Triggers for. A f

[trixie100]

If you have a trigger for a f such as alcohol or chocolate, how soon after consumption would an attack start, has anyone had any experiences of this?

[BobD Volunteer]

We are all different and that is pretty much an impossible question to answer. Before I was diagnosed alcohol was a trigger for whatever I was getting and the slightest trace set me of instantly.

That said as my EP told me looking for triggers is the way to madness. You have AF you will have AF end of story. Avoiding known triggers may well not stop AF in other words.

[Hidden]

Hiya trixie100,

For me - until I got my diet under control, it was my evening meal. So, if I had my meal between 6 and 7 pm AF would mug me around 2 am, so thats 8 to 9 hours later. Sometimes an AF event would last 4 hours often 15 or so. Didn't happen after every meal, depends what I had eaten, if it was a food that I was intolerant to or even allergic to that's what happened. Other foods didn't bother me. The food simply aggravated/inflamed the vagal nerve which caused me to bloat, quite intense, under left lower ribs ( best I can describe) and put very, very painful pressure on heart. sometimes the bloating was so severe it was as if I had a garage air line pump up my gut instead of my car tyres. Many occasions I could see and feel my gut inflate. Horrible.

John

[123hi in reply to Hidden]

Hi Carneuny , interesting comments sounds just like my AF , you stated that you had this prior to having your diet under control, the interesting thing is what food did you change under your new diet, thanks for your sharing.

[Threecats]

Hi Trixie, like Carneuny, some food triggers for me will cause an episode about 8 -9 hours later, so spicy food, one of my triggers, eaten for my evening meal would cause an episode in the small hours. I also notice that certain foods will cause a more immediate reaction in the form of fast heart rate and/ or ectopics, so I’ve been keeping a food diary to help track those. Chocolate and caffeine top the list🙄 Never mind, I always did prefer veg and decaf tea it says here😄Happy New year and good luck in your research!

[AussieHeart]

Doesn’t give a time but someone here shared this video which I found interesting: m.youtube.com/watch?v=XtW7_...(Not working as expected?)

[Setschan in reply to AussieHeart]

Super video , thank you for sharing

[needlestone]

Mine are pretty much immediate.

[Bigandy]

For mental stress AF is frequently immediate.

[Leechg]

Hi, I found chocolate would set me off within half an hour. Alcohol is the following morning. But not everytime.

[Japaholic]

The thing is you never know, I can drink beer and be ok, another time I drink beer and it’s a clear trigger.

[dunestar]

My reaction seems to be pretty much immediate especially with alcohol. I'm not at all sure how it works because I would have thought there has to be some time for the substance to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

[LouBrig]

My triggers appear to be: exhaustion, dehydration, caffeine, dark chocolate and peanut butter. Food impact appears around 5/6 hours later. As Bob said finding answers is a road to madness. Sometimes I’ve had an attack and can’t pin point anything. I guess my body warning me and so this year I’m going to loose some weight and exercise more!

[momist]

I simply don't believe in 'triggers'. Yes, some people have things that they believe will set off their AF, and maybe just the anxiety about it will make it happen. I've never found a reliable thing that will set me off.

[Thomas45]

Hi Trixie100, happy new year. I had bad bouts of AF if I are too much soya based products, or if I drank coffee, even decaffeinated coffee. I am sure it is not caffeine but something more coffee related. I can drink cola, and tea without any problems. I can also drink alcohol, but don't drink much or often I don't eat large meals. I have gone off meat, so my meals are mainly vegetarian or pescetarian.

I love dark chocolate, and it helped greatly when I had Polymyalgia Rheumatica.

[pusillanimous]

I wonder if anyone else finds that having a frightening dream triggers Af - I have Asymptomatic PAV, but occasionally I wake in the morning in the middle of a dream, usually about heights as I am petrified of them, I cannot even watch a scene on TV involving them and must be one of the few people who have visited Victoria Falls and could not bear to look at them, I feel jittery, and when I check my pulse it is irregular and my HR is in the 90s, taking an anti- anxiety pill usually settles it, but if not I take 125mg Bisoprolol, which I try to avoid as it lowers my BP too much.

[cherrypicker in reply to pusillanimous]

Interesting as when my paroxysmal af was bad before cryoballoon ablation I believe it triggered me having a dream fuelled by adrenaline ie being chased dropped from a great height etc I would then wake breathing heavily and heart pounding and in af think brain responds due to af and acts as a warning to wake you

[Hcoe in reply to pusillanimous]

My heart has been more sensitive since my Vaccine. After watching a scary movie, I woke up in a scary dream with Afib. This was a new trigger. I blame the vaccine.

[pusillanimous in reply to Hcoe]

This has been happening to me before the vaccine, but fortunately not too often. Being chased around Swiss mountains is no fun!!!!

[Snowgirl65]

Wine would trigger mine exactly 5 hours after my last sip. Without fail. And almost exactly to the minute!

[Tomred]

boxing day afib kicked off 15 minutes into a hot whiskey ,but ive seen it happen the next morning after a drink

[luvthebeach]

My husband has had afib for years. Every time he was cardio verted, if he drank alcohol, he would immediately go back into Afib. After 6 cardio versions he had an ablation. It did not work, and he is in permanent afib, and has quit drinking alcohol. Alcohol was a definite trigger for his afib.

[cherrypicker]

It varies and is unpredictable sometimes caffeine does it and sometimes alcohol I avoid both I have recently been diagnosed with an under active thyroid have been on medication for 3 weeks now and I am feeling much better cardiologist said that upset in thyroid either under or over active can cause af I started on a dose of 50 micrograms but this caused u guessed it af/ palpitations so reduced to 25 mags and I’m fine makes me wonder if that has been the trouble in th past and wasn’t diagnosed??

[samjam1]

SamJ

Coffee - after about 20 minutes.

[secondtry]

Cold fizzy drink immediate.