Fluttering in chest with GERD?

Almost two years ago I felt a fluttering in my chest (no pain) which was followed by a feeling that I might black out. The fluttering continued off and on, mainly without the dizziness. My doctor had me wear a heart monitor which showed nothing.
Lately the fluttering and associated dizziness has gotten worse. However, when I make myself burp the dizziness goes away for a little while. I have a problem with GERD and have been taking Previcid for some time. My family doctor and stomach doctor (don't ask me to spell his specialty) seem at a loss to explain the fluttering. Since they can't explain it, they seem to be ignoring it.

Anyone have any thoughts or similar symptoms?

HR

Hi and Welcome HR!! :)

Have they ever mentioned esophageal spasms? I get those a lot, along with bronchiole spasms (I have heart disease and asthma), so sometimes it is really hard to tell where it's coming from as a patient and a Dr. unless more testing is done. Did you have any of those 'flutterings' while wearing the Holter? If you did have them and the Dr. felt it was okay?...if you did not have the flutterings then how could they tell what it is? If they continue to bother you, you may have to use an event monitor, which unlike the Holter is just carried with you and put to the chest while you are having an 'event' and then phoned in. Let me know what happens!!

Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

Hi

I have been recently taking Pantoloc for Gerd and have been experiencing heart palpatations I do get the fluttering and have gotten it for about 8 years now and have had all kinds of tests I do believe it is related to hormones. I am concerned about the chest pains I get I don't get any other syptoms of a heart attack I have been geting them for a month now which is the same time I have the feeling of a lump in my throat and nausea and acid reflux so doc prescribed the Pantoloc 40mg I was just wandering if anyone else has experienced these syptoms and also I have alot of gas.

 

thanks 

 

Hello and Welcome to HealingWell, freedom35cass! :)

Again, I'm not a Dr., however with research I've found that GERD can certainly mimic the symptoms of a heart attack - I've actually had that experience myself. Being woke up one night with severe chest pain, and having it radiate to my left arm - I went to the ER and heart problems were eventually ruled out with this episode and I was told it was from the GERD. So sometimes it is difficult to distinguish. I would follow your Dr.'s advice and keep a close watch on this - it sounds as if you are having reflux with the acid coming up like that. However, if you ever feel that the pain is different or you have shortness of breath, or arm pain, I would go to the ER and have it checked out to make sure!

Much good luck to you!
Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

Shoreman
Hi,
When I was in college, I began getting back pains that would radiate around to my chest and then up to my throat. They were so excrutiating that I thought I was having a heart attack. When I went to my doctor he told me that I had a condition called, Acid Reflux. I began taking one pepcid ac each day and pretty soon I did not have anymore attacks. about two years ago, I was diagnosed with having mitrovalve prolapse. I too, was getting fluttering in the chest. The only way mitrovalve prolapse can be detected is by geting an ultra sound of your heart. I was wondering if anyone knows for sure if the flutterings and Gerd have scientifically been proven to go hand in hand? At times, I do get the esophogus tightening. I also think that these sypmtoms are from anxiety.
Thanks!
Rose

Thank-you Teri for your reply. I don't get anything in the arm most of my pains are in the chest or throat or back it feels like little pinches although being 41 it may be due to age yesterday I had heart palpatations and I have not had those in a long time the last time was last april when I was pg so I think it was due to the Pantoloc I am taking and probably a little anxiety. I still have that lump in my throat feeling though it feels like the food is stuck there and the mornings are bad when I get up. I don't think that the fluttering and Gerd are related at least not in my case because I have had the fluttering for 8 years

Hi Shoreman,
I started a topic about this on the Irritable Bowel forum here, so you might check it out. It's titled "Are Strange sensations in chest part of IBS?". My main symptoms with IBS/Gerd, were diarrhea, incredible bloating, and a sensation of a small animal living in my chest! None of the doctors I went to, ever had any suggestions about that last symptom. I finally figured out that it's just a transmission of perhaps gas or spasms in my upper GI tract, to my chest. It's a very strange, irritating feeling! For me, it was like I was pumped up with air in my chest, then it was suddenly released. It definitely felt something like the irregular heartbeats I would also occasionally get.
I also get esophogeal spasms, but they hurt really bad. These other sensations are painless........but very disconcerting! I would keep burping, and it would help a little, but not for long. Our transverse colon goes up real far, into our chests, and I'm sure whatever it does, can be transmitted to our lungs, heart, etc., and feel like it's coming from there.
Did you have that sensation of fluttering when you had your holter monitor on? That's an important bit of info to know. Sometimes people have mitral valve prolapse, or intermittant runs of irregular heartbeats, and I would want to be sure that wasn't what you were feeling. Do you know how to take your pulse? When you're feeling this in your chest, what is your pulse doing?
I was always surprised to feel a very regular pulse when I was having these sensations, because I could have sworn it was my heart.
I began taking 1200mg of Caltrate Plus a day, and these sensations went away completely!!! So I deduced that maybe what I was feeling were sensations from something like a spastic bowel. The calcium seems to "firm" things up, which must stablize the intestines. Who knows for sure, though?? We could go crazy trying to figure this stuff out, right??
So......if you're sure it's not your heart, I would try some calcium and see what happens. Some people with IBS find that the calcium works just as well as the heavy-duty meds.
I've also wondered about a sliding hiatal hernia. When I have all these sensations in my chest, it almost feels like my stomach is in my chest, but the doctors have said that doesn't happen........but it makes sense to me! Good luck to you!

Several folks have answered since my post so let me first say "thanks."

I asked my tummy doctor about esophageal spasms and he didn't seem to think that was my problem. I don't have the pain that I have seen mentioned with the spasms. The doctor said "I can do the test, but you won't like it."
I had a doctor when I was younger and friskier suggest I had IBS. He even gave me some type of prescription to calm things down. My present family doctor seems to think that IBS is more common in younger folks (I'm 57) and I'm less likely to have it now.
As CathyA mentioned, I have wondered if the fluttering is gas that has been trapped moving around. The most disconcerting thing is the dizziness that sometimes goes along with the fluttering. As I mentioned, burping does temporarily relieve the dizziness. A good natural burp is way better than a self-induced one.
A couple of people wondered if the fluttering occurred when I wore the heart monitor. Truthfully, no, not much happened, but I can't believe burping would cause relief for anything that was heart-related. The fluttering was much more occasional then than it is now.
Since I recently was dianosed with Diabetes, my stomach doctor had me take a test last week (I ate oatmeal on an empty stomach and they x-rayed me for 2 hours) that I'll find the results for tomorrow. I'll run some more questions by him then.
Thanks for the responses!

HI again Shoreman,
Sorry about the diabetes. I'm becoming a believer in the theory about how a high carb diet causes diabetes more than other things. I'm also believing that our GI tracts are a real mess in our society of high carb/low veggie eaters. I think the diet that will help with your diabetes and also your GI tract is one of fewer carbs, and more protein and especially more veggies. I know it's sometimes hard to listen to conventional doctors on the one hand, and then more alternative medicine people on the other. They seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. Surely there is some middle-ground. If you're interested in some of the more alternative notions about our GI tracts, do a search for "leaky gut syndrome". It makes alot of sense to me. Good luck with your problems. Oh.......and I was in my late 40's when my IBS symptoms started up. I'm 55 now. I know alot of women going through menopause, whose GI tracts go crazy, so I'm sure it's possible for men to start to have trouble too......so I wouldn't rule it out completely.

Shoreman, good luck with those test results! Please let us know what happens!

Best wishes to you!

Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

Cathy, that's a lot of good info and advice! Since I have diabetes and GERD, and heart disease - I'm a big fan of more veggies and fruits and protein! So far it's worked for me and my initial diagnosis of GERD with Barrett's with mild dysplasia, has gone to just GERD with Barrett's!

Good luck to you!

Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

Well, the visit to the tummy doctor proved uneventful. He said that the "oatmeal and x-ray" test I took showed that my digestive tract was behaving normally. Yah!
He disagreed with my family doctor who had said that most folks who experienced IBS were younger than me. The tummy doctor said it is very common for someone in their 50's to have IBS. Exercise supposedly helps with IBS so we will see what happens. I have increased my exercise greatly since finding I have diabetes.
I presented CathyA's calcium idea and he said, regardless of whether or not it helped with the fluttering, it was a good idea to take 600 mg twice a day. I have a had a couple of small benign polyps in two previous colonoscopies. The doctor feels calcium may help to prevent those. A book I bought recently also recommends calcium and magnesium for diabetics.
He gave me a presciption to take on an "as needed" basis to see if it helped with the fluttering. I didn't understand the name and couldn't read his handwriting so I'll find out what it is called when I pick it up from the drugstore. Apparently, something that is dissolved under the tongue.
I'll let you know if it works so those who share the "small animal syndrome" with me can consider it.

Later!

Shoreman,
Please forgive me for not knowing if you're male or female. I was assuming male with your user name. I'm curious, because if you're female, I've talked to alot of women whose GI tracts go crazy with perimenopause.
Hmmm.......I have no idea what that prescription was for. The only sublingual things I know of are B12 and nitroglycerin.
Yes, it's good to take magnesium with calcium. I try to take 200-400mg a day with the 1200 calcium. Too much magnesium can give you diarrhea though. Some days I can tolerate the 400, and some days I can't. Low magnesium is pretty common, and it can lead to irregular heartbeats and lots of muscle funkiness. Our intestines are a muscle, so maybe the magnesium will help alot.
Please let us know what the name of the prescription is. I'm curious now.
I wish I'd known about the calcium years ago, when I struggled with this horrible feeling......the "small animal syndrome". I had it for years. It was like my GI tract was constantly making noises and going crazy.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that the calcium works. Yes, they say it's good for the colon too. Sometimes you have to try different brands. Calcium can be very constipating, but the magnesium should balance things. Good luck!

I'm a guy, CathyA!

I haven't picked up the prescription yet, but it starts with a L. If the calcium seems to be working, I won't be taking the prescription. The doctor had no problem with that.

The doctor said the calcium might help if the fluttering is occurring due to weak muscles in the gut. Calcium would help to strengthen them.

I am taking liquid capsules that provide calcium and magnesium on a 2 to 1 basis.

I'll post what the prescription is after I pick it up.

Thanks!

Hi ShoreMAN!

I have bloating, some chest pain, and lots of fluttering in the chest. The fluttering is the most irritating part of it all. Here's my story:

I am male. I drink occasionally. I am a quitting smoker of about four years. I just turned 29 years old. I have never done illegal drugs.

In May, I started waking up with chest pain and tons of fluttering.

One day, under a decent amount of stress, while driving, I felt like I was having a heart attack. I just happened to be near a hospital, so my wife and I pulled in, and went to the ER. They treated me like I was having a heart attack, just in case, even though my vitals were normal (120/75 bp, normal EKG).

In the ER room, they gave me a nitroglycerine pill. That made me feel *horrible*. Vomiting, cold sweats, and significant drop in blood pressure. The nurses said that was a sign that I was probably *not* having a heart attack.

The ER doctor tested the blood they took during triage for all kinds of stuff. Blood sugar, cardiac and pulmonary enzymes, etc. He also did a chest x-ray which showed that I had some slight bronchitis (at the time, I was a 1 pack/day smoker).

At the end of the evening, he said, "I don't know what's wrong with you, but it's not your heart. Quit smoking and go see a GP".

Two days later, I ended up in the ER again. Same basic story, except they did not treat it like a heart attack.

So, I went to my GP. She said she thought I had GERD, gave me Nexium (40mg/day), but sent me to a cardiologist just in case.

The cardiologist did a stress test, and a cardiac ultrasound. Both were negative for any abnormalities. He also told me to quit smoking.

After a while on the Nexium, I was doing better, but started having stomach pain right below my ribcage on the left side, and a bit in my side and back. This ended up being constipation from the Nexium side effects. Just to rule out any bigger problems, an abdominal ultrasound was done, which was negative for any problems.

Since being on a proton pump inhibitor, I have been very constipated, and have had a *ton* of discomfort due to gas.

I next decided I was done feeling like crap. I went to my doctor to have her refer me to a gastroentrologist. She started me preemptively on 2000mg/day of Amoxicillin, and 1000mg/day of Clarithromicin.

I had a consultation with the GE at the end of July. He said I needed to quit smoking, and possibly get on Zoloft for a possible anxiety disorder. Honestly, the only thing I have any anxiety about at this point is feeling like crap. I don't like drugs, so I'm avoiding the Zoloft currently. At this point, I had cut back to less than 5 cigarettes/day. I also switched to AciPhex (20mg, twice/day).

I had an Endoscopy on Augsust 1st. I have a 2cm hiatal hernia, as well as some slight erosion at the LES. I also have moderate to severe gastritis in my stomach (the picture is just a big red blotch). Also, my biopsies and blood tests showed no anemia or H. Pylori. At this point, I cut back to AciPhex 20mg/day.

On my return visit to the GE to discuss my test results (Aug 10th), he said I just need to quit smoking and this will all go away, but I'll probably need to take pepcid AC since I have a hiatal hernia. So, at this point, most days I have no cigarettes, but occasionally, I'm giving in and having 1 or 2. So, I haven't quit, but I'm almost there. Would 1 or 2 in a day really cause this much discomfort?

Currently, I still have fluttering in my chest(It's mostly while I sleep), and get pains in my chest and back that seem to be relieved when I burp. I also get tingling in my hands (mainly the left hand). However, I'm an IT worker, so that may be tendonitis or carpal tunnel. I also get pains in my left arm and shoulder, which, once again could be carpal tunnel. I smoke very little (trying very hard to quit). I drink very little (probably 1 or two whisky and water drinks per week). I've upped my fiber intake, reduced my fat, salt, and fried food intake, and have increased my water intake. I have also eliminated carbonated drinks. I do have occasional iced or hot tea I have lost 20 pounds since this started in May. I am 5' 9" tall, and weigh 156 pounds currently (I have always been a bit thin).

The only other significant stats is that my HCL cholesterol was a bit low (upping fiber and some other things to try to counteract that), and my ALT liver enzyme is a bit high (54, should be 40 or below). All of my other blood tests have been right where they should be.

Does anyone know what the fluttering is? Or are we just all in the dark on this one?

Anyone else have a similar story?

Thanks,

Koree

Hi Koree,
Have you read this entire thread? We've talked alot about that fluttering feeling in some of the posts here. I think it has something to do with either gas in our upper GI tracts, or some sort of painless spasms.....sort of like muscle twitches. Our transverse colons go clear up under our chests, and activity in that can be transmitted up into our chests. We've jokingly referred to it above as "small animal living in our chest" syndrome. That's what it feels like.
I occasionally have that fluttering feeling lower in my bowel too. It almost feels like a vibration. The GI tract can do some pretty weird things! As mentioned above, calcium seemed to work well for me, in settling down that fluttering feeling in the chest. Also I would recommend magnesium, which calms down muscle twitching too. With some of the tingling you have in your arms, you might do well to increase your B12. There are sublingual B12 tablets that are very easy to take.

I have often thought I had a hiatal hernia, but the docs say those don't really cause problems. But I swear, there are times when I think mine is a sliding one......one that comes and goes, and my symptoms are definitely worse when I think it's a bit up in my chest.

If your symptoms keeping getting worse, keep trying to find an answer......even if means changing doctors. But what I'm discovering, having Fibromyalgia and IBS and GERD......some of these problems can feel almost life-threatening, but end up being benign. Very irritating, uncomfortable and disconcerting.......but benign. Good luck to you.

I guess that's the thing that sucks the most about all of this. I feel like I have serious things wrong, but all of the doctors tell me I am very healthy other than the way I feel. My GE even said that the endoscopy, while it shows some problems, wasn't *that* bad. He did say that smoking can cause lots of strange muscle spasms. The fluttering happens mainly while I'm asleep, so I haven't had a good night's sleep in 3 months. It also happens when I'm laying down mostly. So, I spend a lot of time standing. It seems to help when I drink water, too. I have increased my calcium, although, my intake was pretty good before all this started anyway. The blood tests showed that I had plenty of B12, although, I'm not sure exactly what the numbers were from the CBC. They tested that when they did the H. Pylori tests.

So, as of yesterday, I have quit smoking. I know that sounds lame, but that's a big step for me. I think I can keep it up. If anyone else is having these problems and is a smoker, I suggest lots of water, a distraction, and realizing that most cravings last about 5 minutes, so if you can make it that long, you'll be good for a couple of hours. I have chosen for my distraction a yo-yo. This is also good for my fluttering, as I am standing while learning/doing tricks with the yo-yo.

Yes, I did read the rest of this thread. It actually attracted me because some of the things described here are very similar to what I'm going through.

I have not worn a Holter monitor, as the cardiologist did not think it was necessary after the stress test and cardiac ultrasound. He said my heart is fine, shows no fluid or prolapse.

I have started on a multivitamin this last week that has a large amount of B12, and has a decent amount of magnesium. We'll see if that helps out any.

Thanks for your tips guys. This illness has been a nightmare. I'm ready to put it all behind me. I feel like I've lost my summer.

Hi Koree,
My fibromyalgia has been like your problem.......feeling like poop so much of the time, but all my tests are normal.
Do you do alot of leaning over? I'm thinking your hiatal hernia might be more of a problem than anyone is giving it credit for. Just because doctors say something isn't so, or can't happen, doesn't mean they're right! I'm learning that the conventional doctors don't really know much about the body, and zoom in on their specialty, while ignoring it's connection with the rest of the body.
Next question for you is that, why did the doc put you on those antibiotics?
Some people really believe in yeast overgrowth as the cause of alot of our GI problems. Things may have been made a little worse by the antibiotics, so be sure to take a probiotic, and eat lots of yogurt with live cultures.
My fluttering seemed to worsen at night too. I started thinking it had something to do with gas settling up high, or more problems from GERD, and a possible hiatal hernia from laying down. Also.......everything always seems worse at night.

We can easily get low on magnesium, even when our blood values look normal. If I were you, I would add 200-400mg of magnesium a day. The worst thing that would happen is it would make your stools loose, and then you could cut down to 200mg.
Also try to cut back on carbohydrates, since they aren't the best thing for our systems.
Do you feel your pulse when you're having all that fluttering? Is it regular? What is your heartrate during this?

I got pretty crazy when mine was it's worse. I would sleep with a stethoscope (I'm an RN), next to my bed, and listen to my heart in the middle of the night, when this fluttering would happen. Of course, when I told my cardiologist this, he made it sound like I was a hypocondric. But this feeling is extremely bizarre, and I was just trying to figure it out. I couldn't believe that it was a regular heartbeat, when I thought it was going crazy! Where was all that action coming from in there????
It's very real.........but because the doctor hadn't ever experienced it himself, he couldnt believe in it.
Anyhow......good luck with this. Do you take your calcium in the evening, before going to bed? It may help the most then. And really consider increasing your magnesium. My problem last summer, was that I would get alot of irregular heartbeats, especially when I leaned over. I was convinced it was a hiatal hernia, pressing on my heart......but the doctor didn't think so. Anyhow........I was in the ER one day when it got really bad. I was fortunate enough to have a really smart doc, open to alternative ideas, and he gave me 1 gram of magnesium I.V. I didn't have any irregular beats for 2 weeks!! That's when I knew I had to take extra magnesium all the time. We have so much muscle in our bodies (including heart, intestines,) and it can all be affected by low magnesium.
So........try to believe that this is a real pain in the butt, and very disconcerting, but that you won't drop dead. Focus on it being a low calcium-magnesium problem, and a GI problem, of perhaps too much yeast, added to your problem of a hiatal hernia. Try not leaning over too much.
I hope I'm not overwhelming you. I just know how bad you feel, and what has worked for me.

I'm currently taking 100mg of magnesium a day. What are good food sources for magnesium? Also, I have taken my pulse when I've felt these flutters. It's always steady, and normal. In all the times my heart has been checked, the highest my pulse has been is like 100 (with the exception of my stress test - 155 in a 10-minute stress test). I will try some of these suggestions.

I do not lean over a lot, although I sit in a chair all day. I'm the Senior System Administrator for a very large web hosting company, which pins me to a computer most of the day. But, I've been making an effort to get up and walk (this also helps with not smoking). Sometimes I'll just meander through the building for 10 or 15 minutes.

I don't know what's going on, but I'll try the calcium before bed, and maybe up my magnesium.

BTW, this is the vitamin I take each day:

http://www.centrum.com/products/labeling_centrum.asp

Hi Koree,

Yes, you definitely need more than 100mg of magnesium a day. Like I said, it's a real benign mineral to take. It won't hurt you. If you get too much, it ends up in diarrhea. I just bought a bottle of 200mg tabs at Walmart. I think it's pretty much all the same. You might get a better quality at a health store, but it will cost alot more too.
If you're really overweight, sitting could aggravate your hiatal hernia, but I think you've been losing weight, right? I find that if I miss 1 or 2 doses of my calcium and magnesium, my symtoms come right back.
It's good that your pulse stays regular when you have these feelings. I'm sure it's something funky (although not serious) with your GI tract. Good luck, and let me know how things go with the calcium and magnesium.

Cool. I'll get another magnesium supplement. I'm definitely not overweight. I weigh about 156 as of today, and I'm 5' 9" tall. When this started, I was 175, and the heaviest I've ever been is 198, I believe. However, I have a fair amount of bloating, and my stomach is pushed up into my ribcage when I sit because of it. We'll see if these vitamins help. I also have an appointment with my GP again, and I may ask for a second opinion on my endoscopy...

Thanks,

Koree

Hi Koree,
Speaking of bloating.........a couple years ago, mine got so bad that I had to sleep upright in a chair for 7 months! The pressure was so great that it went up into my chest and neck, and would give me severe panic, since it felt like I couldn't breath. It finally all went away. That was one of those times when I really felt like I was dying.......but apparently, I wasn't! So I'm real familiar with some of this stuff feeling fatal! (but thankfully, it's not!).
Also, sometime, do an internet search on yeast overgrowth, and also leaky gut syndrome. These are both conditions that our usual docs don't believe in. It seems that only alternative medicine docs believe in them, but they sure make alot of sense to me. Check them out sometime and see what you think.