neck causes a flutter but am still here. Awaiting an electrocardiagram supposedly an urgent one but that was 5 months ago!

[Ppiman in reply to Lbeat796]

These heart “conduction” diseases are said to feel far worse than they physically are and mostly arise from the less important top of the heart, the atrium. I expect you’ll be told the same.

The gastroscopy won’t be comfortable but it’s over quick enough. An odd thing I was told (maybe too much information here…) is that the retching action that is a natural response to the gastroscope being inserted actually is needed to allow the doctor to push the scope through what’s called the cardiac sphincter into the stomach itself. Now I bet you didn’t know that (nor wanted to)! 😳😉

Best of luck.

Steve

[Lbeat796 in reply to Ppiman]

Yes I remember that retching well from my first one and no I have never heard of the cardiac sphincter. Every time he waggled the tube I retched and he waggled it a lot.

Thanks and all the best to you too

Linda

[Vonnegut]

When I had an endoscopy a while back I found it very interesting and didn’t have any anaesthetic as I wanted to see what was going on ( like having ultrasound to see my babies inside me)! That’s how I came to see I had a hiatus hernia and also that my stomach still hadn’t emptied over 5 hours since I’d last eaten! I thought that must have been a side effect from the anticoagulants and stopped taking them as I am no longer at risk of stroke if I’m not having long AF episodes with a fast heart rate. I still have some digestive problems which I never had previously which I guess might be from the Flecainide and the fact that the fatigue means I am no longer active as I used to be. Still here at 80 and brain still working so mustn’t grumble!!

[Lbeat796]

Thanks for your reply Vonnegut. I just have to say that you are a braver woman than me. I had an endoscopy probably about 20 years ago before my tachycardia episodes were so frequent. I had no anaesthetic or throat numbing. Never again but apparently I had a rough doctor. Then I had another 6 weeks later by a different doctor which was fine.