I am anxious because I feel pauses between my heartbeats. Please help.

Hello,

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These pauses are nothing but the PVCs (premature ventricular contractions). Immediately after PVC, which is an extra beat, there is a temporary pause till next normal beat resumes. Most of the times, these are benign and not dangerous. However, considering your age, it is important that we rule out ischemia as a cause of these. So, as you mentioned these as benign, I guess you are already evaluated with echocardiography, ECG (electrocardiogram), cardiac stress test, etc. These are increased by smoking, excessive alcohol intake, excessive thyroid hormone levels, caffeine, etc. I think you should get your thyroid profile done to rule out hyperthyroidism. Get an ECG to confirm this. If not done, cardiac stress test like treadmill test or stress thallium can also be done. Regarding your current symptoms, this appears to be acidity and gastritis. This can worsen PVC by altering vagal tone. So overall, the likelihood of serious issues is less but needs to be evaluated. The treatment for this is beta blockers like tablet Metoprolol 25 mg once a day, to be increased gradually. So, consult your physician for a prescription. For gastritis, I suggest you try the following. Avoid fatty, oily, and spicy diet. Go for a walk after having food, instead of taking rest. Have multiple small meals instead of heavy meals. Have regular sleep habits and avoid stress. Consume a lot of green leafy vegetables, fruits, etc. Elevate your head by using pillows during rest and sleep. I suggest trying tablet Pan DSR (Pantoprazole and Domperidone) 40 mg, three times a day for two weeks, along with a prokinetic, which helps in propelling the acid forward. If there is no adequate relief, then you should add syrup Sucral O (Sucralfate and Oxetacaine), two teaspoons, three times a day for a week. Hope this helps you, and get back if you have any other doubts.