This has been bothering me over the last 2 weeks or so.
It seems like my heart rate tends to increase and beat harder after eating, so much so that it feels like it is pounding in my chest. It doesn't usually show up right away, but it tends to last a few hours. It definitely isn't normal for me.
Background: I am currently on a strict elimination diet, eating only turkey, pureed winter squash, olive oil, ghee and salt. I do take a high dose multi, vitamin d, b vitamins, fish oil, l-glutamine, zinc and digestive enzymes with each meal; all of my supplements are soy, gluten, dairy, egg free, but not corn free necessarily. I also take vsl #3 probiotic.
I am wondering if I am intolerant to turkey now and this is a bodily response? or could it be histamine? would this happen from eating too much fat?
Has anyone had this experience?
Prior to the elimination diet, I knew I had histamine issues because I was getting hives all over my stomach and would have really terrible diarrhea when I ate things like preserved meats & cheeses. I have read that some people can only eat fresh meat...I have not been eating anything that sits in the fridge, I cook the turkey from frozen and then refreeze anything I don't eat.
My bowels have really improved since starting the diet, but they still aren't normal; it has been about 20 days.
Thanks in advance!
Increased heart rate after eating
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seeljanerun
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Hi Jane,
Your pattern of post-prandial tachicardia (significantly increased heart rate following a meal) is obviously a rather unusual problem, and I'm guessing that your doctors don't have the foggiest idea how to explain why that happens, but here's what I suspect is happening:
It's normal for the heart rate to increase following a meal, but in most humans the increase is normally not sufficient to be noticeable (unless anaphylactic symptoms develop, due to a food allergy). Research shows that this heart rate increase is triggered by the attachment of histamine to the H2 receptors in the stomach. The primary function of histamine in the stomach is to attach to H2 receptors in the parietal cells, in order to promote the production of gastric acid, in preparation for digesting the meal that is being ingested. IOW, the increase in the heart rate is a secondary function of histamine, following its attachment to H2 receptors in the stomach.
The reason why it's normal for the heart rate to increase following a meal is because it's a left-over primal response to the need to facilitate digestion, but in this day and age, it's no longer needed, and it shouldn't be significant. Interestingly, pythons (the big snakes) show the most dramatic post-prandial tachycardia effects of any species, presumably because they eat such large prey that they are pretty much immobile after eating (and therefore vulnerable to predation themselves), so their digestive system needs all the help it can get to digest the meal so that they can become mobile again.
In your case, the effect is so pronounced (exaggerated) that the result is tachicardia. The histamine also causes vasodilatation, and this tends to cause expansion of the blood vessels in the brain, which can result in a feeling of increased cranial pressure during the episode for some individuals who experience this condition.
This is strictly my unprofessional opinion, but if I were in that situation, I would try taking an H2 antihistamine prior to the meal, in order to reduce the effectiveness of the histamine. H2 type antihistamines include Zantac, Tagamet, Pepcid, and Axid.
I would guess that based on your symptoms, there's also a possibility that you might have mastocytic enterocolitis (ME), but as best I recall, tachycardia is not a part of the medical description of ME. If your biopsy slides weren't checked for mast cells following your colonoscopy, a pathologist can confirm ME or rule it out by re-examining your biopsy slides under a microscope, after staining them with a trypsin-based stain, in order to make mast cells more visible. But an ME diagnosis would be kind of a moot point in this situation, because you definitely do not have to have increased mast cell numbers in your intestines in order to have MCAD.
Of course it's also possible that your tachycardia might be due to an allergic reaction (bordering on anaphylaxis) to something in your diet, but if the reaction occurs every time you eat, then unless you eat the/an allergenic food at every meal, you shouldn't have tachycardia following every meal.
Also, the fact that your tachycardia has a delayed initiation, and lasts for hours, would be consistent with a post-prandial primal digestive response/exagerated H2 response, rather than an anaphylactic response. Normally, an anaphylactic response begins within 10 to 20 minutes of eating, and only lasts for 20 to 30 minutes or so.
I don't know what state you live in, but if you are anywhere in the vicinity of Boston, you definitely sound like someone who might benefit from being a patient of Dr. Maria Castells, or someone trained by her at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. She/they are the world leaders in the diagnosis and treatment of mast cell activation disorder (MCAD) and systemic mastocytosis. Some of her students are practicing in other parts of the country, and you can find contact information on them here, but Dr. Castell's department at Brigham and Women's is by far the best place to go for help with serious mast cell issues.
I hope some of this is helpful.
Tex
Your pattern of post-prandial tachicardia (significantly increased heart rate following a meal) is obviously a rather unusual problem, and I'm guessing that your doctors don't have the foggiest idea how to explain why that happens, but here's what I suspect is happening:
It's normal for the heart rate to increase following a meal, but in most humans the increase is normally not sufficient to be noticeable (unless anaphylactic symptoms develop, due to a food allergy). Research shows that this heart rate increase is triggered by the attachment of histamine to the H2 receptors in the stomach. The primary function of histamine in the stomach is to attach to H2 receptors in the parietal cells, in order to promote the production of gastric acid, in preparation for digesting the meal that is being ingested. IOW, the increase in the heart rate is a secondary function of histamine, following its attachment to H2 receptors in the stomach.
The reason why it's normal for the heart rate to increase following a meal is because it's a left-over primal response to the need to facilitate digestion, but in this day and age, it's no longer needed, and it shouldn't be significant. Interestingly, pythons (the big snakes) show the most dramatic post-prandial tachycardia effects of any species, presumably because they eat such large prey that they are pretty much immobile after eating (and therefore vulnerable to predation themselves), so their digestive system needs all the help it can get to digest the meal so that they can become mobile again.
In your case, the effect is so pronounced (exaggerated) that the result is tachicardia. The histamine also causes vasodilatation, and this tends to cause expansion of the blood vessels in the brain, which can result in a feeling of increased cranial pressure during the episode for some individuals who experience this condition.
This is strictly my unprofessional opinion, but if I were in that situation, I would try taking an H2 antihistamine prior to the meal, in order to reduce the effectiveness of the histamine. H2 type antihistamines include Zantac, Tagamet, Pepcid, and Axid.
I would guess that based on your symptoms, there's also a possibility that you might have mastocytic enterocolitis (ME), but as best I recall, tachycardia is not a part of the medical description of ME. If your biopsy slides weren't checked for mast cells following your colonoscopy, a pathologist can confirm ME or rule it out by re-examining your biopsy slides under a microscope, after staining them with a trypsin-based stain, in order to make mast cells more visible. But an ME diagnosis would be kind of a moot point in this situation, because you definitely do not have to have increased mast cell numbers in your intestines in order to have MCAD.
Of course it's also possible that your tachycardia might be due to an allergic reaction (bordering on anaphylaxis) to something in your diet, but if the reaction occurs every time you eat, then unless you eat the/an allergenic food at every meal, you shouldn't have tachycardia following every meal.
Also, the fact that your tachycardia has a delayed initiation, and lasts for hours, would be consistent with a post-prandial primal digestive response/exagerated H2 response, rather than an anaphylactic response. Normally, an anaphylactic response begins within 10 to 20 minutes of eating, and only lasts for 20 to 30 minutes or so.
I don't know what state you live in, but if you are anywhere in the vicinity of Boston, you definitely sound like someone who might benefit from being a patient of Dr. Maria Castells, or someone trained by her at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. She/they are the world leaders in the diagnosis and treatment of mast cell activation disorder (MCAD) and systemic mastocytosis. Some of her students are practicing in other parts of the country, and you can find contact information on them here, but Dr. Castell's department at Brigham and Women's is by far the best place to go for help with serious mast cell issues.
I hope some of this is helpful.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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seeljanerun
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Tex, that seems like a likely explanation. I will try taking zantac with my meals today and hope for the best!
You should really be paid for your services, you know
You provide such thorough and helpful responses.
I haven't had a chance to speak to a doctor about it yet; I made an appointment with my gastroenterologist 2 months ago, and it isn't until the end of this month (business is booming unfortunately). I am going to try and have a discussion about it with him and see if he is receptive or not. I read that, if the zantac does not resolve this, it might be possible to try chromolyn sodium (gastrocom). Have you heard anything positive or negative about this drug? I know microscopic enterocolitis is a pretty new concept...
Sometimes I get frustrated that all of these factors need to be considered (don't we all?). But, I also have to remind myself that I ignored this problem for a good 6 years, so it is going to take some time to heal.
The good news is that, since beginning this elimination diet, my bms are down from the high teens to around 2 or 3 each day, and are no longer watery. Also, no nocturnal bms either. Also, my energy has improved a great deal, as has my focus. I know I am moving in the right direction at least.
But gosh, I really miss green vegetables!
Thank you also for the Dr. recommendation. I do live on the east coast, but in PA, so it would be a bit of a hike. It is good to know the resource is out there though in case things get worse..
Donna, that's a good point. It might be increasing my reaction post meal due to a higher histamine level in my body (?), but it doesn't seem to be causing a reaction directly (I take them on an empty stomach sometimes and notice no reaction after). I may try skipping them a day or two and seeing how it works out.
You should really be paid for your services, you know
You provide such thorough and helpful responses. I haven't had a chance to speak to a doctor about it yet; I made an appointment with my gastroenterologist 2 months ago, and it isn't until the end of this month (business is booming unfortunately). I am going to try and have a discussion about it with him and see if he is receptive or not. I read that, if the zantac does not resolve this, it might be possible to try chromolyn sodium (gastrocom). Have you heard anything positive or negative about this drug? I know microscopic enterocolitis is a pretty new concept...
Sometimes I get frustrated that all of these factors need to be considered (don't we all?). But, I also have to remind myself that I ignored this problem for a good 6 years, so it is going to take some time to heal.
The good news is that, since beginning this elimination diet, my bms are down from the high teens to around 2 or 3 each day, and are no longer watery. Also, no nocturnal bms either. Also, my energy has improved a great deal, as has my focus. I know I am moving in the right direction at least.
But gosh, I really miss green vegetables!
Thank you also for the Dr. recommendation. I do live on the east coast, but in PA, so it would be a bit of a hike. It is good to know the resource is out there though in case things get worse..
Donna, that's a good point. It might be increasing my reaction post meal due to a higher histamine level in my body (?), but it doesn't seem to be causing a reaction directly (I take them on an empty stomach sometimes and notice no reaction after). I may try skipping them a day or two and seeing how it works out.
Jane
Jane,
It sounds as though you're making a lot of progress, and that's certainly good to hear. To be honest, I haven't heard a lot of success stories about chromolyn sodium, but I wonder if maybe the treatment details might be critical. That's another reason why guidance from someone such as Dr. Castell can make a difference.
Some members here have tried histame, but I'm not sure how the success statistics look for that med, either.
Keep us posted.
Tex
It sounds as though you're making a lot of progress, and that's certainly good to hear. To be honest, I haven't heard a lot of success stories about chromolyn sodium, but I wonder if maybe the treatment details might be critical. That's another reason why guidance from someone such as Dr. Castell can make a difference.
Some members here have tried histame, but I'm not sure how the success statistics look for that med, either.
Keep us posted.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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seeljanerun
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:33 am
Update:
The last couple of days I have taken 75mg zantac, twice a day, and it has certainly helped.
My heart still feels like it is going a little quicker than normal at times, but it is no longer hammering itself out of my chest!
Looks like I have mast cell issues.. if the hives weren't evidence enough. I am happy that the zantac did something, as I have read that for others it does not help even if they do have mast cell problems.
Any ideas on whether or not it is safe to take this long term?
The last couple of days I have taken 75mg zantac, twice a day, and it has certainly helped.
My heart still feels like it is going a little quicker than normal at times, but it is no longer hammering itself out of my chest!
Looks like I have mast cell issues.. if the hives weren't evidence enough. I am happy that the zantac did something, as I have read that for others it does not help even if they do have mast cell problems.
Any ideas on whether or not it is safe to take this long term?
Jane
Until we discovered the rebound effect that can result from discontinuing the use of an antihistamine, I always assumed that antihistamines had virtually no risk of side effects, nor any reason to be concerned about long-term use. Now I'm not so sure. That said, I still don't hesitate to use them when I believe that they might help.Jane wrote:Any ideas on whether or not it is safe to take this long term?
As you are probably aware, allergists prescribe them at up to 4 times the labeled dose for long-term use to treat chronic urticaria. Whether or not that information provides any comfort or supporting evidence depends on your opinion of how knowledgeable doctors are about the risks involved with using medications to treat health issues and how well they respect those risks.
I've used antihistamines to treat pollen allergies for most of my life, and I can't tell that I'm any worse for wear.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
-
seeljanerun
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:33 am