Fast heart beat after eating

Eating will have effects on the vagus nerve, which can increase the heart rate, so I don't think this is entirely uncommon altogether, but with coronary artery disease you need to be vigilant anyway. Do you notice it gets worse when you eat really fast, or eat too much? Maybe try eating very slowly and see what kind of effect that has...did your physician have any words of advice?

It's really very complicated and I wouldn't feel comfortable going into depth about neuroscience on this board - but basically eating can set off a number of reactions in the body and the interaction of all the nerves is like an intricate dance and sometimes arrhythmias can develop if there's an excess or depletion of certain chemicals (made by your body). It sounds like you need good follow-up by a cardiologist due to the blockages in your arteries, and if eating smaller/more frequent meals seems to relieve the symptoms somewhat, definitely hop aboard that train! Have you talked to your cardiologist about this symptom?

Summer, was it last year you were diagnosed with PVC's?  Did your doctor not explain what these are to you?  Premature Ventricular Contraction is an early beat within the ventrical the bottom chamber of your heart that can feel as if your heart has skipped a beat.  For some people these are often and strong and others they are not so noticable.  However, make no mistake these are arrhythmias (abnormal heartrhythm).  To my knowledge there isnt much that can be done for PVC's.  But do note these are not brought on by menopause or because of it.

Here is a link from the AMA on arrhythmias you might find useful...

http://americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=10845

I am a 35 year old male with this same problem. I have dealt with this for several years. It has always bothered me but I have learned to except it. I also experience an uncomfortable feeling in my left shoulder sometimes as well. I find that mine is mainly when I over eat. I was diagnosed with high BP at a young age as well however my BP stays under control with meds. I have had a heart cath done two different times once when I was first diagnosed with high BP because I was so young the second time was about 7 years ago both times my cath came back good. I will say that it still bothers me because heart disease runs in my family, my father had heart disease from an early age in life he was 46 when he first had open heart surgery he recently passed away at the age of 65 but he battled congestive heart failure for almost twenty years along with diabetes. It's scary when you think you could very well be looking at facing the same problems your father faced and watched him struggle to live for nearly twenty years.

Another trigger is that having to have a bowel movement or especially having one, causes a sudden and severe drop in blood pressure. It's actually the 2nd leading cause of a sudden severe drop in blood pressure. The body can then overcompensate for the lower blood pressure by producing excessive amounts of adrenaline to make the heart beat faster, so that your blood pressure will go back up to normal. The body will often overcompensate though. This is a very common thing, just worse in some than others. But with the other things you mentioned, I'd keep seeing a doctor.

I have this problem as well. I can also get other symptoms like headache, nervousness, confusion, sweaty hands, nausea, and throwing up. Some of my causes were severe sensitivities to sulfa drugs, something in breakfast sausage, maybe wheat products sometimes, cabbage and other veggies, and it was always worst after breakfast.

I ended up in the ER many times and thought I was going to die. They couldn't figure out what was wrong though. I used to end up dangerously dehydrated after throwing up so much, and having severe phosphorus defeiciencies. And the feeling in my heart was NOT comfortable!

HeatryCarc

Hello and welcome to HealingWell.  You posted "Another trigger is that having to have a bowel movement or especially having one, causes a sudden and severe drop in blood pressure. It's actually the 2nd leading cause of a sudden severe drop in blood pressure."

Your on the right track but let me see if I can clarify that a bit.  When heart rate slows, blood pressure drops. A slow heart rate (bradycardia) can decrease the amount of blood pumped by the heart = low BP.  This can happen when a person strains while having a bowel movement and is referred to as a vasovagal response. 

Syncope, commonly known as fainting, refers to a sudden loss of consciousness, followed by a rapid and complete recovery. If you have symptoms of dizziness or lightheadedness, without loss of consciousness, this is called presyncope.

In some cases, vasovagal presyncope is triggered by an emotional response to a stimulus, such as fear of injury, heat exposure, the sight of blood, or extreme pain. In other cases, it is caused by abnormal nervous system responses to activities such as urinating, having a bowel movement, coughing, or swallowing. In still other cases, no trigger can be identified.

Just FYI.

Happy Holidays to you,

Kitt

GI-Jane,

Have you ever talked to your Dr. about Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome - just an idea ? 

Acid reflux can set off PVCs and SVT. It does in my. I have to eat small meals, eat slowly, and not eat for 3 hours before bedtime. Plus I take medicine for acid reflux.

A number of us who get tachycardia after eating have found that we have specific food triggers. We have sensitivity to certain foods, but don't have a problem caused by just eating.

If you think that may be your problem, try keeping a good food journal - date, time, everything you eat or drink, medicines, and your reactions. I usually get reactions within a half an hour, but have had them as late as 8 hours to some medicines.

My reaction usually starts with a little gastric reflux or feeling of a bubble in my stomach. Then I have a sudden onset of tachycardia. This usually stops quickly, but sometimes has gone on for 6 - 8 hours. I've even needed chemical cardioversion for a really bad, long episode.

My cardiologist has me take Inderal when a reaction comes on, which usually takes care of things in a few minutes. I also know to do "Valsalva Maneuvers" or holding breath and bearing down hard. For a really bad episode I'm supposed to chew up an aspirin also.

Since all the major organs, heart, stomach, esophagus and intestines are connected by the vagus nerve, it's easy to see how a problem with one could affect another. I've had intestinal abscesses trigger tachycardia too. Look up "Linked Angina" or "Cardioesophageal Reflex." There is lots of research on this subject.

 when we experience our heart beating fast after each meal   often times this may be linked to the use of  artificial  ingredients many companies use to process food    First thing to remember, if you experience this discomfort after eating then maybe you need to change the foods you eat    Like myself, I cannot eat fried food, pork, nor salt because if I do, I will not only experience my heart beating fast but also ringing in my ears and swelling in my fingers   Now that I am aware of foods that makes me ill, I avoid eating them.  Another key point, for those who are experiencing fast heart beats after eating. You may want to consider eating organic, beef, fish,fruites and vegetables    To put it in another way, please avoid process foods,pork,excessive salt and foods that contain refined sugars. These foods will not only make you feel bad, but also make you gain weight at an alarming rate.

Thank you,

OZ

Post Edited (wisegirl) : 12/28/2012 8:39:38 PM (GMT-7)

Shane123,

Welcome to HealingWell and I am sorry to read you are having issues but I must strongly suggest you discuss this with your parents.  If you need to be seen by your Dr. you parents will help you set up and appointment for you to receive a medical screening exam.