Sorry about the length of this but want to give as much info to get the best info...
I am a 33 year old male living near Pittsburgh, PA. My problems all started in February of this year when I started having episodes of SVT. I was evaluated and put on beta blockers until I had another bad episode in April. These episodes happened either during or within an hour or so of eating (usually dinner). In April I started losing weight and had diarrhea on occaision. I had a cardiac ablation in May, but still noticed that after I would eat I my heart rate would be elevated for up to two hours after eating, but no SVT would occur. (I gave up caffeine, alcohol and sweets at this point). In late June I started getting PVCs and serious indigestion to go along with the elevated heart rate after eating. I also noticed that there was undigested food in my stools. Some burning like chest pains (left side and back) also occuedr. Anything with high carbs or sugar would make my symptoms much worse (always have had no trouble with sugar and my fasting sugar is in upper normal range). After about two hours the symptoms would almost diminish completely.
I went my GP and he sent me to a gastro to have an upper endoscopy done. The results were gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastritious and Grade A reflux/espophogitis. No H. Pylori and biopsies were benign. I was put on Protonix. In the next two weeks my SVT returned, so I had to have a second ablation procedure. My stomach problems continued to get worse while waiting to have this procedure, so I was switched to Nexium. The procedure (July 25th) caused a PE which has since resolved and I am on warfarin now for the next few months. Throughout this ordeal I have lost a considerable amount of weight (am 6’4” and went from 270 down to 210 now). I have been eating significantly less, and less carbs/sugars as they seem to exacerbate my symptoms. I also have to belch constantly after eating…sometimes belching will subdue the palpitations and indigestion pain for a short while. The worst is the chest pains, which are mostly on the left side of the chest, but sometimes left and/or right and/or in my back.
I have had an abdominal CT (June) and ultrasound (a month ago) both which found a 4mm cyst in the upper part of my liver and a larger than normal sigmoid colon. Nothing else remarkable. My heart has been evaluated and tested (echo/MRI/stress test/etc…) and has been deemed normal. I have not had any fecal tests but notice pepper like flakes…assuming this is blood from the ulcers? Bowel movements are not regular, sometimes I cant go for a day or two and when I do I seem to have undigested food in the smaller than normal (before all of this) appearing stools. I have a fear of eating now and would just like to get this thing figured out so I can get back to a normal life.
1. What additional tests should I have done at this point? I am having another endoscopy next week.
2. Why do you think the sudden onset of these problems? Why does sugar (cake, pie) cause me such problems where it did not used to before?
3. Is there a connection with the PVCs and these ulcers/gastro problems? I sometimes have these PVCs during or after exercise but never the frequency that I have after eating most foods.
4. Is there any other medicine in addition to the Nexium you could recommend that might help alleviate my symptoms?
Basically I have such a heaviness in my chest after eating, indigestion pains, stomach pains, severe pvcs, bowel movement problems, and a bad headache (last few days) that hurts my eyes while all of this is happening. Then it mostly all goes away (leaving me anxious, but better) until I eat again.
Thank you to anyone that can help and God Bless