I have a Roemheld Syndrome for 8 years, now I am better

Hello All, how are you all doing? At this end i am feeling rather emotional having just discovered the condition ‘Roemheld syndrome’ and am wondering if i have it..
I have been feeling my heart stop followed by a sever dizzy spell followed
by a few heavy heartbeats with a head rush then back to normal, this happens when swallowing (food feels stuck, just before stomach) or burping for want of a better word!
I went to my Dr on more than 1 occasion and was always told to do more exercise
and sent for a ECG that always comes back normal…
I changed GP and when i mentioned these symptoms to my new Dr, she sent me for a 24 hour ECG monitor Hotler Thingy! And after returning the device I received a call from my GP asking me to come and collect report and go strait to Hospital :0
They discovered I get 3rd degree AV heart block lasting between 2 and 7.2 seconds!
I received a pacemaker but while I was in hospital to have the procedure I was hooked to an ECG Monitor for a few
days and could tell when the AV Heart block was about to happen… After I swallow food of burp… I mention this
to the cardio dr who said: “I cant stop you from swallowing food, you need this pacemaker.
Sorry for the long winded post but am wondering what you all think with re to my symptoms and ‘Roemheld syndrome’. I am due to see a gastro Dr for some further tests next week… I have already had a Endoscope (+6 biopsy’s) which all came back clear. On this visit i am to undergo a particular test that involves a tube being inserted into a nostril and down into my stomach which will then measure contraction of oesophagus? And a 24 hour acid monitor…. I am scared as nobody seems to believe me when I say that my Difficulty swallowing food AND 3rd degree AV Heart Block that I experience ARE INDEED LINKED. 100%
any thoughts will be very much appreciated

Thanks :)

Youness a few seconds ago
Hello All, how are you all doing? At this end i am feeling rather emotional having just discovered the condition ‘Roemheld syndrome’ and am wondering if i have it..
I have been feeling my heart stop followed by a sever dizzy spell followed
by a few heavy heartbeats with a head rush then back to normal, this happens when swallowing (food feels stuck, just before stomach) or burping for want of a better word!
I went to my Dr on more than 1 occasion and was always told to do more exercise
and sent for a ECG that always comes back normal…
I changed GP and when i mentioned these symptoms to my new Dr, she sent me for a 24 hour ECG monitor Hotler Thingy! And after returning the device I received a call from my GP asking me to come and collect report and go strait to Hospital :0
They discovered I get 3rd degree AV heart block lasting between 2 and 7.2 seconds!
I received a pacemaker but while I was in hospital to have the procedure I was hooked to an ECG Monitor for a few
days and could tell when the AV Heart block was about to happen… After I swallow food of burp… I mention this
to the cardio dr who said: “I cant stop you from swallowing food, you need this pacemaker.
Sorry for the long winded post but am wondering what you all think with re to my symptoms and ‘Roemheld syndrome’. I am due to see a gastro Dr for some further tests next week… I have already had a Endoscope (+6 biopsy’s) which all came back clear. On this visit i am to undergo a particular test that involves a tube being inserted into a nostril and down into my stomach which will then measure contraction of oesophagus? And a 24 hour acid monitor…. I am scared as nobody seems to believe me when I say that my Difficulty swallowing food AND 3rd degree AV Heart Block that I experience ARE INDEED LINKED. 100%
any thoughts will be very much appreciated

Thanks :)

I am with you , i feel the same way for 7 years after 2 Haital hernia surgerys , its only getting worse , no one seems to know whats my problem , ready to take the gas pipe , so much foe the medical profession, a bunch of prescription writers and test presrcipers, I could have been a DR. with a high school ED. AL Leone

I have a neuromuscular specialist that has been touted to get rid of hiatal hernias 100% by just visceral massage manipulation. I found him through my naturopath medicine doctor who has sent at least 10 patients of hers to him and all have been cured of their hiatal hernia. I have unfortunately only been to him once so far as he is very busy and booked out, but will definitely continue with him and see if I can somehow get into him much more frequently. I could care less if I have to pay a little more. I keep having breathing episodes I thought it was silent gerd and typically occurs worst in the morning after lying down at night and I figured out that the episodes always occur within about one to two hours after eating, and figured out on my own that drinking water and then burping relieves my issue. I too feel at times my heart stop and then heavy heart rate especially if I bend over so it's obvious the pressure bending over is not helping. Surgery I have only been told makes you worse. It's not surprising to me because I have Chron's disease and my gut is not in good shape. I had a foot of my terminal ileum cut out but it wasn't till I started having GERD then they gave me a PPI that my gut situation got even worse. Now I have too little stomach acid, nutrient deficiencies, high need for digestive enzymes etc etc. I couldn't believe it when I read the first part of this syndrome in the Fix your gut article. I literally cried! Finally an answer.... I also had suspected Vagus nerve issues since I have several autonomic issues but yet have done a POTS tilt table test three times with only a limited autonomic neuropathy diagnosis. However today after meeting with Mayo AZ PA she suggested a test for Hyperpenia as well as a Vasval something test which both kind of make sense. I also unfortunately have a double MTHFR mutation so that makes me at even more increased risk for a heart attack or stroke. I am starting back Salmon fish oil and going to start taking CoQ10 and anything else I can do to protect or help my heart. Probably also take Reservatrol. I ironically had an episode today at Mayo and the nurse was like your pulse is 98 but that doesn't mean you don't have a medical issue. Finally.....someone who believed it wasn't a panic attack. She even suggested that it might be cardiac in nature. She was more onto it then even the Neruo PA. A bit scary as my dad has heart disease and a stent and a heart attack already and his dad died of the widowmaker before I was even born. I had been having a lot of symptoms related to heart failure and it still worries me because this can lead to heart failure. I have only been experiencing it for about a year and a half these episodes and they seem to come in waves. I have noticed this time that I think some of my triggers occur due to histamine responses especially anything with citric acid in them. It takes me days to recover. I was getting more or them after I had to do GI prep pre colonsocpy, and video capsule clean out's and I realize now it's because they contain citric acid. The acid seems to trigger them for me. I also think my body is way too acidic since my stomach gastrin is not high at 14. So I definitely think acidity and histamine/mast cell activation disorder also plays a role. I have already been diagnosed with mast cell activation disorder, vocal chord dysfunction, and esophagitis. I am not 100% sure of the whole vocal chord dysfunction as if I sniff or swallow really hard I don't seem to think it does anything. It only seems to help when I swallow water and then get my body to burp to release that built up gas. I also this week drank some G2 which was stupid but I did so to try to get rehydrated and felt awful ever since I did this. The bad thing is I am supposed to do a repeat video capsule on Friday which means I have to drink the citric acid prep again on Thursday night and I really don't want to have more episodes. I do the Prepopik one and it's really the best one of them all as your not drinking gallons of the prep just two 8 oz cups. Anyhow I now have other hormone issues as well as hypoglycemia and nutrient deficiencies and I am sure most of which is all caused by my gut. Not sure about the hormone issues but I figure if I am missing nutrients etc then your hormones also probably depend on those things as well. I have been looking for so long in total 3 years for all my answers but I feel lucky today that at least I have part of the puzzle revealed. I kept telling my parents I felt like I had either a lung or cardiac issue and that I felt like I could die and/or several times now. Just so you are all aware when I have had these episodes at times I find that my oxygen levels dip down to about 89% temporarily and that I feel much better and lasts not very long as long as they give me oxygen. Sometimes though it occurs and my oxygen levels on pulse ox show fine. If it happens to you try asking for oxygen and see if it helps. I am wondering if it's somehow pressing on a nerve or vein that cuts off blood supply also to the lungs or possibly really the heart but still produces breathing issues? That part I am not super sure of. I so thought it was all silent GERD but it really seems spot on with the symptoms of this syndrome.

Yes, I’ve suggested that my Afib occurred after a meal or when I have gas or overeaten the wrong food. One Cardiologist made fun of me and said I was just getting old. The next one totally ignored me. Gastro Dr seemed to understand, but dropped the conversation and went on to the subject of the colonoscopy for which I had been scheduled. My primary had NO IDEA. I have now decided I have Roemheld-Syndrome. But who ever even heard of it. So what good is the knowledge. I need to concentrate on my digestive tract. Keeping it as clean as possible. No caffeine, chocolate, small meals, no dairy.

Thank you so much for this information. This has helped me feel better.

Hi. I have this condition too. I went through an extensive workup when it first showed up about 25 years ago and it revealed nothing. I finally realized a connection to ingesting dairy products and then stomach bloat leading to a triggering of the vagus nerve, tachycardia and left arm symptoms. Scary! But when I reduced my dairy intake it went totally away. I didn't know the name of the syndrome for many years. I just had a relapse and sure enough, I'd allowed my dairy intake to creep up gradually. I've cut it out again, and symptoms gone. I hope this is helpful for you.

Hi, I also diagnosed myself with Roemheld after a thorough workup revealed no other cause for my episodes of rapid heart rate, almost always occurring at night. In my case, it turned out that too much dairy in my diet would eventually lead to stomach bloating that would trigger the Vagus nerve response. When I cut out cheese in particular, it all stopped. You might want to look back at what you've been eating and try a process of elimination. Dairy is a common trigger. Alcohol too. I love my wine in the evening, but it's not worth it to wake up with palpitations. I wish you good luck in discovering what works for you.

Wow my situation is similar to what I have been reading here. Started a few weeks ago...went to ED 3 times in one week because I thought I was having heart issues. After several tests received all clear and was told it was panic attack/stress. Realizing it had more to do with stomach issues I took to Google and searched for those types of symptoms...when I discovered Roemhold Syndrome, I mentioned to PCP and he basically dismissed me. I believe for sure this is what I have...just need to figure out how to lessen symptoms...I feel better knowing that I am not alone.

I have it. It sucks. I get hit in the fall or when I am not eating right. The vagal nerve gets irritated to the point my heart skips all over the place with arrhythmia, PVCs, and PACs. I am on PPIs and Pepcid AC. I have been told hormones have a to do with it and gut motility. I don't know. but it is horrible. Diet has a lot do with it but I have had times when the only thing that I can eat is McDonalds. It is crazy but I have had cardiac-Gastric episodes and I eat a McDouble and Small fries and it is gone.

Hi - It feels so good to have found this mini community. Just like many of you, I went to heart doctors and got pretty strong meds (Flecainide and Cordarone) that gave me massive headaches and vertigo. I follow the advice in the thread and the youtube interview: no more milk at all, no more eating in-between meals, magnesium (600mg /day), and hawthorn. After a week and a half, I had no more Afib. What a relief!! I am 38 and thought I was plagued with a heart disease but no!

I have been taking 250 mg. daily of magnesium for a year and a half for heart palpitation issues. I am not sure if it is helping that because I take several RX drugs but I figured magnesium can't hurt. I have seen no improvement in my Roemheld Syndrome since taking it.

I have struggled with Roemhelds for around 6 years and have tried many hings. I have recently discovered a low histamine diet and this has had the biggest impact on the condition. I've tried FODMAP under a dietician and many other solutions too, but nothing has worked as well as reducing the stimulation of the nervous system through reducing histamines in my diet. This also appears to be improving other issues I have such as blocked sinus and painful joints.

Hi just stumbled upon your post and my symptoms are very similar to yours, the only thing I've been diagnosed with is small hiatal hernia after a full and complete cardiac screening. My cardiologist is at a complete loss and I'm sure he thinks I'm making it up. When I mentioned roemheld syndrome he dismissed it out of hand. I'm just wondering how are you getting on with it , do you just struggle through it or have you found ways of dealing with it.
Thanks
Martin

My symptoms have been similar. Most recently the pressure and pain in the upper abdomen was so significant, I would have to recline backwards and left just to get relief.
They took my gall bladder out a couple months ago thinking this was the problem and things have only gotten worse.
Recently, through my own research, and the help of other family members, I stated to look into SIBO and other types of inflammatory bowel syndromes. Clearly inflammation was behind the issue.
I started on the low FODMAP diet and have found significant relief. It seems reasonable that some foods were causing inflammation in my gut and that eliminating their intake would help. It has. I still have some problems with right side pain, ringing in the ears and occasional bloating, but I am not experiencing bouts of tachycardia and also also I am able to breath deeply. I have only been on the eating plan for 8 days and the expected time before systematically adding back foods into my diet in 8 to 12 weeks. This is most likely to allow gut inflammation to completely reduce.
Hope this is helpful. Good Luck