Very Irregular Heart Beat, Especially After Eating?

[mesmerize]

To begin with, I've been gluten free since February... prior to that I had all kinds of fun stuff, including Graves disease (hyperthyroid). Before I was diagnosed with Graves, heart symptoms were my main issue -- my heart would race like crazy, etc. Then I went hypothyroid for a while due to overmedication, and during that time I would always have chest pains and "skipped beats."

Well after I stopped gluten, my heart symptoms went away and I was happy as a clam. However, for the past month or so, I've been having a very irregular heartbeat more and more often. For at least an hour or more at a time, my heart will literally "skip" beats every 20-30 seconds. I can feel it while I'm feeling my pulse, plus I get that awful fluttery feeling in my chest. It doesn't hurt, it just makes me very uncomfortable, and I want to know why this is happening!

The weird thing that I can't figure out is that this seems happen most often right after I eat. I can't imagine that it has anything to do with gluten, since I'm very careful about staying gluten free... but do you think it could be some other kind of allergy that could produce symptoms like this??

Thank you in advance...

~Sara~

[CarlaB]

I've gotten that after caffeine or red wine. I don't get it as often as I used to, thankfully. I find slow deep breaths help. Think of breathing from the bottom of your lungs like a singer would.

As to what's causing them; I have no idea! You might keep a food log to see what foods it is associated with.

[Susantg3]

lots of things could contribute to the s/s you are having. first let your MD know as you may need to have your thyroid checked. Additional food allergies are possible, with a histamin rise. as well as possible vagal nerve intervention. good luck

[sleepingbean]

I would sit down and figure out how much protein you get on a daily basis. I had a similiar problem that really got bad when I was pregnant (you wouldn't be pregnant, by chance?)

I developed a heart murmor, which they told me was totally normal and fine.

When I changed my diet (went gluten free and dramatically increased protein intake) the heart symptoms stopped. If you find that you eat a lot of starches, carbs, breads, noodles, cereals fruits and not much meat/nut, then I would suspect that. Of course if you are worried, you should go check it out with your doctor!

[Green12]

To begin with, I've been gluten free since February... prior to that I had all kinds of fun stuff, including Graves disease (hyperthyroid). Before I was diagnosed with Graves, heart symptoms were my main issue -- my heart would race like crazy, etc. Then I went hypothyroid for a while due to overmedication, and during that time I would always have chest pains and "skipped beats."

Well after I stopped gluten, my heart symptoms went away and I was happy as a clam. However, for the past month or so, I've been having a very irregular heartbeat more and more often. For at least an hour or more at a time, my heart will literally "skip" beats every 20-30 seconds. I can feel it while I'm feeling my pulse, plus I get that awful fluttery feeling in my chest. It doesn't hurt, it just makes me very uncomfortable, and I want to know why this is happening!

The weird thing that I can't figure out is that this seems happen most often right after I eat. I can't imagine that it has anything to do with gluten, since I'm very careful about staying gluten free... but do you think it could be some other kind of allergy that could produce symptoms like this??

Thank you in advance...

~Sara~

I have very similar symptoms, and I have heart issues (was born with a heart murmur). I feel at times that my heart skips beats and it almost feels like my heart is dancing around in my chest in irregular patterns. Sometimes it will beat really really slow but hard, other times it will race.

I do notice it races with caffeine, especially chocolate. But since I have gone gluten free it will race with high sugar foods, dairy, corn, pretty much anything I am intolerant to.

My accupuncturist had told me that if your heartrate increases after ingesting a food, it most likely means you are allergic/intolerant to that food.

More recently I have connected my heart racing to the consumption of MSG. Apparently MSG can really affect the muscles of the heart and increase the heart rate.

[mart]

My son complains of a racing heart often, and this is when he is just lying down. I think this has a lot to do with Celiac because I've read other posts here about that, but I don't know what causes it. As for the skipped beats, annoying isn't it? I've been feeling that for the last 20 years. This skipping can be very scary (for me anyway) and additionally, sometimes I'd even feel some pain and throbbing in my carotid artery when I felt the skipping. My cardiologist told me I had mitral valve prolapse, a benign condition. It bothered me so much that he put me on a medication called "Inderal," which helped regulate the beating. Eventually I just went off the medication and lived with it, because there are some side effects to the medication. You should definitely go see a cardiologist about it, as I was told that skipped beats are either of a "benign or malign nature."

[loraleena]

I could be caused by food allergies.

[mesmerize]

Thank you all for your responses... I kept thinking that additional allergies would be a likely explanation for this, but I'm kinda in denial. I've already had to stop eating so many things because of gluten, I really hope I don't have to add more things to that list.

I do plan to see a doctor if I can't figure this out on my own... It's just so annoying because my health insurance is through my university (I'm in grad school) so I have to go to the student health center first before they'll refer me anyplace else, and I've had such bad experiences there.

Maybe I'll try eliminating some things... I do looove chocolate, maybe that's a possibility. I really never have caffeine besides that. Ugh I'm seriously going to cry if I have to give up chocolate!!

Thanks again,

~Sara~

[Nancym]

Just as an experiment you might try eating just meat, veggies, fish, and fruit for a week. See if that fixes your problem. When I eat too many refined carbs, too much sugar or starches, I get all kidns of weird things happening like pounding heart, water retention, achy joints. I just went through a couple of weeks of eating garbage like potato chips and carmel corn and darn if I didn't feel myself start to swell and my heart to start pounding and getting weird, like it did when I was hyperthryoid. I've reined myself in again and all those symptoms are starting to subside.

When I changed my diet (went gluten free and dramatically increased protein intake) the heart symptoms stopped. If you find that you eat a lot of starches, carbs, breads, noodles, cereals fruits and not much meat/nut, then I would suspect that. Of course if you are worried, you should go check it out with your doctor!

Boy, this really sums up my experience too.

I'm ok with eggs, but I think soy does a number on me.

[slpinsd]

Before I was gluten-free, I got weird fluttery beat thingies after eating gluten. Now that I have removed gluten, they have almost entirely subsided. I do believe that they come from eating something you are allergic to or intolerant to. I was recently allergic to an antibiotic I was taking, and I had a those chest thumps about every 20-30 seconds for about 2 days. I also felt quite jittery at the same time. I believe these are from adrenaline surges your body gives out when experiencing an allergic reaction. I hope you find out what the cause is!

[Michael LoPinto]

To begin with, I've been gluten free since February... prior to that I had all kinds of fun stuff, including Graves disease (hyperthyroid). Before I was diagnosed with Graves, heart symptoms were my main issue -- my heart would race like crazy, etc. Then I went hypothyroid for a while due to overmedication, and during that time I would always have chest pains and "skipped beats."

Well after I stopped gluten, my heart symptoms went away and I was happy as a clam. However, for the past month or so, I've been having a very irregular heartbeat more and more often. For at least an hour or more at a time, my heart will literally "skip" beats every 20-30 seconds. I can feel it while I'm feeling my pulse, plus I get that awful fluttery feeling in my chest. It doesn't hurt, it just makes me very uncomfortable, and I want to know why this is happening!

The weird thing that I can't figure out is that this seems happen most often right after I eat. I can't imagine that it has anything to do with gluten, since I'm very careful about staying gluten free... but do you think it could be some other kind of allergy that could produce symptoms like this??

Thank you in advance...

~Sara~

I have been going through the same issues for years and just a few months ago found out about what gluten can do to you if you are allergic or intolerant.

With that being said, I have been staying gluten free with mild exceptions when I am out on the road, which sucks. But, my heart doesn't pound after I eat and if I do get any skipped heart beats (PVC's), they are much more calm and don't last as long.

BUT, I must tell you that any caffeine will trigger it, obviously. One other thing, CHOCOLATE makes my heart go NUTS. I love chocolate to death. It is obvious I must stay away from it. I have tried ALL forms of it with no avail. It is most unfortunate. Chocolate does NOT have large amounts of caffeine in it but it does have other "active" ingredients which I can't think of the names at the moment but you can do a search and find out.

Anyway, if this helps.. I drink decaf hazelnut coffee and to me, that is pretty good and has a chocolaty taste as well, for me. Maybe you can find substitutes.

Don't give up, you will find peace. I know the PVC's are torture. I have cried myself to sleep many times.

Sincerely,

Mike

[bluebonnet]

To begin with, I've been gluten free since February... prior to that I had all kinds of fun stuff, including Graves disease (hyperthyroid). Before I was diagnosed with Graves, heart symptoms were my main issue -- my heart would race like crazy, etc. Then I went hypothyroid for a while due to overmedication, and during that time I would always have chest pains and "skipped beats."

Well after I stopped gluten, my heart symptoms went away and I was happy as a clam. However, for the past month or so, I've been having a very irregular heartbeat more and more often. For at least an hour or more at a time, my heart will literally "skip" beats every 20-30 seconds. I can feel it while I'm feeling my pulse, plus I get that awful fluttery feeling in my chest. It doesn't hurt, it just makes me very uncomfortable, and I want to know why this is happening!

The weird thing that I can't figure out is that this seems happen most often right after I eat. I can't imagine that it has anything to do with gluten, since I'm very careful about staying gluten free... but do you think it could be some other kind of allergy that could produce symptoms like this??

Thank you in advance...

~Sara~

my heart seems to behave the same way. i've had all kinds of testing done. it would race for hours and sometimes up to 200. very scary. i've got hypothyroidism. i notice it would happen after eating, or if i don't get enough sleep (which is always!) or if i drank something or even that time of the month. i have noticed it calmed down immensely since going gluten free. not sure if its a coincidence or not but they never find anything. they pretty much told me i have a harmless condition called supraventricular tachycardia or svt which basically is an extra node in the electrical system that fires off out of sync and causes the extra beats as well as the skipped beats and fluttering. you should still see a cardiologist though. they thought it was due to my thyroid meds at one point so maybe yours needs adjusting again.

i hope everything turns out a okay.

[bluebonnet]

I have very similar symptoms, and I have heart issues (was born with a heart murmur). I feel at times that my heart skips beats and it almost feels like my heart is dancing around in my chest in irregular patterns. Sometimes it will beat really really slow but hard, other times it will race.

I do notice it races with caffeine, especially chocolate. But since I have gone gluten free it will race with high sugar foods, dairy, corn, pretty much anything I am intolerant to.

My accupuncturist had told me that if your heartrate increases after ingesting a food, it most likely means you are allergic/intolerant to that food.

More recently I have connected my heart racing to the consumption of MSG. Apparently MSG can really affect the muscles of the heart and increase the heart rate.

my cardiologist said msg can absolutely trigger irregular beats in some people ... its a terrible food additive that should be banned!

[mushroom]

This is a problem I have been having with increasing frequency, especially in the last few months. I cannot associate it with a particular food (or combination of foods) but it is always accompanied by gassiness and occasional vaso-vagal syncope (If I get out of bed to the bathroom). My heart will race wildly and I feel like there are jumping beans inside my whole body, the pulse in my head is so strong I cannot rest it on the pillow, it will throw in double beats, and then miss two or three beats altogether, all in all quite alarming. I try to belly breathe slowly and rhythmically, but I can't really catch my breath because of the pressure. Once I have gotten rid of the gassiness it goes back to normal again, in about a very uncomfortable hour. All my EKG's have been normal because it only happens in bed at night, and then once every week or two.

[CarbQueen]

To begin with, I've been gluten free since February... prior to that I had all kinds of fun stuff, including Graves disease (hyperthyroid). Before I was diagnosed with Graves, heart symptoms were my main issue -- my heart would race like crazy, etc. Then I went hypothyroid for a while due to overmedication, and during that time I would always have chest pains and "skipped beats."

Well after I stopped gluten, my heart symptoms went away and I was happy as a clam. However, for the past month or so, I've been having a very irregular heartbeat more and more often. For at least an hour or more at a time, my heart will literally "skip" beats every 20-30 seconds. I can feel it while I'm feeling my pulse, plus I get that awful fluttery feeling in my chest. It doesn't hurt, it just makes me very uncomfortable, and I want to know why this is happening!

The weird thing that I can't figure out is that this seems happen most often right after I eat. I can't imagine that it has anything to do with gluten, since I'm very careful about staying gluten free... but do you think it could be some other kind of allergy that could produce symptoms like this??

Thank you in advance...

~Sara~

I started seeing a doctor, when I was about 10 years old because I would get an occasional irregular heart beat. He said it was a heart murmur and that I would grow out of it.

I went to another doctor because I wasn't convinced it would go away. Also, I complained of migraines and constipation. The doctor prescribed aspirin and laxatives.

For about 4 years I continued searching for a doctor to give me answers that satisfied my concerns. During that time I started eliminating foods such as dairy, most vegetables and fruit, and lived on a diet of mostly fish, rice and corn. I noticed the symptoms went away, so I just continued to subsist on those items.

Fast forward a decade, and a change in diet, that included fast and processed food. This change was a result of living a busy life in the city. Within 4 years my health deteriorated to the point my thyroid stopped functioning.

2 years later I returned to old diet but it took several more years before I started to recuperate from heart palpitations, panic attacks, irritability, skin eruptions, hives, sneezing, itchy eyes....

3 years ago I started to notice that within minutes of consuming certain food my heart would pound wildly. Last year, the frequency increased to the point that just about everything I touched or ate caused my heart to race. I knew my immune system was deteriorating.

I started to consume only seafood, rice and corn again. The symptoms have all but disappeared. I noticed a rapid deterioration of my body after consuming gluten. It was worse after ingesting carbs.

Irregular heart beats have been an indicator of allergies since I was a kid although most doctors didn't have a clue what was wrong with me or how to treat it.

Although I new I had multiple allergies that responded well to a change in diet I needed proof from an allergist that I am GI and allergic to many item.

I've since been diagnosed with Oral Allergy Syndrome, and Gluten Intolerant. The allergist recommended I remain on my diet.

No more wild irregular heart beats.

[breavenewworld]

i agree that it has to do with the vagus nerve and immune system- i get it too. definitely don't eat things that you know make it worse. (unless you think it's a healing symptom, like some people get rapid heartbeat after eating coconut oil and say it's because the oil's a natural anti-fungal so you're having die-off of pathogenic bacteria in the gut. i'm still deciding what i think of that one). i also agree that a lot of celiacs respond well to a lower-carb diet and do ok with most protein foods. try to eat healthy and fresh whatever you do.

about the timing - it may be that your immune system went through a big change when you went off gluten and now it has adjusted to that. especially if your heart symptoms were associated with hypothyroid (immune problem) in the past.

some people feel great on the diet for months and then find new issues crop up - i'm not sure why this is, maybe more food intolerances if we still have leaky gut, or maybe the immune system "bounces back" enough to start reacting in other strange ways.