AF and Stomach Issue

[SpritzerAce]

Hi! I just want to share and hear from everyone else on this forum if you’ve had instances whereby your AF is triggered by an incident of tummy upset and more often than not after a meal, mostly breakfast. You will then get mild palpitations, tummy ache, go to the loo to empty your bowel and palpitate again and then your HR will go haywire and your Kardia will say possible AF. You rested and voila in about an hour or so you are back in sinus rhythm? Is this vagal AF? Pls do share if you have similar experience and what do you normally do? Thanks.

[Flossie72]

Hi SpritzerAce,

My episodes are often triggered by an upset tummy. Like you I start with what feel like palpitations in my tummy which then triggers a bout of diarrhoea. This then leads on to A Fib. I think it is often due to dehydration. I find the best way to stop it is to lie down and sip rehydration salts regularly until it settles. When I have episodes like this they usually settle within 12 hours. If I have an episode that just starts out of the blue it can go on for days.

Best wishes,

Sue

[SpritzerAce in reply to Flossie72]

Thanks for the reply Sue. Yes mine too would settle within 12 hours. But when you are in AF episode everything seems so "unsettling". Anyway, positivity always! May we have longer AF-free days ahead.

[Hidden]

Hiya SpritzerAce,

Not precisely as you describe but there are similarities. Best I try and give you a summary.

Diagnosed with paroxysmal AF in Jan 2010. By the end of 2010 I had well and truly identified the onset of an AF event with food I'd eaten, which generated some of the symptoms you describe.

Long story short, saw GP who had me blood tested for IBS and Coeliac Disease - both sets of results were negative. Both conditions gave similar symptoms to those which i was suffering - mainly, bloating, burping, diahorrea and intestinal gurgling. Not all at once, each at random and totally unpredictable. Bloating was the worst thing. The link here is the vagal nerve.

I then consulted a Nutritionist and was advised on a diet/food plan. Gluten free, wheat free, oats free - and was put on a course of Probiotics. Over time I kept a food diary and eventually widened the diet considerably. From April 2015 onward to date I have only had one AF event and that was sleeping on my left side on 18 February 2018 when not only did my HR go ballistic, hitting 149 bpm but so did my BP. Nothing since although I have in the last 6 months experienced more digestive issues than I have for a long time which have at times caused my heart rate to behave irrationally. Big swings from 46 bpm to 113 bpm and a wide range of values in between.

Hope that helps.

John

[SpritzerAce in reply to Hidden]

Thanks John for the reply. Appreciate the sharing. When you mentioned about digestive issues and going into AF, do you have any specific diagnosis for this?

[Hidden in reply to SpritzerAce]

Hi SpritzerAce,

No, not at all ..... no official diagnosis from my GP or Cardiologist. Once the elimination of IBS and Coeliac Disease had been completed I was basically on my own. When I first went down this path, nearly 9 years ago the closest to a diagnosis you'd get was the term 'vagally mediated' AF, in other words AF arising from a dysfunctional, or inflamed vagal nerve. I think today the concept is more widely accepted.

I had read about the controlling features of the vagal nerve and decided to consult a Nutritionist and discuss diet. The diet changes took a long time to impact on my digestive system but eventually they did with the results I have described. So, basically, calm the digestive system, calm the vagal nerve, and finally, calm the heart - that's the heirarchy I now adhere to.

It comes about because the vagal nerve is basically, in simplest terms an information superhighway between the brain and many organs, BUT, especially the digestive system and the heart. Like it controls the digestive system and the heart.

But, of course, not everyone with AF can point the finger at food or the vagal nerve. Many people with AF have other features of their condition.

From my perspective not many healthcare professionals even officially recognise this vagal link I've just described although it is more widely accepted than previous. I also think it is more accepted in USA than in UK.

I would recommend going online to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, York Cardiology in UK website and exploring some of his videos of explanation.

John

[SpritzerAce in reply to Hidden]

Thanks again for sharing. Yup will check out Dr Sanjay Gupta's page again.

[Sunny-fl]

Yes I have had some of those symptoms. It started out after evening meal pulse rate jumped from resting 60 to resting 80 then into an afib episode. Also started happening while resting in bed. Finally it was happening after every meal. I went on a soft food diet for 6 days, then slowly back to regular meals. It has been several weeks now with no increase in PR and no afib episodes. I find it important to sit up straight while eating.

[SpritzerAce]

Thanks for the reply.