I am a 47 year old female who started having heart "flutters" about 8 months ago, as well as several other different sensations.
As with most of you I was petrified, so I went to my family Dr and he ordered a serries of GI tests including the barrium test. It was concluded that I have GERD and he started me on Nexium.
He refered me to a cardioogist for the irregular heart rhythmn. I had an ECG done that I was told was irregular, that it looked like something was "archaic" no idea what that meant. So a nuclear stress test was next, well I have asthma so they had to chemically induce me. Once again the tests showed that the "stress" portion of the test was abnormal SO my cardiologist ordered a heart catheter. I was mortified!!!! What a scary procedure.
The weird thing is that per the cardiologist my heart is sound, no blockages at all.
I do however have a congenital heart defect on the left side of the heart, nothing to be 'concerned" about I was told i was just wired differently.
So how can I have an irregular ECG and stress test but then my heart be sound per the cath?
I am told that my PVC's and PAC's are benign.
So after all the time and money spent that's all I get is "don't worry, they are benign." No explanation as to what may be causing them at all. I had to start researching myself. I have read every article I can find, i have joined every forum I could find,all in hopes of better understanding what is going on.
I have come to know most of my personal triggers and to avoid them.
On days that they just seem inevitable I have learned not to panic. The one thing I cannot control is how bad I feel after a long run of PAC's and PVC's. I am exhausted, I yawn alot and my chest muscles hurt like someone punched me for days afterwards.
I am hoping that by learning to control my GERD I can contol the irregular heartbeat to a degree. I am also going to start trying different supplements like magnesium, fish olis and CoQ10. I don't want to take the Beta Blockers that my cardiologist prescribed as the side effects seem to be to much of a risk for me to want to try.
So I have concluded what my Dr. could not that my GERD and my flutters are connected, I mean, why not? They did both start at the same time and most of my triggers are food, beverage related.
I am glad to have found this site and read that I am not alone.