bowel problems causing irregular heartbeat

I have Crohn's Disease and have been enduring all it's complications for over 29 yrs. now. I also had Tachycardia problems 3 1/2 yrs. ago and underwent the Cardiac Catheter Ablation surgery and haven't had any more episodes since (knock on wood). I'm stunned that NONE of my doctors (Cardiologist that diagnosed the problem, the Cardiac Surgeon in Houston who performed the surgery, nor my Gastroenterologist) ever mentioned there may have been a connection between the Heart Palpatations and my Digestive Disease (though they were all aware of my medical history) let alone mentioning a nerve that runs from the Heart to the anus.



Thank you all so much for sharing this information. This is my first visit to this site, but it won't be my last. I now know where to come to look for answers...I've learned more (not just on this topic) in one night than I have in years, from those who shared their own personal experiences. I hope to return the favor in time!



Thank You All,

Betsy

It's all connected to the autonomic nervous system - it's very complex and each person is unique. Doctors do not have the time, or don't want to take the time, to research each person's history, so we are all left with the "one size fits all" health care. It's all about money, and very frustrating.

Hi, I have now had 3 catheter ablations at Barts for my fast heart rate (AF) The last being 18months ago. Low and behold it has started up again. This time I'm getting palpitations shortly followed by the urge to open by bowels within 5mins of episode. I have told the cardiologist but they say its rubbish. If this keeps going on I will have to re start on beta blockers that don't stop the symptoms, warfarin n clexane. I'm only 34. I tend to have when my hormones play up 1 week Pre menstrual period. I say that. I know my own body but the "experts" just disregard what you have to say. Just another failed number on their op records. So if op not working they need to find the cause.

I have the same problem. I experience irregular heartbeat then an urge to have a bowel movement a few minutes after that. I have to admit that it took me 5 years to figure out the connection and learn about the vagus nerve that connects the heart to the rectum...Good to know that I am not the only one that came to this conclusion...I suffer from Ulcerative Collitis (inflammation of the colon near the rectum).

My mother has a history a fast heart beat, and had an ablation this past year.  So to I have been dealing with a irregular heart beat (not a rapid beat but more of a missed beat, flip flop or flutter) all my life.

Several things I have always noticed:  Stress, caffiene, lack of sleep all add to "worse" episodes.  But the strange this I always noticed that no doctor ever agrees with is that "constipation" can also add to having a "worse" episode.  I can think of many, many times I had a flutter, flop or missed beat and KNEW I was backed up...and when I finally would have a bowel movment, they would subside or go away all together. The others reasons above are valid as well.

I'm  no doctor and all irregular heartbeats should certainly be followed up and checked on.

What's so funny is recently I have been having an unusual run of pretty bad episodes.  Not scary since I've been down this road in the past, but I can tell these are quite pronounced and bad ...and guess what.  At the same time these episodes started I had developed quite the hernia just to the left and abvoe my belly button.  Whooop.  And I swear everytime I try and tell a doctor I think they are related, the give me that deer in the headlight look.  Well my surgery is scheduled for this Friday...and I sure hope I am right on this.

I had to get cardiac clearance due to my history before the surgery...EKG, 48 hour heart monitor, blood work to check chemical levels and electrolytes ...all came back normal...but yet I'm the weird one for suggesting or implying my hernia which is shoving up against my stomach and is quite large could be the issue.

I also would note that up until this hernia I had lost 100 lbs and have been going crazy cutting 7-8 cords of wood a season (I use wood to heart our home here in the back country of Idaho) and I hunt every chance I get (steep mountains and serious treks through back country).  Now everytime I bend over after splitting wood with my ax  or to pick up wood, I have to stop.  So again, looking foward to this surgery and hoping that I am right and the docs or wrong...that my hernia is the cause of these irregular heart beats.  

Carry on those of you who have them...you are your best advocate.

 

Tim / Idaho

I totally believe you on the hernia theory, I had heart pal., for a long time and I think it does have something to do with having to go to the bathroom too. I do like my cardiologist, but sometimes I think general doctors just poke and hope, I think sometimes I could figure it out before they can. I hope you feel better after your surgery... and I hope you have a quick recovery :)

Wow,i have been having similiar problems for years.I have had ekgs,heart monitors and stress test and echocardiograms and they say my heart is fine.I had an episode today and after i had a bowel movement i felt better.I have been looking for years for someone or something that i could fine to relate to what i have been going through and thank god i am not going crazy.There is someone suffering the same as i am.It started in 2007.I woke up with a rapid heartrate and after i pushed on my stomach and took some tums the episodes would go away.My heart would beat so fast.I believe the problems caused panic attacks as well.I have acid reflux too and that does not make my symptoms any better.Thanks for letting me know i am not alone.

Have an alpha gal blood test. You could have a mammal meat allergy caused by tick bites. Search tick bite meat allergy.

It's the vasal vagus nerve. And one of the 'old' people who died from this was Elvis Presley. People usually believe he died of a drug overdose, but what actualy happened was that he was taking ( addicted to) codeine, which is an opiate. It is extremely constipating. He took all sorts of thigs to address the constipation but none of them worked. He died straining to have a bowel movement.

There is a definate connection. It's the vasovagal nerve. When something (like a stool filled bowel) presses on it, it disrupts heartbeats, makes people faint, and in some cases, sets off a circus of irregular beats. There are known cases of people dying from this - most famously, Elvis Presley. who died trying to have a bowel movement. His addiction to opiates caused severe constipation. Unfortunately. very few doctors take this seriously, as I'm sure anyone who has experienced this, can attest. Syncope ( fainting) is rarely taken as seriously as it should be in the medical field. Just ask anyone who has fainted while having blood drawn. There are 32 documented cases of people dying from this, but find even ONE doctor or phlebotomist who has heard of it causing death. Most ( dr. Oz, for example) express skepticism that this caused Elvis's death, despite the coroner's findings. I believe there are likely hundreds if not thousands of people who have died from this, but their death was attributed to something else. I have a child who goes into shock when she has her blood drawn - that is cause for real concern. Fortunately once this happened her doctor began prescribing valium for her to take in advance. But that is only good so long as she doesn;t have an emergency or go to another doctor. What she needs is a medical bracelet for this - and a medical industry that accepts it. There's one more - low blood pressure - another cause of fainting and yes, death (and the cause of my dd's tendency to go into shock) . It seems logical that a heart out of rythm woudl cause low bp - after all, it's worling very inefficiently. But once again... to simple, to obvious, to untreatable to be taken seriously. Instead, every little nursey will congratulate the patient who has it. "Wow! aren't you healthy! Your bp is 90/55!"they'll squeel. And the doctor will nod in agreement. Even though the paitent is there because their heart beats about 1/2 as efficiently as normal. Try to have a good bm with blood pressure that low. And, it's all self perpetuating. The less effiecient the heart, the less effecient the bm. The more this makes a person constipated, the more ineffiecient the heartbeat. But, to quote something my first cardiologist actually had the nerve to tell me "You're not our bread and butter". IOW - people with this condition don't pay for that doctor's yacht, so why bother taking their problems seriously? Are all doctors like this? No, but they're all graduated from schools where this mentality is drilled into them.

I have the same experience. I have begun to ensure my diet supports healthy bowel movements. Constipation for me equals atrial fibrillation. I do get the fibrillation at other times, but constipation is a near guarantee that my heart will act up.

Hi, it's been a while since you posted, but I'm having the same issues. I have also experienced heat radiating from my stomach for short periods of time (about 30 min at a time). Have you been tested for thyroid problems? Blood work has shown that I am hyperthyroid and I suspect I have something called leaky gut and possibly the autoimmune thyroid disease, Graves' disease. It sounds like we may have some of the same type of thing going on. Thyroid problems affect lots of people, and often go undiagnosed for a long time bc the symptoms are common to other health issues. The good news is, if this turns out to be something you are experiencing too, it can all but be resolved with diet. Gluten is a BIG factor in thyroid health (and metabolic/inflammatory disease in general). Gluten tricks the intestinal walls into allowing particles of it to pass through into the bloodstream. This alone causes your immune system to attack the gluten cells and the cells around it, but it's more specifically tied to thyroid problems bc your body builds antibodies for these gluten particles, which happen to be similar chemically to the thyroid, meaning that they can attack the thyroid as well. I was diagnosed years ago with I mild case of hyperthyroidism, but I think that a stressful event in my life sent my immune system haywire, and for 3 weeks I experienced the symptoms you described above, panic attacks, diarrhea, exhaustion, and depression. I got some blood work done, and it showed that my mild case had turned pretty severe. My endocrinologist recommended either being on drugs that have awful side effects for the rest of my life, having surgery to remove part of thyroid gland, or undergoing radioactive iodine treatment--none of which actually get to the root of the problem, and in some cases make it worse. BUT after a few days of reading everything I could about the thyroid, I discovered that I was putting things in my body that have been over time exacerbating my symptoms and my thyroid health. So at this point I am one week into a diet that consists of no gluten, no grains, no sugar, no dairy, and no processed foods of any kind, and only good fats for cooking (coconut oil and animal fat). So far, almost all my symptoms have been alleviated. I think I am experiencing some withdrawal symptoms from caffeine and sugar but those are starting to fade too. It really hasn't been as hard as I imagined--of course, I was pretty desperate to try anything to avoid the traditional medical approach to this problem. I hope this helps! I am curious as to how you've been feeling since your post. Here is a good place to start reading about how nutritional plays a big role in thyroid function: 

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hey i am having thew same problem i have trouble pooping and i have to use glycerin laxatives daily been this way for months now my heart is skippin beats n my left side of my gut is twiching tonight im scared that its my heart or something but alot of people say its the laxatives im definately stopping them even if i dont poop for a week ne comments or help please reply ill be waiting nervously thinking im having a heart attack lol thanks

i to have the same problems i am currently taking what they call suboxen for opiate addiction and it causes major constipation i usually take some sorta stool softner or laxative but ive quit that but every so often i will have heart palps where when i breath in my heart feels like its skipping a beat i read online that being low on magnesium can also cause heart palps but im glad im not alone im 29 yrs old and scared to death that i haver heart desease im just glad that im not alone but my heart palps went away for about two months n i noticed today that my stool was so dried n shrivled up looking and now today my heart palps are back so i took a few swigs of magnesium and it helps alot i missed takin a dosage for two days and now that i think about it thats when my heart palps started  on a side note i dont think its my heart or ne thing wrong with my heart because it beats hard n strong and  my legs are not swollen or any signs of my heart not working right  and not to be crude or ne thing but i dont have any kind of ED down there so im almost sure it is not my heart if anyone has any information to add id be much gratefu

I'am 85 years old and metastatic prostrate cancer. The nerve vagus is responsible for this intestinal-heart connection. This is the longest nerve, from head to legs and controls every vital organs. I had this problem of irregular heartbeat and palpitations when digestive problems. All my doctors ignore that !!! I use an electrical blanket immediately over the abdomen when I feel the irregular heartbeat. After an hour at must my heart returns to normal. Over the counter Co Q 10 gels have helped me a lot. Don't be afraid. Juan