GERD = Tachycardia?

Sorry peeps, it's me again! I had a horrid experience yesterday when I was admitted to A&E for chest pains, shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate. The pains and breath-shortage are diminishing now, but I still have the latter symptom. It tends to happen when I'm lying in bed and change position, or if I crouch shortly after eating a meal - like this morning.

I had just had food 30 minutes before, and I was finishing a shower. When I crouched to pick up some clothes, I felt a very heavy double-beat (a powerful ectopic maybe, I do get ectopics) and my heart rate rocketed. I've never felt 35 beats in 15 seconds, so you can imagined I freaked out. 5 minutes later after standing up for a spell, it was gone. Crouching again bought it back. Eep!

So I have a few questions to see if anyone else has what I've had.

- Can GERD cause symptoms like a burning throat, tight chest and of course rapid heart rate?
- What's a vagus nerve? I heard from someone that it might be irritated if it is GERD, but if it is, does that mean the nerve is damaged? Furthermore, how would I know if it's the vagus nerve without having anything stuck down my throat? :scared15:
- I hear Ginger is good for acid. What about Ginger biscuits/snaps or Lemon and Ginger tea? That's all I could find at the shop today! XD

Panic over. Thank you!

Hi Orange Lightning, Im going through exactly the same thing. I dont so much get the palps but I get chest pains in middle and left side. Ive spoken to several doctors about this as I found it so hard to accept that acid reflux can cause these chest pains. The vagus nerve runs from your stomach to brain. Because all the organs are so tightly packed together, if acid is irritaing the nerve, you can experience pains in your chest which feel like they come form your heart. Im not aware that you damage the nerve as such just irritate it but I didnt ask that bit.

As for the palps, I dont know if its so much the GERD causing the palps or rather your bodies natural fight or flight response to the sensation coming on with the adrenaline pumping?

I too have been told that ginger is good for acid as well as peppermint. Ive tried both but to be honest didnt find either helped that much I was then talking to a freind who told me about south african tea called redbush and that ginger and peppermint can make indigestion worse in a FEW people. Ive switched to redbush now and really like it with a splash of honey. Its got 10 times more anti oxidents than green tea and is 100% caffeine free. Worth a go?

Did they just discharge you from a&e with no explanation of what they thought had happened? Can you not ask your doctor? Did they offer you beta blockers at all?

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Originally Posted by Pinktel

Did they just discharge you from a&e with no explanation of what they thought had happened? Can you not ask your doctor? Did they offer you beta blockers at all?

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Nope, no explanation, no medicine, nothing whatsoever. :/ Lucky I just saw my GP today and she's trying to book an endoscopy asap. Good thing to because I'm feeling worse now - burning throat, constipated and it's hard to keep everything I eat/drink down. Very breathless too; anxiety of all the other symptoms doesn't help that but unless I take a deep breath myself - while standing or sitting certain ways - I become dizzy, lightheaded and my hands go weak.

I'll need to kick something if my anxiety was caused by Hiatal Hernia all this time. I'm just praying I don't have the dangerous version, being constipated and all. :(