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What Causes Increased Heart Rate And Acid Reflux?
Question: Hello Doctor...i wake up nightly with a fast hear rate(this has been going on for about a year?), burning sensation in my throat(stomach acid) and more recently...spitting up some blood. I have been diagnosed with mild apnea. For the apnea i use a CPAP machine but recently i have gone to a dental device. Both the CPAP machine and dental device do not prevent the waking up with fast heart rate almost on a nightly basis. I seem to wake up with the acid issue/fast heart rate/spitting up blood during the dream state of my sleep. Could this be an issue of still unresolved apnea that causes the acid reflux during sleep? Or could this be something totally different? I have a history of panic /anxiety attacks ? Could all these conditions be possibly related? Or am i "blessed" with so many different health issues? I have seen a cardiologist and so far he has ruled out any heart issues through a stress echo. I excersice more frequent now on the treadmill and my by BMI is around 29. I am 51 years old, 5'10" and weigh 215 lbs.
Brief Answer:
Gerd to be excluded first.
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your query and understood your concerns.
Your symptoms may be related to unresolved apnea, but before reaching on that conclusion gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) should be excluded.
If you were my patient I would recommend to do an abdominal ultrasound and upper endoscopy to definitely exclude gastrointestinal problems.
Meanwhile I recommend to avoid laying down on bed directly after eating (wait up to 3 hours to do so) and start antacids to relieve stomach acidity.
Hope this will be of help!
Dr.Benard
Gerd to be excluded first.
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your query and understood your concerns.
Your symptoms may be related to unresolved apnea, but before reaching on that conclusion gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) should be excluded.
If you were my patient I would recommend to do an abdominal ultrasound and upper endoscopy to definitely exclude gastrointestinal problems.
Meanwhile I recommend to avoid laying down on bed directly after eating (wait up to 3 hours to do so) and start antacids to relieve stomach acidity.
Hope this will be of help!
Dr.Benard
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello Dr. Shehu...we have communicated before. Yes i agree with you and my family doctor here in Toronto has ordered an endoscopy which i am now waiting for.
Also...i do sleep in an elevated position...using a folded sheets and pillows for a while now. This has not resolved the issue...in fact the issue seems to be getting worse. This is what scares me a little more.
I have also been informed that low stomach acid could also cause this issue...is that true?? If so...this makes me a bit uncertain about taking the PPIs??as there seems to be dependency issues and they can affect how the body handles bacteria in the stomach??? Should i be concerned about all this.?
This issue seems to happen only during sleep...or it could be that it is more aggressive during sleep....as it did again last night.
Its getting to the point where i am concerned about a full night of sleep...which is rare...my sleep is usually broken into segments but this issue still occurs. As you can probably imagine...this does not result in very restful sleep.
At the immediate time stating today i will try diet modification and not eating after 7pm to see if it helps while i wait for the endoscopy.
Also i intend to see the doctor that did my sleep study to inform him about the new symptoms of the acid issue, racing heart and spitting up some blood when i wake from these episodes.
Anything else you may want to suggest in the meantime?
Thank you,
XXXX
Also...i do sleep in an elevated position...using a folded sheets and pillows for a while now. This has not resolved the issue...in fact the issue seems to be getting worse. This is what scares me a little more.
I have also been informed that low stomach acid could also cause this issue...is that true?? If so...this makes me a bit uncertain about taking the PPIs??as there seems to be dependency issues and they can affect how the body handles bacteria in the stomach??? Should i be concerned about all this.?
This issue seems to happen only during sleep...or it could be that it is more aggressive during sleep....as it did again last night.
Its getting to the point where i am concerned about a full night of sleep...which is rare...my sleep is usually broken into segments but this issue still occurs. As you can probably imagine...this does not result in very restful sleep.
At the immediate time stating today i will try diet modification and not eating after 7pm to see if it helps while i wait for the endoscopy.
Also i intend to see the doctor that did my sleep study to inform him about the new symptoms of the acid issue, racing heart and spitting up some blood when i wake from these episodes.
Anything else you may want to suggest in the meantime?
Thank you,
XXXX
Brief Answer:
Following answer to your query...
Detailed Answer:
Hi back,
Yes you shouldn't start PPI before endoscopy, this is why i suggested starting antacids for the moment.
I would like to suggest eating something light for dinner (for example yogurt, salads) usually around 6 p.m. Avoid eating spicy food. Don't drink coffee, alcohol, carbonated drink, energy drink or tea at least during the evening hours.
I'm waiting for the endoscopy results.
Hope this will be of help!
Dr. Shehu
Following answer to your query...
Detailed Answer:
Hi back,
Yes you shouldn't start PPI before endoscopy, this is why i suggested starting antacids for the moment.
I would like to suggest eating something light for dinner (for example yogurt, salads) usually around 6 p.m. Avoid eating spicy food. Don't drink coffee, alcohol, carbonated drink, energy drink or tea at least during the evening hours.
I'm waiting for the endoscopy results.
Hope this will be of help!
Dr. Shehu
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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