Afib with diarrhea

[Slattery]

I went into Afib this morning with diarrhea. Is this normal, I have never had this happen before and it made me anxious. I also had no appetite.

[meadfoot]

The same thing happened to me a week or so ago. Guess it was a combination of dehydration from the diarrhoea, stomach and bowel upset, vagal nerve and the bug if it was bug. It all felt dreadful. Hope you feel better soon.

[jedimasterlincoln]

As meadfoot says - bowel motions are common stimulators of the vagal nerve.

Acute onset of a bad bowel is also a contributor to dehydration and raised HR which can all affect the AF

[Thomps95]

Definitely- digestive problems my number 1 trigger. My whole life is about avoiding indigestion so as to avoid AF - it’s very boring ... eating so early, no fast foods, always super careful ...

[Buffafly]

Also works the other way, AF triggers diarrhoea for me, so vicious circle.

[Hidden]

Hi Slattery I always got diarrhea with my attacks and once I also vomited. I think it's like flight or fight because my heart was racing so fast.

[P0rtnahapp1e]

I know there’s definitely a link between my digestive system and my AF, HF and DCM.

I’ve tried to understand the possible connection to the vagus nerve but all info is so woolly. I broached the subject so many times with my HF nurses, the cardiologist and my GP, that, after a year of morning diarrhoea, they investigated my digestive tract and found nothing amiss, so concluded that it was a side effect of one of my medications.

[CDreamer in reply to P0rtnahapp1e]

It’s not at all woolly and I don’t understand why Doctors can not explain it. The vagal nerve is part of the ANS - Autonomic Nervous System which has 2 complimentary sides - Fight & Flight and Rest & Digest. The names are clues - when in F&F all body resources flood to muscles and away from internal organs so your digestive system basically stops working - causing all of the problems.

This video is very comprehensive

youtu.be/3a_aLsFvNWs(Not working as expected?)

We can only digest our food effectively when in R&D mode - which is why it is so important to stop to eat and rest during and after eating.

I had horrible AF episodes if I tried to move within 45 minutes of eating anything - took me a while to learn that I literally could not get up and walk around without triggering AF. Talk about body knows best!

[Auriculaire in reply to CDreamer]

Watching animals is instructive especially cats- eat , wash , sleep. I find walking about after eating difficult.

[Slattery in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you so much for this information, I am not as anxious now that I have more knowledge!

[Gillybean123]

I always need the toilet desperately when I go into Afib. When I was in hospital once I was terrible had it bad all week. My specialist after said it is all part of having AF. Think the system goes off track or something.

[Jt222]

Heart and digestive tract controlled by the same nerves, so it's not as much of a trigger as it is just a part of the malfunction. Having said that, dehydration can also help to trigger AFib due to loss of nutrients and the balance of them in your body. Anxiety is also plays a big part of the whole thing as well. When I'm about to go into or already in AFib, I get a growling stomach and/or indigestion and usually have to go to the bathroom(diarrhea or not). I also get horrible anxiety(fight or flight response), and the heart goes nuts. My heart has been beating normal since my 4th ablation, but I still get the other symptoms sometimes just w/o the wacky heartbeat! All very normal for our abnormal condition.

[nymima01]

My 93 yr old mother has afib and heart failure. She has many episodes of diahrrea during and after an episode with afib. I always thought she had IBS, but the doctor said it was a symptom of her afib. This has happened for many years. She’s had afib for over 30 yrs now. She does take Imodium when we have to go somewhere. (Like our to lunch).

[Kn177yn0ra]

Yes, this happens to me quite often. I sometimes have to rush to the loo when af starts.

[Slattery in reply to Kn177yn0ra]

Thank you all for your experience with Afib. This site is so important and helpful to me.

[Gowers]

I suffer the same as you and as described & by others in their replies. The effects of af can last a day or two. Feels like you have been kicked all over, every muscle aches just like having flu, bladder feels full and the constant trips to the loo can make you feel quite weak along with awful nausea. Acid indigestion too. I have to rest afterwards and a hot water bottle is a must as I can feel cold and shaky . I feel for all those who suffer af and have to work. It was not as bad when i was younger and in my 30's/40's but takes longer to recover now I'm in my 70's.