Am seriously scared about my health right now. TW: mentions vomiting

[inigomontoyahwillcox]

I'm really worried about my health. Right this very moment I wouldn't be surprised if I carked it right here and now. If you get through the following, then thank-you, I know it's long.

I started getting really bad, constant palpitations in Feb every night when I went to bed (single PVCs but lots of them) - they were relieved by sitting or standing up (meaning I got almost no sleep), and I was also struggling with a bad stomach at the time. I eventually went to the doc who sent me for an ECG, which was normal during the 15 seconds they recorded it. All my symptoms subsided after about 8 or 9 days.

The same issue reared it's ugly head again coming up two weeks ago, my stomach got bad again and I was vomiting anything I ate back up (I never feel sick - it just automatically comes back up) and the palpitations start within about 20 minutes of eating (not just at night but also during the day now). I still can't really eat anything. Throwing up does at least seem to make the palpitations reduce or stop for a while, as does standing up or sitting up very straight.

I can't sleep due to the constant thuds and flutters. I'm checking my heartrate/rhythm using my Apple Watch and it's constantly coming up with "inconclusive" or "heart rate less than 50", showing lots of ectopic beats and now some runs of 3 dodgy beats.

I do have an endoscopy booked for tomorrow and a barium swallow in April for the stomach issues, and I've made an appt with a cardiologist (managed to get it via BUPA) for next Tuesday, but I'm now currently sitting here with my heart going crazy (all because I swallowed a couple of tablets a couple of hours ago) thinking I'm not even gonna get that far.

I ended up in hospital overnight on Monday as I was dehydrated due to not keeping water down and they filled me up with some fluids. The gastro team did briefly come and see me, but he was in and out within about a minute and a 1/2, had no idea about the palpitations, mentioned anxiety and just said, oh you've probably got some reflux and prescribed me a larger dose of the PPI I take for acid reflux (which I suffer from slightly but mainly as in a burning stomach, and I've felt no indication that's got any worse recently) - he then wrote on my discharge paper that I have globus hystericus (I had mentioned that it feels like food gets stuck in my gullet) - I was so upset and felt completely ignored and minimised, he gave me as little time as he could get away with, after yet another night or no sleep where I was struggling to string a sentence together, never mind coherently describe my symptoms or concerns.

I'm just desperately looking for possible answers - which I know the tests will hopefully bring, but I'm hoping beyond hope that some of you may have had some experience of something similar or the medical knowledge to hazard a guess what it might be whilst I wait, as I am shitting a brick, lying here, waiting for what feels like the inevitable whilst my heart flips around in my chest. I've had 2 nights of reasonable sleep in the past 10 days or so, I am beyond tired, all I can think is that they'll stick the endoscopy scope down my throat in a few hours, it'll set off my heart, and it'll be curtains!

Do you suffer from health anxiety? This does sound like reflux. Also, put away the watch. No one should be checking your heart rate except a medical professional.

Apologies if this sounds harsh. My mother has health anxiety and it is all consuming. It's taken over her life and most of her families. She constantly thinks that she is going to die over very very minor issues.

Do pursue & persevere with the cardiology route, maybe regular ECG / BP checks will reassure you. Reflux can be absolutely horrible to live with. Really debilitating. I hope you get some answers soon.

This is not anxiety. I can see and feel the ectopic beats, they very position specific, and happen post trying to eat without fail. I suffered from anxiety years ago, I am very conscious of what it can do to your body both mentally, and physically. This is not anxiety.

In addition, I've been taking the upgraded PPIs for a few days now and there has been zero improvement - I'm getting worse if anything.

But they must have listened to your heart when you went in? And concluded there was nothing seriously wrong.

(in better news, I'm loosing weight at a rate of knots - my double chin has completely gone!)

I was going to ask if you were overweight and also whether you drank alcohol. Have you looked at the symptoms of a hiatus hernia?

They put you on an ecg machine for 15 seconds, it just (annoyingly) didn't coincide with me having them.

The dr (not the gastro guy) got me to induce them by lying down and he watched the palpitations on the ecg machine for about a minute, he did say ectopic beats in isolation aren't usually dangerous but could see that they were happening and quite frequent. This was the Dr who saw me in ambulatory care (referred by GP) and I'm unsure if he recorded this in my notes. He referred me for a 24hr monitor, but haven't heard anything yet (might see if I can get this done earlier with the cardiologist).

Overweight yes (size 14-16), alcohol no.

This honestly does sound like GERD.

I experience ectopic beats when I'm lying down in bed if I'm dehydrated. I also have POTS so I have to drink a lot more anyway which is why I think I struggle with hydration. But if you're being sick and not keeping fluids down maybe that's the cause?

I hope they get to the bottom of it soon for you

If it's GERD why aren't the PPIs working? I would LOVE it to be GETS - but why on earth is my heart throwing off hundreds, possibly thousands of ectopics according to the Apple Watch readings (they aren't artefact, I feel them when it records one)?

The ambulatory dr did mention it sounded like gastroparesis - and looking at the symptoms it did sound possible, but no mention of that since.

*love it to be GERD I mean.

It may sound as though I am wanting something to be wrong - this couldn't be further from the truth, I want to know what is wrong, and for it to be treated so I can get back to my normal, relatively boring life.

I did think electrolytes but they were (low) OK in my blood tests.

Thank you for the sympathy - so really appreciate it.

@determinedtomakethiswork you're our winner - step up to collect your prize! I have indeed got a hernia, just confirmed by endoscopy. Most likely causing my symptoms, so I need to speak to the GI team again.