Informal Survey for Afib Sufferers

[fibnum]

I have had to cut out many foods and drinks from my diet because of celiac disease and problems with trapped gas which were triggering my Afib. Solving my digestive issues has been very effective in also eliminating Afib episodes.

My "survey" question is:

Would you share with forum readers what foods and drinks you have had to cut from your diet in order to reduce your incidence of Afib?

Or, to phrase it differently: What foods and drinks do you believe were contributing to the incidence of Afib you have experienced? Do you have any info as to how and why they were related?

I am sure the answers are different for each of us, depending on related digestive issues, but I am particularly interested in those who have no special digestive problems but found that certain foods and drinks seemed to bring on Afib.

Thanks for any info you are willing to share. Much of this has probably been addressed previously, but I would hope to draw together a compilation of responses which allows us to compare notes with a range of responders and possibly see consistencies which might be helpful to all.

My foods and drinks avoided include:

Alcohol, soda, more than light amounts of caffeine, fizzy drinks, gluten, gas-producing vegetables and fruits, hard-to-digest foods such as brown rice, large meals and late-night eating. (This excessive restriction is mainly due to celiac disease, as stated before).

Fibnum

[BobD Volunteer]

It is well known that a more plant based diet with no alcohol. little caffeine amd no processed foods reduces AF burden. A good BMI (less than 26) alo benefits. Sweetners such as aspartame are to be avoided at all costs. Research in Australia showed much of this many years ago.

[jeanjeannie50]

You couldn't have brought this subject up at a better time.

My heart rate has been fine for quite a few years . A few weeks ago I had a fit of coughing while doing my voluntary work. A colleague gave me a few mints saying they were very small, so if I couldn't stop coughing, to suck one and then I'd still be able to talk to visitors.

I arrived early at my GP's surgery for an ECG yesterday and thought I'd have one of the mints. A little later as soon as I lay down for my ECG I could feel my heart thudding. I told the nurse that it wasn't normally like that and asked if she would also give me a copy of the results. My heart rate, which normally fluctuates between 60 and 90bpm (I've been in constant AF for around 4 years), was 120bpm on one print out and 130bpm on the second. The nurse went to show them to a GP and he came in to see me and advised upping my dose of the beta blocker Metoprolol.

Looking at the ingredients of the mints this morning online, I see that they contain artificial sweeteners which I know have always been a trigger for my AF. Hence I know to avoid them, but when I purchased them the print on the mint packet was too small to read.

Lesson learnt and I wont be eating them again!

Jean

[Hidden]

An interesting question. I was 68 when I was diagnosed with loan persistent AF and had retired from my “proper” job at 59. My job involved a lot of travelling, predominantly in the UK and to a much smaller degree in Europe, so spending around 3 nights away in cumfy hotels plus the temptations offered with buffet lunches all contributed to me being a bit overweight. Fortunately alcohol intake was low and not a problem.

When I retired, due to my wife’s cholesterol problems and me having to pay for it😂, things changed significantly, and coupled with more active lifestyle, it was more than a bit disappointing when almost 10 years later, I was diagnosed with AF. Apart from starving, there was little I could do to improve my diet but I did change to decaf coffee! I can recall one occasion when I had an icy cold fizzy drink and AF followed but nothing else. Anxiety and stress affects me more so I’m not sure this will contribute much to your survey but good luck……

[Autumn_Leaves]

I’ve changed nothing. I was an absolute goody-goody. Everything looked brilliant on paper, low BP, low cholesterol, low hbA1c, low BMI. I followed a plant based diet and still do, loads of veg, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts, hardly touched alcohol, etc etc, for all my adult life. I still developed AF.

[secondtry]

I have taken similar action to you. Also tonic water with quinine can be an issue, I used to drink a lot as can cold drinks...no ice or straight from the fridge particularly on a hot day.

[BenHall1]

I was diagnosed with paroxysmal AF in Jan 2010. By September of that year I began to associate the onset of AF with food I’d eaten, particularly my evening meal ( my main meal of the day ). At different times of day, and not all at the same time (thank goodness ) I experienced diarrhea, massive and very painful bloating, intestinal gurgling and burping. It was the painful bloating that would tip me into an AF event.

My family doctor had blood tests done to cover IBS and Coealiac Disease but these returned all clear. He offered more tests but I declined. Instead I consulted a Nutritionist ( maybe Dietician to you guys in the States ).

The Nutritionist carried out some tests to determine the state of my gut and then put me on a course of probiotics. She also advised me to go Gluten free, Wheat free, and Oats free and advised me to keep a food diary (cause and effect) and progressively I was able to determine foods that caused my problems. Over many years I was able to whip this AF thing. Calm the digestive system, calm the heart became my mantra.

Needs to be said quite clearly ……. at no time did I participate in any Pill in the Pocket (PIP ) treatment with my medication. Specifically I was prescribed an anticoagulant, Warfarin (Coumadin) and Bisoprolol. I was and had been on a cocktail of meds for high blood pressure for around 3 years prior to AF mugging me along with other meds. It was prescribed for life and I’m quite comfortable with that, nor would I change it to PIP.

So, with a combination of a prompt and accurate diagnosis ( 9 hours from beginning to feel unwell with falling BP ), diet and meds I can now say ( at 79 ) I have been AF free for at least 18 months, maybe as long as 4 years since I was hit with an AF event ( can’t remember the last event I’m afraid ).

Drinks do not affect me at all, nor ice cream, I drink lager beers, some spirits, wine, tea, coffee …. no sweat. However, I cannot drink draught beers on tap as you might get in an English pub.

In terms of food …… can’t do Roast Duck, Roast Pork (with crackling and fat ), can’t do – onions, but spring onions (shallots) are OK, no tomatoes, no lettuce, initially very few pastries but some are OK nowadays, some McDonalds products (two actually, fries and chicken mcnuggets ) are OK most KFC meals are OK, no yoghurt, hard cheese OK not soft cheese though. Some Chinese meals – depending on the level of MSG used by any particular restuarant – my list is much more in depth but as the years have now passed I can’t recall other foods without a search of my computer files. Yet, just to confuse and confound, in the early days I couldn’t have dumplings with my stew ( any stew ) …. these are something that I have been able to return to without any side effects. (Suet is an ingredient I understand, not sure, not a cook !). Oh! yes, and eggs too ..... depends on what type of cooking is done to the egg. Fried and poached egg ( not together, maybe one type one week and another the next ) are fine, but scrambled egg will make my gut quite upset.

Anyhow, hope that all helps out and is of some interest. Good luck.

John

[needlestone]

aspartame, sucralose and wheat. Sometimes too much alcohol. Small amounts are okay.

[Vonnegut]

I gave up the glass of wine I used to have with evening meals- never have very large meals - healthy vegan things with lots of fruit and veg- ( except oily fish a few times a week and eggs from our chickens) main meal at lunch time and no food after 8pm.

[doodle68]

I already had a good lifestyle when diagnosed with AF 6 years ago growing my own fruit vegetables and herbs ,cooking everything from scratch (mostly vegetarian ) getting lots of exercise but I cut out drinking alcohol , lost weight losing 10% of body weight and ate less so the weight remained stable .

This didn't prevent the slow stead progression of AF but I guess it may have delayed it and made me healthier .