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Not Feeling Like Eating, Fast Heart Beats. Is Nasogastric Tube Useful?

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Posted on Sun, 15 Jul 2012
Question: I am 5'4" female 30 weight 87lbs. I just do not want to eat. my heartbearts fast mostly all during the day. can i ask my doctor to give me an nasogastric tube?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sudhir (7 hours later)
Hello,

Thanks for the question.

From the details provided, there seems to be two different issues.

1. If there are associated stomach complains like epigastric pain, vomiting, reflux or pain in stomach region after eating then inserting nasogastric tube can help. But if I was to be your treating doctor, I would first like to try medications like antacids and anti-emetics. These are over counter medications and you can try them if you also have the aforementioned symptoms.

2. Cardiac palpitation which is an uncomfortable and unusual awareness of the heartbeat occurs due to mismatch or disturbances in electric impulses in heart. Most cases are harmless and don’t need treatment.
There is no direct relation between food intake and occurrence of palpitation unless you have a pre-existing palpitation / arrhythmia. A detailed evaluation for palpitation or arrhythmias should be undertaken to this out. A primary evaluation with electrocardiogram (ECG) can help to evaluate the condition. If at all a static ECG is normal, a 24 hours ECG monitoring can help in this case. Another investigation which can help evaluate heart function is 2D-echocardiogram.

I would suggest you to see doctor for clinical evaluation and consider getting the investigations done. In most cases medication can provide good symptomatic relief. Once diagnosis is confirmed an appropriate treatment both for heart palpitation and gastrointestinal complaints can be done.

Please go through my answer and if there are further questions, please feel free to ask.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Sudhir (16 hours later)
Dr. XXXXXXX
Thank you for the information. I just read your reply. But, I did go to my local urgent care center today(before I read this reply,I wanted to at least get an EKG). The doctor said that my EKG was perfect. She is going to fax my results to my pulse is about 98-101 beats per minute. It seems to be that way all day. So, it may not be related to the food I am eating. My doctor says I have been anemic for at least six years. I don't know how the actual hemoglobin from six years ago, but at that time, I was craving ice, and that was six years ago. My hemoglobin was 9.1 about seven weeks ago. Then about five weeks ago, my hemoglobin was 9.8. My doctor has ordered me to take Poly iron 150 mg capsules twice a day. Because, I used to eat a lot of cakes, donuts, and chocolate, a few months ago, but, now I don't, and I didn't even really notice a fast pulse. I may have had a fast pulse, but, I did notice really. I began noticing a fast pulse as I did more activities. But, I really only went to work and came home. Go to store came home. Studied schoolwork at home.
Follow-up question: Do you think my low hemoglobin is making me have a fast pulse?
Do you think that the poly iron 150 capsules will make me feel better? How long do you think it will take for me to feel better?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sudhir (6 hours later)
Hello,
Thanks for writing back.
Low hemoglobin can surely increase your heart rate, making your pulse fast. Hemoglobin plays crucial role in transportation of oxygen. When hemoglobin is low, heart has to work more and repeatedly to compensate for low hemoglobin, so that adequate oxygen can reach the tissues. So your current symptoms can be due to low hemoglobin.

Long term nutritional deficiency, long term unnoticed bleeding like bleeding in stool, medications or bone marrow issues etc. So you take poly iron supplements as suggested by your doctor. You should feel better in 6-8 weeks. You can repeat hemoglobin levels after that.

And in case hemoglobin levels fail to raise, then you will need to undertake investigations to determine the underlying causes of anemia, as mentioned earlier.

Hope that answers your question.

Wishing you the very best
Regards
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Aparna Kohli
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Dr. Sudhir

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :2000

Answered : 1415 Questions

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Not Feeling Like Eating, Fast Heart Beats. Is Nasogastric Tube Useful?

Hello,

Thanks for the question.

From the details provided, there seems to be two different issues.

1. If there are associated stomach complains like epigastric pain, vomiting, reflux or pain in stomach region after eating then inserting nasogastric tube can help. But if I was to be your treating doctor, I would first like to try medications like antacids and anti-emetics. These are over counter medications and you can try them if you also have the aforementioned symptoms.

2. Cardiac palpitation which is an uncomfortable and unusual awareness of the heartbeat occurs due to mismatch or disturbances in electric impulses in heart. Most cases are harmless and don’t need treatment.
There is no direct relation between food intake and occurrence of palpitation unless you have a pre-existing palpitation / arrhythmia. A detailed evaluation for palpitation or arrhythmias should be undertaken to this out. A primary evaluation with electrocardiogram (ECG) can help to evaluate the condition. If at all a static ECG is normal, a 24 hours ECG monitoring can help in this case. Another investigation which can help evaluate heart function is 2D-echocardiogram.

I would suggest you to see doctor for clinical evaluation and consider getting the investigations done. In most cases medication can provide good symptomatic relief. Once diagnosis is confirmed an appropriate treatment both for heart palpitation and gastrointestinal complaints can be done.

Please go through my answer and if there are further questions, please feel free to ask.

Regards