Chest Pain with AF

Does anyone else get middle of the chest pain when in AF? I also suffer from inflammation of the oesophagus and if I take a large dose of Indigestion liquid it eases it. My question is does the inflammation of the gullet set the AF off?

[BobD Volunteer]

Interesting question. There was one member a few year ago who was trying to establish that AF was caused by hiatus hernia but failed miserably. What you do have to understand is that the vagus nerve which is the main neural superhighway between brain and stomach also joins to the heart so what affects one can likewise affect t'other. You may have heard of vagal AF which can be triggered by either slow heart beat when asleep or digestive problems but note this is triggered, not caused by. You have AF therefore it can be triggered by a variety of things or nothing at all.

Speak to your doctor about acid inhibitors such as lansoprazole but be careful as too little acid can be as bad as too much.

Bob

[NooNoo14 in reply to BobD]

This is a very interesting question.

I too have a hiatus hernia / acid reflux and I am sure that when my stomach is acting up, it triggers my AF (usually during the night). I had an oesophageal manometry on Friday to investigate. The only thing they would tell me is that my oesophagus contractions were extreme strong (4 times stronger than normally seen). Not sure what it means (got to wait to see the Consultant) but it is interesting.

NooNoo

[3killeens]

Yes , i have a hiatus hernia and I suffer from chest pain at night , I take lansoprazople which helps by day with reflux but have chest pain at night!!

[Hidden]

Thankyou Bob this is really helpful. The attacks always start in the early hours of the morning waking me with a dreadful boring pain through from the front to the back of my chest. My pulse can go from 150 to 75 in one heartbeat and I feel like this is going to be the end! I have been going to A & E and usually after about 6 hours it will revert to sinus rhymn after them using various drugs. Also I have noticed that the last couple of times it will revert back to normal (60bpm) for me if I do some violent movement ie vomiting or jolting. I am on Sotalol 160mg twice a day and Digoxin 64.5 once a day. The docs say the pain is nothing to do with the pAF so why does it stop when my heart rate comes down. It is eased by a large dose of Gaviscon so I conclude from your comments that I must have vagel pAF I have not heard of this and is it to be treated the same way as ordinary pAF ? I now start off the night sitting almost upright and gradually slide down after the first three hours or so and this seems to help. Have had this condition for about 5 years now but the episodes are getting nearer together.

[guitarman49]

Hi Yep have similar PAF symptoms to yourself with confirmed IBS and reflux. Although I only have a few PAF events I mostly suffer from missed beats which often seem to happen when I have reflux/IBS flare ups with bloating and some chest pain. Will be having a discussion with the EP on 1st Oct to review these bursts of missed beats. Interestingly I have always believed my AF issues are related to vagal stimulation of the heart. I'm correctly medicated for both the PAF/IBS and reflux.Keep you posted.

[Hidden in reply to guitarman49]

Thanks guitarman49 it is always a comfort to know there is someone else suffering similar symptoms. Have been to see the consultant today and after a long discussion he is going to change me medication after a CT scan.