Since AF diagnosis I have completely abstained from drinking alcohol.
However, with the nights drawing in, I miss cosying up in front of the log burner and enjoying a couple of glasses of red-especially Saturday nights.
Have any of you sealed to alcohol free red, and have you experienced any triggers?
I know how you feel! I missed my red (and white) glasses and tried Sainsbury's de-alcoholised wines - red, rose and white. All three caused me problems and I blamed them for triggering the AF each time.
Apparently, it isn't the alcohol which may be the trigger but the sulphides in the wine itself - and white has more than red. The only way to know if it affects you is to try it, unfortunately.
Thanks Finvola,
I can drink ‘0’ alcohol lager without any problem.
I know you can purchase sulphite free wine, but the alcohol, or other chemicals may still trigger.
I think I will continue to abstain from any kind of wine. It’s not worth the risk.
However, that said, even with abstinence of alcohol, caffeine, healthy diet - I still experience episodes of PAF!
😩
My understanding after 10yrs of reading up is that most AF is caused by a build up of poor choices and or difficult life circumstances. So abstaining from alcohol is not the whole answer, if only 😆.
I became teetotal on 20 th July this year due to more frequent PAF and noticing could be triggered by alcohol. Episodes less frequent and shorter in general now. But since then noticed that tonic triggered and googled that quinine could be the cause. So now for drink (naturally sweetened) ginger ale or similar. I’m by no means cured of course and am on all the drugs but refer not to risk triggering an attack. I was surprised how easy it was, liking a reasonable social life, giving up alcohol. I do wonder if all that white wine I drank in my 40s 50s and 60s contributed to my developing PAF. So glad that my son who had a stroke at 48 hardly drinks.
That’s interesting. Years before I was diagnosed with paroxysmal AF I discovered I was allergic to sulphites which seem to be added to some wines as a preservative, I thought. Can’t see why they are necessary as you’d think the alcohol would not need it but perhaps it’s just to save it better! I only had a glass with an evening meal etc so don’t really miss it, fortunately. There are lovely herb teas etc that you could enjoy in front of the fire!
Yeah...I have been very devoted to experimenting with beverages containing alcohol, especially with the red wine which I like sooo much. After years of experimenting, my conclusion is that the problem is NOT alcohol by itself, but other constituents of the beverage. I have discovered that I can consume brandy of any kind and beer, without any limitations. So, it would mean that the problem are preservatives in the wine or any other component of it, and not alcohol. A few days ago, I had only one sip of red wine, and already had bad reaction. In my country (Serbia), we have not alcohol free wine - it would be cheating, lol!
Thanks Nesko,
Will be on the lookout for that Serbian beer…..
In Tito's times, we had very strong beer - 3 half liter bottles were enough to make you drunk. But, the beers that are produced nowadays seem not to have alcohol at all - I can drink 4 bottles and feel no influence of alcohol. Nothing is like it was "in good, old times", lol.
But you have craft beers like Dogma?
Thanks for the info! It is the first time I heard of Dogma. We, actually, have some small breweries, even where I live, but people, in general, drink beer from big producers. Interbrew bought our breweries when they were sold out, decades ago. Since then, new kinds of beer were introduced, in accordance with western recipes, which are different from what we were used to. We had strong and bitter beers, and the new ones are... simply different. Beer is usually with 4,5% of alcohol, and we can buy beer with 7,5%, but nobody does it. It is better to be able to have couple of bottles more, lol!
Very interesting
The problem with non alcholic drinks is that they are made as normal and then the alcohol removed with an osmotic process. This does not remove any of the other chemicals which in most cases is what causes the problems. I had my second worst ever hangover after drinking Kaliber non alcholic beer.
Thanks Bob D.
I have no problems drinking 0 alcohol beer. Wine however, may be a different beast…
I have also stopped alcohol w/o having experienced it as a trigger as it's generally toxic for the heart. However, I do hope that after my planned WMM in Tokyo I'll be able to have some occasional glass of wine especially in social settings.
I concur about the chemicals in wine being the problem. I find drinking normal wine can often be a trigger for AF but the other week I went to a Michelin Green starred restaurant which only serves biodynamic wine. I had their wine flight with the tasting menu so drank five small glasses of wine over the course of the meal and had no occurrence of AF.
Like you ,I love a glass of red wine. Before being diagnosed with AF over 20 years ago, I knew that after drinking red wine I would wake up in the night with what I referred to as a "beatie heart" which took a couple of hours to calm down. Had first episode after no alcohol. I didn't stop drinking wine and carried on having AF episodes, working out in my mind it was my anxieties that was the cause, and had CBT for , which helped a lot, but I still had occasional episodes,so 4 years ago gave up the red wine(my only tipple), since then my last known episode was over 12 months ago. I get the odd fast run of beats with a thump at the end that last barely seconds, on occasions. Last weekend at my son's wedding I drank alcohol free red wine and fizz , with no side effects at all and along with some anxiety but no AF at all,(phew)! I am usually happy with a soft drink though. Mind you I picked up my husband's glass of wine by mistake and had a sip before it was taken away from me and it did taste good! 😂😂. For me though it's not worth the risk. Best wishes Kath.
Hi Cat55,
Thanks for your response.
Anxiety and stress is a big one for me;.
Since diagnosis of PAF I have abstained from alcohol and caffeine. Due to Crohn’s disease (in remission) for the last 30+ years I mantain a healthy diet and weight.
That said, I still experience monthly episodes.
I can only assume stress, and over exertion are in part responsible for the triggers.
My cardiologist / EP told me that if alcohol isn’t a trigger for me I can have 14 units a week (I think there are 7 units in a bottle of wine?). 14 units is the recommended maximum for the general adult population. So I have a small glass of wine regularly - 100mls per night at home and up to a 175ml glass at a restaurant. I average around 10 units a week. This seems to make no difference to my paroxysmal AF.
That concurs with the advice Dr Schilling gives
I have yet to discover a non alcoholic wine that isn’t dreadful! Like you I enjoy a glass of red wine of an evening and just lately my AF has become worse, in that I seem to be coming more sensitive to various triggers. I have found that my favourite red wine is quite drinkable when diluted with sparkling water. I guess you could call it a spritzer. I dilute the wine one part wine to two of sparkling water, giving an alcohol strength of about 4%. Not great but much better than any of the non alcoholic wines I’ve tried and I can drink two glasses without causing AF.
Hope that helps.
I maintain my 14 units per week "allowance " in red wine, except if in AF when I abstain for a couple of days until safely back in NSR. The only time I thought it might have been a trigger was when I had a glass before dinner. Since then I make a rule never to drink on an empty stomach, just in case, and it works for me.
I share your pain! I was a regular tippler of wine (never excessively I thought at the time, typical half a bottle a night) until my stroke 3 years ago. I have abstained completely from alcohol since and still miss having a glass to 'relax me', though this summer I have allowed myself to drink a glass or two when we go out to eat with friends or in restaurants, probably no more than once a month.
Something I have found very comforting, is to take to the old art of making home made ginger beer. It is basically just root ginger (which is very good for us as an anti inflammatory), an amount of sugar you can adjust for your taste and good health, and baker's yeast. As it is only brewed for around 3 or 4 days before being bottled and drunk soon after, the alcohol content is extremely low (1% or 2%) but I find it is a very acceptable and enjoyable substitute for the real thing, far better than alcohol free wine or beer. As it is fizzy you can imagine you are quaffing champagne! I would recommend it if you want something to sip on the long winter evenings! Lots of advice on Youtube on how to make it.
I was told by the cardiologist, as well as no alcohol and no caffeine; no fizz either.
Surprised by that as it hard to understand the mechanism where the bubbles of co2 could spark off an AF attack. Did he include fizzy lemonade and such like in that warning? All I can say is that, touch wood, my ginger beer has had no effect on my AF (yet) and in hospital I was encouraged to drink fizzy mineral water as it made swallowing easier after the stroke. It is true that fizzy alcoholic drinks do however lead to a more rapid ingestion of alcohol. And most fizzy drinks are very full of sugar which is also bad for our general health. I also noticed a significant concern about energy drinks in the AF literature..
What l found when researching this was the naturally occurring fizz is milder, whereas the artificially added fizz is more of an explosion, but not harmful. Sometimes firms add sodium and sweetener with the fizz which could be harmful. So you are safe with your lovely ginger beer. He didn't go into detail , just said , no alcohol, no caffeine, ( l do have one cup of tea with my breakfast. I couldn't give that up. ) and no fizz. I used to make ginger beer years ago and yoghurt. I can't do much now , so it would be just an added chore. I drink water and herbal drinks and malted milk. I try to eat foods and drink that haven't had additives. Energy drinks have an excessive amount of caffeine in them. That is why they are bad for us. All the best to you.
Best to you too. I' d love to send you some of my ginger beer if it was practical! Unfortunately the supermarkets only supply 'pop' types full of artificial sweeteners and not even proper ginger. Many kind regards.
Thank you😀❤️
I haven't, and neither have the two friends I know with AF who still enjoy drinking in moderation. For me, it's either a G&T on warm summer days or a glass of red wine, all without any seeming ill effects, if not the reverse, as it's such a relaxing thing for me to do.
My favourite wine is French red, and of those, currently, there's a 2016 Medoc on offer at Waitrose called Chateau La Raze Beauvallet which, even without the current £5.00 off, is the bargain of the decade. It's exceptional, being a smooth, full bodied, classical claret!
If I were you, I would get a bottle of that and carry out some careful scientific research with it at the first opportunity!
Steve
Since my paroxysmal afib became persistent I seem to get away with eating and drinking foods and white wine and even fizzy without any noticeable increase in palpitations though I do drink in moderation.
That being said I try to totally ignore my heart now as I am on Edoxaban and very low dose bisopropol and generally feel very well.
I am 77 though and as one would expect at my age I do have to stop and get my breath if walking uphill or playing a round of golf in windy conditions.
You have to experiment to find what suits you.
I like your way of thinking . I’ve had A Fib for 10 years persistent , I’m in it 97% of the week so I wouldn’t know an episode now , controlled by drugs and feel fine . Everything in moderation, but I like a wine and a decaf coffee , life is short
I have very little these days, the occasional glass of white sparkling. I was a red wine drinker mainly and was told when I first was diagnosed to take care with alcohol and give up red wine along with caffeine etc. if medicated there is a need to check for how alcohol will interact with meds too.
After 15 years I find even a small amount of alcohol has an effect on me so am a cheap night out 😂
I find that non alcoholic beer is nearer the taste of original than any of the dealcholised wines.
Thanks sleepyzz.
I have no problems when I drink 0 alcohol beers. Like you say, they taste very good in comparison.
I reduced my wine intake drastically once I was diagnosed I 2017. However, I have gradually ‘relaxed’ about it and have one - one and a half glasses of white wine each night. I did think I had discovered the answer with ‘Nosecco’, which probably wouldn’t suit a red wine drinker. I am picky about my white wine, but this bubbly is a pretty good ‘pretend’ drink. Nice glass, pop the bottle; makes you feel it’s the real deal - especially in company. However, I am not a keen sparkling wine drinker and so I gradually reintroduced the real thing. I have monitored my intake carefully - also abstaining totally from both drinks for several weeks - and made notes, and interestingly, non of my Afib symptoms changed, regardless of whether or not I drank Nosecco or had a glass of real wine. So here I am with my routine - a glass ( or a little bit more ) most evenings, but I don’t drink until 9 pm. This means I can look forward to it as a treat, and also that I am not tempted to add another glass. Having said that, I did once have three glasses ( a celebration event ) and even that didn’t have a negative effect. I’ve got to say here though, that a lot of people can’t even sip alcohol without repercussions. And I have heard, as mentioned by other posters, that sulphites can be the problem. These are found in alcohol free wine as well. All the best with your decisions.
Annie.
Is wine or alcohol a trigger for you? After about 4 years my cardio nurse suggested I try a little alcohol - not two glasses but one now and again and I have no problems with it. I never get drunk but like a small glass - about half a glass with a meal now and again and the occasional G&T - very little gin and very occasional whisky. If averaged out I probably drink on to two units a week and have no problems. I believe that you can find low sulphite wine - maybe organic wines are lower in sulphites. Of course you could have a hot chocolate instead.
I enjoy gin, but unfortunately it’s the tonic that triggers my AF. I know this because I have tried tonic only.
White wine and Prosecco are definite no-no’s.
Prior to diagnosis I previously tried sulphite free red problem is I cannot remember if it was a trigger.
At my last appointment, my Cardiologist said that despite abstinence from alcohol, caffeine, lowering salt intake, lowering BP it wasn’t making any difference as I still have PAF episodes on a monthly basis.
That said, I am reluctant to introduce them in case the episodes become more frequent.
Sometimes it is the artificial sweetners that cause problems so use full fat and full sweet tonic! 
Also seek out tonic and gin that doesn't include quinine as that can be a trigger - though sometimes doesn't taste as nice. Many people never know their triggers and spend ages trying to find one when there isn't one. I have only known two people with Af who have definite triggers - but also get Af at other times one found drinking white wine brought on an attack and one when he drank a cappuccino - The only coffee he treated himself to every Friday morning break time. So although they both stopped these things they still had AF but they had fewer attacks once they avoided the known triggers.
Like you I gave up drinking alcohol just over a couple of years ago as soon as I was put onto all the AF drugs and Apixaban. ( I used to have an alcoholic drink at night prior to this.)
You can buy from the supermarket now 0° alcohol gin and other spirits that have the alcohol removed. A nice ‘ mixer’ with it and it’s a good substitute for what you are missing.
Guinness do a 0° alcohol 450 ml can of beer which is very nice and Peroni do a 0° alcohol lager which is also very nice.
If that doesn’t appeal to you then buy some sparkling water and put either a slice of fresh lemon or orange into it and drink that. In fact…that’s the healthiest option sugar wise!
Once you are over the first few days you won’t have the craving for the wine anymore and think of all the cash you’ll be saving. You may even get a little slimmer not having the sugar from the wine.
Good luck.
Just to add my twopennorth, I’ve had PAF for about 9 years. Significantly reduced alcohol after diagnosis, but gradually reintroduced it over time. Spirits seem not to cause any problems, including tonics, but red wine began to cause issues. Stopped that for a year or so, now gently reintroducing it with (so far) no problems. My main trigger is stress or illness. We’re all different!
im lucky i can drink wine and coffee with no ill effects. I like the non alcoholic gin with Yorkshire tonic which does not have quinine in it, and we drink non alcoholic beers.
I guess from the above comments it shows how varied this afib is reacting to things….we vary a lot. I stopped drinking when I got afib, then after my ablation about seven months I I started with the odd beer….then red wine. I don’t have thrm as triggers, in fact I haven’t a clue what starts it….I do know tonic water was one trigger which I drank when I stopped alcohol. Stress seemed maybe to be my trigger……but I’m nit sure…..I guess the only way you will know is to try a glass. My cardio said white was a deffo no no…..the non alcohol wine was expensive and like fruit juice…yuk!
Sue
Hi, I got AF in 2013, and didn't stop drinking, reduced a bit but that was due to prostate problems and not being able to hold pints. So continued with wine and whisky. Didn't seem a problem and not a trigger, but in 2020 got gout, which is not due to over drinking, but is a kind of arthritis. Anyway v painful and drinking gave me more bouts, so moreorless gave up and have a glass of wine a wk, and non alcoholic guiness sometimes.
I have about 3 glasses of white wine a week, and it doesn’t affect me, but everyone in different, so give it a try and see what happens.
I had an ablation in February and on my three month check up I discussed alcohol consumption with my cardiologist. Whilst no cardiologist is going to recommend alcohol we did discuss a way forward. We agreed that I might experiment with having a glass of wine with some meals and see how I got on. If a drink triggered an AF episode I would know not to. So far it hasn't but I am cautious about it and won't be pushing up the amount I drink. I have not found caffeine to be a trigger either. I have however been limiting my caffeinated drinks to 3 a day, again on advice. I suspect a lot of us don't know what exactly triggered our AF in the first place. The best candidates for me were probably too much exercise (cycling) or the first bout of Covid I had or a combination.
AF is a mogrel condition with different people often with v different experiences. When I had AFlutter. A big night out or long bike ride the day before was almost certain to trigger an episode in the morning. However, I now believe the common attribute was probably dehydration rather than specifically the drink or exercise and this was the true trigger.
Now with Paroxysmal AF, my trigger is high HR. Although I have generally looked towards a healthier diet, I still have a single coffee each morning and often a few glasses of red of an evening. Despite AF , I still enjoy some pleasures and am pleased to say in moderation, they don’t seem to be a problem. In fact, I had a few old friends stay over for the weekend and despite 7 pints and several coffees this morning I’ve remained AF free.
So, I would suggest that if you really enjoy your glass of red, consider trying it in moderation whilst abstaining from other potential triggers and see what happens. Who knows, it may not be a trigger and it would be a shame to abstain for no reason!
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