AF symptoms worsen in the afternoon

[LouMeeney]

Hi everyone, I have found that in the morning, AF symptoms are rare and I can eat and function as normal. In the afternoons, normally from 3-8pm, if I have something to eat particularly, I feel pre AF symptoms or go into a full episode. I am eating very little due to this to avoid the awful afternoons. Does anyone else experience this?

[jeanjeannie50]

If I ever went out for lunch and ate slightly more than I would have at home, as soon a I got up and moved around I would start feeling dreadful and my heart would be in AF. I gave up eating large meals and am fine now, my appetite has decreased anyway.

I used to go out on long walks with a group and at lunch time while they all got a feast from out of their backpacks, I would have a measly banana and nuts. I felt like the poor member.

I know how you feel and think you are doing the right thing by eating less. You could try snacking on fruit and nuts between meals, that's what I do, then there's no need for big meals.

Jean

[Snowgirl65 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I agree entirely. Small meals are the key. I wouldn't always go into a-fib if I had a big meal, but it sure felt like I was about to. I've learned my lesson.

[MeganMN]

I have Atrial Tachycardia, not Afib,.but my episodes have always started in the afternoon or evening. I think it is when we slow down and have more vagal response?

[Pommerania78 in reply to MeganMN]

Could you elaborate on your experiences? Thanks.

[MeganMN in reply to Pommerania78]

Sure! My episodes are becoming more frequent but for the last couple years it is as if a light switch is flipped on around 6-8pm and off again at 6-8 in the morning. I will just usually be sitting down, resting for the day, and the arrhythmia kicks in. It peaks around 1-2am and slowly gets better by morning, and then it is gone. Every single day this occurs. Now, after two years, it is starting to happen some during the day as well. I have tried supplements, vagus nerve stimulation, meds, etc., to no avail. the challenge that I have is that they cannot induce the rhythm to fix it and I have been told that I need an ablation at night. 😒. No one really can speculate as to why, other than just nocturnal changes in hormones, nervous system response, etc. It happens regardless of whether I actually sleep or not!

[Pommerania78 in reply to MeganMN]

Have you tried weight loss? What do you think was the original cause of the afib? Thanks.

[MeganMN in reply to Pommerania78]

I typically follow intermittent fasting and am a healthy weight. For me, I think the initial cause may have been viral, but I'm not sure. My doctor said it can be a disease of the ion channels that allow a charge through the cells. He said there is a lot of unknowns about causes. Sometimes inflammation can set it off (from illness ) and then over time the cells remodel and it becomes progressive.

[Pommerania78 in reply to MeganMN]

You may be familiar with him, but Dr. Joel Wallach believes that Afib is "not a heart problem, but a back problem." By this he means that the Vagus Nerve that goes along the spine, and controls heart rate, has been "pinched" or damaged in some way, often by degenerating discs (this is one reason why you don't see 18 year olds with Afib), and when that problem is solved the Afib goes away. He talks a lot about this on his radio program.

[MeganMN in reply to Pommerania78]

That could very well be true as I have neck problems. thanks. I'll check it out

[Pommerania78 in reply to MeganMN]

If you do want to investigate Wallach, listen to his radio progam on YouTube, as his website usually has next to nothing about this subject.

[opal11uk]

Mine was nearly always at night, especially when I lay down to sleep, which of course meant I didn't get a lot of sleep! I have had a pacemaker now for 8 years and also take heart drugs and thankfully my irritable heart behaves itself.

[Alphakiwi in reply to opal11uk]

What drugs do you take for your heart arrythmia. Ive got aflutter / afib. I to have a pacemaker because i neededto keep my ticker from slowing down to much at night. Just recently my gp changed my tabs from diltiazem 120mg to verapamil 40 x 3 a day. Then my bp went sky high so was told to double the strength . Now it bounces around all over the place . Will get back to them tomorrow. I hate it. All the best to you.

[opal11uk in reply to Alphakiwi]

I take Bisoporal and Propafenone together with Pradaxa anticoagulant. I too hate taking drugs, any meds and always have, not even for a headache, now i'm afraid I have to depend on them. I tried to wean myself off, over several months and unbeknown to me, ended up in permanent A/F and was breathless, had a cough and dizziness - this was after being hospitalised for emergency hip replacement, and as a consequence of all this declared as being in mild heart failure so was told off for reducing the drugs and put back and on an increased dosage.......I shall not be fiddling with them again lol. It is a fine balance and its incumbent upon your medics to get you on the right dose that suits you so keep going back until you have the right combination or a single drug that can do that for you. ps I also had my pacemaker due to low heart rate after an ablations, was offered another ablation but said no and glad I did. Good luck, I wish you well x

[30912]

Yes, very similar behaviour for me lately. AF may trigger from about 3.30 pm or start during or after an evening meal. So I now have a drink of water before and during whilst I eat and I eat slower and don't get up for 5 to 10 minutes after I finished eating. I also now drink much more water during the day, have a handful of nuts (almonds or walnuts) and a banana at least every other day. I even have a glass of water befor I go to bed so I don't get dehydrated overnight (nuisance getting up for a pee at 3am but I'll live with that). I haven't had a bout of AF for six weeks now where before it was weekly to every 10 days. I know my AF tends to have a mind of it's own so this may only be chasing ghosts but I'll try anything.

Good luck with it.

[JillyBeau]

food is a trigger for my rapid HR. I now eat single items of food: egg on its own, cottage cheese on its own etc, not proper meals. This way I can monitor the reactions in the following hours. I do not use herbs or spices, just salt and drink only warm water. All stimulants can trigger problems: caffeine, sugar, spices such as ginger and chilli and supplements. I follow a strict version of the Failsafe diet and now am on a tiny dose of Propanalol 5 mg twice a day without issues unless I stray from the diet. Try not to eat aged, fermented, pickled or cured foods as these trigger histamine which then triggers adrenaline which stimulates the heart muscle. By trial and error, you should be able to figure out the triggers.

[KathleenV]

Hello Lou,I wonder if you are getting tired in the afternoons. Just resting, closing your eyes for a few minutes won't do you any harm. Listen to your body as much as possible.

Kathleen

[Ppiman]

Is it just food and drink, do you think? This could be a blood sugar issue, I suppose, as I get ectopics who I am hungry. But I was thinking that, as seems to happen with me at times, your stomach might be being pushed higher by the food and into direct contact with the base of the heart (via the diaphragm, of course). That can set of ectopic beats and those can precipitate AF itself in some people.

I used to take a small extra dose of 1.25mg bisoprolol "as needed" when I had a similar problem in the mornings (I now take 2.5mg daily). Would this perhaps help you, possibly (with your doctor's permission, of course)?

Steve

[Alphakiwi]

Same with me. I guess its because we have been asleep and therefore have been doing nothing to upset our body. Ive had pretty rough nights lately so im sort of forced to get up early and have a long hot shower. That helps a lot. Im considered permanent now for at least a year but i do get periods of time in sinus mode and its like heaven, but then the rat comes back. Try to excersise but very gently.