Spasm / Ectopics!

[nicktaylor]

Ugh. Need a bit of help / advice.

Yesterday afternoon I had a big spasm in my tummy, just below my ribs. It worried me (I've had these occasionally before, but they're not very nice). I had a couple more yesterday afternoon and this morning I've had 20 or so.

It feels like some muscles (my diaphram or intestines?) are pinching together and letting go, and I get a little wave of anxiety. I also seem to get a missed heartbeat afterwards, so I can't tell if this is an ectopic or something else.

Feels pretty nasty, I get a little wave of anxiety with each one, so I feel all shaky.

Any ideas? If these are ectopics, I've never had them like this before, just one or two a day, rather than every 2-3 minutes!


Feeling all a bit panicky, so any advice welcome!

Nick.

[xBettyBoopx]

Hi Nick
It sounds to me like wind, especially as you get the ectopics at the same time, if not the spasm could be twitching. I get twitching and sometimes if it's around the stomach and chest area it can be a little painful/uncomfortable and certainly brings on a bit of panic for me. Twitching seems to be linked to anxiety, although when I get it I don't necessarily think that I'm anxious at the time!

A lot of people suffer with ectopics too, as you will see from this forum, and it isn't just anxious people that get them.

Sometimes I get twitching deep in the muscle and it feels like it's going tight, so I can relate to your problem.

Hope this has helped a little

Take care

Elspeth

[jodie]

i will second what elspeth has sead

she is very right i get twitching to in my tummy and after i get ectopics when i seen the heart doc at the hospital he sead i will get ectopics if i have wind in my tummy or eat a big meal coz you tummy pushes up to your chest more if you know what i mean and this brings on ectopics .

jodie xx

[nicktaylor]

Thanks guys. It's quite scary. I do feel like I've got a bloated tummy, and have a bit of IBS, so I'm sure it's related.

When I get the twitch (just like a hiccup, but feels deeper inside), if I feel my pulse, it misses a beat. I know that happens when you really do hiccup too, but I wonder if these are actually just ectopics that I'm feeling lower down inside somehow?

I'm getting them intermittently, but every few minutes all day. It feels so uncomfortable, I just want to go home and sleep! If they've not gone by the morning, I might camp out at the doctors.

I've got a bit of a podgy tummy, and I notice these more when I'm slouching, so you might be right about the tummy pushing up and making them happen more!

Thanks for the advice.

Nick xx

[nicktaylor]

Just thought I'd post an update to this, that it might be useful for other people getting these symptoms.

I went to the doctor because it was really getting on my nerves - constant twinges in my middle, and weird aching pains. I've had stomach ache too.

The doctor said a build up of acid in your stomach can cause irritation, which can cause spasms, just like a hiccup but a bit lower down. He said because this can push your diaphram, it can make your heart jump, basically an ectopic beat caused by pressure on the diaphram.

Completely harmless, he said, and gave me some tablets which reduce the amount of acid my stomach produces - take them for a month and then come back, he said.

All a bit dismissive, but I guess that's sort of reassuring that he didn't think it was anything bad. One thing worth asking if you're getting 'ectopic' type feelings but have stomach troubles too.