In this video, Dr Boon Lim, a leading London Cardiologist, explains the connection between the gut and the heart.

[Quest4NSR]

Why does eating food or drinking alcohol trigger Atrial Fibrillation AF? An illustrated explanation

youtu.be/XtW7_Vbp0zg?si=Nar...(Not working as expected?)

Great vid (all safe, it's on you tube)

[mjames1]

Thanks for posting.

Something many of us know, but very interesting and instructive to see the connection with the Dr's 3-D modeling.

My last episode of a flutter was after bending down not too long after a meal. The video shows how easy that might happen.

There was a period of time when I didn't eat until 3 PM so I would at least have the day without an SVT episode. No food in stomach meant the digestive process didn't start and therefore no arrythmia's for that time frame.

Jim

[Thomas45]

There are 2 aspects of "safe". We know we can't catch viruses from you tube, but are the contents safe?

[CDreamer in reply to Thomas45]

Dr Boon Lin has been an advisor to the AFA and they have had his videos on the site. He is also just about the only UK doctor to specialise in ANS and arrythmias.

[Thomas45 in reply to CDreamer]

My reply was in relation to getting permission for posting videos, urls and links to who knows what, without permission of the admins. I've noticed an increase in such postings at weekends when AFA staff and admins are not working.

[secondtry]

Hope the majority of cardiologists now agree, 10 yrs ago that was not the case!

[meadfoot]

I have been banging on about this with my EP and Gastroenterologist since 2009 when my arrhythmias started. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my arrhythmias and gastric issues are inter connected.

They looked at me as though I were mad. It was at a european heart seminar back in around 2014 when a American gastroenterologist spoke at the seminar that he felt there was a connection.

I literally cried during the seminar with relief that someone, somewhere saw a connection. I dont know that any conclusions treatment wise has come of it all though and I still suffer the consequences of the interacting conditions.

[Blearyeyed in reply to meadfoot]

Sadly , interest in Autonomic Dysfunction and it's effects on cardiac illnesses is very low and in Neuro Gastroenterology it is virtually non existent Worldwide and there are very few Consultants that have experience or specialise in understanding these relationships.In the UK there is only one Neuro Gastroenterology consultant, and if you asked even your most experienced Senior Gastroenterologist , Neurologist or Cardiologist they would look at you with an expression that was more blank than a picture of a white rabbit in a snow storm on white paper.

It always astounds me , especially now that I've learnt more about my Autonomic Dysfunction, Chronic Dysautonomia, because the negative effects of the autonomic nervous system and how they trigger symptoms in other parts of the body are probably the most common things all humans cope with on a daily basis no matter how healthy they are.

GERD , Gastric Reflux , Gut Dysmotility, Dysphagia, Oesophageal Spasms, Insulin, Acid , Bacteria and Enzyme Imbalance, Nausea , Irritable Bowel all common gastric and abdominal problems that can be felt by even the most healthy human at times and have a knock on effect on their heart rate , cause palpitations, breathlessness and cardiac chest pain not just gastric pain because of the link between them in the nervous system and it's responses.

Instead of studying them and finding solutions that can help us care for ourselves better day to day which reduce the risks of recurrent symptoms they seem to think they aren't worth looking at and consign them to the "Just One of Those Things" lists.

If they spent more time creating solutions to all the little Stress creators in our bodies and find better ways to prevent them the amount of bigger stressors and bigger events we have would drop hugely, so it seems like a shame to me.

Thanks for sharing , Bee

[meadfoot in reply to Blearyeyed]

Guess there wont be any way forward on these issues in my lifetime then.

[jeanjeannie50]

A very informative video. Yes, quite a few of us suspected this happened but it was good to see it explained clearly by a doctor.

Jean

[HGates]

I had a consultation with this cardiologist back in early 2021! Thanks for the video - very interesting.

[stoneyrosed]

I had done a lot of study of the vagus nerve interaction concerning afib and was convinced there was a link. One of my first appointments at the Leeds hospital I had when I first had af back in 2016 I shared this view with a cardiologist and she immediately shut me down. She stated it was more than likely to be anxiety that was causing my arrhythmia and to try and forget about it and get on with my life.

[Blearyeyed in reply to stoneyrosed]

I could have bought a super yacht by now if I had received £5 for every time a doctor , dentist or medical professional played the Anxiety card to explain away my genuine physical Autonomic Dysfunction symptoms ( and for many decades duped me and left me undiagnosed ) the first time was a Dentist at age 7 , I'm now 52 !I allow that for many , especially in years gone by , that was just because they had no knowledge or working experience of the health issues I have.

But with many other doctors , especially in recent years when I've learnt more about my varied health issues , it has been total arrogance and an unwillingness to accept that sometimes , when they hear hooves and can't see any horses that the patient may actually be a Zebra , and not just a case of Anxiety which they can stop investigating.

I eventually got to the point when the card was played when I would state, " No , I do not have these symptoms because of Anxiety , but I do occasionally feel anxious because I have these symptoms and I haven't been diagnosed or treated yet ; there is a big difference!"

It seemed to work too.

Part of my Chronic Migraine and Dysautonomia treatment now is a Vagus Nerve Stimulator supplied by NHS Neurology . Can't say it's done much for my arrhythmias specifically ( definitely wouldn't work for some) but it has helped reduce my pain and that helps reduce my Tachycardia, which has had a knock on effect on the amount of aFib and Arrhythmias I have now.

[stoneyrosed in reply to Blearyeyed]

I ended up wasting time and expense on anxiety classes and literature . Drs would organise cbt classes and different types of meds, your right the anxiety was caused by the afib events and the anticipatory wait for another one and another one. One GP even gave me a pamphlet on Hyperchondriasis, all because the ecg didn’t capture an event in the 30 seconds the ecg takes. 🙈

[Blearyeyed in reply to stoneyrosed]

On the positive side all of those lessons will have helped you manage your aFib risk in the end.Learning to pace your day , reduce Stress and relax with good breathing and CBT techniques are all invaluable in controlling your heart rate and managing most cardiac conditions, especially those that have a definite link to autonomic change.

I've done , and recommend these options and especially the free NHS courses , I didn't do them for Anxiety although they help Anxiety by reducing physical symptoms of Normal Stress.

They do help you to listen to your body and adjust your activity before it could potentially cause aFib or other cardiac symptoms.

[beach_bum]

I was SO into this video….I’ve always thought over eating/diet is what triggered mine in the first place (never did THAT again lol…but alas it froze 3/4 through. I’ll try again later.

I am also sure it’s not what triggers AFIB for everyone, but maybe 1 of the contributing factors? I haven’t had an episode for a few years (after I stopped big meals) so I thought there may be a connection.

Thanks for this 🙂

[Peacockmumma in reply to beach_bum]

Wow..few yrs since an episode…..lucky you .. and I can have 2 in a week or average one a month 🙈

[beach_bum in reply to Peacockmumma]

Yes, it is so baffling to my GP, he wanted to take me off off Diltiazem and Xeralto, but deferred to my cardiologist. I’m actually afraid to come off them. I had the dose reduced from 180 to 120, and after a week, had a slight episode…10 min 130 BPM…so went back up to 180 and all good after that.

[pusillanimous]

It's interesting that my Afib was first diagnosed after a period of severe vomiting after taking an anti-biotic tablet that did not agree with me. It also stopped within a couple of hours after being given and anti-nausea injection.