heart palpitation and bowel movements

[twogirls]

I am a 35yo female that has suffered from heart palpitations for the last several years. I have had every test that you can think of.  They all come back as normal.  My cardiologist says that some people suffer from palpitations for no reason.  It just seems like when I have palpitations that I automaticlly need to have a bowel movement.  Does anyone else suffer from that? I have been told that is not a sign of any heart problem.  The palpitation bother me to the point that I am afraid that I will have a heart attack.

[AmySabato]

I'm with you Zambo. I have had skipped beats with a feeling of not enough blood getting to my brain and all of a sudden I have to have a bm. This is always followed by a pressure in the vagus nerve area. An EKG and Echocardiagram have showed normal and healthy heart. I feel like I am going to pass out, then it passes about 45 minutes after bm. So, I agree with you this is related to the vagus nerve.

[jimmydemello]

No one has responded since 2017 but I just woke up with anxiety and palps and I think it is related to eating a 10-pack of chocolate chip cookies. So sat up and played guitar a while to calm myself, tried burping to get some gas out and then had to go to the can after which my heart normalized. No lightheadedness or any serious heart indicators so I assume it was gas/insulin/pressure on nerve type issue. I have had palps for years but still run and do stuff as usual. I don't drink coffee regularly but one cup will really bring it on for an hour or so. Body is a mystery to me.

[Gangers]

I a man a 16 year old who has had acid reflux for 3 years now and for the last 4 months I have been suffering badly with bowel related issues which the doctors have said is ibs however I'm suffering with constant palpitations everyday as soon as I eat something my heart races and usually it returns to normal after a bowel movement doctors are telling me it's in my head but I know that my heart is racing regardless of what they say I have had ecgs done and they have returned back to normal I don't know what to do as it is effecting my daily life

[BamaBeauti]

This is really helpful information that I will follow-up with my doctor on. I have suffered with IBS for about 4 years now and this year have had sporadic episodes waking up in the middle of the night feeling very full, with heart papultations, shortness of breath, and feeling very faint followed by a violent bm or the urge to go #2. It's the scariest feeling ever but I'm glad to know that maybe it's more common than I thought.

[vetster02]

Hi. Believe it or not I have linked such issues to figure and Fran especially high fructose corn syrup. I was tested for fructose malabsorption (never even heard of it) but am so sensitively​I even the tiniest bit (fructan) In some vegetable can trigger me. I believe the sugars don't suggest, go into the bloodstream the pancreas makes a bunch of insulin and then I go into a hypo glycemic state. Look up hypo glycemia and compare it to what you are waking up with. The heart Palos soaking with sweat nearly passed out sometime diarea sometimes vomit. I lay on the cold floor barely conscious praying until it passes. Xanax helps a bit cold compress but really must avoid!

[Echo9er]

I too have the same thing.  It is related.  With full intestines your vagus nerve can be cramped or over stimulated.  My natural doc took me off of caffeine and put me on b complex, probiotics three times a day and low carb diet.  Chlorophyll drops help a lot.  Also peppermint oil.  I put 4 drops in a bottle water and consume.

[Shoshin_Seishu]

Yes, there is Gastrocardiac Syndrome, which is centered on the...G.I. system, bowels, heart, and the great connector--the vagus nerve. Cardiologist Sanjay Gupta (UK) has several very helpful presentations on Gastrocardiac Syndrome on his wonderful You Tube channel. Vagus nerve is determinative of most of my own arrhythmia incidents.

[Gangers]

I am a 16 year old who has had acid reflux for 3 years now and for the last 4 months I have been suffering badly with bowel related issues which the doctors have said is ibs however Im suffering with constant palpitations everyday as soon as I eat something my heart races and usually it returns to normal after a bowel movement doctors are telling me its in my head but I know that my heart is racing regardless of what they say I have had ecgs done and they have returned back to normal I dont know what to do as it is effecting my daily life

[Pent]

I have also been having these kinds of problems. I would eat a heavy meal and get palpitions but they were usually mild. My main concern is sometimes i wake early in the morning only after having a few hours sleep to severe palpitations. My heart beats like crazy i get cold sweats, trembling, numbness, tingling, nausea, sometimes shortness of breath and loose bowel movements, the urge to vomit. After the bowel movements i would feel slightly better, my heart will slow down but it will still be strong. I have been to the ER and had blood work and EKG both came back normal. I have been to a cardiologist and they said my heart shows no signs of any issues so i went to a gastrologist and they checked my stomach and found i have a mild form GERD. They also checked my colon and found nothing wrong with it. She gave me a ppi to take for stomach acids and for the first month and a half i was doing exellent but the medication upon my refill started not to work as well. I went back to my gastrologist she persribed me more drugs (which i will not take as taking ppi for to long will cause other problems) and gave me a few more test to do to see if i have IBS or some food intolerances. Next step will be a Naturopathic Dr and see what they have to offer. You are not alone, God bless and stay strong.

[tom_h]

Have you been examined or tested for Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

[chisty1988]

I am male 29. Since last 5-6 months I am having my palpitation problems. I rushed in ER more than 10 times and found nothing. My ECG came only showing Tachycardia. I have tested almost every thing which can cause my palpitation. Every test came normal. My echocardiogram says good about my heart. I have never been into any long term medication before. My thyroid , blood cbc, blood suger, hepatitis b, c, almost every thing came normal. Only a few came different. But those issue is not related with my palpitation issue. Lately I discovered it totally related with GERD and over eating or spicy food eating and bowel movements and pressures. Whenever I have a slight bowel pressure or I over ate.I get this sudden palpitation. Now I am under some medication for long. Propanolol for palpitation and and some regular anti gastric medicine. I am better than before but during these days I have grown inside me some phobia and cant leave my house. I feel fearful. It feels scary if I get another attack or what if I encounter another episode again. So now I am trying to coping up with the situation slowly. I font know weather I am going to relief from this or not but I can give it a shot or else I have cope up with it and accept it as a part of life. I don't know why medical technology has not come yet till this far for this kind of problems.

[DiesIrae]

chisty1988: Thank you for your post. I have the exact same thing as you do. Usually happens when I eat a big meal the night before. Wake up in the morning with tachycardia and blood pressure ramping up. Stomach pains, then 3 or 4 bowel movements during the next several hours. After the last one, everything back to normal. I am going to try very small meals at dinner and see if that makes any difference. Some of these attacks were so bad that I could not breathe and started to pass out. Very alarming. Like you I have had every test known to man and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with me. The one good thing is that I have not died from one these yet, so I guess that they are not life threatening ( I have had these for several years). I hope you feel better and that things improve.

[Torq24]

This wvwning, about an hour ago, I had a gas like attack followed by diarrhea. Sorry for the TMI but I went to the restroom and all the sudden I was skipping beats and then when I got a heartbeat it's  a strong THUMP that made my eyes build up a feeling of pressure even. I figured the combo of stomach attacks put pressure somewhere and caused my heart to do this. Not to mention my already severe anxiety and I've been sitting here fighting a panic attack for over an hour cuz I let myself get freaked. I have been told that stomach trouble also causes an anxiety in itself and that is why librax has a diazepam in it. So maybe I just had a freak stomach thing and had the heartbeat mess and the anxiety brought on the rest of the mess. I tighten and tense up drastically also so that causes me chest pains and numbness in extremities. I take Xanax everyday but of my anxiety wants to come it's coming.

So just throwing all of this out here and you guys have helped me feel better too so thank you.

~Torq

[2210485]

Bowel Movements cause Vagal Stimulation which causes issues with rhythm.

They're transient in nature, nothing to be too worried about. In fact everyone's heart is effected by bowel movements, even folks without any sort of issues with heart rhythm.

[amelia200015]

Hi all of you. I have palpitations since 1996, first they were very mild, but now the become stronger and more frequently. I am 64 years of age, I am now a pensioner. I had several 24- hours ECG in the past and even a 72-hours ECG two years ago, also Echos, none of them was abnormal. On a normal ECG last year they discovered a so-called left-side deviation but said this is also not abnormal. After palpitations I need to go to the toilet to have bowel movement or - if no bowel movement - a lot of wind is coming out. My GP said it is possible that at times more adrenalin runs through the system which makes the heart to palpitate. And of course - straight after having had a palpitation my blood pressure is going high immediately, which then goes back down after some minutes. I have also occasionally more than one palpitations in a row - for example five or six, but this does not happen too often. The food I am eating seems also to play a role. For example: I cannot eat a lot of bread, one roll for breakfast is enough, otherwise I would get palpitations straight after eating. In general I cannot eat a lot anyway - only small portions at the time, otherwise the palpitations get worse. I am getting on well with food like green salad, rice pudding, mash potatoes, light cake, nothing heavy. Beans, peas, onions etc. creating a lot of wind in my tummy and also increasing the palpitations, therefore I avoid it. Chamomile tea seems also to ease the palpitations. I have been recently prescribed low-dose Betablocker for the time being, I have not started yet but will do so shortly. I will see how it goes and if the palpitations stop or not.

[PurpleLupine]

Hi, I have pain in the chest along with palps. sometimes and when I have to urinate and or have a bowel movement and it seems to be relieved when I release on toilet. I feel like I can't eat too much, then feeling like I can't breath that good when I do eat too much. I was diagnosed with IBS, SYCOPE. I have been in and out the er. I too have felt like I was having a heart attack. The results came back fine. I have been diagnosed with anxiety as well. I think it's dumb because, something is obviously causing the anxiety. I don't believe to have it for no reason. I have had ekg's I had a heart monitor that showed I had an extra beat or something nothing to important. I had an ultra sound of my heart they said it was fine. I don't feel fine, lol. I get left arm pain every now and then too. Dry mouth sometimes. I believe in changing diet will help a lot. I love my coffee. I noticed I start feeling strange when I eat foods that give me a lot of gas, cabbage etc. I feel plugged, I make an effort to go because, I will feel better. I am only 34 so, that *****. I went to the er once and they told me I had high key tones then, I never heard about it again. They sometimes tell me I am somewhat dehydrated. I believe these symptoms are all apart of a whole THING or most of it but, they want to treat them all separately. I will be somewhat fine for like months then it comes back. I feel like I am going to die, I hate that feeling. I too experienced the palps when laying in a certain position then if I turn they are somewhat relieved. I noticed some strange symptoms when riding in a car, like it would bring my anxiety on, FOR NO REASON. Tingling arms and hands..feeling mentally out of sorts, just weird. I really enjoyed the posts and answers it opened my eyes to a lot of things and, knowing I am not alone. I believe I have something not sure what exactly. God bless.

[Torq24]

PurpleLupine.... Read my earlier post from a few minutes ago. It's relatrelated to this.

[BigdogX]

Hello, Firecracker if you still monitoring this post please indicate how are you these days ?

I am on a similar journey I also have GERD however mine is more LPR / Gas reflux SNERD. This said a full bowl can give me lower back ache and feel my heart beat in my stomach.

I thought I had mine under control but I am not so sure.

[vetster02]

Dr mercolas probiotics!!

[SilverCrow]

In Feb, I experienced a changes in my heart rhythm known as palpitations. I felt like I was having a heart attack,  light headed, lack of air, and out of breathe. I was rushed to ER immediately, they hooked me up with heart monitor, gave me IV, drew my blood, took chest x-ray and collect urine test. They kept me there and monitoring my heart until almost mid night.

What happened was... at few weeks back, I was on a very-low-calorie diet, with exercise that burn more than my calories intakes. The diets cause rapid weight loss (I lost 4 pounds in 1 day), lack of daily nutrients, weaken immune system, dehydration and stress my heart to the point that it's causing heart palpitations. Basically, my body went into survivor mode because there was not enough protein and calories intake. So it begins to take protein from lean body tissues, such as muscle. Since the heart is also a muscle, that's the 1st one to be taken from.

Dr. Said I need to go back and eat normal and have protein and calories intake of at least 1500 or more a day. I need to rest and not do a lot to conserve my energy for a week or so. If ignore, it can turn into high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

The urine test came back with Keytone this support the theory that my body did not produce enough insulin. The good news is, from the blood test, chest x-ray, and heart monitoring during the ER visit. The results came back normal, NO sign of heart attack, high blood pressure or stroke.

One more thing to add, during my low carb diet, I was taking very high dose of Vitamin D. There's an article saying that taking too much vitamin D also cause heart palpitation. To counter the symptom you need to take enough Magnesium with it. See article here http://www.easy-immune-health.com/heart-palpitations-from-vitamin-d1.html

Hope this info helps someone. :-)

[jbarr75]

Very interesting... did your palpitations ever go away after changing back to the 1500 calories?    reason I ask is that last year I had severe diarrhea for a few days...  and I developed palpitations, they went away after awhile...  then in nov. had another round of severe diarrhea and palpitations came back and have stayed...  both incidents I lost 10 pounds...  I went from 210 down to 187...   I've been eating a lower carb diet (cutting out processed foods and white bread ect.) and taking about 5000IU vitamin D.  ..  I've had a stress test , ekg ect and all came back normal.... keytones were found in my urine as well..  (my Dr. asked if I was fasting or on the keyto diet... I said no... just reducing carb intake) ...      I just started a 30 Event monitor for my heart....    I wish they just went away!!

[MrsAJG]

Dear all. I found this site this morning. I have had IBS all my life (I'm 53) and recently diverticulitis and also have been advised I have "lower left ventricle failure". In the last few months, I have had a flare up of diverticulitis (coinciding with a 6-month absence from the gym and a new job) and very strong heart palpitations. I strongly suspected a link between the diverticulitis and heart "thing" but the GP denied knowledge of any link between bowel and heart, was patronising and dismissive and sent me away (after I secured a 2nd prescription for co-amoxiclav). I live in the UK where the GPs are so under pressure it's easier for them to be rude and send you away than to spend any time or money on making you feel more comfortable - physically and emotionally - with your symptoms.  Thank you all for your postings. This Sunday I feel better armed with information and much more assured it's not me being attention-seeking or a hypochondriac.  Thank you again.

[Torq24]

Your gastro didn't tell you that stomach, small and large intestine and Colin spasms can cause a simple, generalized anxiety?? Librax is made with a diazepam for the reason entirely. He should know this and told you if only for your anxiety and psychology. This is normal apparently. So if you already auffer the stomach anxiety added to stomach-caused anxiety doesn't help. Hence why I'm sitting here now, hopefully over the mountain and headed towards being ok again after having what I think is a gas attack which then caused diarrhea which led to skipped and slamming heartbeats. Thought I'd pass out. I didn't but it put me in a panic attack that I've had to fight off. Sucks. But it's all so closely related.

[AmySabato]

I am never diagnosed WHILE I am having the episode. I have have SVT, Atrial Fib, the 'I might pass out feeling', and others, and am told all is fine.
While I understand you HAVE to CATCH these episodes while they are occurring, how can a patient be told "all is well", when an episode has never yet been "caught" during tests performed? I'm curious about this.

[AmySabato]

You have hit on something I ask all the time. I feel arrhythmias, I feel like I am going to have A-Fib, I am on Inderal 80 mg - diagnosed with a normal healthy EKG and Echog...yet I wonder how a patient can have, for example, the symptoms I am having (electrical problem or not) and be given meds, yet no other attention is paid to these things. Of course, it can be attributed to stress, but not when symptoms are so severe that a patient almost passes out. At SOME point your heart HAS to be telling you, "Help, I'm not as 'normal' as you think". LOL  

[seeburg220]

Hi all.  Google is great:  I have noticed that recently, when I get palpitations, I too have to immediately go #2.  This is something new; I have had occasional palpitations for 20+ years, and Afib episodes 4 or 5 times as well.   I am glad that I found out I'm not alone.

Some things I have noted about me over the years as I get older (50):

caffeine, chocolate, MSG, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Soybean oil : ALL of them have either put me into full blown Atrial Fibrillation (requiring hospitalization) or a steady bout of palpitations.   It seems the older I get, the worse it is and the more things I am finding out don't agree with my nervous system.    MSG and similar food additives are in tons of prepared foods, fast foods.   Chik Fil A's website lists MSG twice in the ingredient list for its chicken sandwich !   I can never eat there again.

It pays to read labels and ask questions about your foods.  

Stress lately, has been the big cause for my palpitations.  I have more drama in my life than I can shake a stick at; stuff that I previously hadn't had to ever deal with.   It's affecting my job and health.

Glad to share and I'm glad you all shared your stories.

Thanks !

[itsyagirl_]

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.  Caffeine is also a thing to avoid, as it is a stimulant, and your adrenals react to it just like stress.  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 those of you out there!  I am curious about your journeys and how you've been feeling if anyone out there wants to give an update.  Here is a good place to start reading about how nutritional plays a big role in thyroid function (and our health in general):  http://paleoleap.com/thyroid-a-paleo-introduction/

[RebeccaEvans05]

What foods did you need to eliminate from your diet? How have you been in the past year? Hope well!

[angelomb3]

Thank goodness for this forum I feel better already..I'm a quite active guy I bike and play basketball in my 30s when I was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid..I was on Tenormin for my arrhythmia and PTU for my thyroid for 5 yrs ..after my thyroid was completely normal..they've taken away the PTU but the Atenolol my doctor couldn't seem to remove as I have tachycardia rebounds, besides it also helps lower my blood pressure..

Fast forward to today I'm an expat working in Qatar, I'm 47 now my BP could not be controlled anymore by Tenormin so he added Diovan 80mg..it was this time I had a gastric episode that eventually was attributed to lactose intolerance and gluten sensitivity.. I went on an elimination diet and was able to lose 25 pounds, (I'm 5'7" was 185 before now I'm 160) and avoided meat and lessend my wheat intake..

This weight loss eventually helped bring down my BP from 150/90 to 120/70 so my cardio was very happy that he took me off Tenormin (my heart rate was on the 50s to 60s, he said it might make me dizzy) and just kept the Diovan. I also exercise regularly by walking and occasional jog 1-2 hrs a day..I also have a heart rate monitor so I can see my bpm while I exercise..

So now here's whats happened lately..I've been trying to push myself to be more physically fit after taking off Tenormin so I was gradually increasing my max heart rate..usually my recovery time after exercise was pretty good..but it's when I hit 145bpm that I had triggered tachycardia which went into a high of 180bpm, I had no chest pain or dizziness but I noticed that I had the urge to have a bowel movement which I had then my heartbeat returned to normal 77bpm..

The next day I went for my usual exercise again I was careful not to push myself too hard, but when I was on an quite uphill slope and my HR was just 110bpm when I felt a twitch on my abdomen then my HR went to 160 in just a few seconds..I had to stop my exercise and walked slowly back to my house good thing I was already near..this time I again felt an urge to go to he bathroom again..

I panicked and I took 25mg of Tenormin..my question is could my stomach triggered my arrythmia? I had already taken tests like stress 2D echo, treadmill, thyroid test all normal, although my EKG says I have RBB which my doctor says it's not something to worry about..

So sorry for the long story guys..hope o can find comfort and assurance from this forum..warm regards..

[harmonytx]

Just want to thank you for your post.....even though some time has passed, it was good to search and find you comment......and it has offered a peace of mind my own doctors never took the time to talk to me about....So again, thanks :)

[4hearthealth]

Thank you!  Thank you! For all these posts.  I have had palpitations all my adult life.  Many times ending up in ER with fear of dying from them.  Tests have been run and always being told that they are benign PVC's...This past week I had a really scary episode and thought I was going to have to call 911...and now once again they are going to run test....
I have for a while now been trying to understand why it is that everytime I get a run of palpitations or racing of heart I sense bowel activity leading up to a bowel movement and then shortly after that the palpitations subside and my heart rhythm seems to get back on track...as far back as I can remember there was always a connection between intense palpitation incidents and bowel moments...either before and leading up to the BM or a while after but always stopping after the emptying of my bowels...
SO THANK YOU to all who posted because it is providing some hope as to the WHY of this journey with palpitations...and the anxiety that comes with having them....it is so comforting to read your stories because they sound like mine...and unless you have palpitations people just dont understand....they dont understand what happens when you get these and you feel like your going to have a heart attack or die...and then what that anxiety does to us....and how because its the unknown it sets off more anxiety....
Reading all your post has been more helpful than any of the responses I have received from the doctors in that they say things like, "you wont die from this."  "Okay, thank you but it sure feels like it"....but reading these post provide avenues of being able to research for myself possible answers to the questions of  the possible connection between bowel movement and palpitations...
And also food allergies because in my case if I have artificial flavors or white sugar found in so many foods it sets off palpitations leading to the bowel activity promoting more palpitations...so I do believe from my own life journey with palpitations that there is a connection with diet....of course every body is different but there is wisdom in paying attention to our body and how it responds to what we put in it....like we have heard...we are what we eat...and then Beccadex post on Feb 11th, 2014 referring to unhealthy colons....
Again, thank you all for sharing your stories it has provided a helpful calmness in regards to the ongoing mystery of the why behind palpitations and bowel movements....
And now I'm off to research more from all that I gleaned from this site....

[Beccadex]

I too have had many run-ins with doctors for irregular heartbeat and intestinal problems. They also say my irregular heartbeat is not dangerous after many lengthy tests. I can't tell you how many times I've had hospitals and doctors think I was having a heart attack right there on their table!

I have found, through working with my Naturopath, that it is due to food intolerances. Once I cut out the offending foods, I was in the clear for the most part. I also see a physical therapist that specializes in "Strain, Counterstrain" method. His explanation is that the fascia that surrounds my heart is being restricted by the toxins in my body from the undigested food my body could not process. I have found this true especially when I have a lot of gas. I believe it all stems from an unhealthy colon.

[countingcards]

I too have just had another incident which prompted me to find this site.  My problems started in 2009 when, without warning and otherwise feeling fine, I turned beet red, broke out in a hot sweat, felt like my head was going to explode from the pressure, lost my vision and passed out.  When I came to, I had to immediately have a large bowel movement.  Happened again in 2010, and now occurs intermittently but with less intensity (i don't pass out).  Have been on anti-anxiety and heart rhythm medication ever since.  Don't believe I have ever had a problem with anxiety, but noticed an immediate difference on my vagus nerve thanks to the medication.  Still get palpatations which can occur at any time and any duration, but are usually short.  When I get them so bad that my heart is just beating erratically, feels like it is loose in my chest, speeding up, then slowing down to the point I cannot even ascertain a pulse, it means a bowel movement is imminent.  I have never been diagnosed with a bowel disease, have occasional heartburn and noisy bowels, but 30 day heart monitor found many PVCs, most of which I was not even aware of.  Just wanted to give my experience and hope that BrokenHeartedBella or KristyEithier and others might be reassured that it is scary but probably not life threatening.  The search for a solution continues.

[Dudse]

I have suffered many ( and just suffered another really bad one-which is why I am visiting this site today) episodes where when  I  need to have a bowl movement,  my heart starts palpitating. My heart then slows down for what seems like an eternity( but it is usually only for about 10-20 seconds), speeds up and then goes back to its normal pace. I usually feel the need to lie down after the episode. I tend to get light-headed and have a headache after. Due to this, I have had many procedures to check out my digestive system, and the finding came back that I have Celiacs Disease and they cannot determine if it is related to my episodes. Great information on this site. It does make me feel better knowing that its not just me, however even after having a lot of these episodes, it still scares the heck out of me.