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Triggers

opal11uk profile image
45 Replies

This may sound silly but did someone make a post about M&S low fat drinking chocolate as a trigger to A/F. The reason I ask is that I had a mug fall just before bed and spent the night and following morning in A/F and as I have a pacemaker and take heart meds this was unusual for me. I did read a post about this happening to another hence my enquiry........or did I dream it!!!

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opal11uk
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45 Replies
BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

Dosn't ring a bell but no doubt there are artificial sweetners in it which are a no no for AF people. (Most people in fact if they have any sense).

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toBobD

Thanks for your reply Bob, it could just have been a one off but as no other factors were involved it was my conclusion that the wonderful cup of drinking chocolate I had at so few S/W points, I had hit on a winner.....but maybe not lol

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly in reply toopal11uk

Possibly the ‘just before bed’ had something to do with it? There seems to be a consensus that it’s best to go to bed with an empty stomach but of course if you’ve been having a mug full of something at bedtime for years you can ignore that!

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toBuffafly

I loved your post lol. Yes, I used to have a mug of Ovaltime Light Chocolate every night with no ill effect but for some reason I stopped, cant remember why so saw the M&S and thought id like to try it. I had a few mugs during the day with no problem so decided to have one before bed and of course now wondering if my sleepless night was the outcome, anyway will take it during the day if I have any more. Thank you for your reply x. ps tried to read the ingredients but they are in French mmmmmm makes me wonder lol

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply toopal11uk

Post them in a reply to this and I'll give you a translation.

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toAuriculaire

Thank you, one of our group has kindly translated for me x

Miriam123 profile image
Miriam123 in reply toopal11uk

Seems from your post that you also had a number of these drinks during the day. There is caffeine in chocolate so maybe a build up. I cannot drink anything with caffeine after 1,00pm or I will have trouble sleeping. Try drinking it just in the morning.

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toMiriam123

Yes, thought the same, thank you Miriam. My regime is normally a latte at breakfast followed around 11 by herbal tea, then at tea time a cup of tea and nothing else for the rest of the day but them I exchanged the herbal tea for chocolate and on the day in question only had the 1 but at night. Rest of the day I drink water to stay hydrated.

MaryCa profile image
MaryCa in reply toopal11uk

Also possibly the caffeine in the chocolate

MaryCa profile image
MaryCa in reply toBobD

Bob, would you mind telling me why artificial sweeteners are a no no for afibbers? I understand alcohol, caffeine, sugar etc., and living my best life. But I do enjoy a caffeine free coke zero at times. Thanks, Mary

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer in reply toMaryCa

Artifical sweetners are not a good idea for anybody Mary. Aspartame for example is so bad in todays world it wouldn't get a license. Years ago my wife got me on it but it made me quite an unpleasant person so she soon went back to sugar. lol 😁 Eventually I just stopped sugar full stop when my annual health check showed was heading for type 2 diebetes and that changed pretty soon . You get used to it.

MaryCa profile image
MaryCa in reply toBobD

Hi Bob, thanks for the reply. It's not the teas or coffees I've a problem with. I worked in a huge factory in my late teens to thirties, so getting sugar for tea was a five minute walk out of a ten minute break. I agree, I'd never go back to using it. But that coke zero is just delicious for no calories. I'll just have to try harder to not have it. I was stewing some Bramley apples today to have with yogurt and normally because I'm dieting (diet as recommended by my EP) I'd add sucralose, today I added organic honey. Better choices will hopefully help. Nearly two stone down, thank god. And hopefully it will stay going in the right direction. Thanks, Mary

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly

😂

jeanjeannie50 profile image
jeanjeannie50

It was me, cant remember now but think it has artificial sweeteners in it. Was a box of sachets of choc powder to make a hot choc. drink that a friend had told me was lovely.

Jean

Coco51 profile image
Coco51

Being chocolate there is probably a certain amount of caffeine and bromine in there. Maybe that could have triggered it? According to various websites a 250ml cup of hot chocolate has about 9mg of caffeine, rather more than an 250ml cup of brewed coffee which has has 8mg caffeine.

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toCoco51

Thank you for your reply x

There was no doubt a hefty dose of sugar and/or sweetener in it. Hot chocolate is usually very sweet. You said you had 'a few mugs' of it during the day so your body was possibly reacting to sugar overload?....

BenHall1 profile image
BenHall1

I think I read this post but only 'eyeballed' it as it didn't worry me. Sorry I can't be of much help. I think it was quite a few days ago now Each person who posts has the hours under their name, i.e. BobD shows up as 14 hours ago. Maybe you could try searching 72 hours ago or similar.

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toBenHall1

Thank you Ben, we now have the answer and the response has been great.

Staffsgirl profile image
Staffsgirl

There is a very useful free app called Yuka which enables you to scan the barcode and find out about all the ingredients of most packaged food stuff and toiletries. I have found it really useful and quite an eye-opener. It gives a broadbrush quick answer (e.g. bad, poor, good, excellent,) and also more detailed analysis of the contents: the additives, etc.

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toStaffsgirl

That is very useful, thank you x

Frances123 profile image
Frances123

just googled it and the ingredients are:

Whey Permeate (Milk), Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (28%), Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Dried Skimmed Milk, Coconut Oil, Thickener: Xanthan Gum, Flavouring, Salt, Sweetener: Sucralose, Stabiliser: E340, 339, Emulsifier: E472e

For me it would have been the Sucralose.

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toFrances123

Thank you Frances, I might have known that anything tasting that good, and that I could have whilst trying to slim, would be taboo. I bought it in sachet form, then could not get it locally until M&S started with tins, so I bought two!!! Thanks again x

pusillanimous profile image
pusillanimous in reply toFrances123

I found that the supplement 'Ensure' is a trigger for me, and among the ingredients is 'corn syrup' which must be fructose and I do not tolerate fructose at all- the only fruit I can enjoy is a not overly ripe banana.

mikefff profile image
mikefff

Caffeine I reckon.

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply tomikefff

you could well be right and from the wonderful people who responded to my question, I think it may have been a combination of several things, so lesson learned lol. Thanks for your reply Mike x

Peacockmumma profile image
Peacockmumma

Bless you. I don't even think the normal triggers 'work' I'm currently on holiday... have had a cocktail every night.. just the one.. have sweeteners in my coffee or tea.. have had desserts with chocolate... and so far all is tickety boo. I'm probably not drinking as much fluid as I should so adding a Zero electrolyte tracker tablet just in case I sweat too much.

Everyone's triggers are different.. only way I guess is to have it again another night and see what happens.

Life's too short. Do what makes you happy and doesn't obviously trigger afib I say

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toPeacockmumma

Awwww thank you, and I guess at my time of life its a good policy, I have always said life is for living and so far so good. By the sounds of it you are enjoying your holiday so have a cocktail for me x

Singingforever profile image
Singingforever

My PAF has been quite quiet (about 4 times a year) for a long time, but a couple of weeks ago I went to my usual choir rehearsal and started to feel unwell so I went home - when I got back I used my scanwatch to check my heart and I was in AF at 140 - so no wonder I felt ill. It lasted a couple of days. Then the following week I went to choir again and the same thing happened, but it lasted about 4 days. Presumably the adrenalin engendered by this activity is causing the problem - I hardly dare go next week!

Interestingly I had a virus about 6 weeks ago - a pretty mild one - but I have been unwell on and off since then - out of breath and tired, then OK for a few days, then back to feeling awful. I am beginning to wonder if I was going in and out of AF, rather than some sort of post-viral problem.

GP has referred me for a cardiology appointment, and, as it was ging to take 5 months, I have made a private appointment for next week - I just want some sound advice as to what to do when it happens. I can get the rate down with bisoprolol, but the rhythm stays haywire. I need some clear plan, rather than being here on my own and wondering what I should do. I find it hard to deal with now as my doctor husband died 4 years ago and I feel so unwell when it is happening - giddy, out of breath, exhausted.

Any thoughts from anyone? Thanks

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toSingingforever

Hi, I too belong to a community choir and we always do breathing exercises before we start, the Laughing Policeman being a favourite lol, it opens up the rib cage/diaphram and enables deep breathing and to date has not brought on my A/F but I believe that for some it can. I am pleased you are taking the initiative to see a cardiologist, always best to discuss with him/her and have tests if required. I am so very sorry to hear of your sad loss, life is hard on your own. We are both in our 80's and due to my health I have prepared for the eventuality, equipping my husband with written notes on what to do as don't want him to struggle but in him I have the sounding board that you don't have which enables me to discuss whatever, after 63 years of wedded bliss he is quite used to me babbling on lol but he is ex Royal Army Medical Corps. so he has quite a medical knowledge. I hope that your cardio appointment goes well and that you can get the reassurances you need to move forward. Good luck x

Shopgal67 profile image
Shopgal67 in reply toSingingforever

A virus does trigger AF although to contradict that I had COVID end of jan and didn’t have a single episode all week !!!

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toShopgal67

When I broke my hip and was taken in for an emergency, I was diagnosed with COVID 19, I was amazed as absolutely no symptoms, got a private room so that was nice lol, however it was after this trauma and GA that I became dizzy/breathless and had a cough. Loads of test over several months before they discovered that it was my heart! I had gone into perm.a/f and was diagnosed in heart failure.....thankfully now back in sinus but whether still in heart failure I don't know soooooo, was this down to Covid I wonder????

Shopgal67 profile image
Shopgal67 in reply toopal11uk

I think it will be a long time before we fully discover the impact covid has had on us all mentally and physically. I know my PAF started before COVID, each time we get it does it damage our organs? Only time will tell .

Ducky2003 profile image
Ducky2003

For my tenpenneth, the ingredients are the same whether you drink it at night or during the day so I would find it strange that it would be ok for one but not the other. Perhaps try it again at night so you know whether it was a one off/coincidence?

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toDucky2003

Thank you Ducky x

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman

These things are known and accepted:

- the stomach and food pipe lie very close to the heart, sometimes pressing against it - all quite naturally.

- even mild natural pressure on the heart muscle can cause it to develop an ectopic beat; this can, in prone individuals, set off AF.

- this means that foods can seem to “trigger“ AF when, much more likely, the act of drinking or eating itself triggered an ectopic beat, through an entirely anatomical and mechanical process, which then set off AF.

That’s the explanation I prefer as I just can’t get my head around the idea that some specific parts of certain foods set off AF.

But I might be wrong. 😊

Steve

Peacefulneedshelp profile image
Peacefulneedshelp in reply toPpiman

I am learning the ANS and our immune systems are closely linked, it just could be that if we come across any viruses or anything the triggers the immune system into action it could also trigger the ANS into action and for some of us that could be also irregular beats and or AF. I am not sure but is does seem reasonable to me. It is why many of us say stress triggers us. To me it makes sense.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply toPeacefulneedshelp

Yes, that sounds right to me, too. Stress triggers mine at times, or at least sets off palpitations. These days certain kinds of "confrontation" can do it, even. That's called "adrenergic AF", I believe. I suppose all kinds of other things can set off an emotional response, or, as you say, an immune / inflammatory response and cause similar.

Steve

Snowgirl65 profile image
Snowgirl65

The first thing I thought of was chocolate, which is a stimulant for me. I don't go into a-fib from it (thank goodness as I'm addicted!) but it would certainly keep me awake if I drank it at night.

BeHealthy2day profile image
BeHealthy2day

I have organic chocolate powder from Holland and Barratt no sugar ..with skimmed milk no problems

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply toBeHealthy2day

Thank you, this I will explore x

Jetcat profile image
Jetcat

It my contain some additives and chemicals.??

hiratio profile image
hiratio

Don't know about drinking chocolate, chocolate has Tyramine: which should be avoided if suffering from A-Fib

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk in reply tohiratio

Thank you for your reply.

Shopgal67 profile image
Shopgal67 in reply tohiratio

Did not know that , I love a bit of dark chocolate as well !

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