Afib, alcohol and caffeine!

[Motov]

I’m interested in peoples Afib triggers, specifically how you are with alcohol and caffeine? I can honestly say that two to three cups of coffee and a couple of pints of beer a day don’t appear to cause me any issues? What does, however is late eating, over eating and any kind of indigestion! Without fail, eat late or eat a little too much and bang, full Afib shortly after going to bed or shortly after waking. Also, bizarrely, eating fish or too much pastry?? I think my stressors are all vagal induced but do also get the odd stress induced break through?

[PlanetaryKim]

What you just described is classic vagal afib. I am like you in that regard (although have not been having afib since i began the ivermectin protocol for something else last year). For me, caffeine is never a trigger, exercise is never a trigger. Always it was eating too much then relaxing in recliner after and/or bloating and /or indigestion - all of which put pressure on vagus nerve. Or relaxing after strenuous exercise (which raises vagal tone).

For vagal afibbers like us, anything that would reduce vagal tone and increase adrenergic tone could help - ie, exercise, cold shock, even caffeine. There are some vagal afibbers who say a strong cup of coffee will often convert them to NSR. I have more than once had my vagal afib end by doing strenuous exercise in the cold - once lifting arms over head to fix gutters in winter, and once a brisk walk in winter breathing icy air.

[secondtry in reply to PlanetaryKim]

Thanks Kim, that's a couple more on the list to try stopping AF naturally as and when needed! The two I have used to date successfully have been a cold drink gulped down and listening to a steady heartbeat on YouTube. Incidentally,I have just started taking Ivermectin prophylactically 12mgs (as I am 76kg) every 2 weeks, no issues - hopefully won't be needed for much longer. Best wishes.

[PlanetaryKim in reply to secondtry]

it will sure be interesting to see if ivermectin also has ability to end your afib as it seems to have done with mine. How frequently do you normally experience an afib episode?

[secondtry in reply to PlanetaryKim]

It would be great if it helped keep AF away along with my other lifestyle changes but I take it as a precaution against Covid as only had 2 very short AF episodes in the last 8 years.

I am not suggesting others should try IVM but I can see how it might work for some by reducing gastric issues which if exceeded in total from various causes can pressure the Vagus Nerve and start an AF episode.

[Motov in reply to secondtry]

Sounds interesting, where does one obtain Ivermectin from? I’m keen to try anything to reduce my Afib episodes!

[secondtry in reply to Motov]

You would need to check with your medics first who know your situation best. More information from bird-group.org covid19criticalcare.com

[Tomred in reply to PlanetaryKim]

hi planetary kim great to hear you are still in good shape following ivermectin ,how much and how often do you take it, do you know is there a certain type of ivermectin to take and do you know if its available in uk and whereabouts thanks

[PlanetaryKim in reply to Tomred]

I am taking 12 mg ivermectin as a single dose once every 2 weeks. And I weigh 60 kg. The formula for covid prophylaxis and also for most parasite applications (so this is not a high dose) is 0.2 mg ivermectin per kilogram body weight.

As for availability in UK, I don't know. It can be difficult to acquire now because of the politics around it. Many users, to be honest, use veterinary versions... which doctors acknowledge is the same active ingredient. Nevertheless, that's not something doctors will advocate. (Feel free to message me if you want.)

I should say though that I am going to try to halt the ivermectin again, and see if my afib returns again. The reason I would like to get off it is because I wonder if long-term occasional use could disrupt gut microbiome. Ivermectin, although prescribed as an anti-parasitic drug, is also anti-bacterial against H pylori, Staph, tuberculosis, and some other bacteria it has been successfully used on. So I worry about it affecting the "good" bacteria we rely on in our gut microbiome.

However when I halted October 30, I had my first afib episode of many months 5 weeks later... which would have been after the ivermectin had left all cells in my body, including heart muscle cells. So I think my afib returned because there was no longer any ivermectin in my heart muscle cells, where it increases mitochondrial ATP production (published study shows this). I think the increased energy in each heart muscle cell helps stabilizes the heartbeat and strength of beat and prevents afib that way - or at least prevents MY afib. Might not prevent everyone's.

So I am once more going to go off the IVM and see if the afib returns.

Ivermectin is an extremely safe drug with a virtually pristine safety record after 4 billion doses administered to humans worldwide in last 35 years. However if taking it with warfarin, the warfarin dose needs to be adjusted. So it's important to check for conflicts with any other drugs before trying ivermectin. I talked to several pharmacists before I took first dose.

[Daddyrabbit in reply to PlanetaryKim]

Hi Kim, glad to hear ivermectin is still working for Afib. Ever since you mentioned this last year I decided to start experimenting with it. So I purchased 12 mg tablets. One example 4 weeks ago I had an episode that lasted two weeks. I then Took one tablet and within a couple of hours Afib was gone. It’s going on two weeks now since I took the tablet. I’ve only had very short episodes 10 to 20 seconds it tries to start but immediately stops. I have been doing these experiments for eight months now and there is no doubt that ivermectin has some kind of control over Afib. It’s been a game changer for me. I can’t thank you enough for sharing that information. God bless

[PlanetaryKim in reply to Daddyrabbit]

Wow! That is great news!!!! I am thrilled to hear someone else is having this heart-stabilizing effect from ivermectin! In theory it should be possible because the ivermectin does increase the mitochondrial ATP production in cardiomyocytes (heart muscles cells). So glad to hear this!

[Lyndylan]

Mine is triggered by alcohol. If I have more than a couple of glasses of wine, I get a full blown episode. I had it all Friday bright and Saturday morning after a boozy party this weekend.it was really bad and I’m still feeling exhausted. I know I should give up alcohol completely really.

[Hidden]

Once i got A-Fib I didn't touch alcohol anymore. Coffee doesnt bother me at all. I love my coffee! But I am similar in that every a-fib episode was triggered by some indigestion, or eating too much. One time ice cream brought it on, another time it was a cheese pizza. Both instances were late at night. I havent had an episode in over two years though, not sure why but I am not complaining! I have been watching what I eat so that is maybe why. It is interesting what everyone's triggers are.

[Geoffa1]

Motov,Having had afib sneak up on me and after my first diagnosis I was spent some time trying to analyse my triggers. I could find no direct and specific link to alcohol and or caffeine.

My triggers seemed to be aligned with dehydration, fatigue and salty foods.

After a pacemaker was installed and I moved from my anecdotal observation I was able to accurately see exactly when I was in afib.

There seemed to be only one consistent marker, most occurred at night during sleep and were all over the place in duration.

The question of alcohol, it took me a long time to appreciate, or move from denial is not so much a trigger rather the cause of the re mapping that causes the mischievous electrical signals. Hence an ablation.

I still enjoy a tipple, I also am trying hard to get down to the no more than 10 std drinks a week.

I guess my hard learned lesson is maybe focus on alcohol not as a trigger rather as a major cause.

I tell you what I am not letting afib be a party pooper in my life, rather causing me to change how I party.

[Geoffa1]

Motov,I even avoided a champagne to celebrate the Ashes outcome in Hobart!

[Motov in reply to Geoffa1]

😂🤣

[AussieHeart in reply to Geoffa1]

So glad Tassie got a look in for the cricket … hope it becomes a regular fixture.

[TracyAdmin Partner]

AF is a very individual condition and triggers can vary from person to person, you may find the information on pages 8-9 helpful, highlighting the importance of healthy eating in our 'AF and You' booklet. To download, visit patient resources heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

booklet

[Thomas45]

In my case Soya products and not caffeine but something else in coffee. Alcoholism doesn't affect me, but I don't drink much. I bought one bottle of wine in the week before Christmas and it lasted to 15 January. I don't eat large meals, and what I do eat is predominately vegetarian.

[Kent2007]

Just to add my bit to the discussion - from being predominantly andregeneic when I started with PAF (2007), my episodes nowadays are mostly vagally-mediated (I know this thanks to you other Afibbers out there). I've decided that reasonable amounts of coffee (max 3 cups) has no effect on my AF. Alcohol can be a trigger but I don't consume more than 3 or 4 glasses of wine or two pints of beer over an evening. I've had occasions when a large/heavy/unhealthy meal has triggered an immediate response (usually what feel like ectopics). What does for me though is any of these (coffee/alcohol/late meal) after a day of proloned exercise. For me, this usually means a long walk in the mountains. That said, I was out walking for 7 hours yesterday, came home to a curry and lots of liquid (no coffee or alcohol) and had an AF-free night. It's all so unpredictable.