Positive reassurance for worriers about ectopic 'missed' beats...

[Carys]

...well I think so anyway :o) I saw my doctor the day before yesterday and said about the irregular heart pattern/ectopic beats, that so many of us are concerned about. I thought that once I said it always seemed to happen at the moment after eating and drinking, or lying on my stomach, he would laugh and me and say 'that isn't possible/no such thing can happen'. Instead, he said 'I get that too, when I eat and drink, its really disconcerting isn't it....it is stimulation of the vagus nerve from the stomach area being full and tension in that area' (or something to that effect) 'I'm surprised it is still worrying you, after having it for so long....lol' (he listened to my heart and then pronounced it sounded perfectly healthy)

I know that lots of us have found our GPs don't agree with the pattern of ectopics we get i.e. happening after eating and drinking, so I was somewhat stunned to hear a medical professional saying they had exactly the same thing...and not being concerned about it. Hope this helps anyone who is worrying about them today ....

[countrygirl]

A cardiologist explained to me many years ago ( I have had ectopics every day for over 20 yrs!) that the ectopics are caused by irritation of the vagus nerve - this can be anything from a full stomach as the nerve passes across the top of stomach I think?? to caffeine - alcohol - low potassium or blood sugar - all the stress hormones etc etc.

Still doens't make them feel any less unpleasant and scary though:mad:

[Carys]

NO, they are still unpleasant, this is true. I wish someone had told me that donkeys years ago, I only found out from this site about the vagus nerve thing. I have to say that, for me, it was the fact that the doctor got it too.....kind of made me think....well if he gets it too then that makes it better understood. Did the cardiologist say that this is a problem that resolves itself or does it tend to stay that way indefinitely ?

[iris333]

interesting, now I know why I get more heart weirdness with a full belly!

[mom1982]

thanks for the info.