IBS

[ilovecoffee123]

Hi everyone. Does anyone have any advice on how to calm IBS when you have AF? What do you take to ease the pain as some medicines interfere with medication. Thanks. Michelle.

[Jill13]

Have you heard of Iberagast drops.? Supposed to be all natural and seemed to help me but perhaps check with your doctor

[ilovecoffee123 in reply to Jill13]

Oh no I haven’t. That’s great thank you.

[moonfairy]

hi i take fibrogel and lactulose it doesnt interfere with my medication in any way im on tildiem lisinophril and citalopram x

[AndyDuk]

Hi there . I take buscopan as and when it's needed . I tend to watch my diet as well and stick to the foods I know will not trigger it and drink plenty of water. I've not seen any side effects and I'm on citralopram and flecinide

[doodle68]

Like Andy Duk I usually take Buscopan but haven't for a while because I wasn't sure if it was ok with my meds.

I always keep a bottle of Rocks Organic Ginger Cordial in the house, that seems to help with the pain. I have a small amount in a glass diluted with the same amount of warm water so it is strong and warming.

[ilovecoffee123 in reply to doodle68]

Mmm that sounds lovely actually!

[Jong1945]

Everyone here: beware that although dealing with IBS at a symptomatic level (as per many of the above suggestions) is an essential first step, it is now known that stomach/digestive tract problems correlate with AF - e.g. hiatal hernia sufferers under 55 will have a 17X (!!) higher incidence of AF than those without HH. The exact mechanisms are not known, and several are postulated, including local and systemic inflammation, physical proximity (oesophagus/stomach to heart) , anxiety.

But the final mechanism and a clear danger is the hypertonic vagus nerve that can be created by digestive problems. Such a high vagal tone increases the parasympathetic neurotransmitter secretion at the SA node, (which it does in a mattter of milliseconds, e.g. in response to gas or bloating). This in turn does two things: it shortens the refactory period of the heart muscle (that period after a contraction where it cannot be re-stimulated) AND it will create "heterogeneous" atrial tissue - i.e. differences in the electrical transmissibility of the muscle, leading to electrical impulses not progressing down the atrium in an organised unidirectional wave, but allowing them to veer off, and also "re-enter" - i.e. go round in circles. These two factors (short refractory period and risk of re-entry) together with "foci" other than the SA node e.g. sources in the pulmonary vein sleeves, create the entire milieu for AF.

I have not yet seen it stated in the literature, but I believe it is what happened to me, that digestive problems (probably in the long-term) could well in certain people actually "create" AF.

So my principle would be - get the underlying cause of your digestive problems sorted out. With me it was a wheat intolerance which I only discoveered by accident and once I was getting desperate. Don't let it get as far as I let it get !!

Lots to look at if you go to Sanjay Gupta's Youtube videos - and his colleague Simon Smale who is a Gastroenterologist also has some informative videos too

[ilovecoffee123 in reply to Jong1945]

Hi John some interesting things you’ve written thanks. It’s my dad who has AF he has a pacemaker now he got it 3 weeks ago and is waiting for AV node ablation. He’s not had IBS symptoms for a while now. He is such a fussy eater and wheat is probably the main part of his diet so I struggle to get through to him to try cut it out. I keep telling him to eliminate it from his diet but he’s ate the same for almost 70 years and he isn’t going to change. I might see if the GP can refer him to a gastroenterologist and just get checked. Thanks again. Michelle.

[Melleray in reply to Jong1945]

Hi - I just read your interesting reply. I think I can see that IBS has certainly played a part in my developing AF. I presume you do have AF, and you say you discovered your problem was a wheat intolerance. Has your AF improved then, as a result of changing your diet?

[Janith in reply to Melleray]

What is IBS?

[Melleray in reply to Janith]

Irritable bowel syndrome - very often connected with AF.

[Janith in reply to Melleray]

Thank you. I don't have it!! IBS I mean!!!

Happiness.

Jan

[RichMert]

I was taking Fibrogel but keep away from the Omeprazol which is possibly the cause since I was ok before taking it.