Heart Racing After Eating 10yrs post op

Hi everybody,

I think I've gone astray. I'm 10 years post op (Oct 2007) I was diligent for the first few years but slowly other foods and alcohol crept back in until I became a lone wolf and just ate what I wanted. I got to a point where I was having panic attacks and gained 100 pounds back (of the 200 something I lost). These past 2 years I've been getting back on track. Cut out some alcohol, back on vitamins, drinking water, protein first and exercising.

This is what's happening. When I eat, about 15-20-30 minutes after - my heart races like Nascar. It flip flops, does cartwheels, it makes me almost have a panic attack cuz I think I'm having a heart attack. Because I was having panic attacks regularly for a few years and learned how to control them, I just wait it out and don't go to the ER. It passes in about 45 minutes but dang I am just laid out and worried that whole time. I'm noticing when it happens I'm burping a lot also.

I'm worried that my stoma is stretched out and letting all the food into my small intestine too fast because it's rare when I eat very very light, like A string cheese or A piece of cut chicken.

OK anybody else got this going on? Is this a stoma thing, do I need that rose procedure? Is it a diet thing, am I eating too much, not the right foods?

I am going to see my doctor about this, but if anyone has any advice, that is much appreciated.

This is almost certainly reactive hypoglycemia. It's easy to check if you have access to a blood glucose meter.

Shortly after eating something high in simple carbs, your blood sugar skyrockets. You pump out extra insulin to process it. That in turn causes your blood sugar to drop like a stone. That's why you get all the symptoms you describe.

Alcohol will do this too, because it gets turned into sugar.

RH can be avoided 99.9% of the time through diet. Avoid those simple carbs.

I get that if I had too much carbohydrates, or foods I am allergic to.

Hi and thanks,

I've looked up RH and it doesn't quite fit my symptoms. RH happens 1-3 hours after eating and this is happening 15-30 minutes after eating. I think it may be early dumping.

Thank you all for you response, it made me go research more!

I think RH happens faster post RNY meal because we no longer have a valve that holds food inside our stomach until it's been digested enough to move on.

Does it happen on a full protein meal? Try testing it with meals that have less than 10g of carbs...

I have both dumping syndrome and reactive hypoglycemia and I agree, it sounds like dumping and not RH. I can dump not only on sugary foods, but on carbohydrate rich foods. The best way to deal is to eat a high protein diet, and don't eat a carb by itself. Always pair with a protein. The protein will slow the absorption which should help.

I have premature ventricular contractions (sounds scary, but mostly PVCs are benign) and they are exactly as you describe. It feels like your heart is racing and kicking out of your chest or even skipping beats because your heart is firing extra beats. I have thought I was having a heart attack because of it several times! I definitely got them after eating as some doctors think the vagus nerve can trigger them due to stomach fullness. For me, cutting out my one cup of caffeinated coffee made them stop. Do see your doctor, but it may be something harmless.