CoryW

16 hours ago, Abe said:

I read something about the Roemheld Syndrome few years back at it seemed to sync with me.  I get instant stomach discomfort and tachy after I eat, no matter how small.  The explanation I got was that if your digestive system produces too much gas/pressure after food, it pushes your diaphragm up against your heart with then tends to trigger some sort of panic attack and then a tachycardia.  Every food I eat causes an adrenaline rush and in my case, it feels like life is being squeezed out of me.  Studying through all these this past weekend, I also learnt that this might be caused by Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO).  Its all so confusing so I decided I am going to set an appointment with my doctor to see what he can do to get some answers.

This is interesting Abe because this is very similar to what happens to me. I start feeling gas pressure, and heavy bloating and all of a sudden I get an adrenaline rush.  I will have to look into this.  I did a home gut biome test (with Biohm) hoping that I might see something odd with my gut bacteria.  Still waiting on the results of that.

Good luck with the doctor, I know when I tried to describe my symptoms to my GI doctor he said that was just not possible, and tried to explain to me how I am probably swallowing a bunch of air to cause that amount of gas.

On 8/30/2021 at 6:45 AM, MikeO said:

Sounds like this happens shortly after eating. Wondering if your bp is dropping after a meal. Due you have a home bp monitor? 

Yes.  I honestly don't normally take my bp after a meal but i'll check that.  However the tachycardia episodes happen, my blood pressure gets very high.  I've seen it as high as 165/110 when my normal range with the losartan is around 115/75.

21 hours ago, Rexie said:

I try to eat smaller, more frequent, varied nutritional meals (or drink smoothies), and regularly take probiotics that contain Lactobacillus and/or Bifidobacterium to help produce GABA. Once in awhile on bad eating days, I’ll take a balanced B-vitamin tab to ensure I have adequate B6. I also use herbal supplements (ashwagandha, passion flower, chamomile) that increase GABA, and slippery elm to increase overall digestive health. 

Exercise helps increase GABA and balance your GABA-glutamate system. Yoga is especially good for increasing GABA if you’re into that (I am not). Try taking a walk or do something else of low-to-moderate activity after eating and resting a bit, to remove and let dissipate the fizz of overstimulation and its assorted sensations while letting your body come into balance. And don’t fret. Eating is good and necessary. Bon Appetit! 

I used to take probiotics frequently but I am currently out and waiting test results on my gut biome before I buy more.  I do take B vitamins on a semi-regular basis, usually on lower energy days.  And for exercise I normally walk in the morning, usually at least 3 days a week for 2-5 miles...depending on how much energy/time I have.  Once we get out of the summer I will probably start walking at least 5 days a week again.

As for drugs, I only take asthma medication (both albuterol and advair) as well as losartan, metoprolol, diclofenac when needed (arthritis NSAID), and taltz.  I seldom drink, maybe a drink once or twice a year.  I do drink caffeine, mostly in the form of hot tea.  I will typically drink black teas in the morning, and oolong in the evening before bed.

Oh one other thing I forgot to mention.  I have been considered prediabetic for years so I keep a glucose kit to check my levels.  I haven't tested it every time I have had this issue, but each time I did, it was somewhere between 140/160 which is my normal range a few hours after a meal.  I had initially thought I might have moved over into diabetes given the symptoms (rapid pulse, very dry mouth, etc) but moved on when I was getting the same readings that I am used to.

No, the addition of the metoprolol is due to the tachycardia.  I have been on the losartan for years.  I do also take taltz for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis but I have also been taking that for quite a while.

Right now I am just taking 12.5 mg of metoprolol in the morning.  I am already taking losartan which is why we are keeping the dose low for now, the first few days I took 25mg and my blood pressure was getting a little too low.

I apologize about resurrecting an old thread like this but this is the first time I have found others discussing a problem I have been experiencing for the last year (and about which my GI doctor says is impossible).  I have issues with tachycardia after eating, most of the time low level...maybe 100-110 bp.  If I eat too much, I have had much worse, to the point I had an ambulance at my home twice when it spiked over 180bp.  I have an implanted heart monitor (for a minor stroke last year) and I have had my cardiologist look at all the data and they have said other than the tachy episodes, everything looks fine.  

That is when I started to do my own research.  Most of the time I can feel an episode come on, it happens an hour to two hours after eating and it feels like an adrenalin rush for the worst cases.  I can feel an energy in my chest that radiates out to my limbs and I know I have little time to lay down before my pulse spikes.  Laying down keeps the my pulse from spiking as high and helps manage the anxiety.  

I started believing it was food related because I pretty much always feel bloated during that time, as well as having a large amount of gas.  Once I realized this I started controlling my portions better (most of the episodes would happen on Sunday evenings when I would typically eat my largest meal of the week), and because of this have had far fewer attacks and those I have had were not as bad.

My cardiologist went ahead and proscribed me a low dose beta blocker and even though I sometimes feel a bit weird like I am starting to have an attack, I have not actually had one and my pulse hasn't been above 100 after eating since.  I have not been able to pinpoint exact foods or types of foods.  I have had issues with breads or breaded foods, but then at other times have not.  The same with spicy foods, other carbs, etc. 

Honestly my first thought when I started going through this was something like Graves disease but from my observations, and what I have read on here it is really sounding like a GI issue.  Any advice on talking to my GI doctor and getting him to understand that this is a real thing and not just my imagination?