We are all looking for AFib causes and triggers. I recently had a successful ablation and since noticed it also seemed to fix an issue with food getting stuck in my esophagus sometimes. I know they put a tube down there during the ablation to monitor the temperature and prevent injury to the esophagus.
It got me wondering if the esophagus physically pushing on the heart was a root cause for my AFib. I tried virtually every supplement and mineral to get rid of my permanent AFib before the ablation. Nothing budged it. What made it worse to the point of passing out was getting food stuck.
If true, it opens avenues to prevent and mange AFib like elevating your head while sleeping and not eating before sleeping.
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Shace
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That's interesting to hear as I'm having an x-ray on my throat and chest tomorrow, as food is getting stuck and it makes me ache and I have to sick it up down the toilet. It won't go down by drinking water either I can't eat or drink when it happens. I've had 3 ablations and am now in constant AF between 70-90ish.
Are you having a barium swallow? Plain xrays won't necessarily show esophageal abnormalities. Hope you can get this resolved. Sounds to me that you may need an upper GI endoscopy to get a diagnosis. Best, etheral
My first ablation stopped the banging of my heart in my chest when I walked up hills. I had no idea that other people's hearts didn't do that. It did nothing for my AF though. My second was no help at all, but after my third (in 2016) I immediately felt a lot better, though AF attacks persisted. I'm now in constant AF at a resting rate of 70-90ish and fairly happy to stay this way, though I was told recently that I have a slightly enlarged heart.
My heart does that too when I go from a resting position to vigorous exercise with no warmup. Hate it because I feel like I may not recover and may have a heart attack. What causes that and how does ablation help?
All straightforward, results will go to my GP at some stage. I had an MRI on my pelvis this week too - that's the one I'm more worried about. I see consultant re that in two weeks.
Best of luck with the tests - hope they find out whats causing it and that its easy to rectify. I think I may be begining to go that way to - allways struggling to get tablets down and occassionally food getting stuck its not good.
I had an ablation about 6 years ago and have 2 AF episodes since. Both times when having ice pass by my esophagus. First time I was laying on my back on sofa whilst eating a lolly and second time whilst drinking some iced water when on holiday abroad So it may well be connected to the esophagus in my particular case?
Colutd, I don't know the mechanism but that sounds similar to what I experienced even though I was already in Afib. Could be the esophagus spasming enough to contact the heart or the electricity from the esophagus jumping to the heart.
I have had Achalasia for over 20 years, my oesophagus doesn’t work correctly and food often sticks resulting in me having to regurgitate it. I am having my first ablation this week and will be interested if it can ease both my conditions.
Lbeat796, thanks for that. Perhaps there is not enough room between the esophagus and the heart for some of us.
Whenever I would get ectopics or tachycardia runs, at one point I started trying to use antacids and anti-gas meds. I was not really getting any heart burn or any reflux - no obvious signs I needed antacids - but after I read someone had found that GERD was the cause of their Afib and since they've treated it they've been Afib free, I decided to give it a go. Every. Single. Time. One or two tums or a pepcid complete - would stop my ectopics and I then never progressed to Afib. Now I am controlling diet, chewing my food more, not eating close to bed time, etc, and I've been able to avoid the antacids and stay afib and ectopic free.
Seems clear to me that for some of us there is a direct link to our esophagus, and/or digestive system in general. I've had ectopics/tachycardia/afib show up due to constipation as well.
Thanks Aoxomoxoa, it is great to have your perspective. I spent a lot of effort pursuing minerals and amino acids to no avail before my ablation. Now I think I will pay a lot more attention to GERD like you are doing in hopes of turning things around.
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