Can't get an answer to my health issues through regular healthcare, looking for suggestions of what I should do now

[Electrisio]

I have already done a few posts on here over the last couple of years of various symptoms I have been facing that I can't really find a solution to. I am a 28-year-old male with a few health problems seriously reducing the quality of my life. At this point, I feel like I've pretty much-tried everything and the healthcare system in my country (UK) hasn't been able to diagnose me yet. I am looking for suggestions on what kind of tests I could perhaps look into getting, ie beyond the typical recommendations that an average GP makes.
These are my symptoms/observations:

1. Strong heartbeat/bounding pulse. This is 24/7, feels very uncomfortable, and stops me from getting deep sleep. I have uploaded this video which shows what it is like:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtvVc_r5FCA
.

My heart is relatively large (not super large) and my blood volumes are high, I have a top of the range stroke volume. My heart rate is on the lower end, around 50, blood pressure is 100/60 ish. I have had a cardiac MRI, echocardiogram, holter, ecg and blood tests. Blood tests show that my RBC/HCT/Haemoglobin are high but shouldn't be enough to cause a problem and thyroid is fine. B1/B12 are also fine. I tried beta blockers, but they actually made my symptoms worse. The same goes for SSRIs, I tried them to see if it was anxiety but again it made it worse. I have seen my main cardiologist and got a second opinion, both of which work for the most prestigious cardiology departments in London. Neither of them has seen a case like this.

2. Acid reflux. I had a burning sensation in my chest which was resolved by taking a PPI. I recently had a barium swallow that (weirdly) showed I didn't have any reflux (or a hernia).

3. My symptoms are much worse after eating, especially the pulse and from eating carbs. Sometimes my heart pounds after eating and it actually feels slightly difficult to talk, almost like a slight breathlessness. I don't get breathless at any other time.

4. Supplements also cause a lot of problems. I now don't take any except electrolytes and magnesium. Vitamin D in particular seems to trigger it like crazy and the same goes with vitamin d from food. What is also strange is some forms of supplements are fine and others aren't. For example, magnesium citrate will cause a bad reaction whilst bis-glycinate causes no reaction. Another thing is that I am hypersensitive to supplements. I can break up a pill and have the tiniest amount and get both a very strong effect from the supplement and also trigger the heart. I feel like this could indicate what exactly is wrong? When I was younger I had no problem with supplements.

Being at a point where regular healthcare isn't finding anything is pretty frustrating/scary. Although I am a patient presenting with heart issues, given my figures are within range, I can't help but suspect that there is something going on somewhere else. I find it very difficult to focus on other things apart from this as the symptoms consume my conscious existence. Could I be stuck in some super-deep state of stress? Perhaps a stealth pathogen or extreme food intolerance? I came across a comment on youtube of someone with a bounding pulse saying they discovered it was histamine intolerance. I have just started a low histamine diet in case.

What tests I could look into? Something testing by gut biome looking for bacteria? Or a wide range of minerals/vitamins? Any thoughts on how I could approach this would be much appreciated!

 

[Blossom]

This is definitely a hard one but not uncommon. I don’t expect you will get answers from conventional medicine unfortunately. It sounds like you are possibly highly sensitive/intolerant to many foods and supplements but I could be wrong. You could look into trying an elimination diet and see if it helps. Maybe a protein and carb source you know you can tolerate for about a week would give you some clues? I hope you get further input. Best wishes.

 

[Dolomite]

I agree with Blossom that you should try and elimination diet and look to working on your digestion. I wouldn't take the PPI. A little vinegar can usually help with reflux. Once the nerves around the esophagus and stomach are irritated it can make it feel like it is your heart. I had a lot of problems with reflux and chest pain that aren't so bad now that I don't hold my stomach in and I have made improvements in transit time. That breathlessness after eating may be from the nerves activating the diaphragm. Bag breathing should help.

 

[Electrisio]

This is definitely a hard one but not uncommon. I don’t expect you will get answers from conventional medicine unfortunately. It sounds like you are possibly highly sensitive/intolerant to many foods and supplements but I could be wrong. You could look into trying an elimination diet and see if it helps. Maybe a protein and carb source you know you can tolerate for about a week would give you some clues? I hope you get further input. Best wishes.

I agree with Blossom that you should try and elimination diet and look to working on your digestion. I wouldn't take the PPI. A little vinegar can usually help with reflux. Once the nerves around the esophagus and stomach are irritated it can make it feel like it is your heart. I had a lot of problems with reflux and chest pain that aren't so bad now that I don't hold my stomach in and I have made improvements in transit time. That breathlessness after eating may be from the nerves activating the diaphragm. Bag breathing should help.

Thanks guys, yes this is my next step. Going to have a diet exclusively containing fresh meats, vegetables, and rice.

 

[redsun]

Thanks guys, yes this is my next step. Going to have a diet exclusively containing fresh meats, vegetables, and rice.

TMG and copper will help reduce high histamine levels. Copper itself may also raise the heart rate as it is a cofactor for catecholamine synthesis.

 

[InChristAlone]

What is your RDW number?

 

[InChristAlone]

Anything you can do to get a good night rest should be paramount. Have you tried an antihistamine to see if it is histamine related? It's a quick easy way to see if you are the high histamine type.

I suffer from some heart related problems when I don't sleep well. Sometimes if I don't fall asleep by 11:30-12:00 I will get a strong bounding heart rate that prevents good sleep, then towards morning it seems to quiet down and that's when I'll be able to sleep better. I think it's because I basically shot my adrenals back several ago and now have to be careful how much stress I put my body under. Sleep is the biggest one.

Bloating could also cause the breathlessness. So I agree with an elimination diet. Just make sure your calories don't get too low.

 

[Electrisio]

Anything you can do to get a good night rest should be paramount. Have you tried an antihistamine to see if it is histamine related? It's a quick easy way to see if you are the high histamine type.

I suffer from some heart related problems when I don't sleep well. Sometimes if I don't fall asleep by 11:30-12:00 I will get a strong bounding heart rate that prevents good sleep, then towards morning it seems to quiet down and that's when I'll be able to sleep better. I think it's because I basically shot my adrenals back several ago and now have to be careful how much stress I put my body under. Sleep is the biggest one.

Bloating could also cause the breathlessness. So I agree with an elimination diet. Just make sure your calories don't get too low.

Yeah, I'm in a chicken vs egg cycle of a bounding pulse and not being able to sleep well or not sleeping well and then getting a bounding pulse. In regards to RDW, it is consistently 12%. I haven't tried anti histamine, I really don't like introducing new things as most seem to make it worse, so I will just stick to elimination and see where that takes me.

 

[InChristAlone]

Yeah, I'm in a chicken vs egg cycle of a bounding pulse and not being able to sleep well or not sleeping well and then getting a bounding pulse. In regards to RDW, it is consistently 12%. I haven't tried anti histamine, I really don't like introducing new things as most seem to make it worse, so I will just stick to elimination and see where that takes me.

Yeah there is a chance at antihistamines making it worse. But take cyproheptadine for example it's an anticholinergic so it can actually help low blood pressure. At least it has for me. I tended towards 100/68 but now it's more like 114/75 or higher. And sleep is mostly good even when I am under a lot of stress. I just had an emergency tooth extraction and I'm still getting good sleep which is making healing rapid instead of in a loop of stress. Unfortunately it did mean I have very good adrenaline response to stressful situations, so I don't want to be on it long term, I will use it in case of poor sleep. I am also doing more of an elimination diet with veggies, some fruit, meats and cheese.

 

[Barliman]

I have already done a few posts on here over the last couple of years of various symptoms I have been facing that I can't really find a solution to. I am a 28-year-old male with a few health problems seriously reducing the quality of my life. At this point, I feel like I've pretty much-tried everything and the healthcare system in my country (UK) hasn't been able to diagnose me yet. I am looking for suggestions on what kind of tests I could perhaps look into getting, ie beyond the typical recommendations that an average GP makes.
These are my symptoms/observations:

1. Strong heartbeat/bounding pulse. This is 24/7, feels very uncomfortable, and stops me from getting deep sleep. I have uploaded this video which shows what it is like:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtvVc_r5FCA
.

My heart is relatively large (not super large) and my blood volumes are high, I have a top of the range stroke volume. My heart rate is on the lower end, around 50, blood pressure is 100/60 ish. I have had a cardiac MRI, echocardiogram, holter, ecg and blood tests. Blood tests show that my RBC/HCT/Haemoglobin are high but shouldn't be enough to cause a problem and thyroid is fine. B1/B12 are also fine. I tried beta blockers, but they actually made my symptoms worse. The same goes for SSRIs, I tried them to see if it was anxiety but again it made it worse. I have seen my main cardiologist and got a second opinion, both of which work for the most prestigious cardiology departments in London. Neither of them has seen a case like this.

2. Acid reflux. I had a burning sensation in my chest which was resolved by taking a PPI. I recently had a barium swallow that (weirdly) showed I didn't have any reflux (or a hernia).

3. My symptoms are much worse after eating, especially the pulse and from eating carbs. Sometimes my heart pounds after eating and it actually feels slightly difficult to talk, almost like a slight breathlessness. I don't get breathless at any other time.

4. Supplements also cause a lot of problems. I now don't take any except electrolytes and magnesium. Vitamin D in particular seems to trigger it like crazy and the same goes with vitamin d from food. What is also strange is some forms of supplements are fine and others aren't. For example, magnesium citrate will cause a bad reaction whilst bis-glycinate causes no reaction. Another thing is that I am hypersensitive to supplements. I can break up a pill and have the tiniest amount and get both a very strong effect from the supplement and also trigger the heart. I feel like this could indicate what exactly is wrong? When I was younger I had no problem with supplements.

Being at a point where regular healthcare isn't finding anything is pretty frustrating/scary. Although I am a patient presenting with heart issues, given my figures are within range, I can't help but suspect that there is something going on somewhere else. I find it very difficult to focus on other things apart from this as the symptoms consume my conscious existence. Could I be stuck in some super-deep state of stress? Perhaps a stealth pathogen or extreme food intolerance? I came across a comment on youtube of someone with a bounding pulse saying they discovered it was histamine intolerance. I have just started a low histamine diet in case.

What tests I could look into? Something testing by gut biome looking for bacteria? Or a wide range of minerals/vitamins? Any thoughts on how I could approach this would be much appreciated!

There are a couple of issues here:
As a first point I am a retired doctor so I have seen plenty of people like this.

Your epigastric pulsation and your carotid artery pulsation as per the video are within normal limits for a slim young manthough the fixation of your attention upon them is not. Many people have these and are not aware. The investigations you have had are more than enough to exclude any serious pathology.
In fact it is possible to get much more refined awareness of body sensation When meditating I can track my pulse from my heart all the way down to my extremities and I have to remember that this is not the purpose of the exercise.

One good exercise I learned in meditation was to focus on the SPACE between heartbeats. That actually slows and diminishes the pulse.
We can get trapped into focussing on the apparently abnoemal.

Getting an IWatch with monitoring capacity can be helpful as you can flag the points where you are having trouble and even record your pulse during those episodes.

Remember to focus on the fact that you have come to no harm despite these symptoms being present.

Your comments about supplements are rather vague- what supplements and what reaction? How soon after taking the supplements?
What were you taking the supplements for? Were the supplements prescribed or are they just being taken on the chance that they might "help". I'm not a naturopath, and know very little about supplements, but I would recommend seeking qualified advice.

Acid reflux- I would try a liquid antacid. If it is true acid reflux it should be soothed pretty much immediately by that- feeling like a descending curtain of relief. PPIs do work- but the relief is slower- to slow to firmly relate to the medication.

 

[Electrisio]

There are a couple of issues here:
As a first point I am a retired doctor so I have seen plenty of people like this.

Your epigastric pulsation and your carotid artery pulsation as per the video are within normal limits for a slim young manthough the fixation of your attention upon them is not. Many people have these and are not aware. The investigations you have had are more than enough to exclude any serious pathology.
In fact it is possible to get much more refined awareness of body sensation When meditating I can track my pulse from my heart all the way down to my extremities and I have to remember that this is not the purpose of the exercise.

One good exercise I learned in meditation was to focus on the SPACE between heartbeats. That actually slows and diminishes the pulse.
We can get trapped into focussing on the apparently abnoemal.

Getting an IWatch with monitoring capacity can be helpful as you can flag the points where you are having trouble and even record your pulse during those episodes.

Remember to focus on the fact that you have come to no harm despite these symptoms being present.

Your comments about supplements are rather vague- what supplements and what reaction? How soon after taking the supplements?
What were you taking the supplements for? Were the supplements prescribed or are they just being taken on the chance that they might "help". I'm not a naturopath, and know very little about supplements, but I would recommend seeking qualified advice.

Acid reflux- I would try a liquid antacid. If it is true acid reflux it should be soothed pretty much immediately by that- feeling like a descending curtain of relief. PPIs do work- but the relief is slower- to slow to firmly relate to the medication.

I completely agree that there is no serious pathology. I do not suffer from health anxiety, in the way that I do not think these symptoms are dangerous or will kill me. The conditions feel very stable, but the symptoms are very discomforting. Another point I want to clarify is that these are not "episodes", it is 24/7. A huge problem is that I will sleep typically between 7.5-9 hours but I am not getting deep sleep and don't feel refreshed because it continues through the night and day. From your IWatch suggestion, I presume you think I am referring to fast heart rates? That is not my issue, my heart rate is slow and heavy, around 50bpm, but used to be 40 when I was fit.

Another point is that my cardiologist works at what is considered the best cardiology hospital in London. He does not express the view that is psychological, and he has obviously seen enough of the results of my tests to think it is important to continue monitoring because of my clinical presentation. I am having more tests despite having 2 rounds of tests already because he thinks it is appropriate.

The supplements acutely trigger the palpitations and start pretty soon after, full effect maybe 30 -60 minutes can be hard to tell. I have been on and off PPIs for a while, they work well I found they sorted my reflux within 3/4 days. Very often I get the bounding pulse very badly after accidentally eating something that I shouldn't. This often happens with vitamin D as it is put in so many foods. I've had cases where the pounding gets really bad for weeks or months before I discover I am consuming vitamin D. This has happened a few times with cereals.

 

[Peatful]

My heart rate is on the lower end, around 50, blood pressure is 100/60 ish.

What is your morning temperature?
Then what is your temperature twenty minutes past your first meal at rest?

This is important but simple data to know.

Can you post here?

Your body weight and height too.

Your pulse and BP should not be that low unless you are hypothyroid.

I assume you under eat intentionally to not exasperated any symptoms?

 

[Electrisio]

What is your morning temperature?
Then what is your temperature twenty minutes past your first meal at rest?

This is important but simple data to know.

Can you post here?

Your body weight and height too.

Your pulse and BP should not be that low unless you are hypothyroid.

I assume you under eat intentionally to not exasperated any symptoms?

I don't know my temperature, just bought a thermometer so will post when I get it.

I haven't weighed in a while but 78-80kg and 5ft 10.

I was on diet recently but I have ceased that. I just aim to eat around Maintainance calories now.

 

[Peatful]

I don't know my temperature, just bought a thermometer so will post when I get it.

I haven't weighed in a while but 78-80kg and 5ft 10.

I was on diet recently but I have ceased that. I just aim to eat around Maintainance calories now.

Please do. That’s more important than your height and weight to deduct as to what is going on with you.

Also very important:
The diet you were on recently.

I need to know:
How long.
How recent.
What was said diet.

Lastly
What are your maintenance kcal?

And why are you even tracking calories?

 

[Electrisio]

Please do. That’s more important than your height and weight to deduct as to what is going on with you.

Also very important:
The diet you were on recently.

I need to know:
How long.
How recent.
What was said diet.

Lastly
What are your maintenance kcal?

And why are you even tracking calories?

I've been on the same diet for quite some time, years. It is only in the last couple of days that I have switched to elimination.

Diet was the same most of the time as I am not a fussy eater. I microwaved everything as I couldn't be bothered to cook, but that has now changed.

Oats with peanut butter and whey protein.
Chicken caesar baguette (from coffee shop).
Microwaveable precooked chicken (plain or barbeque) and rice, with fresh broccoli and raw spinach.
Snack on apples and oranges.

Maintenance is probably around 2500, I am just estimating that. I have always been very into lifting weights, so from a young age, I made a habit of counting calories that has never really left me, despite quitting lifting due to this issue.

 

[Peatful]

I've been on the same diet for quite some time, years. It is only in the last couple of days that I have switched to elimination.

Diet was the same most of the time as I am not a fussy eater. I microwaved everything as I couldn't be bothered to cook, but that has now changed.

Oats with peanut butter and whey protein.
Chicken caesar baguette (from coffee shop).
Microwaveable precooked chicken (plain or barbeque) and rice, with fresh broccoli and raw spinach.
Snack on apples and oranges.

Maintenance is probably around 2500, I am just estimating that. I have always been very into lifting weights, so from a young age, I made a habit of counting calories that has never really left me, despite quitting lifting due to this issue.

Got it.
I understand.

I need your temps as able.

Personally
At this point with the data you have posted:

What jumps out is where is the calcium?
Where is the sugar?

Like eat some cheese with a Mexican coke and see how you feel.

Not yet.
Temps first.

It is possible your PTH is high. And you’re hypothyroid.

With your height and age especially; and lifting weights your daily kcal should be more.
Not eating enough
Or not eating what supports you-
Makes the body (mal)adapt is crazy ways sometimes.

 

[L_C]

I would do a complete mineral analysis test that Haidut offers. It's like $150. You might figure out some mineral imbalances from this test alone.

A little confused if you have acid reflux or not. I always thought acid reflux is due to low stomach acid.

Another good thing for heart that I read is Hawthorn berry.

 

[74one]

I have already done a few posts on here over the last couple of years of various symptoms I have been facing that I can't really find a solution to. I am a 28-year-old male with a few health problems seriously reducing the quality of my life. At this point, I feel like I've pretty much-tried everything and the healthcare system in my country (UK) hasn't been able to diagnose me yet. I am looking for suggestions on what kind of tests I could perhaps look into getting, ie beyond the typical recommendations that an average GP makes.
These are my symptoms/observations:

1. Strong heartbeat/bounding pulse. This is 24/7, feels very uncomfortable, and stops me from getting deep sleep. I have uploaded this video which shows what it is like:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtvVc_r5FCA
.

My heart is relatively large (not super large) and my blood volumes are high, I have a top of the range stroke volume. My heart rate is on the lower end, around 50, blood pressure is 100/60 ish. I have had a cardiac MRI, echocardiogram, holter, ecg and blood tests. Blood tests show that my RBC/HCT/Haemoglobin are high but shouldn't be enough to cause a problem and thyroid is fine. B1/B12 are also fine. I tried beta blockers, but they actually made my symptoms worse. The same goes for SSRIs, I tried them to see if it was anxiety but again it made it worse. I have seen my main cardiologist and got a second opinion, both of which work for the most prestigious cardiology departments in London. Neither of them has seen a case like this.

2. Acid reflux. I had a burning sensation in my chest which was resolved by taking a PPI. I recently had a barium swallow that (weirdly) showed I didn't have any reflux (or a hernia).

3. My symptoms are much worse after eating, especially the pulse and from eating carbs. Sometimes my heart pounds after eating and it actually feels slightly difficult to talk, almost like a slight breathlessness. I don't get breathless at any other time.

4. Supplements also cause a lot of problems. I now don't take any except electrolytes and magnesium. Vitamin D in particular seems to trigger it like crazy and the same goes with vitamin d from food. What is also strange is some forms of supplements are fine and others aren't. For example, magnesium citrate will cause a bad reaction whilst bis-glycinate causes no reaction. Another thing is that I am hypersensitive to supplements. I can break up a pill and have the tiniest amount and get both a very strong effect from the supplement and also trigger the heart. I feel like this could indicate what exactly is wrong? When I was younger I had no problem with supplements.

Being at a point where regular healthcare isn't finding anything is pretty frustrating/scary. Although I am a patient presenting with heart issues, given my figures are within range, I can't help but suspect that there is something going on somewhere else. I find it very difficult to focus on other things apart from this as the symptoms consume my conscious existence. Could I be stuck in some super-deep state of stress? Perhaps a stealth pathogen or extreme food intolerance? I came across a comment on youtube of someone with a bounding pulse saying they discovered it was histamine intolerance. I have just started a low histamine diet in case.

What tests I could look into? Something testing by gut biome looking for bacteria? Or a wide range of minerals/vitamins? Any thoughts on how I could approach this would be much appreciated!

I would address following possible causes
1. Make sure you drink enough good quality water to keep blood thin and easy flowing, try warm water with baking soda on empty stomach
2. I would exclude all synthetic supplements - everything your body needs you can get from the food
3. Palpitations could be caused by the intestinal bloating that can obstruct blood flow through the liver - your stomach and abdomen should be soft
4. Make sure you do not have bacteria overgrowth - check your tongue it shouldn't have white plaque
5. Sedentary lifestyle, problems with thyroid, diet and food combination, food quality ...

 

[Electrisio]

I would address following possible causes
1. Make sure you drink enough good quality water to keep blood thin and easy flowing, try warm water with baking soda on empty stomach
2. I would exclude all synthetic supplements - everything your body needs you can get from the food
3. Palpitations could be caused by the intestinal bloating that can obstruct blood flow through the liver - your stomach and abdomen should be soft
4. Make sure you do not have bacteria overgrowth - check your tongue it shouldn't have white plaque
5. Sedentary lifestyle, problems with thyroid, diet and food combination, food quality ...

My tongue has white plaque, what is the significance of that?

 

[74one]

My tongue has white plaque, what is the significance of that?

White plaque tongue can help you identify and address developing health problems in early stages. There are many possible causes - slow or incomplete metabolism, low thyroid, too much starchy food in a diet, bacteria overgrowth, constipation, sedentary lifestyle, imbalance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system where sympathetic is suppressed, depression, malnutrition ...