Arrhythmias and Concern Over Microvascular Ischemia.

[Mr. J.]

Thanks for taking my question!

Background: About 4 years ago I developed an apparent autoimmune disorder which has not been diagnosed. It has many characteristics of a connective tissue disease but blood markers are normal. Most of my symptoms seem to be vascular related. For example, I have been diagnosed with raynaud's. Unless kept very warm, my feet and toes are cold and purple ALL the time. In cold weather, this "raynaud's" seems to affect ALL exposed areas of my body. I have wondered if instead of raynaud's I have some type of ongoing inflammation causing the poor circulation.

At the same time the raynauds started I also began having a variety of different palpitations. Event monitors have shown inappropriate sinus tach, atrial tach, and PVC's. A heart cath showed a "hyperdyamic heart." I am on beta blockers which has helped reduce symptoms. Lately, I have been having PVC's when I START exercising. For the first five minutes of my walk they will be quite regular but then back off or go away even if I increase the intensity of my workout.

My questions are: 1) Could my IST, atrial tach, and PVC's be caused by microvascular ischemia? 2) Some people with connective tissue diseases have increased heart rates.  Why is this so? 3) If my PVC's were caused by ischemia wouldn't they get even worse as I increased the intensity of my workout? 4) I am always worried about possibility for v-tach.  Would a short run of v-tach FEEL any different to me than the other palp's I have? 5) What are the most accurate tests to check for microvascular ischemia?

Thank You.
:)

[Lotsabeats]

I have been looking at the 2001 Mike Brewer Maalox for my PVC's......  does anyone know if it should be in liquid form only..... or will chewable ables suffice?  I'd drink rat poison if it would stop these things.....

[save my son]

WE WERE RECENTLY TOLD THAT OUR SON HAS HEART ARRYTHMIA AND THAT HIS HEART IS BEATING ALMOST HALF THE SPEED IT SHOULD. HE IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD AND ALWAY SEEMS TO BE VERY TIRED. HE DOES TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE OTHER KID BUT SEEMS TO WEAR OUT ALOT FASTER THEN THEM. HE HAS EVEN FALLEN ASLEEP IN SCHOOL AND ON THE BUS RIDE HOME. HIS TEACHER SAYS HE DOESNT SEEM TO BE FOCUSED ON HIS WORK AND CANT PAY ATTENTION VERY WELL WITHOUT FALLING ASLEEP. WE ARE EXTREMLY WORRIED ABOUT OUR BABY. HE HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS SINCE HE WAS 1. THE DOCTORS KEPT TELLING US THAT HE HAD DIABETES AND SEIZURES. THEN THEY SAID IT WAS ALL IN OUR HEADS AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM. CAN ANYONE HELP US.

[sunnygirl]

Hi Tall One,

I hope this helps your problem. It is not a theory supported by the medical community, just so you know. It is just something that worked for somebody. It seems like a nonharmful thing to try, but it might be worth running it by your doc first. Not for her/her support necessarily, but just to make sure that there is no reason that you shoudn't try it. My gastroenterologist was open to it and agreeable to prescribing daily Nexium (although this theory didn't work for me...although sometimes certain foods do seem to aggravate my skipped beats).  Well, again, good luck!!

[TallOne]

Hello. I am new to this discussion board. I find it very interesting and helpful. Thank you sunnygirl for the Mike Brewer post from 2001.
  The past couple of weeks my heart has been "skipping beats" like crazy for approx 60 minutes at every meal.  I am 45 and have a 15 year history of occasional skipped beats. (Also one atrial fib event 7 years ago triggered by stress at home and work stress. I converted after 18 hours in the hospital after splashing cold water on my face.)
  Several skips a day are normal for me. Caffeine, carbonated drinks, inadequate sleep, lack of exercise, and stress are all causative. But now this reoccurring meal thing -- for 60 minutes at a time -- has me on edge.  In-between meals my heart rhythm is good ... Low 60s pulse when resting, and steady.
  I was diagnosed with hiatal hernia many years ago. Last year I had significant bloating and belching, difficulty swallowing, and hoarse voice. Taking digestive enzymes and probiotics have helped significantly with those issues.
  My father is 75, has an irregular heart, and has feinted several times apparently because his vagus nerve became irritated.  I think genetics may play a significant role in my arrhythmia.
  I'm rambling but wanted to post because the mealtime esophagus-triggered "skipped beats" hits close to home for me. I'm going to be more vigilant about eating chocolate and fatty foods and OJ, and probably try the Maalox. Thanks for the information.

[sunnygirl]

Hi guys,

The thread we posted on yesterday was closed, so I hope you see this. I wanted to provide a link to Mike Brewer's Maalox cure for PVCs. He posted it back in 2001. It's a very long post but interesting and I think outlines the details of the protocol he came up with. If you try it and it works, please let us know!
Oh, and Dude, he found some ancient research to go along with what you had in your post, that acid from a hiatal hernia was irritaging the vagus nerve and causing the palpitations.


http://www.medhelp.org/forums/cardio/messages/32611.html

[tickertock]

Hi,

   I don't have raynauds, but i have digestive problems, occasionallly not often irritable bowel, I get blurred vision,red eyes, back pain, trigger tender painful spots by pressing fingers on the skin (fibromyalgia) numbness, tingling, costochondritis, ice pick headaches,ectopic heartbeats and tachycardia, also episodes of extreme fatigue, weakness on legs, also occasionally the arms, chronic stiffness and mild to moderate aches all over.


Tested positive for the HLA-B27 gene, Diagnosis AS(ankylosing spondylitis) though it is suspected i might actually have more than one, often referred to as mixed conective tissue disease, symptoms are similiar to MS, besides the fusing and erosion of the sacroiliac joints as shown xrays.Hope this helps, but i still go on ticking and never give up or take bed for it.

[Mr. J.]

Thanks for your reply Tickertock.  By the way, I like your name!

I have many symptoms that are indicative of some type of CTD - raynauds, acid reflux, irritable bowel, esophagus spasms and swallowing discomfort, red and irritated skin, the heart problems which I mentioned, numbness in various places, etc. etc. etc. And pretty much all these sytmpoms started at the same time.  All my blood tests are always normal - I have just about given up on a diagnosis.  I have read, however, that it can sometimes take years for diagoses of CTD's to be made.  Anyway, I have a few questions for you Tickertock if you don't mind:

1)What are your other symptoms?  
2)Do you suffer from raynaud's or other symptoms associated with poor or reduced blood circulation?  
3)Do you have a diagnosis?  
4)What positive blood tests have you had?

Thanks-Mr. J.

[tickertock]

i have a connective tissue disease, while i don't have heart disease or any other significant heart abnormality, I do suffer from tachycardia , PAT and PVCs which i would say is well controlled with a beta blocker.

I have been told by my cardiologist that persons with connective tissue diseases are usually more prone tachycardia and ectopics beats usually from the inflammation from the disease, anyhow only certain connective tissue diseases increase the risk for cardiac events.Even though one with a connective tissue disease might experinece palpitations with the disease, it doesn't appear the affect or make prognosis worse in the vast majority of cases.

good luck.

[Cleveland Clinic]

Mr J

thanks for the post.

1) Could my IST, atrial tach, and PVC's be caused by microvascular ischemia?

Doesnt sound like it. A stress test could show if you have ischemic areas of the heart. It may not be related or due to the systemic illness yet to be defined.

2) Some people with connective tissue diseases have increased heart rates. Why is this so?

Probably due to a number of factors including deconditioning from the illness and inflamation from the underlying disorder.

3) If my PVC's were caused by ischemia wouldn't they get even worse as I increased the intensity of my workout?

They should be precipitated by stress.

4) I am always worried about possibility for v-tach. Would a short run of v-tach FEEL any different to me than the other palp's I have?

Some people have more symptoms then others.

5) What are the most accurate tests to check for microvascular ischemia?

Ischemia is diagnosed with stress testing. You should really focus your efforts more on diagnosing the underlying disorder in addition to controlling all of your cardiac risk factors including cholesterol and hypertension.

good luck