# IBS and Palpitations



## cece-88 (May 22, 2012)

Every so often I get heart palpitations, last night I had a few and then all of a sudden I got my first bad bout of IBS in about 5 months! I've read up on IBS and Palpitations and all it says is that it's probably due to stress, and that you need to reduce the anxiety levels in your life. But the thing is I have no problems or worries in life at the minute so I don't understand what's going on!Has anyone had any experience with IBS and Heart Palpitations?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

They can happen without stress, it will happen less often when you are not stressed. More stress = more symptoms. No stress = less symptoms ( not no symptoms of anything at all).There is also physical stress and your body reacts to a lack of a good night's sleep, or exercising too much or too little or the weather (too hot, too cold, too big a difference in temperature from yesterday, storm coming, etc), symptoms of one disorder causing any discomfort at all. And if one disorder flares up for any reason, or no reason at all, that can set off another issue.And there is no good stress at all in your life either? You aren't having anything at all change, no getting married, getting a new job, new boyfriend, etc. Good stress is just as hard on the body as bad stress from worry. Because sometimes "no worries" means I just had a bunch of really good changes going on in my life. I got the job, got the guy/gal, got the degree, moving into the house of my dreams, and all that change does take it's toll even if it is all good things rather than worries.It is common when one disorder goes off another one will act up. I don't know about you, but I get a lot of physical stress from my tachycardia (racing heart). It can be annoying they go off, then the adrenaline kicks in, which makes them worse and can set off other health issues. Maybe you feel great and wonderful and on top of the world when your heart isn't beating right, but that isn't what happens to most people.There can also be a misinterpretation of normal signals, sure my heart can be worse when I am stressed (mental or physical and the most reliable way to set it off is to stay up too late) but the most common trigger is when I'm about to stand up and do something. The body prepares for that and that by itself can be enough to set the heart going. It is supposed to do stuff to prepare for the greater demand, but sometimes it gets the rhythm issue going.


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## knothappy (Jul 31, 1999)

wow very timely yesterday i was walking my Lab and out of the blue my heart starts racing, felt like a ball of quiver was in the center of chest..came home took a reading of 117,,,then went to toliet about 6 times !!! pulse went down to 98 now today it is in the 80's....but now i hear of a hurricane that may effect out weather,,,today it si in the 80's with high in the 40's coming in a day or so big change and i am very sensitive to barameteric pressure....go figure i be darned if i know what is going on.


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## erinelizabeth (Jul 6, 2012)

That happens to me too with pressure change. I started getting them around the same time the IBS started.
10 years ago my mother told me to "bear down" when I have them. Like push as if you're going to the bathroom, but not actually go sort of thing.... If that makes sense. Just don't bm in your trousers!!! 
That helps my palpitations.


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## sick2much (Jan 18, 2012)

Sometimes stress, and sometimes you get stressed as a subsequent reaction. So If your intestines are swelling, especially near the heart, your blood pressure can increase slightly. Alot of people mistake the pulsation of the stomach, small intestine, and transverse colon as heart palpatations. What I would recommend is taking a deep controlled breath in and holding it for a bit. By all means don't make yourself pass out though. By taking a deep breath in and holding eat you are increasing intrabdominal pressure via the diaphragm and pushing down on the aforementioned areas. Doing this can help move along fecal matter and or dislodge gas. If it is anxiety, and the above didn't help, take a chill pill and find your happy spot


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## cece-88 (May 22, 2012)

Sorry for the late reply to you all - this is all great help. Nice to know I'm not the only one! I did some googling myself, and palpitations can actually be a side-effect of some anti-spasmodic medications!! Next change I'm with my doctor I'll have to ask her!


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## Kristin Voboril (May 25, 2016)

It is so good to know that they are more people out there like me! I suffer from severe anxiety and IBS. Since I became an "adult," age 18. I have been having palpitations. At first, I didnt think anything of them. Then as they became for frequent I started to get scared. I went to see a cardiologist. I have every test done, echo, ekg, cardio panel. I even wore a heart monitor for a month. Everything came back completely normal. So they mentioned anxiety meds. I started Zoloft just about a year ago. At first, my heart palps were completely gone. Now they are starting to creep back in. I notice I get them when I am having acid reflex or stomach problems. It may just be that my anxiety medicine isnt working anymore and I need to find a new one? But I am not sure.


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