Acid Reflux, GERD, Hiatal Hernia and Vagus Nerve Imbalance

Once in a while researching out there in Cyberspace, I stumble onto an article with amazing relevance to the afib condition. Serendipity is here again.

The article I found is an extremely interesting viewpoint on vagus nerve imbalance and how it is influenced by hiatal hernia and the role of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). I was especially fascinated by the similarities in my history since I traced a good deal of my break-through arrhythmia while on Flecanide to a displaced diaphragm.

The article is long but contains many references to vagus nerve impingement and activity that we afibbers can use as information concerning why we are affected by postural changes, bloating after meals, etc. If you can’t get through the entire article, be sure you get to the last couple of paragraphs that discuss Heart Rate Variability and the state of the vagus nerve.


The article," A Missing Link To Chronic Illness, Allergies and Longevity?: Vagus Nerve Imbalance/Hiatal Hernia Syndrome," is written by Steve Rochiltz, PhD, (credentials at the end) was published in the Aug-Sept. 2003 Issue of Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, a well-respected and time honored publication for alternative medicine written by researchers, health practitioners and patients. Dr. Rochiltz references work by Dr. Theodore Baroody, DC, ND, PhD Nutrition and Baroody’s book, "Hiatal Hernia Syndrome: Insidious Link to Major Illness."

While describing symptoms of hiatal hernia, this article points out many similarities to complaints and symptoms afibbers write about all the time. Following are some excerpts that may serve to entice you to go to the article and learn more.

Jackie

Statements are direct quotes from the article by Dr. Rochiltz:

Could there be a factor either unknown, or not fully understood, by both mainstream and alternative medicine, that can initiate much chronic illness including allergies? Could there be a very dangerous condition in the body that can cause virtually every other organ of the body to malfunction? Could 85% of the population have this undetected condition? The answer is decidedly yes to each of these questions. At the end of this article, surprising, new evidence will be revealed that this factor may even be a predictor of life expectancy.

The biochemist Carey Reams, PhD, said, “illness begins with the Vagus Nerve.” The Hiatal Hernia Syndrome (HHS) by pinching the Vagus Nerve causes Vagus Nerve Imbalance (VNI). This imbalance is usually a hyperexcitability, but a decreased energy state is also possible at some point in time.

In a Hiatus Hernia, or Hiatal Hernia, the upper portion of the stomach protrudes through the opening (hiatus) in the diaphragm muscle. I urge the reader to go beyond any preconceived notions that this condition only causes GERD (acid reflux) and minor discomfort, and to read this article in its entirety before judging this work. My own recent research will be described for the first time, after reviewing one pioneering clinician's findings.

This article will reveal how this condition, Vagus Nerve Imbalance/Hiatal Hernia Syndrome, which I will abbreviate as VNI/HHS, can cause so many other maladies and symptoms, and how it can cause many other organs to malfunction. Then I will describe testing to uncover the VNI/HHS, and finally how to treat this insidious malady with various modalities.

The physician, Theodore Baroody, D.C. after treating thousands of patients for many “other illnesses” calls the Hiatal Hernia Syndrome, “the Mother of All Illness.”

1 He states that nearly “every [non-infectious] condition (except trauma) is the direct result of some digestive dysfunction.”
2 He writes that the Hiatal Hernia Syndrome is “dangerous and brings about constant imbalances that lead to all maladies known to mankind.”
3 He has found that over 85% of all of his patients when tested have a Hiatal Hernia! He further postulates that about “85% of the overall populace” has the HHS! My own clientele, mostly sufferers of severe fatigue/fibromyalgia and extreme food, chemical, and electromagnetic s.

Simply put, if one considers finding the initiating cause of chronic, degenerative illness a key factor in medicine, this is one of the great works in the medical literature.

I cannot blame the reader for any initial disbelief, as both Baroody and myself are often “mind boggled” to see again and again how seemingly unrelated illnesses or symptoms are often immediately relieved when “the stomach is brought down.” The difficulty in seeing all this clearly often arises because many factors can prevent the stomach from “staying down.”

But Baroody's, and my own, improved techniques can help make this change last, and thus the improvement in these many, seemingly, unrelated conditions will be clear. Also, I might not have believed this myself if I hadn't, (unfortunately), lived through it; and, as a physicist, insisted on uncovering the most primary causes of my own problems.

As stated above, Hiatal Hernia refers to the stomach's protrusion through the opening, (hiatus), in the diaphragm muscle. Wellness can ultimately only return when the diaphragm's hole, (hiatus), has been repaired and the stomach can no longer jump up. This can take months of continuously doing everything just right.

The key to an enlightened understanding of the VNI/HHS is that the amount of stomach protrusion is often irrelevant. In many people, serious illness begins unfolding even if the amount of protrusion, (the Hiatal Hernia), is “small,” as found, for example by X-ray. In many sufferers, any such protrusion causes major hyperexcitability of the Vagus Nerve! The extensive sensitivities have the Hiatal Hernia Syndrome over 90% of the time. It's no coincidence.

Vagus Nerve is so diverse and so interconnected to so many organs that it has been nicknamed the “wanderer.” The slightest upward displacement of the stomach through the diaphragm disorders the Vagus Nerve. Immediately the stomach no longer is able to produce the proper amount of hydrochloric acid. The entire digestive process is then adversely affected. The final result is often that the entire body will become too acid.

From an imbalanced Vagus Nerve, any other organ can begin to malfunction depending on genetic weakness and various other factors. Of course, the diaphragm itself will directly be affected and breathing normally no longer occurs. Other openings in the diaphragm itself now stretched or torn allow the major blood vessels to and from the heart to pass through it. Thus spasms in the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava can occur.

Indeed, Baroody found kinesiological (muscle) tests for two separate “stuck diaphragm” conditions related to abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava imbalances4. The heart itself can be crowded, and pressed on, by the stomach being “where it doesn't belong.”

These last factors and the direct hyperexcitability of the Vagus Nerve's connection to the heart, leads to many Emergency Room visits and “pseudo-heart attack” symptoms of chest pain, difficulty breathing and left arm numbness.

The reader, if experiencing these complaints, should seek emergency medical care, and not assume they are arising from the HHS. There is a remarkable similarity between Hiatal Hernia Syndrome and angina. Both can cause similar symptoms and both can occur after similar events such as overeating, exercise, and heavy lifting. My own hypothesis is that the Hiatal Hernia Syndrome, if uncorrected, may sometimes eventually become true angina.

The Hiatal Hernia Syndrome is the earliest cause of GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) virtually 100% of the time, though the orthodox literature often only denotes “an occasional link.” But I believe, many people have Hiatal Hernia for some time before GERD develops.


Baroody notes that lifting, bending, sneezing, coughing, stress, and many other factors can immediately push the stomach up through the diaphragm. Other foods that can be problematic for this syndrome include dairy, wheat, vinegar, citrus and other fruits. Avoid food or drink that is too hot or too cold.


…… does hiatal hernia/vagus nerve pinching cause the Infrascapular Respiratory Reflex (IRR) to go bad? Or possibly the other way around? Philibert also has elucidated a cardiac reflex in the pectoralis major muscle. This reflex may cause or exacerbate angina, or other cardiac problems including myocardial infarction (heart attack).

(Be sure to view the long list of symptoms)
These symptoms or organ disorders can arise from direct over-energy from the Vagus Nerve's connection to these organs, or by secondary nerve imbalance as these other nerves interact with the Vagus Nerve, or from digestive disorder begun in the stomach, or by systemic pH imbalance.

But Heart Rate Variability and even stress, “stress vulnerability” and “reactivity to stress” have been demonstrated to be highly dependent on the state of the Vagus Nerve13. Thus we have come full circle and verified Carey Reams quote cited at the outset of this article. Reams stated that illness began with problems with the Vagus Nerve.

HRV studies have now found that our life expectancies may depend on an optimum or balanced Vagus Nerve; and Dr. Baroody has found that the Vagus Nerve cannot be in balance unless the stomach is down and stays down.

End of quotes.

Steve Rochlitz, PhD
President, Human Ecology Balancing Sciences
P.O. Box 2154
Cottonwood, AZ 86326
USA
website: www.wellatlast.com
About the author:
Prof. Steven Rochlitz, has taught both Physics and Kinesiology at three Universities in the USA. He has taught his Human Ecology Balancing Sciences Seminars, across four continents. He is the author of four health books. Clients have come to see him from five continents.

Since 1981, Professor Rochlitz has been one of the pioneers in the fields of Applied Kinesiology, cross-crawl, and human ecology. He created whole fields of knowledge with his Heart-Integration, Meridian-Integration and Meta-Integration Exercises. As well, he created methods to rapidly detect the cause and optimum correction scheme for much of chronic illness. [www.wellatlast.com]

Theodore A. Baroody M.A.,DC, ND, PhD Nutrition, Diplomate Acupuncture

Dr. Baroody was born in Sanford, NC in 1950. He completed an N.D. from Clayton School of Naturopathy in 1991 after years of clinical research in his practice, and received his Ph.D. in Nutrition from American Holistic College. He is a Certified Nutrition Consultant (C.N.C.) and professional member of the American Association of Nutritional Consultants.

Prior to that, he studied in Beirut, Lebanon and at Colombo Americano, Columbia, as well as having traveled extensively in Europe and Asia to gather information on the healing arts and spiritual instruction.
He received his B.S. in psychology and his masters degree in educational counseling from Western Carolina University in 1974 and 1978. He received his D.C. degree from Life Chiropractic College in Marietta GA in 1981.

Presently Dr. Baroody uses nutrition, natural healing, electronic acupuncture, herbology, and kinesiology and practices chiropractic separately in the scenic mountain town of Waynesville, NC. Gabriella.
He is currently working on his sixth book to outline his comprehensive program for self-checking and health based upon his empirical clinical research in energetics. It will enable anyone, lay person or professional, to use it anywhere and to take mastery of their health.
Dr. Baroody lectures at conferences nationwide and often appears as a guest on radio talk shows concerning health topics.

THE RENEGADE PHYSICIAN
The late Dr. Carey Reams was both a physician and an agronomist. His medical degree, completed in England, included an undergraduate degree in chemistry. Upon returning to the US to practice medicine, Reams chose to retain his independence by avoiding membership of the AMA (American Medical Association), and this infamous establishment bastion would eventually secure their pound of flesh for Reams' "disrespect".

Dr Reams was dogged throughout his life by the medical authorities objecting to his use of nutritional healing and nutrition-based, preventative medicine. His simple approach could successfully cure several major diseases, but his rebuttal of drug-based mainstream medicine eventually culminated in a Californian jail term during his later years.

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
www.tldp.com

Companion article just released by Alternative Medicine magazine.....



Spotlight on Heartburn
Fight the fire by changing what, when, and how you eat.

By Michael Castleman

When Sandy Bush, 35, of Canyon Country, California, went to see his doctor complaining of extreme heartburn, it seemed like the least of his problems. His wife had just left him for another man, and he was trying to help their two young children through a messy divorce.

Yet heartburn, while not as catastrophic as the dissolution of a family, can be pretty miserable. It hurts like crazy, robs you of sleep, and can be terrifying when mistaken for a heart attack (see "Heartburn or Heart Attack?" page 33). And it's exacerbated by stress (as in, divorce). One version, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD--the result of chronic, untreated heartburn--has even been linked to cancer.

This irksome condition has become epidemic: Half of all Americans experience the occasional bout, and 15 percent--that's 43 million people--get it frequently enough to consult a doctor. In fact, heartburn is so common that the leading medications, Prilosec and other proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are among the world's most frequently prescribed drugs. The New York Times reported that last year, Prilosec (a.k.a. "the purple pill") racked up U.S. sales of $4.6 billion--more than the profits for McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut combined.

PPIs do work better than other heartburn drugs, relieving symptoms in 90 percent of cases. But they have a troubling--and underpublicized--downside: They actually make heartburn worse after you stop taking them.

Here's why:

Find the rest of the article here – cut and paste this address.

Jackie


[www.alternativemedicine.com]\AMXSL\HCDetail.xsl

Jackie,

I'm trying to locate the article at Townsend, and I can't seem to find. Any suggestions?? The index doesn't have Aug/Sept 2003 link or I'm missing something.

Thank you very much. I'll comment after reading in its entirety.

Richard

I didn't find the doctor's prescription for correcting the hernia??? Or did I just overlook it???

blessings,
MLM

Jackie,

I did finally find it at [www.wellatlast.com]. This article really hit hard at home with me. As you have read, I had my first diagnosed attack of flutter after the beginning of lifting weights. Also, the flutter attack this past weekend, that I could not control with extra flec., came after starting to do Nautilus and lifting furniture, several days previous to the attack. I've also had several attacks on the golf course, where one would be bending over repeatedly to pick up or place the ball, which is where I was the day of diagnosis. I have also suffered from GERD for many years, of which I finally controlled through changing my diet, and eliminating sugars, wheat, dairy, and all the bad stuff. Apparently this hasn't completed remedied my problem, however.

I'm thinking out loud now. Although, I didn't show any significant allergies, when one eats certain foods, such as wheat or dairy, I wonder what effect these foods have on the digestion process. Could it be that the stomach has to work much harder to digest these substances, and in a sense, goes into a muscle spasm, trying to break them down, causing the stomach to push into the diaphragm. These gluey, glutenous substances must have an effect on the stomach.

Anyway, Jackie, I appreciate you bringing this to the forefront, because this very well may be the underlying problem with me, and is certainly something I will check into further.

Richard

Wow, Jackie! Everything rings true for me as well. I have had a "bloated" midriff for years. I first noticed it in 1994 as a protrusion on my left side but didn't think much about it. It got progressively worse over the years until I now have it all the time completely across my midriff. It gets better or worse depending on what I eat and goes down some when I have gas and am able to release it.

Some thoughts, folks, on the above article, related to other things I've read and experienced:

I think wheat, dairy and other foods, but especially wheat, are a huge culprit in this problem. Think of it this way: what is the best-known glue? Why, wheat paste, of course. Any elementary school teacher knows this AND wheat flour paste has been used for centuries in book binding. It is still the best known glue for that.

What's it doing in our stomachs and intestinal tracks to be eating tons of refined wheat flour bread for decades? It's only common sense. I have NO medical evidence for this other than bowel cleansing books and websites I have visited and my own bowel cleansing experiences, but I believe as much as 90% of overweight and edema is a clogged system full of junk in the intestinal tract that can't get cleaned out properly, even if you have a bowel movement every day. And if you're clogged up, you can't absorb nutrients from your food, so a lot of other diseases start in, including everything associated with having an acid condition in the body. One cause of acid condition is the modern diet, composed of overly processed and chemicalized foods and lacking in living, whole, organic foods.

Interestingly, it was a work of fiction that got me thinking about acid vs. alkaline. In James Redfield's "The Tenth Insight," a spiritual master talks about how when our bodies become overly acidic, it is like a neon sign to bacteria and microbes to begin breaking us down. He said that is what happens to a dead body. It becomes acid and bacteria and microbes are signalled to begin decomposing it. If we are in an acid condition, we are decomposing because the microbes think we are dead! All kinds of degenerative diseases ensue.

I used Dr. Bernard Jensen's "Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management" book and "Seven Weeks to a Settled Stomach" by Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D. Hoffman's book was published in 1990, so he wasn't up to date on the soy controversy. I don't believe soy is good for us. He was touting it as a dairy substitute. Some of his other information you have to take with a grain of salt, so to speak. He says potatoes are fine, and that's a no-no with those of us eating paleo. He also says don't eat nuts and seeds, which are OK with paleo, but I'm beginning to see the common sense that nuts and seeds should be sprouted, i.e, soaked, overnight and then rinsed to soften them and wash away the natural poison coating that helps keep them intact going through an animal's digestive tract. It's only common sense that the plant is trying to increase its survival by making them indigestible. See Ann Wigmore's "The Sprouting Book" for more on this.

Jensen lived into his 90s from doing bowel cleanses (a specific kind of enema he calls a "colema" that you do at home but more involved than a regular enema) when his father and grandfather both died in their 60s. He includes pictures of what comes out of people from doing these cleanses. You wouldn't believe what comes out! All kinds of diseases clear up or are reduced after people do this.

When I did his cleanse, I lost an incredible amount of weight in a very short time and the edema in my legs disappeared. I felt better and had more energy than I had had in years. I would add a note of caution, though: you have to be careful to follow the supplementation or eating guidelines because your electrolytes can become imbalanced from taking in that much liquid at both ends! He says this really should be done under a doctor's supervision and your vitamins, minerals, etc. should be tested at the beginning and during the process. I didn't do so because of finances at the time.

I need to get back to doing these cleanses. I started to have that stuff come out of me but I didn't keep up with it, and I know I need to complete the whole process.

Since I started eating mostly paleo, my reflux is almost gone and the interval between my afib episodes has lengthened considerably from two months to four months to six months and counting. I hardly ever eat wheat, but when I do I know I can count on bloating, gas, restless leg, ectopics and a night of little sleep.

Sorry about the web address not being clear....

try this one....it should be the first article listed.

[www.findarticles.com]

Marshall - Dr. Rochlitz's theory on curing the hernia is cleaning up the diet - and eliminating all possible allergens through applied kinesiology testing and physical manipulating of the stomach from protruding through the diaphragm or if not protruding through, then making sure the stomach doesn't press upward.

I don't think he gave a one step cure-all. It is my impression that it is a combination of treatments. Just as I had at least six chiropractic adjustments on my diaphragm which eventually helped to stop the afib.

Richard - I know exactly what you say about the postural thing on the golf course.... that plagued me every season....until last year.

This article reminded me of - Jim W. searching under the bed for his cat.... drinking down a cold beverage, and jumping into his car - the cold seats...I think it was.....

It is so reflective of so many of the symptoms posters have reported, I just felt that the connection with the Vagus Nerve Imbalance was too important not to bring forward here.

Jackie

Jackie and others

You will find my response to this post above under the subject "Echinacea.."


In other words, if anyone is keeping a count, include me for vagus nerve - diaphragm disorder probably contributing to or causing afib.

Carol A.

But, how would the cyclical pattern of my afib fit into this syndrome?

Kestra,

That was a different way of looking at the situation of being acidic. Thank you for sharing that. I had been looking into the alkaline vs. acidity issue, because in looking over past hospital records, I had noticed my anion gap to be under ref. range on several occasions. I was told by the ER last weekend that when the bicarbonate or CO2 levels rise, this means the body is acidic and it is producing bicarbonate to overide the acidity. The formula for knowing what your bicarbonate levels is:

Na - (Cl + HCO3/bicarbonate ?) = anion gap

Example of mine:

Na (141mEq/L) - (Cl (104mEq/L) + HCO3 (?) = anion gap of 10
141 - (104 + 27) = 10
Bicarbonate = 27

Here's a link on anion gaps:
[www.sma.org]

I'm still a bit confused on this, because the result for bicarbonate is the same as CO2 on my test results, and I don't know why this is. Does anyone have a better understanding of this, or know if I'm misunderstanding this?

I believe that higher CO2 levels indicate an acidity problem, as well. My results on CO2 were pushing the upper limits on several tests.

Strangely, I did much better on a protein/salad/fruit/nut diet, in regards to GERD, but am wondering if eating higher quantities of protein is really not that good. Maybe my relief was more to do with elimination of wheat and dairy. Casein, derived from milk, is a glue, as well, and I would always have more phlegm when ingesting dairy.

Carol, as far as a cyclical pattern, that is perplexing, and I've been trying to find out more on the reasons for that. You, Hans, and others may find this article very interesting. It certainly is worse than what we deal with, but KLS is a cyclical disease, with unanswered questions. The engineer that wrote this article, believes his disease stemmed from birth, but he's done much studying, and it is presented in this article, to learn from.

[www.klsfoundation.org]

Richard

Richard,

I just thought I'd add that my last serum bicarb was 28.... thus indicating that my body is in a quite acid state also.

Best wishes my friend,

MIke F.

Hi, Richard

I meant cyclical in the sense that my afib attacks come every 3rd night.
This seems to fit in with topic in the conference room this month.
So, I wonder if I have an adrenal malfunction.

I can't imagine who in the medical field will cooperate with me in testing for this, however. The best people out here are very conventional and routine in their outlook and practices.

Carol

Richard - maybe I'm confused but I thought higher CO2 levels meant an alkaline status...whose confused you or me? I confess, I haven't looked this up...just going from memory.

When I first joined this BB, I was operating under the acid/alkaline theory of health - acidic is unhealthy....we should all strive to be slightly alkaline.

Foods metabolize to either an acid or alkaline ash and with some, being neutral.

All grains are acid-ash producing as is all protein..... This is theory Theodore Baroody has written about in Alkalize or Die along with numerous other people who follow this hypothesis. Apparently Baroody has had successful cures of ailments with his approach.

For a time, it worked for me with afib but then, I became "unbalanced" again.

Carol - as far as testing goes - didn't you inquire about a functional medicine professional in your area and respond you found numerous names? They can and will order all the testing you need to pursue this approach.

Jackie

Yes, Jackie

I have an appointment with a functional doctor in a few weeks. He is in Hondurus doing missionary work. He is Russian , has a degree in orthopedics from Russia and his receptionist said that he did a residency at Harvard Medical School. I hope that he works out for me. I will take the info from the conference room with me.

I worked out on one of those large balls at the gym today and stretched my abdomin (and diaphragm?) out by leaning backward over it. Did it feel good!! I am also on a mission to loose about ten pounds put on over this long winter. I think extra weight must effect the diaphragm and put pressure on the vagus nerve when bending over, sitting, etc.

Carol A.

Jackie and Carol,

Carol, I did understand that you meant a cyclic or rhythmic pattern of AF. KLS is the only disease that I have found that has a cyclic pattern reaching beyond more than 1 day. Your pattern was changed upon taking Mg, for a period, so I'm wondering why that is. Are you saying that you went back to the same pattern, while still taking higher doses of Mg, or did anything at all change, once AF returned?

Jackie, I too am confused, and have to do more reading. I thought, as you did, that higher bicarbonate meant alkaline, but that's not what conventional medicine told me, as mentioned above. Heaven knows, they could be wrong. I have to say that the nurse that explained this to me, knew her stuff. She studied all the time, and believed in the nutritional side of healing. That may be a good question to ask your FM doctor.

Richard

Thank you Jackie. I was just recently diagnosed with a hiatal hernia. After years of complaining to the Dr. and after endoscopy and x-rays of the small intestine, a CT scan finally revealed my condition. I'm looking forward to reading the article - another piece of puzzle in understanding this infuriating condition.

Jackie
Thank you so much for that link I have been reading all day.
I see myself all through those articles, my afib always starts in my stomack region the out of rythm beats are below my sternum.
The chemical and food sensitivities, bloating if I eat half a muffin (wheat)
ect.
I ordered one of his books, and I think it's time I lay a visit on my ND who does applied kinesiology I have not seem him in 2 years, he's 1.5 hours drive from here.

Thanks again,

Ella

Richard,

Sorry to say, that even at 800 mg. of mag. glycinate, with taurine taken separately, I am on this cyclical , every three nights, pattern of afib. I found that 800 was as high as I could go. Yes, I had initial relief from afib by taking magnesium and I thought that I was "home free" like Michael of San Francisco, who first told of his success with magnesium. But, alas, the beast strikes every third night .

I am now experimenting with eliminating Carnitine, to see if that is contributing to my problems.

I am very interested in the diaphragm/stomach/hiatal hernia displacement syndrome as it applies to afib. My Afib is always preceeded and accompanied by severe, irritated nerve- type discomfort in that region. I also feel very jiggy, nervous and high strung when in afib - as if my ans was being over- stimulated - as distinguished from anxiety about afib. I am so accustomed to afib, that I ceased getting worked up about it years ago. Yes, the thought of a clot gives me pause...but then, I was more concerned about bleeding , when I was on Coumadin. ( I experienced an horrific arterial "gusher" - so described by the M. D. at the ER - in my nose when first on Coumadin)

I thought that Hans was postulating an adrenal disorder causing cyclical afib in the conference room this month?

Of course, we afib detectives probably shouldn't assume that afib is caused by any one single factor. It could be several unassociated factors that all contribute to the overload that sets off afib. And with each person it may be a different constellation. That is probably why it is so difficult to solve afib.

Carol A.

Ella - glad it was of help. I found it amazing that so many of the symptoms that we all identify were linked to the descriptions of the article.


If your ND doesn't do a chiropractic type adjustment along with the Applied Kinesiology, you should try to get that manipulation from a chiropractor or a very knowledgeable licensed massage therapist. The manipulation of the stomach down into position and the pushing or adjusting of the diaphragm are very definitely physical manipulations. Without this, I doubt you will notice any difference.

I'm sure I did not have any protrusion of the stomach through the diaphragm, but rather that the stomach was crowding the diaphragm area greatly....and as I said, after the first treatment, I noted a big change in afib frequency - until finally, I had none - although I was still on Flecanide.

Good luck.

Jackie

Here's a thought. Would one think that a cardioversion would shock the stomach, as well, and put it back into normal position? They always work for me, and I would think if I did have a HH, then my problem would persist, even after a cardioversion, unless the stomach was affected, as well. Stevie, had you ever had a cardioversion, and what were the results, if so?

Is a HH something that comes and goes? Maybe Mg has a relaxing effect on the stomach muscle.

Richard

Jackie
Yes my doctor is an D.C. N.D he has manipulated some of my organs when he finds they are out of place, I trust him!

Richard
Good thought about the cardioversion, I have never had one so can't comment on that, but here is a piece I found about the stomack going up and down:

(Even a food diary may not help if the following scenario is at play.) Let's say someone eats something and does not react to it as s/he eats this food when the stomach is down (VNI/HHS in balance), so there is no reaction. Then a few days later, the person first eats some lettuce at night, or takes twenty vitamin pills. The fiber, or the pills, before the person goes to sleep, causes the stomach to move up (through the diaphragm). The next morning when the subject eats the food that did not provoke an allergic or sensitivity reaction the last time, s/he now suffers a reaction.

"Keep the stomack down"

Ella

PS: we might have found the next "Play" for the conference room?

Jackie,

In addition to "naturally" occuring displacement of the stomach, I wonder if abdominal surgery and internal scar tissue causes displacement of the stomach and other organs etc.?

I have had undergone surgery twice to the lower abdomin.

I, too, think that this would be an important topic to take up in the conference room .

Thanks so much for the information on fish oil. You are such a great help.

I am not too confident about the credentials of the ND, that I am scheduled to see (mentioned above), but he was only one of two in a radius of fifty miles that had also MD qualifications. I have an appointment with a kinesiologist this week to see if he can do the adjustments.

Carol

Jackie and Richard:

Normal blood pH is 7.35 to 7.45. High CO2 means acidosis. High HCO3 or bicarb means alkalosis. Both high. Bicarb is trying to compensate for acidosis. Low CO2 and the person is probably hyperventillating. I think.

All interesting stuff

pH above 7.45 means alkalosis. pH below 7.35 means alkalosis. You have to compare electrolytes to determine whether it is metabolic or respiratory. In other words, if a person has a high arterial blood pH < 7.35 with a low CO2 and a high HCO3, they have metabolic alkalosis with respiratory acidosis (compensation). In other words, the lungs are trying to blow off CO2 to compensate for a metabolic imbalance. These two systems work to balance each other, and must be viewed together to understand sometimes why one is high and the other is low.

I think I goofed that up. If a person has a high pH (>7.45) with a low CO2 and a high HCO3, they have a primary metabolic alkalosis with respiratory compensation. If they have a low pH (< 7.35) with a high CO2, and a low HCO3, they have a primary respiratory acidosis with metabolic compensation. CO2 is acid and HCO3 is base or alkaline.

Pam

Carol A - regarding abdominal surgery and possible after-effects later on...... In one of the fibrosis articles I researched (author Dr. Wong) he was explaining how invasive fibrosis can be. In fact, he said his wife had a C-section and then experienceds a huge overgrowth of fibrosis so severe there was a consideration of corrective surgery because of what the overgrowth was doing. Instead, he put her on his fibrolytic enzymes and the problem was corrected.

So.... if that is true, I would think, possibly and in some people prone to generate a prolific amount of fibrosis in response to surgery, the result could be crowding of the stomach up into the diaphragm..

That said, however, I think there would have to be other factors involved as well.....like abdominal fat contributing to the crowding. I know one of the problems in HH is midline fat - or so I've read.

One has to actually have an outright perforation of the diaphragm by the stomach to experience all of the symptoms related to HH..... just the fact that a stomach could become bloated with gas from fermented foods - instead of proper digestion ...(indicating a lack of stomach acid [HCl]) would be enough physical reason to create a disturbance in diaphragm location...and along with that, would come the distortion, disturbance or impingement of the vagus nerve....all contributing to the onset of afib.

Typically, when one has indigestion, it is from too little stomach acid, not too much. The complication comes in when that person consumes an antacid which further decreases the efficacy of stomach acid...that is, it can't break down proteins and they just ferment in the stomach...as well as don't move out of the stomach in a timely fashion. All this results in gas, pain and stomach bloating.

Incidentally, raw foods on an empty stomach in some people will create a state of irritation. When the stomach is irritated, it produces an over-abundance of acid. This creates pain and other symptoms.

When snacks are eaten, it is best not to eat just one raw thing like an apple, but to add some protein and fat to it.


Jackie

Ella - I have noticed that sometimes I react to some foods with bloating and ectopics, and other times I don't. I think you may have something here.

Carol A. - I have had two lower abdominal surgeries. I noticed all these problems coming on within three years of the first surgery in 1991. Also began having heart "palpitations" from a few seconds to a minute. Testing, of course, revealed no heart damage. My first full blown afib episode was a month after the second surgery, a hysterectomy, last year.

Can you have fibrosis and not know it? I know some women have terrible pain with adhesions after surgery, but I haven't had that.