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401554 tn?1270213756

Digestion and PVC's

My PVC's have been constantly changing since I first began having them about a year ago. At first, I would have 1 or 2 a day a couple times a week. Over time, they became more and more frequent until I was having hundreds per day. Then, they calmed down and practically vanished for several months. However, they have recently started up again but are different--I don't feel as many "thuds" anymore, but rather, a sinking feeling in my chest accompanied by pauses. Also, I seem to get more of them when I'm eating or when I'm digesting food. Today, I felt only two, but while eating dinner tonight, I was having numerous pauses (over a dozen in less than 5 minutes). As soon as I stopped eating, they subsided. AAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so freakin' sick of these things I'm ready to scream. Food is a trigger, but it's one I cannot avoid. DOES ANYONE ELSE GET THESE WHEN EATING???
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Avatar universal
This is definitely caused (at least in my case) from the vagal nerve.  I suffered with the same arrhythmia problem for years, just after eating during digestion or consuming alcoholic beverages, and all of the doctors I spoke with never even mentioned the vagal nerve as being causative for the skipped beats or PVC's.  There seems to be VERY little research in this area---and diagnosis or knowledge  connecting the two also seems to be very rare.

So, I took matters into my own hands after doing MUCH research through forums such as this one.  Although I don't suffer from GERD or any other type of digestive disorders or acid reflux, I decided to try an acid reducing over the counter medication.  THIS WAS THE MAGIC BULLET!  75mg of Ranitidine (Zantac)----one first thing in the morning and one before dinner at night, and the arrhythmias WENT AWAY COMPLETELY.

Your results may vary, so please don't take this as medical advice--I just wanted to let you and the group know (and the MD's and cardiologists if they are reading this)  that there is a definite connection between digestive tract acid, vagal nerve stimulation (or destimulation) and heart arrhythmias.  

Good luck, and if you decide to try this and it works, God Bless.

Helpful - 2
2 Comments
... hey, nice, insightful comment ... I just might try zantac, or an applicable substitute ... why not ... fyi, my female paternal first cousin possesses a VNSing pacemaker ... yet/but I am dealing with the opposite - my vagus is somehow OVERstimulated, which appears to possibly be similar to you ... a quick question - have you continued to deepen your knowledge about what you consider to be the ROOT cause of what's going on with you ??? ie, have you ever been screened for, or considered,  the possibility of, chiari/syringomyelia/hydrocephalus??? ... also, have you ever considered the 'ultimate cause', i.e. your genetics??? ... this is the road i'm on ... i happen to posses a strong background re biochemistry & genetics (couple bss and & a bunch of research, just not recently - been dealing with this stuff & all its weird symptoms & secondary & tertiary effects) ... i am defintely ' drilling down' on this stuff, and realizing that cats like us are pretty dang unique ... if you so desire, please lemme know what u think of this here comment ... if nothing else, the two of us can raise a little hell & motivate some of of the so-called 'experts' to weigh in on some of the items and questions and concerns we raise and deal with EVERY DAY ... once again, THANX... hope to hear from you ... i'll post if & when I gobble come overpriced 'chalk'... real stuff, real people, really tough ... ciao ...
I know your post was from several years ago, but I'm hoping you could give an update on how the acid meds helped long term now. I'm also wondering if there are any negative side effects for long term is of the antacid meds. I've tried Prilosec in the past without any luck, but I'm wondering if the medicine you mentioned might have a different result.
452066 tn?1400626877
I just read a few things on the Vagus nerve....As soon as I read it I thought of something my chiropractor told me. He said that the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves(which are controlled by the T1 & T2 area of the vertabrae) have a very large part in the heart rates and rhythm. I have been treated on and off again by him for about 12 years for lower back problems. After my attempted ablation and ICD implant, I went saw him for a treatment on my lower back and told him about my heart issues. He explained about he sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves and how they work and adjusted my T1 & T2 areas.. I went back once a week for several weeks and then stopped going...thus... after about 3 weeks the PVCs got worse and I was thrown into VT last week. I had my device read last Thursday which was 8 weeks since the ablation/ICD implant...these were the results: I was paced out of VT 6 times from the time I left the hospital until I started going  to my chiropractor...no pacing or VT while I had adjustments on regular basis. I stopped going to Chirpractor and after 3rd week... VT again... and the PVCs came back full force. Hmmmm see any connection?
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Yes, I do too. I think your stomach may be irritated. Heal it by doing pepto bysmal, and do not eat acid or rough foods. no salt, no coffee or booze the vagus nerve is irritated in your stomach. eat small meals too. take an acid blocker for a week and you may get better
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Had over 11,000 PVC's every 24 hours for over 6 months before I was finally started on Tambacor - which helped a lot. However, within the past 3 months the PVC's went away on  their own (after 2 years on this med) so my cardiologist stopped the Tambacor. However, I now note after supper I am having continual strings of PVC's. I have asked both my PCP and cardiologist continually if there is a connection only to be told - no. I will try Zantac. These are exhausting and I hate dealing with this!!!! I also do have mild spinal stenosis and am interested in this information on the vagal nerve as well.
Helpful - 0
452066 tn?1400626877
Very interesting!  I have also noticed some connection with eating and PVCs...Thank you!
Helpful - 0
171267 tn?1199870589
it's called the vagus nerve
Helpful - 0
171267 tn?1199870589
I occasionally get something similar. Sometimes when I am sitting down and eating I will get runs of pvc's but they will stop as soon as I stand up.... my only solution when I am having this (which is not very often) I have to stand and eat.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
the nerve is called vega nerve the spelling might not be right
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
yes their is a link in eating and skips their is a nerve that comes from your stomach to your heart and sometimes that is what set these palps off i was afraid to eat lost around 70 lbs i having these nasty things for 29 yrs and it still bothers me a lot hang in thereand maybe we can stop having these things soon
Helpful - 0
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