Afib and gut

[cloudbreaker]

Does anybody have any experience with Afib in relation to gut symptoms Microbiom-Dysbiose / Histamin Intolerance? All theser things are controlled by the Vagusnerve but I havent found anybody yet that looks at all those things at a macro level. Thanky you for your comments.

[BobD Volunteer]

It is common knowledge here that for some people the vagus nerve can trigger AF but then so can lots of things if your are so pre-disposed . I can think of several members who have greatly reduced their AF burden by careflul attention to diet and gut health.

[Hidden]

Hi, In the context of the condition you refer to .... no!

However, in the context of general food consumption I have had to seek advice from Nutritionists and going on a course of probiotics and diet ( gluten free, wheat free, oats free amongst a shedload of other stuff too ) I have largely ( but not totally) stayed AF free. Oddly enough, this Christmas has food wise been the worst I have had for decades and I have just about ceased eating any Christmas type products.

Generally though I still remain mostly AF free. Keep the vagal nerve calm, keeps the heart 💖 calm.

John

[CDreamer]

There is loads of evidence about this - see Zoe App & work of Prof Tim Spectre - see Dr Gupta’s videos but as everyone reacts SO differently. I’ve also posted many links to doctors all over the world looking at this.

I was taught by my GP who is well into gut biome & reactions, as was my consultant but it seems I fell on my feet with these connections as I know many people who report reactions are dismissed by medics.

Like John I saw a Nutritionist who works with my consultant who did extensive testing, discovered 3 ‘bad’ bacterial overgrowths, prescribed several supplements based on garlic and tannins which killed off the bad bacteria and and by adjusting my eating plan, 4 small meals rather than 3 larger ones, cutting carbs, increasing green leafy veg & taking 3 types of fermented foods daily. I’ve maintained the regime & can now tolerate some dairy, meat and gluten. Couldn’t take any of them without reacting & heart going mad for over a year.

You will need to pay for nutrition advice and testing - cost for me 4-5 years ago totalled about £1k.

Without accurate testing you are just guessing and that just doesn’t work. Most of the blood tests I got through my GP - but that’s only because they are dual trained Lifestyle Doctor & she could give good reason to Surgery Manager.

[cloudbreaker in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you for the detailed reply. I agree with you in all the points. However here in Austria I have been through many doctors and spent ther amount of a small car already but havent found anybody whois an expert in nutrition, microbiome and its connection to the rest of the body. Several Gastroenterologists that I have consulted waved all the Microbiome Tests of mine of the table without even looking at them. Do you have an expert on your list that is in Austria? Thanks

[Ppiman in reply to cloudbreaker]

Sadly, and truly frustratingly, the same happens here in the UK. There is some kind of intellectual separation of specialisms that seems to lead to a cardiologist having no real interest in the cause of the arrhythmia he is treating, and a gastroenterologist vice versa.

I have no idea myself that the gut biome is, in and of itself, important, but who knows? My own belief is that the cause is physical rather than chemical or biological, as I say - a touching of the heart by the diaphragm, setting off an arrhythmia such as ectopy, tachycardia or AF.

Steve

[cloudbreaker in reply to Ppiman]

Definetly! I have loads of ectopy ( extra beatds inbetween?) all day long, ( measure them always through the apple watch and record them) especially after having had breakfast, bowel movement or food in general. The probability of ectopy is higher when eaten a lot. Havent had any AFIB though from them, they mstly happened in the eveniung, night or shortly before falling asleep. But talking to anybody about this connection is as useless as the microbiom. Its devastating having all the data but nobody to consult....

[CDreamer]

PS - I didn’t have any problem with Histomine so haven’t looked into that side but shouldn’t be too difficult to find someone who work’s holistically to advise.

[CDreamer]

PPS - you might find this blog useful - I think Dr Bogle was a speaker at a Patient Group some time ago. - richardbogle.com/blog/vagal...

As Histamine is a regulator of ANS what you suggest makes sense but thinking about it - histamine is also an inflammatory regulator. I find inflammation the biggest antagonist for AF so, gut inflammation causes leaky gut so gut health really is most important.

[Diddyd]

I have had tests done for these things and then prescribed a personalised plan which includes lifestyle tweaks; diet and supplementation. I accessed this through a functional medicine practitioner.

Some of the tests can be ordered by the practitioner and come straight to your home for you to carry out and send off, so it has been easy to do during the pandemic when you maybe reducing contact with people or you are using a practitioner that is not local via Zoom etc.

It is expensive and results can take a bit of time. But I looked at it as an investment in my life for longevity and to have a better quality of life with optimal health. To me that was worth it.

You can look for practitioners via the IFM website.

ifm.org/find-a-practitioner/

You can find a lot of information for yourself by trawling the internet and through free webinars but it is knowing how to apply it and it is really time consuming. Also you cannot access testing without a practitioner. But it could be a start.

Some of the people I have found useful are Chris Kresser; Tom O Bryan; Jay Davidson; Jack Wolfson the paleo cardiologist; Terry Wahls; Dr Chatterjee; The Doctors Kitchen; Stephen Porges; Gabor Mate. There are many more but once you start digging, there is so much out there. It can be a bit overwhelming but there are commonalities to their information. I then just pick what I feel is relevant and apply it along with my functional doctor recommendations.

I am a Biologist and avid researcher so it suits me to look into all these things to understand how the body works. 🙄😊

Hope you find something useful to get started.

[Ppiman]

I think that there is a physical aspect that is much more likely to trigger heart arrhythmias. This occurs when the stomach is pushed upwards by a bloated bowel or by the presence in it of food, air or gas. Also, if a hiatus hernia is present, the left diaphragm or other muscles can become irritated, again causing the heart to be irritated.

I get tachycardia, ectopic beats abs occasional AF from my, quite small, sliding hiatus hernia.

Steve

[kocoach in reply to Ppiman]

I Agree Wholeheartedly and there is a lot of scientific studies done in the past ten years that is validating this fact.

[Ppiman in reply to kocoach]

Would you have any links to this, please as I haven't been able to find very much to show my doctor.

Steve

[kocoach in reply to Ppiman]

Easiest way is to go on-line. Just put in can diet (overeating) cause afib episodes, you'll be amazed at the results.