Good morning to all, I have had these same symptoms for several years and I can't tell you the last time I felt good. I have been to so many doctors like everybody else and all they give you is more pills to try. I finally decided enough, I went to see a great homepathic doctor in AZ, Dr. Ber, he has given me my life back. I am so thankful I had a friend that referred me to him years ago, and she was a registered nurse but, of course, I was stubborn and didn't think it was that bad. Let just say, after spending $2500 for no reason on every kind of doctor there is to no avail, he was my last hope. I thank her over and over again, because I now feel like I can live without worrying about what I am eating.
Hello, I got the same general symptoms, and I was so scared the first time July 2012 I put myself in the ER (as uninsured and now have to fight the price gouged bill). Searches for me often show a connection to the vagus nerve, which can affect heart rithim. For me, the skipped beat affects my breathing--stops it--and that casues instant, primal panic, tho still controllable. Friends I would not write-off this issue as "anxiety". The anxiety, IMO, comes from the symptoms, and then exacerbates them. The first time I had stomach spasms I had taken cider vinegar, mixed in tomato juice--very acidic drink, and the spasms began and lasted all nite. Come morn, they were gone and I had a good appetite. The spasms didn't return till July 2012. I had eaten chicken soup and raw cauliflower and a few other vej. I'm very certain this malady is related to diet/gas/acid etc. THe issue for me, is to find a doctor of integrated medicine who understands nutrition. Thanks all for your thawtful posts. One good thing, it's great to know yer not alone with this thing!
in 1980 Dr Oriscello in NJ, diagnosed me after having the same symptoms and he said I had a rare condition called "Straight Back Syndrome". I can't seem to find doctors now who have heard of this.
If you still check this site please respond. I've been having the same experience for 3 years now. I'm out of my head because it doesn't ever go away. I scare my family because I experience that impending doom too. I think I'm dying a couple of times of week. So of course like most people on this site I have been told this is anxiety and was put on meds...ugh. I have never had panic attacks or anxiety disorders of any kind. They did numerous endoscopies and colonoscopies and found nothing. My heart has been checked and I did a standard stress test...nothing. I have super high triglycerides (inherited) and can't take meds (I had bad reactions to the meds) I'm terrified that I'm going to have a heart attack or a stroke even though there is no family history of heart disease. They did do a c-reactive protein test and I had good results. I take those small blessings. However,It doesn't change that I don't know what is wrong with me. I'm going to request all of my medical records and go some place like John Hopkins where they see rare disorders or possibly a specialist out of the area. No more emergency rooms either. They don't help anyway. I do suffer from gastritis but gastro doctor minimized that condition to the likes of a pimple and claimed I should not be in the pain that I'm in. He prescribed omeprazole years ago and suggested that I avoid wheat and possibly have my gall bladder removed. I know I'm sick. I get "attacks" and when they happen I can't eat for a month or so at a time. I usually lose about 15 pounds and have constant nausea from the minute I wake up until I go to bed. I did a liver detox and took a product called hepatopro by life extension its called polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine and added fish oil in large quantities 3600 mg a day to my diet and lowered my cholesterol from over 700 to just over 400. This seemed to stop the nausea but not the other problems. Tell me have you found any relief? Any help from doctors or herbs or alternative healers? I would love to hear back from you.
I get the same symptoms albeit not as bad as some of you describe. I found that it usually happens after eating, especially after eating sugary foods, but never in the morning. So I have been limiting the amount of sugary foods and the symptoms are not so bad or as frequent. Several years ago I had a halter monitor attached since I thought it was a heart problem and they did detect some irregularities at the times I indicated there being a sensation. A year or so ago I began to think it was due to gas in the stomach, possibly caused by sugar, which pushes toward the heart causing irritation. But the sugar may also aggravate the heart directly, e.g. by elevating blood pressure. Therefore I think the best way to deal with the problem is to cut sugar and refined flour/rice (carb) intake. Many of you are correct, most doctors are useless pill-pushers. I wonder none have answered any of these posts.
I noticed an issue with eating sugar as well. I ignored it at first. The doctors have mentioned to me twice that I'm borderline diabetic which was surprising because I'm not obese, however, after much research I realized with the high cholesterol I have to eat like a diabetic and control the amount of sugar I eat. I can eat fruit and not feel weird but if I eat anything with sugar I experience "symptoms". I live my life around "episodes". It has changed the way I live dramatically and not for the better. There is a loss of freedom that I'm sure everyone on here would agree with. Anticipation is the worse because you hope that someone will discover the cause of all these problems and then reluctantly disappointment when you realize that after three years you are no closer to a diagnosis. I hope you find the help you need to make a full recovery...good luck to you.
I too have been experiencing these symptoms for about 5+ years now. At first I was treated for GERD. Then I noticed that my heart was skipping beats ant that scared me. Dr. did a holter monitor and they did find that I was experiencing PVCs, but they do not consider that a problem, unless the rhythm becomes irregular. Since I also experienced pain in the sternum after eating, I finally insisted to have a stress test. Interestingly enough, it turned out that I failed the stress test and did have a major blockage of my LAD (the widow maker) artery. I opted to have bypass surgery and expected that would resolve all of my problems. Although I no longer have pain in the sternum, I do still experience these issues.
None of the cardiologists that I have seen are concerned with the PVCs. After many tests, they assure me that I have a very healthy, strong heart. So, I am not concerned with the palps, but they still are annoying and can be scarry.
All of that said, I am confident that the issue is caused by gas/bloating, due to stress and reflux - Chronic Gastritis. When the syptoms are strong, I feel a lot of bloating just around or below the sternum. When I am able to eliminate the gas, I feel relief. My theory (my cardioligst concurs it's a sound theory) the stomach sits next to and below the heart, seperated only by a thin wall. When gas builds up in stomach, the stomach expands and pushes against that wall, pushing against the heart. The heart pushes back and you have a "flutter" or PVC, which feels like it knocks the wind out of you. It can be very scarry.
Diet and excercise will help to control these events. Avoiding gassy foods will make a big difference. Avoid high fiber foods and supplements. Avoid acidic foods - particurlarly tomato based foods like Spaghetti sauce, barbecue sauce and ketchup. Chocolate and sugar also causes a lot of acid, as others in this thread have noticed. Take some sort of pro-boptic supplement every day, as well as a digestive enzyme. These will all help to reduce the acid, which causes the bloating.
The excercise will help you to get the blood pumping and and digestive system working better. It also helps you to elimitate the gas! 3-5 days a week for 30-40 mins. Brisk walking or an eliptical machine will be enough, but you have to break a sweat!
Try this for a month, and I'm sure that you will see a difference. When I do stick to the diet and excercise, it makes a world of difference. When I stray from the diet or excercise, I notice the PVCs coming back again.
I also believe that there is some relationship between the cervical spine and this problem. I would be interested to see how many of you have neck, shoulder or upper back problems as well.
I hope that you find this info helpful.
I did find your comment interesting. I knew I had herniated discs in my neck, but more recently found out that I have bulging discs in my back. The doctor thought I had ms, however, that has been ruled out. It was suggested that physical therapy could help and if not surgery may be needed at some point. I have often wondered if the back issues could be causing some of the digestive issues. I won't have any answers until March that's when I see the doctor again.
I have the exact same symptoms...46, male, great shape. I have a small hiatal hernia. I think stress and anxiety are the main causes. Heart has been checked for everything using every test.
I have the exact same conditions and symptoms. I have also been th the ER regarding this condition and got no answers.
@Matt, I am 41 and had similar symptoms to yours and also stumbled upon a solution, unfortunately it was after having my "low-functioning" gallbladder removed (no stones). The heart related symptoms were the most distressing by far. But the solution turned out to be a simple magnesium oxide supplement (500 mg daily). I suspect you may be experiencing the same thing with the Citrucel tablets as one of the main binders in them is magnesium stearate (not an active ingredient and not the easiest form for the body to utilize) Turns out many folks are magnesium deficient, and blood serum levels are not indicative of cellular availability of magnesium. Potassium is needed to contract muscles and magnesium is needed to let them relax. This makes perfect sense now as I would observe in the ER that the atrial pulse would show up on the EKG trace and then several times a minute remain contracted for a duration equal to usually 1 or 2 but sometimes even 3 or 4 normal periods; not a good feeling. I was also experiencing pain in the upper left arm and shoulder as well as considerable pain in the neck and jaw areas. I was sure it was only a matter of weeks or months before I was dead. Within 3 days of starting magnesium oxide 500 mg all of the worst symptoms were gone. I really believe my gall bladder issues were also related to low magnesium.
Try a magnesium supplement, if not better in a week then low magnesium is not your problem.
Yes, this sounds like me exactly, worst for me is always when i lie down,I try not to eat after 5-6 p.m.,especially salty and oily foods.I noticed and it bothers me really bad when having a beer or some alcohol drinks,I get pounding sensation in my head and stomach.
I also have lower back problems and neck issues.I had my gallbladder removed,ever since than have had stomach problems,sometimes worst, sometimes better,some days i forget i have a problem at all.The days your having stomach and heart palpitations,it seams like it will never end.I also had kidney stones over the last 15 years,fine gravel like, also a couple of bigger ones.I have been using psyllium fibre for digestion and for constapation, because of all kind sleeping pills, screws up that system
Last little while my stomach is always full, like bloated, can't really get rid the gas the stomach creates for some reason or burp.
But also notices when i eat faster and over eat i have a lot more problems.Ever since i quit smoking 5 years ago, more different problems come up.Took up coffee from mcdonalds and i have such an appetite, food taste so good.I always take psyllium fibre before a meal, every meal,that helps for emptying my stomach sooner and helps for regular bowl movements.Yet sometimes i get bloated from that psylium fibre too, i think or from food that my stomach can't really digest, also take papaya enzymes or other enzymes since i don't have a gall bladder.I take no other medication, the odd tylenol for for headache, muscle, joint or neck pain,
I do exercise every other day on a treadmill in winter and summer i walk for 30 -45 minutes,that helps a lot for all kinds.When I think back how people worked hard really hard 500 or so years ago,compare to now,we sit so much.. that's it's for now.Thanks for sharing your health problems,I thinks that helps everybody out how has similar problems how reads these testimonies.
I'm glad I found this site. This summary is well written and describes the problem and the causes very accurately. I'm a 53 year old male and I've been experiencing the stomach spasms on & off now for about 3 years, about the same amount of time that I've been on the PPIs. Until recently the spasm only occurred at night just as I was falling off to sleep but they could be intense for a very short time and wake me and then usually nothing after that. Recently, they've occurred during the day, the first time while I was in the middle of a haircut The first time it so unnerved me that I went to the emergency room because I had never experienced anything like it. I've told my primary care physician about it several times over the last couple of years and now no less than 5 other doctors, several nurses and some CT & Ultra-sound techs and no one seem to have any idea of what I was talking about. After reading these posts it seems the hiatus hernia is a common denominator and, I believe, the PPIs play a role and I regret taking them without researching the side effects more. My recent upper endoscopy indicates that I have a hiatus hernia and some reflux but no esophageal erosion. The Gastroenterologist recommends staying on the PPIs for two months and then reassess. Tough decisions. Not sure this doesn't make things worse. I wish more was discussed about diet change prior to jumping on the PPIs. When do you ever get off the PPIs? Thanks for sharing it provides some relief knowing your not alone.
I've had the same symptoms usually for weeks at a time over the last few years. The jumpy feeling seems to be around the bottom of the oesophagus or sometimes lower down. Each jump is accompanied with a skipped heartbeat and I feel dizzy and lightheaded when it happens lots of times in a short period. It generally happens just after eating but not always.
The dizziness can be quite worrying, especially when driving so I avoid motorways when I'm having an episode so I can pull up if I feel .lightheaded.
Position seems to make a difference so I'm thinking it could be something to do with a hiatus hernia.
I've had 2 gastroscopies in the past and recently had my 3rd course of treatment for helicobacter as the previous 2 didn't work.
I don't think the doctors have a definitive diagnosis for this, and probably say it's IBS, GERD or similar.