IBS with medication?

[tom0985]

Hi, I take 100mg Flecanide twice daily and 1.25mg bisoprolol once a day. Let 4-5 weeks my stomach has been rumbling and my bowel habits have loosened and changed and stomach often aches. I’ve been to doctors had a blood test which came back fine and no blood in stool test. Inflammation stool test looks to be slightly high (66 ug/g) but yet to discuss this with dr.

Has anyone else with AF struggled with stomach troubles or IBS or similar which they think may be linked to AF. If so - any advice or tips to ease stomach pain like this?

thanks

Tom

[Hidden]

Hiya Tom,

Yeah me ................ I was diagnosed with paroxysmal AF back in January 2010. After many months I found an AF event was triggered by food/ food ingredients ( but not various drinks).

So, by about 10 to 12 months into my journey I'd identify my symptoms as ..... burping, loud antisocial intestinal gurgling, diahorrea and very, very painful bloating. All of these were at random, never predicatable, never in any order and never after any particular meal. Of all this bag of lovelies its the bloating that was the worst and would actually trip me into AF. I spoke to my GP and he organised blood tests for IBS and Coeliac Disease but all tests came back clear.

After the tests I consulted a Nutrionist who took up my case and said go Gluten Free, wheat free and oats free. Also told me to keep a food diary .... cause and effect so to speak. Very, very slowly over a year or so I began to relate this to a dysfunctional vagal nerve. Google it ! also Google vagal nerve schematic diagram to show you how this affects the body. In effect the vagal nerve is like an information superhighway linking brain, heart and digestive system. In effect if the vagal nerve is damaged by food thus causing inflammation it can have an effect on the heart. It is a well known condition/freak show but not one universally acknowledged by GP's or Cardiologists ......... but more likely to be acknowledged by Gasteroenterologists.

Since my consultations with the nutritionist and developing a food diary I have widened the range of foods that aggravate the vagal nerve and over the years with the help of Mrs Carneuny I have eliminated many foods altogether. That said, in other cases I have been able to return to some foods that I abandoned years ago. Again, that said I now only get random events of AF a year, 3 to 5 events a year, some lasting 2 to 4 hours, others which wipe me out and guaranteed to destroy my quality of life last for up to 15 hours or more, then they disappear. This year so far only a couple of events of only a minor irritation. More trouble with osteoarthritic shoulder pain than with AF.

Hope this helps you understand yet another of the body's little challenges.

John

[tom0985 in reply to Hidden]

Hi John,

First off- thank you so much for taking the time to reply and go in to so much detail and explain your situation. It’s greatly appreciated.

Really intresting re vagal nerve. I have heard others on here mention it before. I’m going to learn more about it.

What seems different and a bit odd in my case - I was diagnosed with PAF in Nov last year with no causes found etc - I had no issues at least that I was aware of with my gut, felt perfectly fine but AF would just come on without any noticeable reason. I cut out most my caffeine in a day which has possibly helped. I too had AF at the start every 2 weeks lasting 2-3 hours. Since June (nearly 4 months) I havnt had any AF arise but in these last 4 weeks I’ve had all these gut issues rise and still no AF….maybe it’s on its way but I would of thought it would have reared it’s head by now if linked- unless the tablets are doing a great job.

My anxiety is making me think the worst with my stomach and makes me worry even more this creating more rumbling, bloating and frequent bowel movements!

I shall see what the doctor says but it sounds like could be IBS with ky inflammation tests coming back raised but I guess time will tell.

Tom

[Mugsy15 in reply to tom0985]

I too have the Arrythmias/IBS combo and an in no doubt whatsoever the two go hand in hand for many sufferers.

It's a regularly discussed subject on this forum.

For a few weeks after my cardioversion, during which my heart behaved impeccably, my IBS cleared up completely; an unexpected but very welcome bonus! Proof of the link for me.

PTSD and other causes of anxiety are known causes of cardiac arrythmias and gastric problems, along with insomnia, irritability, sweating and a host of other delights. Our bodies can become locked into persistent fight or flight mode. You may feel okay mentally most of the time, but to borrow a phrase from the professionals: 'your body keeps the score'.

You mention the word 'anxiety' and it may be worth you looking at that as a potential root cause, alongside your research into the Vagus nerve.

Good luck.

[tom0985 in reply to Mugsy15]

thanks that’s really good to know. Anxiety and working on that I have no doubt will benefit me. The fact my insides are playing having with me and making me anxious also but have had no AF still is slightly puzzling though

[RoyMacDonald]

I was diagnosed with IBS about 50 years ago and as I've aged it's got worse to the point that my GP recently started me on hyoscine butylbromide (Buscopan) 4 tablets a day which controls it. The tablets don't seem to affect my heart fortunately. And my IBS/ AF are more under control taking them. IBS does make my AF worse when the IBS is bad, but not always. I've had the AF for 2 years. I'm 78 now and very active.

All the best.

Roy

[tom0985]

Thanks Roy

[RAS54]

I have PAF. Have been taking Flecainide 50mg twice daily for 2years. I also only get a few incidents a year, the longest have only lasted an hour. Over the last two weeks I have developed a gurgling stomach. No previous history of IBS. Just to let you know you are not the only one suffering. Think that this is an uncommon side effect of Flecainide,

[Bagrat in reply to RAS54]

We're all different. I found once I started flecainide many years ago my bloat and abd symptoms improved. Cardiologist was unable to give a reason as not his specialty. Have had gastritis since but think that anxiety mediated.

[tom0985]

hi, thanks for your reply. Sorry to here you are experiencing the same. Have you been to see a doctor or just self diagnosing and hoping it passes?

[Dulcimer]

I have just increased my bisoprolol from 1.25 to 2.5 and am having stomach ache after taking it. I had no trouble with the lower dose.