Does anyone else experience rapid heart rate following a meal? This i beginning to happen to me more and more. I think at this point it is causing anxiety and I am probably bringing it on myself. My doc does not know of any connection, but I know that I cannot be the only one out there who experiences this. I do have PVCS/PACS and occasional rapid heart rate, but do not take a beta blocker. If this keeps happening I suppose I will need to.
What is the connection between food and heart rate?

I dunno what the connection is, because my cardiologist could not figure out why the following happened to me:

I had a round of PVCs several months back. They seemed to come on with eating. I also had several colds back to back. Had two visits to the emergency room, convinced I was having a heart attack. Also had one visit to urgent care and one visit to a cardiologist. No one noticed that I had a sinus infection. I mentioned a lingering cough several times - no one paid attention. Finally a GP that I found in the phone book looked at me and prescribed a strong antibiotic. The PVCs went away by the second day. I still have occasional PVCs, but nothing like before.

The GP suggested that the sinus infection might have affected the Vagus nerve - which is apparently a nerve that goes near the stomach. I know little about it but its name. The GP was just guessing, though, and said so.

So, no one knows why a sinus infection caused PVCs, or why food aggravated it. And, I've gotten better care from a GP with a crappy office than two emergency rooms, an urgent care clinic, and a cardiologist.

I've heard, and i emphasize HEARD, that you can get tachycardic after a meal because you gut requires so much blood to circulate your digestive tract and your heart increases its rate to ensure that the rest of your body, like your brain, enough blood as well.

My heart rate always increases slightly while i'm eating, but not enough to be a tachycardia.

Does everyone's heart rate increase when they are eating, or is it just those with SVT?

My heart rate always increases slightly while i'm eating, but not enough to be a tachycardia.

Does everyone's heart rate increase when they are eating, or is it just those with SVT?

I've never noticed my heart rate increasing after eating, unless I consume too many carbohydrates, and in that case my heart goes into a tachycardia that can last all night and I will have some difficulty breathing.

Hi~~
Just putting in my two cents here~~I have been having PVC's for years now, and never have really found the cause except to figure out what makes them worse sometimes. It seems to be related to hormone changes, but then I will have them bad for no reason, so it's hard to figure out. Anyway, I definitely notice a big difference after I have a meal, especially one which is heavy. I know that is a different thing than tachyardia, but it is still heart related, so I thought it might be of some interest. It's weird, sometimes I have them so bad after I eat, I have to go and lay down on my side until they calm down. And, like I said, it seems like it's when I eat too heavily, or something unhealty, like fast food. I suppose PVC's can be also related to digestion. I read one time that once your heart gets accustomed to having PVC's for one reason or another, it takes something even smaller to set them off again, even it's not related with each other. For instance, I definitely see a difference with the PVC's during different hormonal times, but then what's up with the eating thing? This article explained how certain cells in your heart become sensitive to the PVC's and set them off for other reasons. Anyway, good luck! Val

lol, it happens to me alot if I either have a big meal or if I wait to eat for a while and eat a big meal. Here is the Cardio's explanation...

When you eat 30% of your heart is being diverted to help digest the food.

So that's a 30% increase and it made sense. My resting hear rate during my periods of anxiety would be 85-90 bpm.

I did the math and my heart rate increased an average of 30% and could stay like that for 2-3 hours sometimes.

well i am glad to know that what i heard was correct. It does make a lot of sense if you think about it. :wave:

it's common to have some after i eat, mainly lunch. i exercise after work then eat dinner and i never get them then (the exercise prevents it for me)..

And sometime eating is what i need to get them to stop -- a theory i have is my body nutrients is out of whack some and eating restores that.

Also i never get PVC's after or while drinking alcohol.

I have svt...after i eat, especially dinner, my heart beats much faster and most nights i get major palpitations and flutter feelings that can last a few hours. I dont think i go into full blown tachy over it but it definately throws me heart out of whack!

So that's why i feel funny when i'm eating a meal - if my resting heart rate is fast to start with and then increases 30%, no wonder.