Cardiac Irregularities Exacerbated by Diet??

[TischSEB]

Hi,

Does anyone who has had a cardiac irregularity (extra beats, skipped beats, palpitations etc) as part of their illness notice that certain foods will make the problem temporarily much worse?

SEB has had numerous irregular palpitation episodes after eating carbohydrates
(noodles or pasta) and having even just one or two sips of wine. Eating bread is ok tho. These episodes are much more irregular and violent than the normal problem (so violent we have to contemplate the ER). I am trying to understand this in terms of whatever infections are at work vs the effects of higher blood sugar or salt.

Does anyone recognize this with their heart?

Thanks,
Tisch

[Lynne G.SD]

Hi Tish;
    I don't get that from foods but do get it BADLY from certain smells.I have a greenhouse and have to spray the orchids with fungicide every now and then.Even being totally protected and wearing a carbon mask I can still smell the stuff and my heart beats so fast that I can only do one 95 foot table at a time.If freaked me out at the beginning but now I just slug my way through it.My husband who is healthy can't even go near the stuff so it falls on me to do it.Some days I think that there must be an easier way to make a living.

[Maz]

Hmmm…Tisch, any chance Seb may be hypoglycemic? I've read that when someone is hypoglycemic, eating meals rich in simple carbs can set off irregular heart rhythms. Another potential is GERD, which can also trigger palps.

Found this link and haven't read it in it's entirety, but does it make any sense?

http://www.allergycentre.com.au/id129.htm

Peace, Maz

[TischSEB]

Hi Lynne & MAz,

Just wanted to thank you for your responses on this post. I'm going to track the foods a lot more closely when this happens. Incidentally, as far as whole heart issue goes, it does seem to be receding a bit over the last month.

Now SEB tells me that he actually panics when he becomes aware that he is no longer aware of either the palpitation or the skipped beat.
I've listened to it a few times myself and it does sound more “distant” (normal – as in not thumping out of the chest) than it has in the past couple of years.

I hope this continues and it follows what Maz has previously described as becoming a non-issue as treatment continues.

Tks again,
Tisch

[mschmidt]

Tisch,

I just wanted to chime in as well, and tell you this happened to me quite often after eating (can't remember if it was a specific food, I think it was just eating in general).  It was before I started taking Minocin, and continued up until about 6 months into taking it (and getting clindy iv's).  I had PCP's (visit to ER confirmed that), and my heart would feel like it was going to beat out of my chest!!  Really freaked me out, and made me feel like I was going to have a panic attack. I definitely was mildly hypoglycemic, and shortly thereafter, GERD set in.  I'm neither now (a year into treatment), and am off my GERD meds because my throat/esophagus has healed, and I don't get heartburn anymore.

I have Lyme in the mix as well so, heart palps stopped after I started taking Lyme meds.  (which was about 6 months after I started Minocin)

I hope it becomes a non-issue for SEB over time.

Maria

 

[mommaof2princesses]

Hi,

I get palps after eating certain foods, for sure. Also, if there is a food that I am not sensitive too but eat too much of (thereby becoming sensitive to it) I get palps.

[PhilC]

[user=1536]Tisch&SEB[/user] wrote:

SEB has had numerous irregular palpitation episodes after eating carbohydrates
(noodles or pasta) and having even just one or two sips of wine. Eating bread is ok tho.

Hi Tisch,

What about foods like fruit or fruit juice, and crackers or pretzels? Is SEB taking any herbs or other dietary supplements?

Phil

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert Einstein

[TischSEB]

Hi Phil,

In response to your question – fruit, fruit juices, and pretzels seem to be ok. These episodes have happened after large servings of pasta/noodles (no sides or proteins). The only other times have been when he attempted to have some wine. A few sips will bring it on. He mostly stays away from these foods, but if he slips up, we can expect some palps…

He takes Vitamin C, Vitamin D (prescribed) as supplements. He used to take too many of the antacids, but has stopped those.

mommaof2princesses,

Tks for your feedback. Are your palps at all related to illness? SEB never had any heart issues prior to his illness onset, so I always assume it is related.

Maria,

Hi – tks for chiming in! Good to hear of your experience with improvement of this issue. Crossing my fingers for the same here.

Thanks all for your responses!!
Tisch

[PhilC]

[user=1536]Tisch&SEB[/user] wrote:

Hi Phil,

In response to your question – fruit, fruit juices, and pretzels seem to be ok. These episodes have happened after large servings of pasta/noodles (no sides or proteins). The only other times have been when he attempted to have some wine. A few sips will bring it on. He mostly stays away from these foods, but if he slips up, we can expect some palps…

Hi Tisch,

That seems to suggest a sensitivity to sulfites (sulphites). Wine is high in sulfites, and pasta can also contain sulfites. It also suggests a possible sensitivity to eggs, since noodles contain eggs and foods like bread and pretzels usually do not.

[user=1536]Tisch&SEB[/user] wrote:

He takes Vitamin C, Vitamin D (prescribed) as supplements. He used to take too many of the antacids, but has stopped those.

Did the heavy use of antacids start after 4/2008, or before then?

Phil

[Edited to correct spelling.]

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert Einstein

[lynnie_sydney]

Tisch – you might find this No Sulfites site of interest. Lynnie http://www.learningtarget.com/nosulfites/

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[TischSEB]

Hi Phil and Lynnie,

Thanks for the thoughts and links on sulfites and food sensitivities. I wonder if these can develop as part of another illness. Before the illness onset, there were certainly no problems with these foods.

Phil – yes there was antacid “abuse” prior to 4/08. Sometimes I think SEB just liked the taste of them and treated them like a snack. He has stopped taking these altogether since I read about the vicious cycle these can put you in – described better than I can in this link:

http://www.greattastenopain.com/nl/09/10_12/110509.asp

Regards,
Tisch

[Peach73]

yes I get palpitations sometimes after I eat!  I haven't narrowed it down to a certain food yet.  I even had a Holter many years ago and they said it was premature atrial contractions….benign palpitations possibly from stress?   I would get them throughout the day and sometimes still do even when I'm not stressed.  I'm certainly not stressed when i eat  lol! 

[Kim]

My palps improved tremendously with Lyme tx, now I hardly ever get them.

kim

[PhilC]

[user=1536]Tisch&SEB[/user] wrote:

Thanks for the thoughts and links on sulfites and food sensitivities. I wonder if these can develop as part of another illness. Before the illness onset, there were certainly no problems with these foods.

Hi Tisch,

Yes, definitely. The food sensitivities could certainly be a by-product of the disease process. Here are two possibilities: (1) The pathogens mess up the immune system because a dysfunctional immune system gives them a survival advantage, and the dysfunctional immune system leads to the development of allergies. (2) Leaky Gut Syndrome allows undigested and partially digested macromolecules to enter the bloodstream, greatly increasing the chances of developing food allergies.

[user=1536]Tisch&SEB[/user] wrote:

Phil – yes there was antacid “abuse” prior to 4/08.

I suspect that the antacid abuse may possibly be connected with SEB's illness. For several months prior to my developing muscle and joint pain, I had a lot of stomach trouble. During that time I took a lot of antacid (Maalox). It may just be a coincidence, but I have long suspected a connection between that and the subsequent development of RA symptoms. I doubt that it was a causative factor, but I have longed wondered what role it might have played. The neutralization of stomach acid caused by my heavy use of Maalox could have interfered with the proper disgestion of food and exacerbated the effects of Leaky Gut Syndrome.

Phil

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert Einstein

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