Heartburn

Hi everyone, been in afib for 2 hours now and it's been nearly 9 weeks since last one. I have had heartburn since dinner could this be the cause? Been searching my mind for another reason but can't seem to associate it with anything else.

[BobD Volunteer]

The two can be linked by vagus nerve.

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob still finding my way round this site, everyone very helpful. Don't know much about vagus nerve but will look into it.

[Hidden]

Hi Sarah,

Over time I found a link between food I'd eaten and the trigger of an AF event. This trigger would occur anything from 2 hours after eating up to 8 hours. I also researched the vagal (or vagus) nerve. Its a significant nerve in the central nervous system which controls/regulates a number of organs, notably heart and digestive system. Its like an information superhighway between heart/gut and brain. There are some good schematic diagrams of the vagal nerve (wandering nerve) if you google, say, vagal nerve diagrams.

I consulted a Nutritionist began to change my food intake ( still a work in progress) and found if I could calm my vagal nerve (by not eating food which inflamed or in some way aggravated it) I could calm my heart.

Result, no AF event since April 2015.

John

[Andyt36 in reply to Hidden]

Hi carneyuny,out of interest is your address controlled purely by diet or are u on any meds as well.

An example of your diet would be great thank u much 😀

[Hidden in reply to Andyt36]

Hi Andyt36,

Apologies for the wait for a reply.

For me the controlled AF is an amalgam of diet and meds, mostly diet for sure.

Meds that I am on for AF are warfarin (stroke prevention) and bisoprolol (heart rate control).

I am also on Simvastatin, and Ramipril (for blood pressure), but I was on these for many years prior to AF anyway.

In between the AF diagnosis and today I was put on Felodopine (blood pressure) but not as a response to AF more a support for Ramipril.

If you 'click' on my name in blue then 'click' on Replies and scroll through you will see my reply posts to others and the various topics dealing directly with food and alcohol and diet.

If you have a problem - get back to me but I think there is enough there on the topic.

John

[Andyt36 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks John much appreciated

Kind regards

Andy

[Hidden]

Thanks carneuny, I will certainly watch the foods that I suspect give me heartburn. Very helpful answer.

[Izzle]

Hi fellow afibers.

I've had AF for over 20 years and as expected, the frequency has shortened from years down to weekly. There's been many different triggers, but with recent events I've found eating/digestion to be the main offender (like 3/4 of the episodes)

I now suspect slow digestion is my problem, then by taking in heavier foods it may influence the vagal nerve near the diaphragm (above and below). If I overdo food quantity I get palps or even go into AF. This theory is explained really well in a recent thread with a Dr Gupta YouTube video. Well worth a watch.

I've reduced the amounts of oats, rice and bread in my diet and compensated by having crackers, lighter breads plus spread these 'cerial treats' over the day. Yes, I still have cake and naughty things like that, but moderate the quantity. It seems to be working although a little earlier to say for definite, but I've had 2 episodes in 36 days since starting the dietry changes. The other observation is that these episodes have been far less severe AND don't last as long.

When my episodes got down to weekly, I reviewed ways in which I could help myself and found even after 20 years as an afiber there was simple things I could do.

[seasider18]

This possibly needs a new conversation. Do those who blame their vagus nerve for AF just have AF when the vagus nerve is stimulated or do they have the same underlying heart conditions that non vagal AF patients do. If their AF is only a vagal problem are they in need of an ablation or helped by one ?

[UScore in reply to seasider18]

I've seen statistics banded about that suggest that the ablation success rate is a bit less for vagal induced AF than for adrenergic AF, but still a decent value (something like 60% success vs 70%). Can't remember the source.

Also worth noting that many people have a mix of vagal and adrenergic AF.

[seasider18 in reply to UScore]

Mine is.

[seasider18 in reply to UScore]

Do you think that 60% is a good figure? How many EP's are open enough to tell patients that? It seems to be a bit of a hit or miss procedure and has a long recovery time. We read of so many here going for the third attempt.

[UScore in reply to seasider18]

it's a good question. My AF is only vagal, and she still quoted a success rate of 80% at me. To be fair, I've only seen that 60% somewhere on the internet and I can't find or verify it now.

I'm still undecided on having an ablation.

[seasider18 in reply to UScore]

I turned down an RF ablation two years ago and an AV node ablation was put on hold last year as I was awaiting an MRI scan with my MRI compatible pacemaker and somehow dropped off their radar but I didn't chase it up. In April this year a cryroablation was suggested and I said that I wanted time to consider it and will be seeing the EP at the end of November.

I'm further put off by the cardiologist who fitted my Amplatzer amulet who asked why do you think you need it and the consultant at the hypertension centre who was also dubious and said to ask them what their success rate is. They were each at different hospitals.

[Hidden in reply to seasider18]

Hi seasider,

When I was first diagnosed, in Jan 2010, I couldn't spell atrial much less know about AF or vagal nerve. I was 65 at the time and had led a pretty fit lifestyle. It came out of the blue but followed about 2 and half years of palpitations. That said, I was admitted to A & E by my GP and a firm diagnosis and treatment started within 9 hours of onset.

That degree of prompt and accurate diagnosis was critical to the way my AF behaved in the years to come in my view. Sheer brilliance by NHS.

Thanks to my first 'virtual' meeting with BobD and MarkS on the original (now defunct) Yahoo based AFA forum (a long ago predecessor of AFA HealthUnlocked) I learned about AF and vagal nerve.

It was only when I developed the digestive issues, put 2 and 2 together and got the jackpot of 4 that I began identifying with vagal nerve and blaming its dysfunctionality.

As they say, the rest is history, binned the AF, focussed on diet, job done.

In the 6 days in Jan 2010 I was in hospital undergoing tests I had an ekocardiogram which detected the left atria had been damaged and that this damage would predispose me to AF in future, as well as stroke. The view at the time was it could also be the source of a future stroke. This damage is irreversible.

So, my diet has calmed the vagal nerve and so far eliminated AF from that source. It has not (that I know of) eliminated the stroke risk nor AF coming from a damaged left atria. But then I've never had an ekocardiogram since Jan 2010 either, never had a need to.

I will own up to having occasionally, totally at random, totally unpredictable too - some small palpitations.

Way back in the day, my cardiologist did discuss the opportunity of an ablation - I rejected all notion of such intervention. No reason particularly, just had an intuitive feeling I didn't want my heart barbequed. so far I do not regret that decision.

John

[meadfoot]

It does it for me every time plus stress a potent cocktail for my arrhythmias.

[Hidden]

Thanks to you all for feedback, it's been very helpful. Will avoid foods that sometimes give me heartburn. Also called doc today and he said it could be caused by a mixture of my tablets and prescribed some omperazole.

[EngMac]

I suggest that you take a look at this site. prohealth.com/library/showa...

The Dr. Myhill site is also helpful.

[Hidden]

G'day Handybe2,

Well I'm 9 years behind you and I don't think age has anything to do with it. We all have the vagal nerve from birth. Because anyone younger than us takes their body for granted, it works, and for most of us it doesn't let us down very often. It is the 'onboard systems' that begin to fail overtime. I never knew about AF or vagal nerve at all when I was younger. I knew about strokes but considered a stroke to be an old persons condition. Now I am old I see things differently. My paternal grandfather died from a series of strokes around his early 80's way back in 1964. Were they AF related? We'll never know. I don't think AF was a recognised condition back in the day - 1964.

I believe that cardiac specialists seldom recognise the function of the Vagal nerve - not in their brief. whereas, if you talk to a gasteroenterologist they will know about it. Such is the problem of the age of specialisation with the body's 'onboard systems' that we have today. There seems to be little overlap of knowledge.

John

[Grannycake]

If I am constipated and get heartburn,that’s when my af starts. I keep telling doctors there is a connection,but no one is listening

[Toucy]

Hi Sarah, I have been with HU for a number of years now and have left a number of posts but they don't show here now. Anyway that's my rant! To answer your question which I have done before,Oops here I go again! Back to point, I AM CONVINCED THAT REFLUX IS CONECTED TO PAF. My episopdes always start in the middle of the night and last for around 12/14 hours.

People on here before have mentioned that the VAGUS Nerve is involved. I could go on with my experience for pages but that may not help you. The point is I think PAF and Acid Reflux are connected.

All the best. T.

[Grannycake in reply to Toucy]

I agree in my case it’s the same