AF and indigestion

[Elaine1951]

I feel sure this is linked. Anyone else have a view or ideas or tips. Thanks

[BobD Volunteer]

Eat small meals and not late in the evening. Yes there is a link through the vagus nerve which is the neural superhighway which links brain to many other organs including stomach and heart. Not everybody has vagal AF and there are differences in the way it can be treated.

[NooNoo14 in reply to BobD]

Hi Bob. My AF is caused by the vagus nerve. Do you know what the treatment differences are?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to NooNoo14]

Your AF isn't caused by the vagus nerve but it may be triggered by it. Vagally mediated AF is quite common and is often NOT helped by beta blockers I understand. The right diet can be very useful in limiting events and I know SRM Grandma has had great success with a plant based non processed diet.

[NooNoo14 in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob

I am trying to eat healthily and chocolate, alcohol and meat certainly seem to be triggers. I was prescribed a beta blocker until my EP realised I had occasional asthma so was prescribed a channel blocker instead but if I eat something I shouldn't, I am still tripping into AF although the event is much less severe and is much shorter.

I have only been prescribed Diltzem + Apixaban but have been told I can double up on the Diltzem if "it is tolerated".

I have noticed that quite a few people on this site seem to be on 3 or 4 meds. should I be taking something else?

Thanks

NooNoo

[BobD Volunteer in reply to NooNoo14]

Hi Noonoo, Yes Diltiezem is a calcium channel blocker and will tend to slow your heart as would a beta blocker but without the risk of such with asthma. I only ever took one pill and wanted to die so not for me! The Apixaban as you will know is an anticoagulant so you are covered. Don't be confused by people who take an anti arrhythmic drug such as Flecainide who will then take a beta or calcium channel blocker as well in most cases. Also many people are also on statins so taking four meds. Be guided by your EP and don't worry about what other people take would be my advice.

[NooNoo14 in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob. So glad I don't need to take anything else! It's strange how one man's meat.....

I have another appointment with my EP 11th Feb to discuss how things are going with the meds. Fingers crossed I won't have to double up on the Dilzem - 180mg is more than enough for me.

Thanks again for your commence sense advice.

[Finvola]

Mine is not vagal AF but when I had episodes they were always accompanied and/or followed by gut upsets - really, the full monty.

Since my AF has been controlled by drugs I notice that if I have any gut trouble now, it triggers ectopics.

[Elaine1951]

Many thanks. I eat no processed foods at all. I'll def read it

[JeanetteH]

Yes I have said to medics that I think stomach upsets trigger my AF and was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and put on Omeprasole which helped.I read a high percentage of people over age of 50 have a hiatus hernia.I did some research into this and read that the vagal nerve is linked to heart rhythm

my sister also noticed her AF was triggered by eating certain foods.

[Hidden]

Hi,

Some 4 months after being diagnosed with AF I identified the onset of AF with food. I noticed my digestive system was behaving differently and began to develop some changes and my symptoms were, massive bloating which I could feel putting pressure on my heart, indigestion, burping, loud intestinal gurgling, diahorrea, sudden changes in BP. My GP had some blood tests done to check out IBS and Coelliac Disease but all came back normal. He offered to do more tests - I declined. I consulted a Nutritionist instead and she prescribed a Probiotic Powder, going gluten free and wheat free and suggested I follow the FODMAPS diet. Nowadays, 6 years along, I might get one or two short bursts of AF a year and my last one was late April 2015.

Occasionally I try and be a smart - ass and eat something I love (but shouldn't have) and within 3 to 8 hours I suffer for it and it increases my blood pressure dramatically and almost instantly from my norm of 127/75 to 160/90 or higher and then it takes me about 5 days of following my diet again to get back to normal.

My list of foods is amazing, but, suffice to say if I followed conventional medical wisdom of 5 or 7 fruit and veg a day I'd be taking out sole occupancy of the bathroom.

In the US they are much more aware of the significance of 'Gut Health' then we seem to be in UK, although it is slowly changing. So much so that in looking at the guts influence many in the US are referring to it as the body's 2nd brain.

Cheers and good luck.

John

[CDreamer]

I have struggled from gut problems since 18 years of age and am presently trying to get a flare up of IBS. Whenever IBS is bad, all my other diseases get a lot worse - I haven't had AF since ablation but recently experienced mild tachycardia bouts, yesterday resting rate was 90-120 most of the day, my RA flared and my hands & knees very sore and swollen, my Mg fatigue meant after a walk in the morning - exercise often helps the tachycardia - I was wiped out for the rest of the day and didn't move off the couch - but at least HR came back down. Just cannot win either way!

I try to follow a Paleo diet and when I am very strict - I thrive - I had wandered off track a little over the holidays because we were staying with family etc - I a now paying for it.

[Polski in reply to CDreamer]

Flaxseed oil, probiotics and L-glutamine all help to heal the gut. See books on digestion by Patrick Holford.

[skirabbit]

there is a whole school of thought around the link between heart problems and indigestion - the same nerve (vagus) serves the heart stomach and lungs. I had a very serious ectopic beat problem - I was averaging an ectopic beat every two or three beats - also had a lot of indigestion and burping. Doctors prescribed a pacemaker. I did some research and found that in Germany in particular they believe there exists a condition called Roemholds Syndrome. I studied this and then went to a chiro and he helped my lower my stomach - ( disclaimer I did a bunch of other things too) and hey presto my ectopics vanished - no pacemaker.

[Elaine1951 in reply to skirabbit]

Seriously interesting. Thank you

[BobD Volunteer in reply to skirabbit]

My ectopics were helped enormously by Bowen Technique.

[Waterlily]

Absolutely. I have always maintained that excess gas in my gut was responsible for the palpitations etc. I have felt vindicated in this hypothesis as I had my gall bladder removed in Dec 2014 and have had not one episode of AF since. Not even taking the medication now. I do still get the odd skips and flutters but I have never been out of SR once in over a year.

[catriona123]

I have stomach issues and my heart always feels jumpy when my stomach is bad. When I have an AF episode I usually have stomach/bowel issues within minutes.