Can heart problems cause gastrointestinal issues?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have had premature ventricular contraction for six years, and I take tablet Metoprolol 50 mg once daily. My ventricular contractions are stacked and create a non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. I am constantly having an upset stomach, constipation, and bloating. Now my question is should the focus be on my stomach rather than my heart? I have consulted four cardiologists and one electrophysiologist. All of them told me not to worry, but I am scared. I have GERD and may have a hiatus hernia. Any information is appreciated, and thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thanks for the query and detailed symptom description. Many arrhythmias are accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms. I have noticed this in my experience but the reason is unknown. Most probably it might be a trigger for PVC (premature ventricular contractions), which leads to small upsets in our body equilibrium. I suggest you to investigate for gastrointestinal disorders and get an opinion from a gastroenterologist. For now take tablet Esomeprazole alone may not work for GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) and you would have to add Domperidone with this. Also you need to get that hiatus hernia investigated as these tend to lie in close proximity of the heart and could possibly provoke PVCs. Lastly for the PVCs itself you could increase the Metoprolol dosage to 50 mg twice a day or 100 mg twice a day, provided you can tolerate it, also non sustained V-tach (ventricular tachycardia) are not really seen with benign PVCs so it may be wise to image the heart with an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to rule out structural heart disease. Regards.