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Esophageal Spasms, Heart Palpitations or both?

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GERD & Acid Reflux
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Posted 8/21/2013 5:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, Ive been lurking for a few days now on this forum.

about 2-3 months ago I had heart palpitations start every time I ate a meal. Its usually worse at the beginning of the day than it is at the end of the day. Breakfast is the worst meal of the day, with heart palpitations starting at around an hour after I eat.

I received an echocardiogram, week long telemetry monitor test and stress test. It was found that i have heart palpitations but they are so minor that I should "ignore them" in my doctors words. I also was told my heart structure looks very good and strong, so no physical problems. The thing is, while I do get palpitations, I sometimes feel a much greater pressure/slight shuttering sensation in the center of my chest, fairly high up below my throat. Is this what a Esophageal spasm should feel like?

It has gotten somewhat better since it first started suddenly about 3 months ago. My main doctor thinks that anxiety has a lot to do with it and I agree with her, but it also seems so food sensitive. When I see my gastroenterologist in a few days, what can I do to get a proper diagnoses based on what I am feeling in my chest? Its just hard to describe something that isn't exactly pain, but isn't quit nausea either.

I take Nexium for acid reflux (recently switched over from prevacid a month after the palpitations started) and had 2 lower stomach ulcers about 6 years ago. My dentist also noticed a year ago that I had acid burns on my back teeth.
Posted 8/27/2013 12:12 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not sure this is the information you are looking for but there is a book by Arthur Cocoa M.D. called The Pulse Test. This physician says that food sensitivities cause an increased heart rate after ingestion of the offending item. I remembered this book when you said the palpitations come after eating... Your description doesn't sound like the esophageal spasms I have but there is no question that everyone is different and has different manifestations of these things. I wish I could offer you more helpful advice. Hope you find some answers soon and start feeling better. :-)
Posted 8/27/2013 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
Krases

Welcome to Healing Well.

Seeing the GI is a good start. The usual tests for GERD are an EGD(scope), possibly a barium swallow, PH study, and a manometry. These will show what things look like inside, how your swallowing function is, what your reflux is like and if you have a hiatal hernia.
The most challenging test is the manometry, but it is a good test to see what your esophagus is doing while swallowing.

Take care,
Bill
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