Fast Heart Pace

[Siou22]

My two daughters and I have Celiac's disease. Last year my oldest daughter was admitted to the hospital with what she thought, was a heart attack (she is 24). It was not. My youngest daughter was admitted to the emergency room in April with a heart rate of up over 170....frightening. As the doctors claim that it was a "normal" not SVT (?) rate, she was fine. I've taken her to heart specialists......healthy as a horse. She still suffers from a fast beat. Is this all Celiac related?

[mart]

I don't know if it's related to celiac, but it sure sounds like it. My little boy with celiac often complains that his heart is beating too fast, and this is when he's just laying on the couch!

[Nancym]

I had a racing heart beat with Graves Disease, which is related to Celiac disease. Has anyone checked her thyroid?

[Siou22]

I don't know if it's related to celiac, but it sure sounds like it. My little boy with celiac often complains that his heart is beating too fast, and this is when he's just laying on the couch!

I guess I really need to speak with a specialist. I always had heart pain/palpatations when I was younger but pretty much ignored it. I guess my girls just suffer more with this. Thanks for your reply.

I had a racing heart beat with Graves Disease, which is related to Celiac disease. Has anyone checked her thyroid?

No, no thyroid check, however a great suggestion. I will have it done.

[Nancym]

Some other symptoms of hyperthyroid are:

1) Being too warm, sweating a lot

2) Growing lots of hair

3) Itchy skin

4) Bad temper

5) Eye problems

6) Raging appetite and possibly weight loss (though I gained weight... go figure!)

7) diarrhea

8) Muscle weakness

That's all I can remember at this point. There's quite a few symptoms. I'm surprised the doctors didn't test her thyroid!

[jerseyangel]

My heart rate is not fast--it's normal, but I have palpatations (I am aware of my heart beating) quite often. I had an echo cardiogram and Holter Monitor test 2 years ago (for an unrelated problem), and everything was fine. I have mentioned it to my doctor, and she said it was not a problem. Mine started after about 6 months gluten-free.

[Siou22]

My heart rate is not fast--it's normal, but I have palpatations (I am aware of my heart beating) quite often. I had an echo cardiogram and Holter Monitor test 2 years ago (for an unrelated problem), and everything was fine. I have mentioned it to my doctor, and she said it was not a problem. Mine started after about 6 months gluten-free.

It start AFTER being gluten-free? I was under the assumption that perhaps my daughter wasn't eating properly and that was the cause.......Hmmmm....

[Nancym]

Oh yeah, palpitations is another symptoms of hyperthyroid, now that you reminded me. But some people react with caffeine with palpitations.

[Guest cassidy]

This happens to me every day! Every morning when I wake up, if I take a nap and when I eat surgary foods.

It started back in November when I was very sick.

I felt great for a month after going gluten-free and then I started feeling bad again. I had a stool test and they found bad bacteria, amoebas and candida overgrowth. I just finished antibiotics and it didn't change my heart pounding, but my doctor was hopeful that it was caused by candida and that treatment would help it.

Candida is very common with celiacs, have you looked into that? They checked my thyroid and it is fine, so that isn't causing my problem.

[francelajoie]

I did have a really fast heartbeat. I would get restless and short of breath. It would even keep me up at night. Lately, it all came back.

I stopped drinking regular coffee (i drink decaf only), no soda (not that I really drank it), no chocolate, or power drinks.

Every night, I take 15 minutes, lay on my bed on my back and make sure every little muscle of my body is realxed. I take deep breaths in and out with nice calming music in the background.

I feel alot better!!

I do have palputations still but only once or twice a week...I take a deep breath when it happens and they go right away.

[bluejeangirl]

Foods that have Mono Sodium Glutamate will make my heart beat fast. I can't have canned soups, chips like Doritos, frozen pizza's, all kinds of sausages and lunch meats so many things. Mostly foods that are convient, prepared or "have alot of favor". You might want to check this out.

Gail

[RBC]

I guess I really need to speak with a specialist. I always had heart pain/palpatations when I was younger but pretty much ignored it. I guess my girls just suffer more with this. Thanks for your reply.

No, no thyroid check, however a great suggestion. I will have it done.

Actually, I have been struggling with this as well. I have had celiac for a year now and only recently has it effected my heart. I have been monitored, and it seems as though there are no heart problems. I find that it happens during the digestion process. My doctor seems to think it may be related to MSG. For some reason, some Celiac patients cannot ingest MSG because it causes these types of attacks. That may explain why it doesn't happen all that often since I try my hardest to avoid MSG. Anyway, just something you may want to read about. Hope this helps.

Foods that have Mono Sodium Glutamate will make my heart beat fast. I can't have canned soups, chips like Doritos, frozen pizza's, all kinds of sausages and lunch meats so many things. Mostly foods that are convient, prepared or "have alot of favor". You might want to check this out.

Gail

Hello Gail,

I am experiencing some similar problems and my doctor suggested that it may be MSG as well. How did you determine that was what the problem was? Is there some sort of test, like for allergies? It is a very miserable and scary feeling and I just want to avoid it at all costs. It has happened twice in the last 2 weeks. Before that, it never really happened...although I do try to avoid MSG normally.

Any info you can share would be most helpful!

Rebecca

[mesmerize]

Just to reiterate... DEFINITELY get her thyroid checked! I had awful heart issues for months before I finally was diagnosed with Graves disease. My heart would race like crazy and I also had a lot of chest pains. They did all kinds of heart tests on me and never wanted to check my thyroid because I was "so young and healthy." My mom finally insisted on it (since she has Graves too) and surprise! That's what it was.

I hope you find the answer... heart issues of any kind can be so scary, even if it's relatively harmless!

~Sara~

[Pegster]

My racing heart and PVC's were linked to my underactive thyroid. I got the thyroid diagnosis and my Celiac diagnosis on the same day by different doctors! I'm on a beta blocker and my heart is calm now, except when I see Hugh Jackman.

[bluejeangirl]

Actually, I have been struggling with this as well. I have had celiac for a year now and only recently has it effected my heart. I have been monitored, and it seems as though there are no heart problems. I find that it happens during the digestion process. My doctor seems to think it may be related to MSG. For some reason, some Celiac patients cannot ingest MSG because it causes these types of attacks. That may explain why it doesn't happen all that often since I try my hardest to avoid MSG. Anyway, just something you may want to read about. Hope this helps.

Hello Gail,

I am experiencing some similar problems and my doctor suggested that it may be MSG as well. How did you determine that was what the problem was? Is there some sort of test, like for allergies? It is a very miserable and scary feeling and I just want to avoid it at all costs. It has happened twice in the last 2 weeks. Before that, it never really happened...although I do try to avoid MSG normally.

Any info you can share would be most helpful!

Rebecca

MSG is more frightning to me than gluten because my reaction to it is worse. My reactions are my test. I haven't ate at a chinese restuarant since 1980 where I would get my worst reactions. If you google MSG you'll get alot of info on it. It's hidden under other names like: hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast, carrageenan, sodium caseinate, torula yeast disodium guanylate, maltodextrin, soy sauce and natural flavors. Reminds you of gluten huh. It's probably hidden under other names too because I don't always catch it. I make my own chicken broth, and pork sausage I'm so afraid of it. I would rather err on gluten then MSG. Although it was probable gluten that caused this problem in the fisrt place. Which means I have been eating gluten for the twenty years making things worse. My symptoms are racing heart, panic, flushed face, and I'll get real tired but can't fall asleep. Its in broths, so be careful in things like canned tuna if the second ingred. is broth, or turkey lunch meats because it will have turkey and broth for the ingredients, also alot of pork products are soaked in a solution to make it juicer and I think its in there because I'll get a reaction to it. Same with a whole turkey, they are all soaked in a solution. Some foods natually contain alot of glutamite. The high end ones are Rouguefort cheese, Parmesan cheese, soy sause, walnuts, tomato juice and grape juice. That's about all I can think of for now......hope this helps, its not fun trying to play detective all the time with ingrediets and lablel reading. I wonder what I look like half the time trying to squint my eyes to read all the little words hehe. My husband panics when I ask him to go to the store with me.

Restuarants........the worst ones are the diner types where they make alot of gravies and slop food. Good luck Rebecca hope you get better although this has never gone away for me.

Gail

[RBC]

MSG is more frightning to me than gluten because my reaction to it is worse. My reactions are my test. I haven't ate at a chinese restuarant since 1980 where I would get my worst reactions. If you google MSG you'll get alot of info on it. It's hidden under other names like: hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast, carrageenan, sodium caseinate, torula yeast disodium guanylate, maltodextrin, soy sauce and natural flavors. Reminds you of gluten huh. It's probably hidden under other names too because I don't always catch it. I make my own chicken broth, and pork sausage I'm so afraid of it. I would rather err on gluten then MSG. Although it was probable gluten that caused this problem in the fisrt place. Which means I have been eating gluten for the twenty years making things worse. My symptoms are racing heart, panic, flushed face, and I'll get real tired but can't fall asleep. Its in broths, so be careful in things like canned tuna if the second ingred. is broth, or turkey lunch meats because it will have turkey and broth for the ingredients, also alot of pork products are soaked in a solution to make it juicer and I think its in there because I'll get a reaction to it. Same with a whole turkey, they are all soaked in a solution. Some foods natually contain alot of glutamite. The high end ones are Rouguefort cheese, Parmesan cheese, soy sause, walnuts, tomato juice and grape juice. That's about all I can think of for now......hope this helps, its not fun trying to play detective all the time with ingrediets and lablel reading. I wonder what I look like half the time trying to squint my eyes to read all the little words hehe. My husband panics when I ask him to go to the store with me.

Restuarants........the worst ones are the diner types where they make alot of gravies and slop food. Good luck Rebecca hope you get better although this has never gone away for me.

Gail

Thanks, Gail for the much needed information. I am going to talk more with my dr. but for now I am going to avoid msg at all costs! I totally agree, it made the gluten attacks seem tolerable. I can deal with the D, but these rapid heart beats make me feel like I am dying. Thanks again and hopefully this will be the end of the attacks!

[Ursa Major]

Have any of you (including the daughters) been tested for low potassium levels? That apparently causes heart palpitations and heart racing as well (it did for me). Plus, anemia will cause those symptoms. My worst heart problems happened when my ferritin was very low. Simply because your heart can't function well, when it doesn't get enough oxygen!

[utdan]

The Glutamate in MSG is also the most abundant Neurotransmitter in the brain. It is responsble for motor control and movement and is described as being the most energy filled neurotransmitter. Given this information I recently found a link with Parkinson's Disease with Celiac with Glutamate being the common factor.

Back in 2000 there was an article that explains that the immune system doesn't attack the part of the gluten it usually does until Glutamate is put into it by an enzyme (tTG). Why is this interesting? Glutamate happens to be implicated in the cause and progression of Parkinson's disease. If you notice a recent thread on this website, many people have a parent with parkinson's who showed symptoms of celiac. Glutamate has been shown in deceased Parkinson's patients to have plugged up and/or altered the structure of the Blood-Brain-Barrier (the protective sheath of endothelial cells that is supposed to keep out damaging stuff circulating in the blood). If a BBB (blood-brain-barrier) is warped or altered by glutamate then of course a person is going to become sensitive to a whole host of foods but more especially Glutamate, because all those digested foods will circulate in the blood. Glutamate is considered one of the "excitotoxins" (a group of molecules that when attached to certain outer portions of the brain and spinal cord overstimulate those cells (excite them) to death. There is a close regulation of glutamate in a normal healthy brain in and out of the BBB, to avoid excitotoxicity with glutamate.

If glutamate is responsible for motor movement and can act as an overstimulant for some brain cells then this might be the general pathway for MSG or gluten to cause a heart attack. Just a thought.

[KaitiUSA]

Have you looked into the thyroid? High heart rate can be associated with hyperthyroid.

[Katie O'Rourke]

My two daughters and I have Celiac's disease. Last year my oldest daughter was admitted to the hospital with what she thought, was a heart attack (she is 24). It was not. My youngest daughter was admitted to the emergency room in April with a heart rate of up over 170....frightening. As the doctors claim that it was a "normal" not SVT (?) rate, she was fine. I've taken her to heart specialists......healthy as a horse. She still suffers from a fast beat. Is this all Celiac related?

Hi. I have also had this problem, and am only 22. Definitely started to get worse after starting the diet. I always thoguht the palpittaions were due to being really anaemic, but that wouldnt explain the high pulse rate too. Mine can get up to anything like 198. Very scary, especially when it happens while I'm at work - whenI'm just sitting down talking to someone on the pphone - hardly a strenuous activity. I also had an ECG, and they said it wasnt normal, but that it wasnt serious enough for me to worry about or see a cardiologist. So I dont know, could well be related. I dont drink any caffeine, so that could not have caused it.

Am very interested inthis topic though