Link between AT and adrenaline

[Hindmarsh]

I have just started trying to lose weight (being diagnosed with diabetes) and have had AF for 10 years or so. I read somewhere that when you are feeling hungry you body produces adrenaline. I have noticed over the last 3 weeks that feeling hungry triggers my AF. Is there a link or is this all to do with the anxiety we all seem to feel? Hard enough to lose weight with the difficulty of doing exercise.

[Kellyjelly]

I find it is a very very fine balance. If I have too long between meals my heart gets really jumpy and can race and quite often when I eat my heart races for a while after!

Maybe you could try small regular high protein low carb meals and see if that keeps things more stable?

I hope you feel better soon.

[Hindmarsh in reply to Kellyjelly]

Thank you that is helpful!

[Marytew in reply to Kellyjelly]

You have described exactly what happens to me in relation to becoming hungry and then eating. I had thought I was imagining it, therefore it is reassuring to read that this is something that happens to some people. I will try what you have suggested and see if it helps.

[Auriculaire in reply to Kellyjelly]

It's probably low blood sugar. Even in peole without AF low blood sugar can cause increased heart rate and palps. I find it makes me feel quite unwell but unfortunately I often don't get the feeling hungry before to warn me. I am sure that I got my attack of afib after my bowel op last year because of a combination of hunger and dehydration. I got nothing to eat for 3 days after the op but yoghurt and apple puree and felt like I was being starved to death!

[Hidden]

I would say you are right. Dieting reduces blood sugar level, adrenaline is released to get the blood sugar back up and if you have adrenergic type AF then an episode could follow.

It seems counterintuitive but not cutting out (healthy) fat helped me to lose weight, and removed the hunger pangs after a while. I didn’t get AF but my PAF was vagal in type.

[Hindmarsh in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for that. Will see what I can do.

[Hindmarsh in reply to Hidden]

Do you know, it helps just knowing there is a good reason for my increased AF episodes and it's not that the condition is getting worse! So thank you all for your responses.

[Franny50]

Canadian nephrologist and author Dr. Jason Fung (who advocates the many benefits of short and long-term fasting for curing diabetes, obesity and other ills) has warned against fasting if you have AF. I found that out too late, after I did a 3 1/2 day fast and thereafter went into AF, a few months after having what seemed a successful; ablation. I think adrenaline and norepinephrine play a very large role in triggering AF in some folks.

[Hindmarsh]

I really thought you had to exercise more - good to get another view.