A strange question but I want to have an occasional glass of wine (I have not had a drink since I was diagnosed) and I have heard a few of you say to avoid sulphites.I cannot find any sulphite free wine and when I Google it I get the answer that there is no such thing as sulphite free??
Can any of you tell me what you drink and where you can buy this please?
Thanks
Karen
I would agree. If it affects you then best avoid.
Not sure Bob, used to love a glass of wine but haven't touched one since I was diagnosed four years ago. I just want to try but not sure why sulfites are supposed to be a 'no no'
Look for organic - in supermarkets I’ve always found Tesco has best selection - I like NZ Mudhouse range as I seem to be OK with them but I agree it’s sometimes hard to find. I’m OK on Prosecco/Champagne/Cava but some white wines I seem to react to and most red wines. I tend to water down my white wine by adding sparkling water and restrict intake to maybe 1/2 glasses a week. If I drink on two consecutive evenings I’m usually in for a bumpy hour or two but not always AF but I take that as a warning!
I’ve never used them but goodwineonline.co.uk seem to have a good selection. We have a good local wine merchant who I mostly use.
Hi! I was a great wine lover - consumed 0,6-0,8 liters daily for years with no problems (high quality domestic wine, minimally processed). Well, after arrhythmia started, I realized that wine is a no-no for me, but refused to accept it. I have experimented eagerly, trying to drink it in the afternoon, in the morning, at night, mixed with whatever I could remember... to understand, in the end, that it is better to give up. My last attempts were this spring, but whenever I had even just a little wine, I had at least palpitations at night. So, better to give up in time.
Switch to fresh grapes - you will provide to your body all the excellent nutrients it has in it, without the problems with alcohol (frankly, I believe that the problem is caused by different types of preservatives - God knows what they use to protect it, maybe even Cov vacc, lol).
I’ve tried Tamburlaine an Organic wine maker from Australia though I expect there will be many in Europe. One of my triggers is alcohol though I have tipped my toe in carefully and over a nice meal I have the odd 2 finger glass and no probs. I will say every sip is followed by a mouthful of water. Maybe over cautious but we have to be careful…
Organic Naturae Merlot (Waitrose) has no added sulphites (if my memory serves me well!). The other grape varieties in this range are not sold in the UK, so I bring a few back each holiday and have a very small glass with supper most evenings. No problems so far. Anxiety and stress are my main triggers. So far so good with a little wine. Good luck.
"Sulfites also occur naturally in a number of foods such as maple syrup, pectin, salmon, dried cod, corn starch, lettuce, tomatoes, soy products, eggs, onions, garlic, chives, leeks and asparagus. Generally, sulfite sensitivity is found in people with asthma who are steroid dependent.
asthmaandallergycenter.com › ..."
Sulfite Sensitivity - The Asthma & Allergy Center
I wonder was alcohol a trigger for you pre-ablation and even if it was will it still be a trigger post ablation. I didn’t feel alcohol as such was a trigger for me but overdoing it and the hangover inflammation could well have been. I stayed alcohol free for months pre ablation and a few more months post ablation. I have a regular drink now, couple of beers and/or a couple of glasses of wine on the weekend and have been ok so far. It’s a fine line we tread but I think we all have to find our own normal and post ablation that might be a new normal. Only you can decide when or if you’re ready to try a drop.
Best wishes
I would enjoy the occasional drink. To my knowledge neither wine nor sodium metabisulphite have ever been shown to be triggers for AF (except in specific individual sensitivities). I continue to drink as usual (and suffer as usual, but there's no link between the two! 
). Sulphites occur in many preserved foods as well as naturally.
Steve
hi.
I am trying sulphite free wines - drinking alcohol does not affect my AF which is completely symptom free but I do get dehydrated on even a small amount .
The best place in the UK is Vintage Roots - have a look at their website. - they do mixed cases of reds/whites.
the difference is that these wines have no added sulphite - all wine has a tiny amount of sulphite from the grape - white more than red. I just read about it on Google and I think Vintage Roots has info on it on their page.
I never touch American wines as they all seem to give me a problem. I’m okay with New Zealand and Australian
I used to enjoy a gin and tonic, and the occasional wine, but like you, I seemed to stop after diagnosis. Probably because it seems to be a trigger for many people. I don’t remember it ever having been problem for me - I know caffeine and MSG are. I have a very occasional drink now and haven’t had any issues at all.
I would be guided by whether or not you feel it was a trigger for you. If it wasn’t, then try a very small amount, with food. Good luck! Xx
I've bought mine in Sainsburys. You need to ask someone where it is on the shelf. There's not a huge range and because of the lack of sulphite (preservative) you can't keep the wine for very long.
Keeping wine Jean ? No sorry doesn't make sense. Reminds me of those old wine box adverts saying "lasts up to three months." Not in our house!
Hi, I would agree with your google search. Some wines say no added sulphites but they all seem to have naturally occurring sulphites or some such other term. I gave up looking and gave up the vino. Hope you find something that works for you.
It’s the amines, not sulphites, that trigger arrhythmias. Google amines for it’s chemical constituents.
l get away with the odd glass of white wine now and again. White seems better than red for me. Have you tried nonalcoholic white wine? Although it states nonalcoholic, it has a percentage of alcohol and is a good alternative if you like to drink with friends. I think it is 0.5 per cent. Although it’s not the real deal, it is a pleasant and relaxing drink. Trial and error, l think. Little, but not often for me.
I drink one very small (sherry size) glass with my main meal of the day - usually red but white with fish. At restaurants a bigger glass . Very rarely has it triggered my afib and then only if combined with some other element such as tiredness or dehydration. I would experiment with a few sips first to see if you are ok and always with food.
i really enjoy the nonalcoholic gin, im lucky i can drink wine with no problems am looking into the spritza type non alcoholic drinks as wel.
I drink wine most evenings and to be honest, IT’s definitely not a trigger for me. I think mine is dehydration due to another procedure I had. No issues with alcohol but obviously triggers vary for everyone.
Try doing what I did. Make your own "Country" wines. No additives, and you can decide how sweet it will be.
Bilberry wine is the best red wine I've ever tasted and the bilberries will be ready to pick next week.
Bramble/ blackberry wine is also nice and the brambles will be ripe in a couple of weeks time. (In the UK) If you know anyone with an apple tree, apple wine is the nicest white.
I made elderflower, elderberry, plum, damson, apple, bilberry, bramble and a few others.
It's an interesting and inexpensive hobby.
All the fruit is free if you know where to find it and picking the fruit is very relaxing and it gets you out and about too.
Your local pub or restaurant will happily give you as many empty bottles as you want.
organic wines. I haven’t tried them though as my husband refuses to. But I did buy something from Amazon recommended to me. They are disposable wine filters that you swish around the glass and it catches the sulphites. I tried it last night in my regular wine and my heart behaved itself so I guess it works!
Thanks for that. Brilliant piece of info.
Hi
I drink McCoys Dark Red Grape Juice instead.
Sulphites bring me out in a rash.
No anti diarrhoea or vomittinf drugs for me. Big wheels appear.
If you let the drink ferment you have the equivalent of wine!
cherio JOY
I drink normal red wine , I try and keep it 12 or 12,5 but that’s quite hard now as most are 13% upwards. I think you’ve done remarkably well not drinking four years when u fancied a wine. I am coming up to three months post ablation and have now red wine. Weirdly my cardio said avoid white wine not sure why.
I think the only way you know is to try.
Sue
Thanks Sue. Yes, the onset of AF made me abruptly stop the alcohol! Before that I was drinking far too much and I had drank a large glass the night I was diagnosed so it out me off a bit. I am 4 months post ablation so want to try but think it will be red. I was told prosecco contained the least sulphites but I don't like bubbles 😊
Hi Karendeena,
Firstly, all wines contain sulphites and most have sulphites added as a preservative. Secondly I don't believe that there is any evidence that sulphites cause or exacerbate AF symptoms.
However, alcohol is a different matter! There is a evidence that excessive consumption of alcohol (e.g. "binge drinking") can cause heart arrhythmias, including AF. For some people with AF, just a little alcohol can trigger an episode but, for others, alcohol in moderation doesn't have a noticeable effect other than being a pleasant social experience.
A few people, regardless of whether they have AF or not, may develop sulphite intolerance. This usually manifests itself as excessive burping almost immediately after drinking wine. The only way to counteract this is to stop drinking (or switch to gin and tonic!) or to remove the sulphites from the wine, which is quite easy to do.
So if you ever do become sulphite intolerant, buy 500 ml of 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide (available on Amazon and elsewhere). Also buy some dropper bottles. Fill a dropper bottle and try one drop of hydrogen peroxide in a large glass of wine - put the drop in first to aid mixing. You shouldn't be able to notice any difference in the taste of the wine, if you can - add more wine. Alternatively put four or five drops in a bottle of wine - if you notice a metallic aftertaste reduce the number of drops next time. As different wines contain different amounts of sulphites, you may need to experiment a little to get the ratio correct.
The above notes are based on my personal experience of permanent AF and alcohol and my wife's experience of sulphite intolerance.
Cheers!
Paul
Thank you very much for putting this info on, I will definitely try this. I don’t get afib from wine ( doing anything stressful and walking up hills for me ) but I cannot drink at home at all.
Anything bottled or canned gives me the most awful head cold symptoms, blocked and stuffed up, irritated nose, sneezing, it’s really miserable. My sterimar spray helps a little.
The only thing I can have is a pint of nice draught beer on days out and sometimes even then I’ll get slight symptoms. I stayed in a lovely hotel that gave you sparkling bottled water, started tickling and sneezing, checked the bottle and there’s sulphites in it! Gave me a nice nosebleed as well from trying to carefully blow my nose. Lesson learned.
If this works for me I might be able to have an occasional glass of wine ( some meals just could do with one ) at home at least. Can’t do it too often, it puts weight on like nothing else! If it doesn’t work it’s no big deal. Hope its helpful to Karendeena too.
Would make an occasional change from my usual tap water with my tea.
It’s interesting about naturally occurring sulphites as sometimes I’ll get a little stuffed up after my tea and my husband will ask what have you had now and I honestly don’t know.
Hi Visitingcat,
Sulphites are used as a preservative in so many food products and in restaurants it's really difficult to avoid them (wine-based sauces for example). My wife uses "Naked" (brand) sausages which have no added preservatives and treats wine vinegar with hydrogen peroxide drops and keeps it in the fridge. Let me know how you get on if you decide to try it in your wine.
Best wishes,
Paul
I too was going to suggest wine wands. There is a wide selection on Amazon. I don't drink alcohol but my daughter swears by the wands.
Hi yes I read labels a lot ( not enough with the sparkling water though ) but usually there’s nothing on there but if it’s naturally in salad items that could well be it.
Have been looking at reviews on Amazon and am a little wary both with the 3% and the special sprays though.
I’ll give it a very careful try : )
Hello Karen
My usual drink was Shiraz Australian red wine; until I developed AF and drew the conclusion that it wasn't helping at all. I checked online and it did seem to implicate red wine as a trigger so I stopped drinking it. An article I read seemed to indicate that other types of alcohol were much better tolerated; mainly because they had less sugar and of course no sulphates. So I only drink Gin and and slimlineTonic; Whisky and caffeine free diet coke and on the odd occasion; Zinfandel Rose wine. Not that I drink them but beer, cider and the likes are definately not well tolerated if you have AF.
Regards
Wine and afib 
Permanent Afib and alcohol
Good news for red wine drinkers!
Alcohol Spanish & Italian wine no Preservitives no Af
