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Stomach causes skipped beats!!

Prefect

Senior Member
Messages
307
Location
Canada
Does anyone else here have skipped heart beats whenever they have an esophagus (or stomach?) spasm?

I thought I was imagining it, but I've been paying attention and it actually does happen, it's so bizarre! :eek:

It's been happening so much it doesn't even scare me anymore.

My body is a perfect biological sample that could be used to once and for all debunk intelligent design.

I think upper chest breathing from anxiety and POTS has moved everything up (diaphragm, intestines, etc) and irritating my vagus nerve. Or could it be a vicious cycle where such mechanism actually causes one to lose autonomic homeostasis and develop POTS? I'm convinced I hyperventilate even during sleep (especially REM, during which I sweat a lot.)

Don't quite know what to do to break the cycle. I've been using my belly muscles to drive everything downward so much past few days I think I'm going to get a hernia.
 

boolybooly

Senior Member
Messages
161
Location
Northants UK
I find heart arrhythmia responds well to magnesium and if that doesnt help then potassium supplements as well.

But its not wise to supplement Mg too much without the correct balancing proportion of calcium in a ratio 1:2 Mg:Ca, so twice as much Ca as Mg.

A one off Mg dose is sometimes necessary but best to regularly take both Ca & Mg.

So I take a potassium gluconate scoop and 2x osteocare tabs with one Kirkman buffered magnesium bisglycinate capsule daily and that seems to be good. I also use Lo Salt in cooking which has potassium in it in the correct proportion with sodium which is also a 2:1 ratio for potassium:sodium.
 
Last edited:
Messages
3
Hubby has had what you describe, OP. For years he thought it was a heart problem. Turned out eventually to be made worse by anxiety, and that he has a hiatus hernia, and that affects the vagus nerve.
In addition to what Boolybooly suggested, keep an eye on your salt intake - it should not be too LOW.
 

Dufresne

almost there...
Messages
1,039
Location
Laurentians, Quebec
Does anyone else here have skipped heart beats whenever they have an esophagus (or stomach?) spasm?

I thought I was imagining it, but I've been paying attention and it actually does happen, it's so bizarre! :eek:

It's been happening so much it doesn't even scare me anymore.

My body is a perfect biological sample that could be used to once and for all debunk intelligent design.

I think upper chest breathing from anxiety and POTS has moved everything up (diaphragm, intestines, etc) and irritating my vagus nerve. Or could it be a vicious cycle where such mechanism actually causes one to lose autonomic homeostasis and develop POTS? I'm convinced I hyperventilate even during sleep (especially REM, during which I sweat a lot.)

Don't quite know what to do to break the cycle. I've been using my belly muscles to drive everything downward so much past few days I think I'm going to get a hernia.

Forgive me for stalking you here but I wanted to see if there was anything else you'd posted on the forum that I could relate to.

I used to get tons of skipped beats. It would occur several times a day when it was happening. I'd get this feeling, difficult to describe, and I'd know it was going to happen. Then I'd feel the pause followed by a massive thump of a heartbeat.

You want to know what was causing this for me? Babesia. And your sweating at night... That's symptom number one. You really might want to look into babesia.
 

YippeeKi YOW !!

Senior Member
Messages
16,047
Location
Second star to the right ...
But its not wise to supplement Mg too much without the correct balancing proportion of calcium in a ratio 1:2 Mg:Ca, so twice as much Ca as Mg.
The new advice is to balance them equally, 1:1.
A one off Mg dose is sometimes necessary but best to regularly take both Ca & Mg.
It's also best to separate your calcium and magnesium doses by several hours, since each can inhibit the uptake of the other, and could possibly cancel each other out if taken together. But who knows. Advice changes over time, so there's no telling what the new received wisdom will be.
 

boolybooly

Senior Member
Messages
161
Location
Northants UK
The new advice is to balance them equally, 1:1.

It's also best to separate your calcium and magnesium doses by several hours, since each can inhibit the uptake of the other, and could possibly cancel each other out if taken together. But who knows. Advice changes over time, so there's no telling what the new received wisdom will be.

Interesting, must agree I find separate doses more effective as remedies for given symptoms but I also have to be careful not to overdo one or the other because of the way they are mutually competitive.

TBH I follow a responsive approach where I adjust depending on symptoms. So if I am getting muscle cramping then I take calcium and if my heart arrhythmia is evident then magnesium. Mg also seems to help with certain kinds of inflammatory headache which pop up regularly for me when I am clearing an episode of viral recurrence.

If I take too much of one then it triggers the symptoms which require the other.

Also I expect people have slightly different requirements and need to adjust for what suits them best. I dont eat dairy for example so my need for extra calcium is probably a bit higher than those who do as dairy is a good source of calcium. :)
 

YippeeKi YOW !!

Senior Member
Messages
16,047
Location
Second star to the right ...
So if I am getting muscle cramping then I take calcium and if my heart arrhythmia is evident then magnesium. Mg
Have you tried potassium for that? I use ptassium gluconate with good effect. I also got DB (my husband) started on it, and he hasn't had leg cramps since .... may be it might help you, too.

ME patients seem to frequently present with low potassium, tho sometimes their potassium tests normal, and they just have to do what we all do best: use ourselves as test subjects and figure it out on a practical application basis.
Mg also seems to help with certain kinds of inflammatory headache which pop up regularly for me when I am clearing an episode of viral recurrence.
Mg is involved in over 300+ activitis in the huan body, and I've found it helpful for a wide range of both small and larger issues .....
If I take too much of one then it triggers the symptoms which require the other.
There's another member here who has to do the same battle, and balancing the two is screaming hell, varies widely from day to day, and requires enormous patience and attentiveness to every little twitch ...
Also I expect people have slightly different requirements and need to adjust for what suits them best.
Absolutely agree. The YMMV aspects of this illness are infuriating ....
 

boolybooly

Senior Member
Messages
161
Location
Northants UK
Yes thanks, good advice, I definitely do have potassium on my radar, with some gluconate in the fridge and LoSalt in my diet, not to mention banana chips, which I can sometimes tolerate if I dont go overboard !

I read that potassium is supposed to be important for Coronavirus treatment and recovery as well.
https://www.thailandmedical.news/ne...lemia-present-in-almost-all-covid-19-patients

Also while we are talking minerals, for the record I also find manganese and zinc with (Kirkman) B vits complex and a good multivit with copper in are a very helpful combination for histamine related symptoms which can cause a different type of inflammatory headache.

You are right self monitoring is required but when, by reacting appropriately, you can make a difference then its worth it and helps improve morale, here is to little victories!

I am wondering how @Prefect (OP) is doing with their belly tension? I have found a little light stretching of front and back and also deliberate relaxation of muscles and tense feelings, yoga style, can help.