Hi all, I've suffered episode's of AF for the last ten years or so, currently on 10mg Bisoprolol and 10 mg Apixaban, episode usually lasts for 22hrs or so.Last appointment with the cardiologist was three weeks ago whereby they suggested I should get a new pair of glasses and look at life differently as AF probably won't kill me, then referred me back to the GP.
I have a couple of comments for the group, if anyone has more information I would be very grateful.
1) At times my stomach continually fills up with wind extending my stomach and even with continually belching I'm unable to relieve the symptoms, this then leads to an AF episode, anyone else experience this situation and if so any suggestions for preventing it?
2) Has anyone been able to reduce the AF episode duration by trying various things?
Thanks for reading!
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FedupwithAF
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I would take a look at the Fodmap Diet online to see if that can help cure your wind problem.
These are all the tips I’ve saved over the years, given by forum members, for stopping AF:
I am a therapist in private practice for over 20yrs.One of my therapies is yoga based. Having quite an accurate knowledge of anatomy, neurology and physiology also having PAF I have found this technique helps me immensely when my heart is fluttering like crazy. Make yourself comfortable either on a bed or lying on the floor, position a pillow under you head, Raise your left arm in an extension position as if you are doing the backward crawl. Stretch as much as you can and imagine that it is stretching your heart muscle...I bend my arm and position my hand under my head palm upwards.. Stay in that position for as long as you can or until the fluttering subsides...At the same time I think of something pleasant. It does not matter what you think about as long as it is a pleasant thought for you. This stops my heart jumping about almost instantly....I also place my right hand over my heart area...Don't panic and just keep calm thinking pleasant thoughts....I do hope this helps you. Kind Regards. C
As someone else who finds yoga breathing and some positions helpful, I would love to try (xxxx) suggestion, but lying down flat tends to make things worse for me. My most helpful position, taught me by a lovely yoga teacher, is based on a yoga forward bend. I sit up with my legs outstretched in front of me and a pillow under my knees, and then bend forward from the hips not the waist, with my arms relaxed but outstretched towards my ankles, and breath deeply and slowly. It's not so good on a full stomach and is more comfortable with your knees slightly apart, and I guess you have to be a bit flexible to find it comfortable, but it has proved to be a great help.
I agree with (xxxx) that staying calm and focusing on something pleasant is a must, and I've even fallen asleep like this as most of my episodes occur at night. All the best Liz
Finally, like AV nodal re-entry, some people have recurrent rapid rhythms that are infrequent and easy to self-control by using various methods to increase neural slowing to the AV node (so-called, "vagal manoeuvres"). Using these manoeuvres, one can sometimes stop the arrhythmia. These manoeuvres include:
Bearing down forcefully like you're having a bowel movement for 5-10 seconds, then slowly exhaling in the neck while lying down for approximately 5 seconds
Placing very cold (soaked in ICE water) cloth on the face abruptly.
Coughing forcefully
Rubbing the carotid artery (only one side at a time, never both).
There's a yoga breathing exercise that has worked for me before. Lie on your back, bend your knees up so they are above your hips and your lower legs are at 90 degrees. Take a breath in for a count of 4 then breathe out for a count of at least 8. As you breathe out, bring your knees into your chest so you curl into a ball. When you think you've got all the air out of your lungs, try and breathe out more! Breathe in again for 4 and release your legs out to the starting position. Repeat several times. It helps to reset the diaphragm and focus should be on a good long out-breath.
So, after discovering that making myself sneeze stops Afib. I have discovered another novel way to stop an attack. It involves drinking a litre bottle of water while holding my nose. It's especially effective if I experience almost panic as I can't get a breath. I don't always finish the bottle but find that's not always necessary to gain the desired effect. Works especially well if I catch an attack early. Kenny
A quarter teaspoon of sea salt mixed with 10 ounces of warm water. drink that and then put a smaller amount on your hand and lick it off. Within a minute my afib stops.
This may sound like a "wind up" but believe me it works, for me anyway.
Hi Jean. I was a yoga teacher before I retired and can see why these manoeuvres would work. It’s about breathing, relaxing and not panicking. When I get an episode usually when I’m in bed, I prop myself up with pillows and slowly sip one or two glasses of water whilst breathing deeply and slowly and my mantra is:- “ I am controlling you (as if speaking to my AF) you are not controlling me. “. As I breathe out, I use force to empty my lungs and concentrate in that moment to take my thoughts deep down into my abdomen. This exercise does help me enormously and I usually fall asleep in the process and when I wake up, it’s gone. Thank you for explaining your sequences Jean. I’m sure that taking your mind off AF and concentrating on any one of these will help. 🐝
Hi Jeannie, I’m late to the party as usual - always been slow! Just read your reply, and it’s very interesting. It’s always struck me that trying to catch and stop an AF episode is like trying to stop an attack of hiccups - which I used to get a lot when I was younger, and still do occasionally. In my experience, hiccups can be stopped if caught and tackled absolutely immediately. Otherwise, once they get hold, I just have to sit out the misery till they’re done with me.
I also didn’t know that you’re knowledgeable about yoga. I only took up yoga five years ago, when I was off work for a time with stress-related PAF. Now I’m retired, I can go to classes five times a week, if I’m not ill. But one thing I’ve noticed is that any of the upside down poses, like Plough or shoulder stands will trigger my AF almost instantly - anything where the heart is higher than the head. It’s disappointing, as I used to be quite good at those poses - for my age! None of the yoga teachers I’ve spoken to about it seem to be at all aware of this possibility. Does this make any sense to you? Nowadays I just know what poses to avoid, and do what works for me.
Sadly I'm not an expert on yoga. All the tips above as I've said in my post have been given by members of this forum. Like you I've practised yoga at times throughout my life. One of my most vivid memories of doing it was turning up for our weekly yoga class and being told our teacher had died suddenly.
I was first diagnosed with paroxysmal AF in Jan 2010, aged 65. By September 2011 I had well and truly associated the onset of an AF event with food I'd eaten. My rebellious gut provided me with the following issues .... massive, massive and painful bloating, diahorrea, burping and very loud intestinal gurgling - quite antisocial ! It would be the bloating that would kick me off with an AF event. These never occurred at the same time together- all differently BUT the bloating was a nightmare.
My GP had blood tests done for IBS and Coeliac Disease - all came back OK. Then I consulted a Private Nutritionist. She prescribed a dose of Probiotics and followed that with going gluten, wheat and oats free. It was slow going but I modified my diet to embrace these things. She also suggested I keep a food diary - like errr - cause and effect. This I did and found there was a wide range of food, fruit and veg that would give me problems. I did her bidding BUT maintained my medication..... Ramipril, Felodopine, Simvastatin, Bisoprolol (until early August 2023 when I changed to Nebivolol) and Warfarin.
It was a long, slow, challenging slog over the years but now aged 79, I just can't remember my last AF event - at least 18 months ago, but maybe as long as 4 years ago. Just can't remember. I still follow the Nutritionists recomendations but have been able to return to some foods that I'd given up on years ago. I still maintain my medication.
On the issue of medication I do not subscribe, nor have my healthcare professionals subscribed to the modern philosophy of 'Pill in the Pocket'. I had AF and to tame this wild beast in my chest I'll have the meds every day for life. That said I am fortunate to be able to tolerate all that I've been prescribed. Taking the meds daily for life seems to be a winner.
Hi John,Thank you for taking the time to reply and the interesting observations from your experience with the AF monster, there's some food for thought there, no pun intended!
Some good suggestions but here is a really simple one which is very effective to relieve trapped wind - sip warm/hot water after eating, don’t drink water before eating and never drink iced or cold water.
The food/symptom diary is the only way yo will find any particular food and probiotics may help but prebiotics will help gut. SIBO is another cause of trapped wind which can be cleared, often with a course of antibiotics but it is notoriously difficult to diagnose although there are tests. Adapting what you eat also helps. You may find this article helpful: healthline.com/health/sibo#...
Tracking down the cause of your particular symptom can be tedious and take time but it is possible with effort, tracking and trial and error and seeing a good nutritionist or Lifestyle doctor who will take the time and do the test so that you can know with some certainty what is the most likely cause.
~How insensitive of your Cardiologist to make those comments when clearly you are experiencing difficulty in many areas.
I know I would be inclined to change my Cardiologist - intermittent discomfort and suffering not an option in my book when some solutions can be discovered.
The group have all made wonderful suggestions of which I could do no further justice apart from saying I have implemented most of the suggestions with great results apart from the yoga.
Wishing you well peeling back the onion layers (tho to speak) revealing what will possibly work and what may not~
A gassy stomach seems a common thing to accompany AF. I also often get discomfort under my left rib or diaphragm area and have a small hiatus hernia but I never know whether it’s the stomach or the heart that brings on the feelings. I feel pretty sure that heart issues can cause gastric discomfort and windiness, too.
My doctor used to say the problem was gastric but since my arrhythmia began he’s less sure. I wish I knew!
Hi. I agree with Megams. Your situation sounds very similar to mine. I am 69 and was diagnosed with PAF about 10 years ago yet my cardiologist offered ablation and PIP medication more or less straight away. Yours sounds very insensitive if not downright rude telling you to go away and stop moaning effectively. My first cardiologist was a prat and told me I would eventually die and made me cry. I now have a great cardiologist and have had an ablation which so far is going well. If you can afford it, go privately if you can't get a new cardiologist on the NHS. I looked this up only yesterday and cardiac ablation would cost around £12,000 but even just a consultation costing about £300 could put you on an NHS waiting list with a more caring EP cardiologist. I don't normally agree with queue jumping but your health is very important, especially your heart, and with the way things are going I think being seen privately can be justified
I agree that your cardiologist was very rude. When I described my difficulty with climbing stairs and breathlessness to one cardiologist he told me to buy a bungalow! With the burping and wind I find that in my case walking about and burping helps ease the AF..
On talking about breathlessness I was told everyone got breathless. I decided not to try and explain that it was not the same kind of breathlessness, even strongly sucking in air took a long time to stop feeling as if I am passing out.
Hi I suffer from wind and bloating which is much worse since I started taking apixaban I'm thinking about going on to warfarin to see if it helps did you suffer from wind before starting with apixaban
Hi Richard, yes the ,at risk of AF, danger time is after eating, I must admit the issue of wind has become worse after taking Apixaban so warfarin is a consideration thank you.
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Question about paroxysmal AF- does your heart feel very settled for a few days after an episode of AF has terminated?
Gastric issues and AF
Strange pre-AF Feeling
Af and wheat/gluten
