Hello again AF

[Andyt36]

Hi all, so here is the journey maybe out of sheer stupidity but who knows, bearing in mind generally healthy.

Had a fever of 40 last couple of days so very run down, yesterday felt better. Had a friend visiting so went out for glass of wine then a meal and glass of wine.....not so much the wine but the combination of wine and fatty crisps leftba bad taste. Then went in to a restaurant had some fish admittedly fried. And very little wine max a small glass. Came back home felt fine, slept well, got up to go to the loo this morning 7.00 am in Greece and pop hello I am back.

I think the trigger was a combination of run down, stress (as just finishing a project) and last but not least a nice meal but maybe the fact that it had been fried....or just maybe it needed to happen.

Anyhow writing this is a relief. So taken my tablets and waiting.

I philosophise when this happens - and I reckon that mine stems from some form of digestive or intestinal influence.mentioed before ....

So for all that change their diet, I am slowly but stubbornly understanding... although generally very healthy, it's not worth going off piste. Considering a few weeks ago I got very innubriated and had another episode.

Thanks guys - hope all are well.

A

[BobD Volunteer]

Alcohol is a known trigger so best avoid really My experience is it is just not worth it.

[Andyt36 in reply to BobD]

What I am realising if somewhat stubbornly is that clean living appears to be the best way forward. And also time for ones self

Thanks Bob

[Jong1945 in reply to Andyt36]

Very much a theme of Dr John Mandrola's blogs drjohnm.org/

[scottlayton35 in reply to Andyt36]

Let food be your medicine. If you don't then one day medicine will be your food. Xx

[dmac4646 in reply to BobD]

I resemble that remark - as soon as i was having a mouthful I was worried - so its not worth it - I appreciate food more now.

[JaneFinn]

Bad luck, Andy. I hate that feeling that I've brought it on myself - and as you say, there's so many possible triggers, both avoidable and unavoidable.

I also hate that it's not just me I have to deny - it actually reduces my husband's enjoyment that I can't enjoy some nice wine with him, or eating certain foods together. So I understand the pull when you're with a friend to be social and join them in drinking/eating. Even though afterwards it's not worth it!

Really hope you convert quickly, and good health ahead.

[JaneFinn in reply to JaneFinn]

Just adding a PS to my own post - to say we've discovered that much as my not having a glass of wine reduces my husband's enjoyment on a special evening together, it's nothing to the downer of being up all night with me in AF !!

[Andyt36]

Thanks your your kind words, your right it super stresses my wife, (she has to worry about the kids as well,so feel like the 3rd child). But to be honest I am much more relaxed when I do get an episode take my meds and today reverted within an hour or so.

Funny I find that the sensitive area is under the rib cage on the left side and when I rub it it seems to soothe the episode. Feels like the intestine or something, maybe I am grasping at strings. But still think that digestive system etc is somehow related.

[Janith in reply to Andyt36]

Definitely digestive tract ... l am eating very carefully and very little to no alcohol ... boring!

[Rosie1947 in reply to Andyt36]

Have done that myself and funnily enough it seems to work dont know why

[Hidden]

It is! And the location you describe is fairly typical of a dysfunctional vagal nerve. This nerve acts like an information superhighway between the heart and digestive system and the brain, not forgetting other organs. If you haven't already done so, read up on it and look at schematic diagrams of it.😉

[Andyt36 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks although what next?

[Jong1945]

Yep, a common story, though too often not recognised. Check Dr Sanjay Gupta's videos on youtube about the stomach-heart connection, and one about Vagal AF. Stories of my life. I would even go so far as to say that my gastric problems which I had from the age of 30 until my AF arrived at the age of 40 were very possibly the *cause* of my AF - it fits the theory and mechanisms but nobody has stuck their neck out and theorised it yet. Vagal hypertonicity shortens the refractory period of heart muscle and also creates heterogeneous areas of atrial tissue, and these respectively allow ectopic foci to reign free and reentrant electrical activity, the combination of which = AF.

[Callingbird]

I am new to this forum and mostly read things rather than comment. This post has intrigued me. I have never before heard about diet affecting AF. Alcohol I have known about and stopped drinking when I was diagnosed with AF 6 years ago. I have not had an episode of it since, but do get a lot of 'threats'. The odd wobble etc. So what foods are known to trigger episodes? I have had a bad digestive system since being a child really and get bouts where my stomach really gets upset. Would be grateful to hear your views.

[UnaY66]

Hi I do feel for you - like you I am generally very well and fitness hudge part of my life but I was guilty of a glass of wine in evenings and AF appeared I avoid it now I do miss my glass of wine but I rather not go in to A F - look after yourself for me booze had to go and my heart doing better for it these days xx

[RoyM]

Funnily enough....crisps always brought on an episode of AF

[Polski in reply to RoyM]

They usually contain lots of different chemicals, eg monosodium glutamate, which may set the AF off. Even the very basic ones have lots of salt which is an electrolyte, so may upset your elecctrolyte balance and hence the heart.

[Lee-J]

Most likely the wine, does it for me all the time!

[Lee-J]

It’s strange, having just said it the wine, but I had been in a long episode for about eight weeks non stop, meds not working any longer and had a weak moment by sharing a bottle of wine. Went to bed and woke up next morning in sinus rhythm!!! Done that a few times now so not sure what’s going on there. In the process of changing meds at the moment. Hoping for some sinus soon.

[dabend36]

Sorry to hear Andy. Was this a return of AF after an ablation? If so, how long had you been out of AF?

[Andyt36 in reply to dabend36]

Dabend - no this is not a return after ablation...I have not had an ablation, have PAF and take 100mg flecaninde twice per day and 1.25 bisoprosol 1 per day.

If I go into AF then up the dosage of flecaninde to a max of 300.

[Janith]

The EXACT things triggered my one episode. Wine and diet and stress! I love my wine but now l have one half of a g and t twice equaling one cocktail ... and this seems to be working. Stop drinking the wine and try to avoid highly spiced foods and greasy foods ... much luck to all of us ... l have terrible dreams from the meds as well ... what punishment!!

[Andyt36 in reply to Janith]

Out of interest Janith what are u on? Meds that is

[Janith in reply to Andyt36]

Sotalol, 80 mg half am half pm ... amlodipine 5 mg am ... losartan potassium 50 mg daily ... the sotalol is for the afib ... the others high blood pressure ... l see my cardiologist in a month or so ... l am going to ask him if l can reduce ??? Although, l am tolerating these meds pretty well ... l have only had one episode ... and l converted after four hrs in emergency ... l don’t feel like this will reoccur but he told me that it will?? I find it terrifying. However, apparently it is exceedingly common?

[Callingbird]

Thanks for that, john6. I have only had two episodes of AF at the very beginning and have not had it again in 6 years (touching wood now). I get funny blips and jumps and the odd two second shake sometimes. I stopped drinking completely, lost 3.5 stone (could do with losing another two) and swapped coffee for Decaff. I was not aware fatty food triggered it at all. All the medical sites I have looked at have never mentioned it. Thank you all. I can see a diet coming on ...again! I wish you all well.

[Andyt36]

Guys thanks for all the posts find it very interesting I was following a near gluten free diet even bread I converted to emmer wheat one of the ancient grains and found this went well.

Once I found everything was going well I started re introducing things back into my diet and not being careful, both with food, stress, etc... So I am beginning to think they they all are linked....I am a great believer in trying to understand root cause, and this drives me crazy, I guess that is why ablation kind of scares me as I do not think it deals with root cause more of a band aid. This is not a criticism just my understanding, let me know if I am wrong. Having said that I would like to add that I am one of the lucy ones when I have AF it is very gentle with me at least for now.

Thanks all

[secondtry]

Put too many things in the glass and it will overflow!