Hi all. I have paroxysmal Afib . Had flutter line ablation and am waiting for Afib ablation. Since the ablation I have had 2 episodes. Both were around 105 bpm and all over the place rhythm wise.. however that’s a big improvement as is the fact that after using flecainide pip it went back to normal rhythm after 48hrs.
However, after each episode since the ablation I have had terrible diahhorea. Am I just imagining a link?
Thanks all!
No I had that too. Pretty sure mine was vagal AF and Flutter, linked to the guts.Best wishes
Thanks for the speedy reply. Helps to know I’m not going mad.
No definitely not imagining it! In fact before my ablation, if I went into AF/AFL I'd have immodium on stand by.Hope you get your op soon
You’re not alone!
Yes - that was the bane of my life after AF episodes and made me scout out the source of a loo when I went shopping - just in case.
Same for me - but during the episodes
Are you taking an anticoagulant? I remember the first one I was prescribed came with dreadful diarrhoea and the next one came with constipation! Now I take Flecainide regularly I’ve stopped taking any as I only get very occasional very short episodes I have stopped taking them as the flecainide itself, messes up my digestion too, as well as keeping my heart in order! I can’t help thinking it must be something added to the active drugs to make more profits for the pharmacology industry! Hope you manage to solve your problem soon.
Hi
Also had it after ablation; felt like I had developed IBS. Consultant said ablations can irritate the vagal nerve as it runs close behind the heart and that it would resolve within 3 to 6 months and it has! So possibly expect it again after the next ablation ? Tell your consultant do he/she knows for the next one? Good luck
It is a very common vagal reaction to the cardiac arrhythmia.
It's not uncommon or surprising.It could, of course , occur for some because of the stomach reaction to medication.
But it is more likely one of a number of incidental post AF symptoms that can occur after your autonomic nervous system has reacted to the AF event. After the heart rate reduces the ANS can cause a relaxation in nerve control in various parts of the body before the system is balanced again. This relaxation effect can cause the digestive system and sphincters to relax causing diarrhea or a variation in the shape of stools.
Thank you, that’s really helpful.
I have had similar situations, but have come to the conclusion that the GI upset leading to the diarrhea was in fact what triggered the afib episode, and once I relieved myself of the lower GI problem, the afib attack resolved! I'm not sure the timelines of mine are the same as your's, but that has been my experience, on multiple occassions.
JimF
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