Alcohol

[Mejulie69]

I have seen lots about alcohol triggering AF, but what about drinking alcohol whilst in AF? I haven't seen any discussion on that. Any experience?

[Hidden]

I know of several people ....what you may call seasoned drinkers.....who partake of alcohol whilst in AF.....mainly asymptomatic though.

Sandra

[BobD Volunteer]

WHY??? If it is a trigger then it can exacerbate the problem as well. . It's like playing chicken in my view.

Many people find that the life choices they make when diagnosed with AF greatly enhance their life expectancy and giving up alcohol, smoking. reducing stress and improved diet are all relevant choices. .

[Mejulie69 in reply to BobD]

Bob, just playing devils advocate (i have never been a drinker) - it's a matter of quality of life. To some people, a couple of drinks adds considerably to their quality of life. Sure, you have to manage your Af, but should we completely give in to it?

[Vony in reply to BobD]

There was a man who never smoked and never took a drink. There was another man who did and he enjoyed himself immensely . The man who never drank and never smoked didn't live any longer....it just felt a lot longer! 😂 😂 😂

[CaroleF]

Mmmmm ..... alcohol doesn't seem to be a trigger for me, but there's no way I'd drink alcohol whilst in AF. I doubt it'd 'flip' one out of an AF episode and I don't intend to try it to see if it does.!

[UScore in reply to CaroleF]

Yeah, I'm with this completely. Alcohol doesn't trigger it, but I stay off alcohol during, and a few days after AF, just to be sure I m helping recover

[kiki1952]

I still have 2 or 3 cans of lager even when I am in Afib, I went into afib yesterday when I got out of bed, it happens every 8 days and it lasts for 2 days. I was told at the hospital that it was alcohol that caused me to have Afib in the first place because I have been drinking for 48yrs, so now I don't drink as much. I can't give up alcohol completely I like to have a drink and there's not much I can do about it. If I have a drink or not I still go into Afib every 8 days, so I don't think the alcohol is a trigger for me.

[djmnet in reply to kiki1952]

Mine are every 6 days. Alcohol has never triggered an episode for me. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to afib. While alcohol may trigger afib for some, it certainly does not for everyone. Live your life as you want to live it!

[Janco]

Hi Hidden

I've gone into AFIB once for drinking too much alcohol and another time for a caffeine "booster" energy drink.

So stimulants are not good for me. I think drinking while in AF will only prolong the AF spell, and is not good for you.

I only drink moderately now - 2 to 3 light beers or red wine.

[doodle68]

I think once you have experienced severe symptoms with AF you will try to avoid anything that might exacerbate them.

Until I started taking medication I could barely breath or walk and shook like a leaf when in AF so taking alcohol at that time would have been rather silly .

Now AF is under control and the symptoms have subsided I do not think it advisable to add alcohol into the cocktail of drugs I am now taking, I don't think it would be very good for my body so why risk it.

[seasider18 in reply to doodle68]

Your symptoms sounded the most extreme I have read on this site.

[doodle68 in reply to seasider18]

Hi Seasider I don't think they are unusual for some people with PAF. The sudden extreme fluctuations in BP and high pulse rate seem to send the body into a form of shock and this can be very scary leading to panic which makes the situation worse. I used to think I might die during an episode. I know better now

[seasider18 in reply to doodle68]

I'm in permanent AF and mostly do not notice it until my BP readings go off the scale.

[icklebud99 in reply to seasider18]

I have similar symptoms to doodle68. I cannot walk from chair to chair in my home, i am breathless and feel unable to move. I am so fatigued, I guess because the blood is not being pumped properly round my body so no oxygen reaching major organs. Alcohol is a trigger, I only need a mouthful of Prosecco and within 30 seconds I am in AF. The bubbles must make it go right into my bloodstream. I haven't touched a drink for 4 years now, its just not worth it to me.

[seasider18 in reply to icklebud99]

That is almost how I was when on Bisoprolol but without being breathless

[momist]

I am pretty well certain that alcohol is NOT a trigger for me. I've been well drunk quite a few times since my first event in May which occurred while I was stone cold sober, and my second event was after a day of sipping mainly water and only a glass of wine and a weak gin & tonic hours before.

During my first attack, when I hadn't a clue what was wrong with me, I did drink a bottle of lager thinking that I was very stressed out and that a drink might help me to relax. Of course it didn't, but neither do I think that it made anything worse either. It didn't succeed in relaxing me, as I was terrified I was ill, though I knew not what was wrong. Only after the ambulance people told me about AFib did I begin to understand what might be going on.

I do appreciate that others believe that alcohol is a trigger for them, and it may well be so, as might caffeine . I'm told there can be more caffeine in tea than in coffee. Does anyone really know about that? I have had occasions when an extra glass of whiskey has set my heart beating very strongly and almost noisily, but never irregularly. I know then that I've had too much, and go to bed to sleep it off. AF is very different.

[Bagrat]

I would not drink while in AF as mine is paroxysmaland even so only ever have one drink at a time very occasionally. My husband is in permanent asymptomatic ( to him!)A F and he has reduced alcohol a lot. He only has a drink 2 or three times a week and usually only 3 halves of beer at the most interspersed with soft drinks. This is in spite of a bucket load of meds including warfarin. You can lead a horse to water........

[concup]

On thing I have learnt from this site is that everyone is different...some of the stories have read have both encouraged and dismayed me.Alcohol is one such subject. Seems like some are convinced that alcohol is a no-no and good on them! Others however seem to be ok with it.

As for me I spent 20 years in and out of Afib...sometimes after drinking alcohol but overwhelmingly my afib started for no reason. I now have persistent afib and (after discussions with cardio and EP) I have decided to just live with it.(with blood thinners etc),,,My stress levels have zeroed...no longer worrying myself sick about when the next attack will happen and I can do pretty much what I like, including moderate amounts of alcohol when I feel like it. My BP is 110/70 and HR 80-100,my liver and kidney tests are normal and I can honestly say that 99% of the time I feel fine, took a bit of getting used to it but that's just me

[Hidden in reply to concup]

I'm totally with you on the general message about taking things in your stride. I would just say that for me I am certain even a tiny taste of white wine will trigger AF but beer will take a pint or so. It is very obvious that alcohol is a major trigger. I think I am unusually affected by alcohol. Maybe because I drank so much of it in the past?

Given that, I am also open to thinking that it is not the alcohol but the fact that I have it in my head that it is the alcohol, having had a few epsodes after drinking. This could have been total coincidence, but its in my head that alcohol is a disaster for me so I now never touch it. After a lifetime of heavy drinking I think its done me a favour, but that's just me.

I know what you mean when you say 'AF started for no reason' but I think there is always a reason, but we can't always work out what it is. I think the AF is a symptom of something else. It's just finding out what it is. For me alcohol, chocolate and spicy food are all triggers but I still think there must still be an underlying issue going on that predisposes me to AF. Maybe stress?

Anyway, we all have different triggers I think and some we haven't worked out yet. It's worth remembering that doctors are trained to treat symptoms (i.e. AF) but we need to do our own work on what's causing these symptoms for each of us.

[Steve112]

Personally I would try my very best to avoid anything that triggers AF..but it's your life and it's your choice to do whatever makes you happy..

[jeanjeannie50]

A double edge tale here. Alcohol is usually a trigger for my PAF as I found out last Christmas while staying with my daughter. Had a glass of wine Christmas eve and got away with it, but didn't get away with it when I had a few more Christmas day.

However, a couple of years ago I had been in AF for quite a few weeks and was invited over to neighbours. John our host wanted us to try a wine he particularly liked and I agreed to have a very small amount in my glass. Well, I then had some more and my AF just went. I wasn't aware it had stopped until a neighbour told me I was looking well and I answered that I felt well and the penny dropped.I am convinced the wine helped me to relax and took me back to normal sinus rhythm.

Generally now I never touch any alcohol, I'm too afraid to.

Jean

[Mejulie69 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I keep saying this, but what a bizarre and confusing illness AF is. It affects us all so differently and inconsistently! It's just astonishing that in 2017 we don't have a better understanding of what is going on. I definitely agree with one of your points about stress and the mind.

[Bagrat in reply to jeanjeannie50]

It is bizarre that what some people find as triggers others find terminate an episode. I'm thinking of ice cold drinks, exercise, bending over in certain ways, as examples.

[heartmatters1]

Anxiety & stress is a known trigger for AF, as is alcohol. However, a SMALL amount of alcohol can be a relaxant. So if it helps why not? Being in AF can make one very anxious, as everyone on this site is probably very aware of. Everyone is different of course.

Best wishes

Ally

[Mollykin]

Hi I am in persistent Afib and my cardiologist said better to drink a glass of wine whilst in afib than in nsr. I only have 3 glasses per week and it doesn’t affect me in the slightest. It actually relaxes me. One occasion it put me back into nsr the next day even tho it didn’t last long. Afib is a nasty disease so it’s nice to have the odd treat