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Stomach pain

lyssa252000 profile image
13 Replies

Hello everyone, I am just curious if any of you have experienced extreme pain in the center of your stomach with Afib? I am not sure if it is the condition, meds, or something else entirely? I called the cardiologist and got his nurse and was told that it was not associated with afib. But it was painful enough to make me jump off the bed and only has happened a couple times when I lay down to go to sleep. I was just curious if anyone else had this issue, and if so what did you do to fix it?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

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lyssa252000 profile image
lyssa252000
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13 Replies

Hi Lyssa,

Until I related food to the onset of AF I experienced a number of symptoms namely, massive, massive bloating, intestinal gurgling, burping and diahorrea. Not all together, all very much at random, never knew what was gonna happen next BUT the worst was bloating - I could almost see my gut inflate, just under the ribcage, dead centre and the inflation would spread outwards. Simulataneously I would feel intense pressure on and around the heart in my chest. Not pain per se, but intense pressure.

Does this sound like it or similar /

John

lyssa252000 profile image
lyssa252000 in reply to

Hi John,

I wish it felt like this, it is more like someone is intensely pinching my belly button/ or really stabbing me there. It only last around 20 seconds, but it is enough to make me jump off the bed and make my heart race and keep me up in fear that it will happen again. I have only experienced this about three times. However, I wonder if it could be a side effect from some of the meds i am on. I am on flecedide, metrolpolol, and xarelto.

in reply to lyssa252000

Hi Lyssa,

Sorry I can't help with meds .... I'm only on Bisoprolol and Warfarin (Coumadin). I do wonder if it is associated with the vagal nerve though. Do suggest you Google - vagal nerve - if you haven't already done so. Simply put, its a main nerve of the central nervous system which controls a number of organs, especially the heart and the digestive system.

John

icklebud99 profile image
icklebud99 in reply to lyssa252000

Hi John, I also suffered the same pain as you describe, it made me hold my breath till it passed. It was shortly after being put on Flecainide so put it down to that. It stopped after a week or so. No problems since.

angela502 profile image
angela502 in reply to lyssa252000

My suggestion would be to discuss this with your physician. If it is a reaction to the medication, your physician needs to know. Write down when you take medication, time, and date and when the pain first occurs. This may show a cause and effect. Hope this helps.

horseblister profile image
horseblister in reply to

Sounds just like me, and it makes me really miserable at times.

Lynn

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

My only suggestion would be that if associated with the meds it would only have started within the first two weeks of starting meds. If it Is only when you have AF and it startles you as well as causing pain - it would be vagal response as the vagus nerve travels close to the heart and through the stomach.

If the pain is constant and/or intense you should see your GP as soon as possible.

jeanjeannie50 profile image
jeanjeannie50

Hi Lyssa - I get what you describe if I've just taken tablets before going to bed. With me it's trapped wind from gulping down water with my pills. Now, I make sure I sit up straight for a while before sleeping. I'm also wondering if you may have a 'grumbling appendix'.

Jean

Plai profile image
Plai

Could be acid reflux which is awfully painful. A drink of milk and a cracker would calm it if it is that. Then adk your gp in case it is something else.

nymima01 profile image
nymima01

My mother is the one with afib and I follow on this site for her. She has intense back pain after an afib episode. No doctor has ever been able to explain why this happens with her. I believe it is a tensing of her back muscles when she has a long episode, but that is the only thing we can come up with. Could your stomach muscle be contracting when you have an episode? Just a thought.......

Tracyrdh profile image
Tracyrdh

Yes I had extreme pain under right rib cage (stabbing pain). It was like having a gallbladder attack. That pain was why I went to the doctor. Only to find out it was atrial flutter and afib. Best to talk to doctor.

lyssa252000 profile image
lyssa252000

Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to respond to me. I know that its not acid reflux, i have never heard of the vagal nerve so i will look that up online. I have also kind of wondered about the appendix. I am glad/but not glad to hear others have experienced this .

davidwhefnerdo67 profile image
davidwhefnerdo67

i did in association with chewing 2-3 squares of 4 mg nicotine gum.

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