Heart Flip Flop

[holdthegluten]

Lately I have been severely bloated after i eat Baskin Robbins ice cream, or when i eat too much. I get really uncomfortable,followed by these quick little sensations that feel like my heart flips and i get dizzy. It only lasts like 2 seconds and then it will happen again, every 30 minutes or so. It feels like a quick adrenaline rush, then a flip flop of my heart, then dizzy spell,then fine. It only really happens when i feel bloated (ate too much, or the wrong food). Is this my heart or some other cause. It's kind of scary. Any ideas? The bloating is like pressure on sternum and upper abdominal area. It feels like something is pushing on that little cartilidge tip on the bottom of my sternum (xiphoid).

[jmd3]

Lately I have been severely bloated after i eat Baskin Robbins ice cream, or when i eat too much. I get really uncomfortable,followed by these quick little sensations that feel like my heart flips and i get dizzy. It only lasts like 2 seconds and then it will happen again, every 30 minutes or so. It feels like a quick adrenaline rush, then a flip flop of my heart, then dizzy spell,then fine. It only really happens when i feel bloated (ate too much, or the wrong food). Is this my heart or some other cause. It's kind of scary. Any ideas? The bloating is like pressure on sternum and upper abdominal area. It feels like something is pushing on that little cartilidge tip on the bottom of my sternum (xiphoid).

I get those heart palpatations....mine comes from gluten. I was at the hospital once during one of those times and my heat rate was 125 beats per minute - alarms went off. I also get the dizzy stuff too. It is scarey. I try an lay down for a bit when this happens. You should rule out any other possible problems with your dr before you make any conclusions.

[Cherry Tart]

Lately I have been severely bloated after i eat Baskin Robbins ice cream, or when i eat too much. I get really uncomfortable,followed by these quick little sensations that feel like my heart flips and i get dizzy. It only lasts like 2 seconds and then it will happen again, every 30 minutes or so. It feels like a quick adrenaline rush, then a flip flop of my heart, then dizzy spell,then fine. It only really happens when i feel bloated (ate too much, or the wrong food). Is this my heart or some other cause. It's kind of scary. Any ideas? The bloating is like pressure on sternum and upper abdominal area. It feels like something is pushing on that little cartilidge tip on the bottom of my sternum (xiphoid).

I can't believe I found someone else who had the same experience as me! I tried to explain that weird pressure on my sternum to my old Dr (pre-diagnosis) and he thought I was mad! Since going gluten-free, that pressure has gone away. However, I still get the weird dizzy spells from time to time (not as much pre-diagnosis). I also had the weird heart beat....almost felt as if skipped a beat then beat harder the next time around. Very strange indeed!!! Luckily these symptoms have subsided greatly since going on the diet. Unfortunately, they happen to creep in periodically for a little reminder! Perhaps yours is more dairy related?!

[lfij]

Lately I have been severely bloated after i eat Baskin Robbins ice cream, or when i eat too much. I get really uncomfortable,followed by these quick little sensations that feel like my heart flips and i get dizzy. It only lasts like 2 seconds and then it will happen again, every 30 minutes or so. It feels like a quick adrenaline rush, then a flip flop of my heart, then dizzy spell,then fine. It only really happens when i feel bloated (ate too much, or the wrong food). Is this my heart or some other cause. It's kind of scary. Any ideas? The bloating is like pressure on sternum and upper abdominal area. It feels like something is pushing on that little cartilidge tip on the bottom of my sternum (xiphoid).

i would go to the doctor!!! This is like when someone talked about biting the inside of their cheek, with millions of celiac, its likely someone else has what you have too, but it doesn't really sound directly related to celiac!

[jerseyangel]

Hello,

I was having similar symptoms. I get the same type of pressure as you do, only mine also seems to migrate up to the base of my neck, causing that same pressure. I have many food intolerances.

I also have palpatations--mine are more like being aware of my heartbeat.

I brought this to the attention of my doctor, and last Friday, I had a stress-echocardiogram done. Turns out, my heart dosen't slow down quickly enough after exercise, and my anxiety, the cardiologist felt, is connected. He is suggesting a new med to slow down my heart a little bit, and that may also help with the racing heart.

My actual heart was fine, though. No evidence of disease or anything like that--I was very relieved!

Please tell your doctor about this, and let him/her decide if you need any testing or treatment.

[little d]

Before I realized what was going on I had the palpitations in my abdomine and heart would flutter, and I would have little inward spasms around my belly button area, I had so thought that I was pregnate a few times, now I know what a baby kick feels like and it never felt like that a baby kicking and i was also late a few times which before I had my daughter i was always on time, I had it down like science. So when my sister told me about her possible celiac disease I started looking and then everything made since to me. especailly when I started posting and reading here.

donna

[whitball]

I have similar problems. Usually worse when I have been glutened, anxiety, or when under extreme stress. Many people have some very similar experiences, but you should not assume anything and think that because of the similarities you are okay. Have yourself checked out. It is difficult to have tests during times when your heart is not acting up. You may need a holter monitor, stress test, blood work etc on several different occasions in order to pinpoint what is happening. I went through this several times, and finally my heart "flops" showed up on the monitors. I have been diagnosed with PVC's or preventricular contractions. Now I know what the sensation is, and what to do if the "flops" do not stop. Good luck.

[Guest Doll]

Lately I have been severely bloated after i eat Baskin Robbins ice cream, or when i eat too much. I get really uncomfortable,followed by these quick little sensations that feel like my heart flips and i get dizzy. It only lasts like 2 seconds and then it will happen again, every 30 minutes or so. It feels like a quick adrenaline rush, then a flip flop of my heart, then dizzy spell,then fine. It only really happens when i feel bloated (ate too much, or the wrong food). Is this my heart or some other cause. It's kind of scary. Any ideas? The bloating is like pressure on sternum and upper abdominal area. It feels like something is pushing on that little cartilidge tip on the bottom of my sternum (xiphoid).

Many people get PVC's (premature heart beats), and they are *usually* harmless. That said, any heart related issues should be evaluated by a doctor. PVCs and palpitations (fast and strong heartbeats) can be aggravated by stress, food allergies (gluten causes this in many Celiacs including me), AND a change in blood sugar.

It sounds to me like you are having a sudden surge or drop (due to large amounts of insulin being released) in blood sugar after eating these high sugar/carb foods. An "adrenaline surge" is suggestive of a sudden drop in blood sugar. You might want to consider cutting these foods out, or eating smaller amounts. Much healthier anyway!

Lastly, oddly enough, sometimes heartburn can trigger PVCs.

To me, it sounds like the issue is related to eating, and probably due to swings in your blood sugar (or food intolerance). However, you should still see your doctor as soon as you can to make sure nothing more serious is going on. If you have symptoms more often, or have other symptoms like constant pressure in your chest or pain or breathlessness, go to the ER right away. Your doctor will check to make sure you do not have any type of heart malformation or disease, and also check other things like your thyroid and electrolyte levels.

If you are having symptoms like this, and they are due to "reactive hypoglycemia" (low blood sugar after eating), you may be at risk for Type 2 diabetes. You will need to make sure you are not overweight, and you should follow a diet low in simple carbs, high in fibre, good fats, and lean protein.

Overall, it doesn't sound serious, but you need to see your doctor.

[sunshinen]

You might be lactose intolerant as well. Food issues often cause heart palpitations. Having them checked out is not a bad idea, just to be safe. You might want to try something for heartburn and see if that helps.

[holdthegluten]

Just to let everyone know, i have numerous tests done to evaluate my heart (Ekg, Ultra sound, Ct scan) everything is perfect and my resting heart rate is 65 and it doesnt race when i have these symptoms. Thanks for everyones posts and God Bless!

[Canadian Karen]

I have similar problems. Usually worse when I have been glutened, anxiety, or when under extreme stress. Many people have some very similar experiences, but you should not assume anything and think that because of the similarities you are okay. Have yourself checked out. It is difficult to have tests during times when your heart is not acting up. You may need a holter monitor, stress test, blood work etc on several different occasions in order to pinpoint what is happening. I went through this several times, and finally my heart "flops" showed up on the monitors. I have been diagnosed with PVC's or preventricular contractions. Now I know what the sensation is, and what to do if the "flops" do not stop. Good luck.

I also get this - and for me, it is gluten related, most definitely. It scared the heck out of me before I found out that gluten triggered it.

For me, sometimes it would go on constantly for 1/2 hour or more. Thought I was a goner for sure.

Whitball, what do you do if the "flops" do not stop?

Karen

[loraleena]

I get the same symptoms from too much sugar usually through ice cream. I have hypoglycemia. Sound like blood sugar symptoms to me. Also candida overgrowth can cause symptoms like this after sugary treats.

[kbtoyssni]

I also had the weird heart beat....almost felt as if skipped a beat then beat harder the next time around.

If your heart skips a beat (which isn't all that uncommon), it will feel like it beats harder next time. Your heart will has more time to fill up with blood so the beat after the missed one is pushing out more blood at a much higher pressure than normal so it will feel like a stronger beat.

[Guest Doll]

If your heart skips a beat (which isn't all that uncommon), it will feel like it beats harder next time. Your heart will has more time to fill up with blood so the beat after the missed one is pushing out more blood at a much higher pressure than normal so it will feel like a stronger beat.

Sort of ! A "skipped" beat is really an EXTRA beat (PVC). The heart contracts sooner than it should, and very little blood is pumped. After this, the heart has more filling time after this short little contraction, so there is a greater amount of blood volume that is pushed out. Thus, you get that scary (but harmless!) "thump" in your chest. Ahhh...the human body...so many things that can go wrong.

[kbtoyssni]

Sort of ! A "skipped" beat is really an EXTRA beat (PVC). The heart contracts sooner than it should, and very little blood is pumped. After this, the heart has more filling time after this short little contraction, so there is a greater amount of blood volume that is pushed out. Thus, you get that scary (but harmless!) "thump" in your chest. Ahhh...the human body...so many things that can go wrong.

Sounds like you know quite a bit about the heart! I work at a heart resynchronization device company so we should get together and read EKGs sometime We've got a great sequence of training classes (about 15 days total) about all different types of heart diseases and the causes and treatment of them so I'm working my way through those right now.

[celiac-mommy]

I am a cardiovascular specialist, totally agree with checking it out with your Dr. BUT, if it is indigestion of some kind--i.e. being glutened, and you're eating ice cream from Baskin-Robins, are you making sure they are digging you gluten-free ice cream out of a new bucket with a clean scoop?? We made that mistake ONCE and paid dearly!!!

-Rachelle

[whitball]

I also get this - and for me, it is gluten related, most definitely. It scared the heck out of me before I found out that gluten triggered it.

For me, sometimes it would go on constantly for 1/2 hour or more. Thought I was a goner for sure.

Whitball, what do you do if the "flops" do not stop?

Karen

My doctor has instructed me to go to the ER if the flopping does not stop because my father had ventricular tachachardia. His AV node had a malformation causing the same symptoms that I have had. I have gone all day and night before with flops every minute or two. I kept thinking it would go away. He does not want me to wait it out this long.

[Guest Doll]

Sounds like you know quite a bit about the heart! I work at a heart resynchronization device company so we should get together and read EKGs sometime We've got a great sequence of training classes (about 15 days total) about all different types of heart diseases and the causes and treatment of them so I'm working my way through those right now.

Cool! Sounds like a fun job! I'd rather get together to drink (gluten-free) beers, though!

I thought you might have had some formal education in this area...I could tell. You are very good at explaining concepts.

[Guest micah]

I found out that caffeine makes my heart skip beats much worse than when I don't have it.

Micah

[kbtoyssni]

Cool! Sounds like a fun job! I'd rather get together to drink (gluten-free) beers, though!

I thought you might have had some formal education in this area...I could tell. You are very good at explaining concepts.

Heehee, beers would be great! I'm an electrical engineer working in test engineering so I design the test systems for our devices. But I'm really interested in the physiological side of things, too. I like to know the theory behind it. That's why I work here - because you can meet a person with a certain heart condition and know you're making a device to make their lives better.