Strange symptoms

[Montsauton]

Hello, I've just discovered this forum. I've had AF for a couple of years and it's becoming more frequent. It seems to be brought on by eating my evening meal and is accompanied by a need to urinate very frequently. I wondered if other people have had these symptoms. I've just been prescribed flecainide but worried about the side effects. It sometimes feels very lonely to be going through this.

[BobD Volunteer]

The urination is because the distressed heart secretes an enzyme which tells the body to get rid of salt . Common symptom of AF I'm afraid.

When AF starts after a large meal it is probably the vagus nerve at work. Try eatng smaller meals more frequently so as not to load your system. A move to a more plant based diet with zero additives also helps.

[Hidden]

Hi Montsauton,

Pretty much agree with what Bob has said, however on the need to urinate I have read that comment of yours many times on this forum. In some people it can be a regular feature of life. I certainly have this need to a degree but its not that distressing for me. That said this can be a feature of some meds and I have one item of medication in my party bag of pills that could cause this for me apart from what Bob has said.

If you click on my username ( carneuny) it should, with a bit of scrolling and searching, take you to many of my posts on food, diet and AF and the vagal nerve. A wise thing to do for starters is to get online and research Vagal ( or Vagus) nerve and while at it Google Vagal Nerve Schematic diagram which will give you many pictorial views of this nerve. It is basically ( and keeping it very simple) a nerve in the body which acts like a communication superhighway between the brain and a range of body organs. Most notably, between the brain, the heart and the digestive system.

I put a couple of posts on here in the last week to 10 days.

John

[secondtry]

Hello Montsauton, well done for finding us. Many here think this is the most valuable source of information they have. So do devote some time to reading and searching, particular the Lifestyle changers you can control and start implementing today.

More specifically to your post, try eating no later than 6pm, eat light minimal meat and don't go to bed until after 10pm with if possible a bit of light activity in the evening. I was started on 100mgs Flecainide but that didn't stop the episodes so requested 200mgs (the medium dose level) and that has kept me AF free for 7+ years without any known side effects. Increased urination (Bob mentioned why) without any AF I take as a sign the drug is doing its work; I still get this sometimes, usually late afternoon is the issue.

Don't be lonely, start posting your experience/feelings, you will almost certainly get a sympathetic response.

[Ppiman]

The two things you describe must be the most frequent of all in sufferers. I sometimes get what you have, but mine also come from odd things like squatting down or reaching high. It's odd.

In your case, the food must seem to be a "trigger". But I think the likelihood is that it isn't the kind of food, but the movement of your stomach when eating - much like my squatting or stretching - that moves it upwards against the diaphragm and then pushes that against the heart. This natural movement of the organs, worse in some people thanks to anatomy or swallowed air, sets off a few harmless palpitations ("PACS"). Sadly, for sufferers, these "ectopic beats" can then trigger atrial fibrillation.

You might recall that there was once a film called "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner". Well, there are many causes of loneliness, and suffering with chronic health conditions is one of them. It's a terrible feeling to have to endure.

I've never needed flecainide, but I have read lots about it. It seems a very safe and good drug, in the scheme of things, and some here have been on it for over ten years. You'll be fine. Let's hope it works well for you.

You might want to try eating smaller meals more often, too, or sitting in a way that doesn't squeeze your tummy up too much. It might help.

Steve

[The_Lord_is_with_Us]

Anytime I get AFIB ... I can fill a couple liter bottles quickly with urine.

I came down with AFIB around age 55. I didn't want meds and was quite active. I've pursued ablations ... my 2nd AFIB ablation giving me 10 years of peace.

If you go ablation (which I recommend), get the best EP you can find. It will pay off. I also recommend getting EP John Day's book The AFIB CURE. Very helpful to anyone with arrhythmia.

[HiloHairy]

Have you tried going easy on salt at dinner time? At least for me the trigger is sodium. It's made it very difficult to eat dinner in restaurants. However, as long as I fix my own meals and use potassium based salt substitutes I stay out of trouble.

[irene75359]

AF has been only been brought on by eating recently. One night it actually started with the last mouthful. But I read in a post recently that as well as eating smaller meals don't slouch in an armchair when the meal is complete so I get up and keep busy for a good half hour. Touch wood, that has helped. Personally, I have used flecainide as a PiP for almost six years, have never had any side effects and it has never failed to halt an episode. I do feel a bit wiped out afterwards but I think that is more to do with the AF and taking the accompanying bisoprolol. Please remember you won't be alone on this forum, there are many kind people who know exactly what you are going through.

[Hidden]

I've learned more about AF in this single post than from all the cliniciations put together - most illuminating, thank you.

[bassets]

I can't add anything else to the excellent advice here except you are not alone! We know exactly how you feel.

[Snowgirl65]

A heavy evening meal, usually out at a restaurant, would bring on a-fib for me in the evening. And yes, urinating frequently during an episode is common.

[Montsauton]

Many thanks for all those replies. I feel much less alone now! Ppiman and irene75359 both echo something I have experienced too. There was a particular armchair I used to sit in after meals which seemed to bring on AF. I grew to hate it! Also I noticed on one occasion bending down seemed to trigger it. Perhaps as Ppiman says it is pressure by the stomach on the heart that triggers an ectopic beat and the subsequent AF. Thanks once again for making me feel a lot better.

[Poochmom]

I’m sorry you are going through this. My AF sometimes is triggered by food, certain types. Everyone is different so I’ve had to experiment to see which foods to avoid. Pizza, anything tomato based, brussel sprouts and others. I tend to have better luck doing this. Recently I have started to take baking soda after I eat at the recommendation of my acupuncturist/herbalist. I have to say it has seemed to relieve some of the irritants on the heart. I don’t know if it will work for you but it’s worth a try. Best of luck in getting this under control!

[Poochmom in reply to Poochmom]

Also in my research and conversations with medical people I have discovered that the heart and digestive system are closely connected so that is sometimes why food can upset the heart. Also inflammation can be a factor.

[ETHEL103]

Yes afib causes me to pee every half an hour for hours.

[Glb1948]

I really don’t know what brings mine on but I do have the urinary frequency. I was put on flecainide and like you I was scared to death of all the warnings but the folks on here were reassuring and some had taken this drug for years. I’ve been on it for about two weeks and it has helped tremendously on the a-fib episodes. I still get the occasional ectopic beats and sometimes feel lightheaded because I also take beta blockers which knocks my heat rate down. All in all i’m pretty happy with it.I wish you the best as this a-fib stuff is scary.

[Keibval]

I have AF ...have had it now for about 5 years .......had an ablation that worked for a year ...then a very stressful time restarted the AF and it has been pretty much doing it’s thing since.I am on flecanaid plus a good few other statins , beta blockers BP tabs etc and I struggle terribly to everything .....walking and standing being two of the main things . Having always been very fit and well previously this all came as a real shock and quite depressing and I’m always amazed to read other people’s stories on this site as to how great they feel and their successes from medications and treatments .

I am and always have been a really positive person up u til this all happened and every day is a megga battle to get through.

I also pee for England especially during the night but that is the least of my problems.

How do you folks know exactly when your AF is triggered ( mine is constant) are you wearing monitors or do you just “feel” it ?

Sorry my post is not a helpful one ......I just don’t understand why my AF situation is so constant and debilitating.

[Montsauton in reply to Keibval]

Hello Keibval. Sorry to hear you're having such a struggle. I know how you feel. Having been fit all my life, it came as a real shock to be told there was something wrong with myheart. I thought that that was the one bit of me that was OK. I've only just discovered this forum and it does help to know that you're not alone. Doctors (if you can ever see one) seem to be very light on information. No-one told me for example about the peeing thing so it's reassuring to hear it's the same for other people. (I'm thinking of moving my bed into the bathroom

😂). Seriously I hope you get some relief soon.