Cheers

[6TIMES]

Not really sure what to make of this as I've read this column in the daily mirror before and it's been a load of baloney but it might help some people i suppose

[Hidden]

Why?

[6TIMES in reply to Hidden]

I get fed up of reading don't do this and that i lead a healthy lifestyle but still got AF maybe I've got too cynical in the last year

[Hidden in reply to 6TIMES]

I guess most of us want to do what’s best for us and those who don’t just have to put up with the consequences. Any advice offered can obviously be taken or ignored.....but “baloney”......nah!

[Belle11 in reply to 6TIMES]

Sounds disheartening 6TIMES.

Being back in rhythm after a cardioversion, I noticed that processed meat gave me ectopics - so I've cut it out - no more bacon or sausages. Dairy, particularly cheese, also seemed to affect me when in persistent AF - I could feel my heart beating heavily, so that's gone too. I searched the internet for sites with info about foods to avoid. My AF may still come back, but I've had no more ectopics.

It's possible there are other triggers for you, that you haven't found yet.

[SingingT in reply to Belle11]

I have found exactly the same as you. Processed meat and hard cheeses have gone from my diet. In fact all red meat has gone. I find I can eat cottage cheese and the soft cheese, Crowdie, which we get here in Scotland. Good to know I’m not being too self absorbed. Tweaking my diet, which is mainly plant based now, and cutting out caffeine and alcohol has helped considerably with reducing the frequency of ectopics and AF itself.

[Belle11 in reply to SingingT]

Likewise it's good to find someone with the same experience! I read somewhere that mature cheeses are high in tyramine, an amino acid that helps raise blood pressure, as does salt. I suspect my AF may be BP related. I'm starting to wonder about red meat too. I noticed my heart was a bit thumpy yesterday having had pork earlier. I'm intolerant to cows' dairy, but might pluck up courage to try some soft goats' cheese!

[Madscientist16 in reply to 6TIMES]

I get ectopics every time I eat. Every. Time. I eat pretty heathy, but I wasn't about to stop eating. Chalked it up to a vagal connection between my heart and my stomach. EP just shrugged when I told him and he also commented that there was no scientific proof that ectopics are a precursor to having an AF episode.

[Paulbounce]

Sure a-fib can come back - even if you lead a heathy life style it can / will kick back in at some point. However the chance of it recurring are far greater if you expose yourself to triggers. Binge drinking (or just a drink for some) is one of the main culprits.

Some people return to afib even sniffing an alcohic drink. I'm lucky - a couple of beers doesn't start an attack. I really enjoy a beer but moderation is key. In the past I've certainly consumed some ale. I know though that if I did it again exactly whats going to happen.

It's best to work out your own tolerance to triggers. Drinking to much is highly likely to result in an irregular HB with a-fib suffers. In a perfect world I woudn't have a beer again. There's a part of me that's says do it - another part says still enjoy a few beers. I'm on the latter option now but maybe it's not wise.

I have to stress again MODERATION is key here. If one drink puts you back in a-fib it's not worth it. If you can have one or two beers then no harm done - however total abstentious (spelt right ?) is best.

Binge drinking is a big no no. If you have a-fib do it at your peril.

Paul

[6TIMES in reply to Paulbounce]

I'M trying to cut right back on spices and goats milk.I've never really drank alcohol or eaten chocolate and i just wish I knew what started the AF with me

[Lewis1234 in reply to 6TIMES]

For me it seems to be gluten. For 2 years I was having 2 or 3 fast PAF episodes a month. Each lasting 3-15 hours before self correcting. Gave up gluten (not 100% more like 95%, but def no normal bread/pasta etc.) No change for first 6 weeks then af episodes stopped, no episodes for 6 months so far...

[Dawsonmackay in reply to Lewis1234]

You my want to look into the glycemic index because white products like gluten, non-gluten, pasta, rice are HIGH on the glycemic index. Foods that are rated high are also typically high carbohydrates which when broken down in the stomach immediately turns into sugar. Then, insulin gets released to rid the body of the sugar and one experiences the fight or flight syndrome or what we see as Afib. So, yes, pasta and other high glycemic foods trigger Afib.

[Lewis1234 in reply to Dawsonmackay]

Will look into that, thanks

[Dawsonmackay]

Ain't baloney. It's for real. A genuine trigger. Red wine and alcohol are bad news and I will stay as far away as I can from that stuff. I don't know anyone on this planet that likes Afib. Do you?

[katiefforde]

I think we all have our own triggers. I gave up alcohol some time ago and I still have Afib. (May be I didn't drink enough!) However, I can cope with taking Ibuprofen if I have to. I had a very bad back before I was on this site and discovered it wasn't a good idea and was taking a lot. I didn't trigger an attack though. However, now I know, I do avoid it if I can.

Katie

[kathie659]

I stopped drinking 25 years ago. I developed afib around 3 yrs ago due to sleep apnea (insurance wouldn't pay for the test). Drinking may make afib worse, but in my case it had nothing to do with initial symptoms.

[Limoncello in reply to kathie659]

Oh... I think I may have sleep apnoea, my nose always feels a bit blocked when I lie down and I sometimes wake up feeling I can’t breathe or wake myself with a snore. I’m not overweight. My son has an oxygen machine after being diagnosed.

My AFib started at night, then I developed intermittent attacks in the daytime, which became chronic during a week-long IBS episode. So I know there is a food link too. Red wine affects me more than white, and I never have more than a glass with a meal at weekends.

Since being on Bisoprolol the sensation of blocked nose has got worse, especially when the dose was raised from 2.5mg to 5 mg, as has my tight chest feeling. I have to mouth breathe at night or else I don’t feel I’m getting enough air. Must see my GP about this.

[Shcldavies]

It is true that alcohol or drinking alcoholic drinks (it may be the nitrates in the drink) can trigger Arrhythmia. It does not necessarily cause the arrhythmia but make you prone to experiencing it, the sooner the route cause is known and fixed the better.

[CDreamer in reply to Shcldavies]

At Patient Day 2019 we were shown several slides of scarring on the heart which was caused by ‘moderate’ drinking & no scarring from people who abstained completely. Scarring promotes AF. More alcohol, more scarring = more AF.

Personally - red wine is a trigger, any spirit but rose or white, preferably bubbly I have no reaction to. Very individual.

[Shcldavies in reply to CDreamer]

Interesting, was there any indication if it was the alcohol or the nitrates in the drink. Red wine generally is a high nitrate drink whereas white wine especially bubbly has much fewer nitrates, the alcoholic content is generally the same.

[Desanthony]

Everyone is different and two people I know say they know for sure that alcohol in particular wine and one of them says coffee also are triggers for them. Personally I do not know what my trigger is. I can go without alcohol, tea and coffee and still go into AF. Incidentally I have been on decafeinated tea and coffee for decades due to prostate problems so its not the caffeine. For a year I drank sparingly - the odd glass of wine with a nice meal and a cafeeinated tea or cofee when we went out as often decaff tea and coffee in restaurants is horrid but still went back into AF. I am not nor ever have been overweight, I exercise and always have - it was my job. Only once did I think that lifting a heavy box in the garage maybe was a trigger. So, everyone is different and if you do everything in moderation, keep at a healthy weight, exercise and get help with lifting heavy things maybe you can just lower your risk. Everything in moderation.

[MydogBrandy in reply to Desanthony]

Hi, just thought I would let you know, when I was having svt’s I was told to stop coffee , started on decaf and it did not stop BUT my specialist told me that decaf still has caffeine in it. So I stopped tea and coffee altogether. Since my ablation I feel well again but do not risk tea or coffee .

[GrannyE in reply to MydogBrandy]

I had no idea decaf coffee still has caffeine. I too sometimes have a weak decaf coffee with almond milk thinking it was OK. Has decaf tea got caffeine as well? (Not that I drink it but just wondered?)

[MydogBrandy in reply to GrannyE]

Yes , this is what I was told. Not had a tea or coffee for about 14 years😢

[Desanthony in reply to MydogBrandy]

Yes. I know it does have some caffeine in it but going without for about 6 years made no difference whatsoever to my prostate and urinary problems and I got AF so doesn't seem to be accountable in my case. That's why I went back to drinking it as it made no difference to anything.

[Dawsonmackay in reply to GrannyE]

thespruceeats.com/what-does...

[Shcldavies in reply to GrannyE]

Decaf Tea has considerably less caffeine than Decaf coffee, from memory its about 5 times less. Its worth noting that tea is generally considered to lower chances of arrhythmia, the last thing I saw on this was a recent Dr Gupta video - well worth watching. If you have not seen these videos before go onto youtube and type "yorkcardiology" in the search box, there will be a list of his videos, there all worth seeing but go to the one on the subject your interested in.

[Dawsonmackay in reply to Desanthony]

If anyone is interested, unless the decaffeinated products states CAFFEINE-FREE, it isn't free of caffeine. Here is an article that addresses these type of products.

thespruceeats.com/what-does...

[Hidden]

Apart from alcohol being a trigger, if you are taking anticoagulants, then the risk of a serious bleed is vastly increased by drinking more than small to moderate amounts of alcohol.

I would love to have more than one glass of wine, but the risks are just not worth it

[MarkS]

The article above refers to the Australian study of 140 people. What this actually shows is that you have an 8.6% lower chance of AF if you drink mildly compared to non-drinkers and even a 0.9% lower risk if you drink moderately. It's only when you drink heavily that AF risk increases compared to non-drinkers!

[MydogBrandy]

Hi tea and coffee , even decaf which still has an amount of caffeine in it.

[Twosticks]

I've not drank alcohol for six months still in nsr since my cardioversion .Went for post ablation last week and it's been postponed for the near future .They think as I do my A F was down to alcohol.

[Morzine]

I think we are all diferent. If we go out I can have two beers or two glasses of red I don’t push it any further.......mycardio said avoid white don’t know why. ....

I do think however it’s been totally proved that alcohol does not do the heart any good and does trigger afib.p, just some of us it’s not a trigger and it is nice to have.

I would like to throw another little curve into this discussion and that’s strengths of wine........... nowadays the majority of wines seem to be more than 13%., and even more now restaurants seem to favor much stronger 14% 14.5.....I do feel that’s a factor for the folk that can tolerate wine to take on board. It’s getting harder and harder to find a 12%.

And if you ask what percentage is that wine over here you get a funny look as it’s nit the normal question folk ask...but I think it’s relevant to me.

Anyway just an observation

Sue

Sue

[CDreamer in reply to Morzine]

I always water my wine down with sparkling water partly for that reason, partly to slow down the intake & partly to keep hydrated. I do think people forget that if you don’t drink water alongside your beverages you will suffer dehydration- which triggers AF.

[Morzine in reply to CDreamer]

Yes me too...always drink water......lots !

[Gladaven in reply to CDreamer]

Dear cdreamer,sorry to change the conversation but can you remember who we were talking to a few days ago who said she was distracted from her AF episode when a friend called on her for a chat , I would like to talk to the lady again can you tell me how to get in touch with her again Thanks Gladysalmond xxxx

[CDreamer in reply to Gladaven]

I don’t recall offhand but scroll through the posts & you should find the post - get her avatar name & then you can PM her through the chat 1:1. If I come across it I’ll let you know.

[Gillybean123]

Good Morning everyone, just to say I ditched the drink in 2017. I had been in hospital three times in the November. I did like my gin and tonic or the red wine. But the one weekend my daughter had left half a bottle of brandy here and I thought I’ll have one which lead to two. My Af took two days to set in. Back to hospital. I had lost my husband in 2016 and was obviously finding it very hard. Anyway I took a stand with myself stopped drinking overnight and also cut out red meat totally. I haven’t had a steak or a drink since. Have lost weight with SW (17 pounds) have had my bisoprolol cut down from 10 mg to 2.5. I feel so much better. Went to have my 12 month check up and my cardiologist doctor said what have you been doing your ecg is amazing. She said I am remarkable. Nice. Anyway I think it is something to try. What are you losing, that horrible feeling you have with AF. Feeling crap for anything from a day to a week and ending up in hospital. I wish everyone well. The sun is out I have been surrounded with water right up to my second step. That would have started my AF off before obviously from having a drink because I thought it would help me. Sorry for going on a bit. Love to everyone God Bless. X

[123Abc123]

I like alcohol but luckily I don’t like the effect it has on my head so my AFib doesn’t get to test whether or not it’s a trigger or not😂😂😂

[Jalia in reply to 123Abc123]

Same with me 😃 ! ( unfortunately I sometimes think....)

[LouBrig]

I think my triggers are;

- alcohol in large quantities and definitely, definitely red wine

- dark chocolate

- too much gluten

- dehydration

- lack of sleep

- stress

I appear to tolerate hard cheese but I only eat in moderation.

I really try to avoid all triggers because I hate my AF episodes.

[Craggy]

Everyone is different. In the past, for me, alcohol has been a definite trigger, especially on holiday. I suspect the Daily Mirror article is reasonably accurate.

[Marytew]

Below is an extract from a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Jan 2nd 2020:

"Regular and/or excessive alcohol consumption may be a contributor to atrial fibrillation episodes and symptoms. A trial of abstinence or significant reduction in alcohol intake should be considered as a mainstay of atrial fibrillation therapy," said senior study author Dr. Peter Kistler. Director of cardiac electrophysiology at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

In addition, research recently published in ‘EP Europace’, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology advised that frequent drinking is a greater risk factor for heart rhythm disorder than binge drinking. Below is an extract:

'Our study suggests that frequent drinking is more dangerous than infrequent binge drinking with regard to atrial fibrillation,' said Dr. Choi. 'The number of drinking sessions was related to atrial fibrillation onset regardless of age and sex. Repeated episodes of atrial fibrillation triggered by alcohol may lead to overt disease. In addition, drinking can provoke sleep disturbance which is a known risk factor for atrial fibrillation.'

[HangingOn2]

It's different for everyone!