Does anyone find it's a trigger for AF if you go too long between meals?
With breakfast it doesn't seem to matter but if I go longer than about 4hrs to lunch or from lunch to evening meal, it often starts a bout of AF.
I'm now very careful to make sure I eat regularly.
I haven't seen this mentored as a trigger and I'm curious as to whether others find the same thing.
Any alcohol and also stress are my other triggers.
That has often, but not inevitably,been a trigger for me. I try to eat small meals more frequently ( but not too frequently 🤔!)
I know quite a few members past and present who graze for this reason.
That's interesting, I had thought of blood sugar but not BP
Thanks, maybe I'll look back & see if I can find any threads exploring this.
Why don't you try eating a banana or some unsalted nuts mid morning. That's what I do and never ever have large meals, this makes me feel so much better. It's surprising how the body gets used to us eating less.
Jean
Good idea. The 'gaps' happen when I'm with other people who often eat later and who can happily have a 'late lunch'
I've recently started to keep a cereal bar handy for those situations.
If I don't have breakfast at 7 lunch at 12 and evening meal at 18.00 I get really anxious and stressful and feel as if I'm playing with AF fire! ( Bananas and nuts at 10 and 15.00 )
Yes that's like me ! Since identifying it as a trigger I don't want to go more than 4 1/2 hrs between meals.When I had covid with breathing difficulties recently , I was so worried about having an episode of Afib - because that also makes me short of breath.
Consequently, I got my husband to produce food at regular intervals & ate it although I had very little appetite.
I'm glad to say , I didn't get any Afib during those 2 weeks !
My AF starts if potassium drops so had very predictable episode after surgery as had been fasting. Doesn’t explain why you’re ok before breakfast though but worth getting potassium checked when you have af
But is that possible to check ? Access to medical assistance of any kind feels limited at the moment. Not sure how I would get it checked while in AFib. I'd be fascinated to discover that though. I first experienced heart rhythm anomalies when fasting.
I see. That's interesting. I've never been to hospital during a session of afib although a recent blood test shows potassium levels in mid range.
I was very busy at work a couple of weeks back no opportunity to eat lunch and as I arrived home at 8pm (was also probably a little dehydrated) had first bout of AF in nearly a year, HR up to 203 initially, ended up in A&E and had my 2nd Cardioversion. Hard lesson learnt on looking after myself better. Only thing on bloods was potassium levels were slightly low.
Could be because of "dawn phenomenon ". A rise in cortisol towards the end of our sleep makes the blood sugar rise a bit. This is an evolutionary hangover from when we had to go out and catch or gather our breakfast from somewhere further away than the cupboards - providing extra energy for this task.
I would prioritise stress reduction both in your face and those subconscious ones that are there on your mind even though you don't think of them often. The connection being having a meal relaxes the mind as it is pleasurable (hopefully!) and leaving it too long between meals the mind/stress level could be increasing as the 'need food alarm' goes. Just a thought.
Thanks. Its such a puzzle to identify a trigger isn't it ? I've been through some stressful times that don't trigger an episode & then I seem to be in a good place & relaxed & episode arrives seemingly 'out of the blue' !
My take on this is there is too much stress. This causes too bigger gap between busy and when you relax. To rectify this, reduce stress and then when you do get chance to relax do it slowly rather than dropping into a chair with your favourite drink and TV programme or into bed. In the early days, I found I had to do some light chores in the evening before I could sit down.
it’s true ! All of the trials and the researches can’t figure out exact reason for those extra chaotic beats! It could be some issues in sympathetic nerve structure and/or in the atria tissue .( I have found in some reports)The Afib isn’t treatable . But somehow preventive wth medications.( Think about side effects for kidney function with the time).looks like no winning.
I find exactly this. I've read that an empty stomach lowers blood sugar and that can cause ectopic beats which themselves can trigger fibrillation; a full stomach or intestinal gas and constipation can also cause palpitations and be a trigger, as I also find.
Steve
Yes! I thought it was just me dealing with this trigger. I have searched and searched online for information on this and can't find anything on it. Also I have horrible acid reflux and if It gets to bad it also throws me into AF. I just assume since the gut is an important part of our health that it was related.
I believe that empty stomach is better for me. Of course not for a day. But full stomach is provoke Af. The smal portion 4-5 times a day including snacks works better
TALKING about AF, I wander how people feel after outbreak! I usually take Bisoprolol and Flecainide, if HR going high. It helps in an hour or more to lower HR , but it makes me feel tired and weak. Moreover, for a while I feel pain in the upper chest left side.
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