Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) and associated digestive problems?
Posted , 47 users are following.
I have been diagnosed recently with Paroxysmal A/F. Episodes are usually infrequent- around 1 every 4-6 weeks. Onset is invariably at night and when lying down to sleep or actually asleep. The time spent out of rhythm varies from 30 minutes to as much as 8 hours, usually going back into normal sinus rhythm when the bloating has abated. ECG and Echo tests normal.
But have been prescribed a blood-thinner of course (not warfarin), which I have to start soon it seems.
Two things concern me:
ONE that neither the specialist or my GP seemed to accept that there was any connection between A/F and bloating/IBS yet the internet is crowded with people with the same symptoms as me. Only two (eminent) USA sites mention this as a reality.
TWO I do wish my GP would take seriously a need to review and change my medication routine (I have been on 25mg Atenolol for ectopic beats for 9 years now), especially since I have read in several notable cardiological sites that atenolol can not only contribute to A/F but also that in any event, 25mg is too low a dose.
Would others with A/F AND these IBS-type symptoms please share their experiences/outcomes/view please?
Many thanks!!
1 like, 90 replies
patricia23428 edward1943
Posted
I finally went to the hospital during a 7 hour heart rate of 150. It was the best thing I have done since I was properly diagnosed with AFB.
I have had nothing but bloating and stomach issues and also wondered if there was a connection to AFB. Your message, along with others, confirms my suspicions .
Snakefantone1 edward1943
Posted
Edward you are not alone I've been having the same symptoms complex for the last 25 years eating weeds to Gerd and bloating and that leads to an onset of a fib . In the beginning I lived with it -went On anticoagulants -Coumadin -and it would last a day to a month before spontaneously broke. About five years ago I got cardioverted for the first of 12 times while some genius put me on multaq which seem to cause more problems Than it wasworth. Now I'm on Flecanide and it seems to be working well and that I only go in to a fib two or three times a year for a short period of time and again usually after a heavy meal sometimes even just a light meal and then bending over-I told this to my doctor and he said don't eat anymore! Good luck starting to think about ablation
brian63256 edward1943
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I realize this discussion is over a year old but wanted to relay my experience anyway. I'm male 42 years old in good shape and eat well, I had my first episode of afib in March 2016 while having dinner and was cardioverted after 12 hours of 160 heart rate. I felt like crap for a few days but eventually I returned to somewhat of a normal routine except for indegestion and bowel issues that I didn't have previous to my first afib event. I had my second bout of afib in October 2016 while hunting and hiking some steep terrain, I made it home and took a beta blocked and spontaneously converted after 7 hours. This episode sent my bowels into overdrive and started loosing weight rapidly (26 pounds in 3 months) with little to no appetite. I went in for ultrasounds, colonoscopy, endoscopy, MRI, bloodwork, celiac testing etc which was all normal. I switched to a gluten free diet and was able to stabilize my weight and it helped my symptoms somewhat but not completely. I have no underlying cardiac disease and my Dr. suggested an ablation procedure which I had done 8 days ago. So far so good with my recovery and I am willing to bet my digestive issues go away with the afib although my cardiologist doesn't seem convinced they are linked. Funny how they showed up at exactly the same time. I wonder if the bowels are causing the afib or the afib causing the bowel problems. I should know if the ablation worked in 3 months or so and hopefully the guts return to normal.
derek76 brian63256
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brian63256 derek76
Posted
frank61666 brian63256
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A big problem for all of us is that the gastroenterologists do not talk to the cardiologists and they do not talk to the neurologists.
Frank
christine51299 brian63256
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Brian your story is very similar to mine. I'm 51 & active. I was diagnosed with AF in March 2016 when I ended up in ER with my first severe attack. I typically have always had very sensitive digestion so eat very healthy but this has not made any difference for me as far as the AF (gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, etc). 2 weeks ago today I ended up in the ER with my worst episode ever. HR 150 & my Troponin was slightly elevated. More & more I had been noticing the digestive issues w/my episodes. But since my bad episode 2 weeks ago the digestive issues are constant & very severe whether I have an episode or not. I can hardly eat & my gut hurts. I'm scheduled for an ablation in 2 days (Monday). I'm very nervous & would love to hear how yours turned out & if your digestive issues improved? I've wondered if the AF has been the cause or vice versa. Just so weird that my digestion got so much worse after the severe episode. Yours is the first story so similar to mine. Would love to hear from you. Thank you so much for having shared this!
brian63256 christine51299
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Hey Christine, so sorry to hear about your afib issues as well. Your situation sounds very similar to mine and I feel for you. It has been 3 weeks since my ablation and recovery has been harder on me than I anticipated but I'm finally starting to feel better. The Dr's warned me that it affects everyone differently and expect it to be difficult. I ended up in the ER 3 days after the surgery with an episode of afib that corrected with drugs and haven't had any since but have been very tired and chest discomfort from inflammation of the heart. These symptoms are slowly going away but I probably won't be myself for a few months. My appetite has been much better though and I have quit loosing weight! I am even having a cup of coffee as I type this which I haven't been able to do in months! I think in the end the ablation is a good procedure and I have high hopes that it will solve my problems. Good luck and hope your procedure goes well! If you need to talk feel free to phone me. 208-867-5770.
christine51299 brian63256
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Thank you so much for your reply Brian! I'm headed to the hospital in a couple of hours. Feeling quite nervous (which is why I'm still awake!). But alsi hopeful and looking forward to sime relief. I will be sure to give you an update as to how it goes. Best wishes to you!!!
brian63256 christine51299
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Thanks Christine and good luck and you'll do great. Hope the recovery goes well and keep me posted on your progress!
julie7525 edward1943
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Hi Edward. I'm 48 and have been suffering with palpitations for 18 mths as well as chronic bloating and burping, apparently ibs as all other tests negative. Just had an ECG after particularly bad spell of palps/ panic attacks at night (yes its become a health anxiety problem), EGC showed AFib. Doc put me on betablockers for anxiety before ECG results back and waiting for her to get advice on what to do next! But yeh, ive been mentioning the link between palps / indigestion to my docs for months!
David10009 edward1943
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46. Started 8 years ago. Infrequent episodes of paroxysmal always proceeded by digestive bloating. Since the first episode I've been going to one of the top cardiologists in NYC (reviews, write-ups, etc). He does a work-up and usually recommends nothing as I'm younger and my numbers are good. After the last episode and checkup where he again recommended no treatment, I was exasperated and said "Why is this happening?" He said casually as he was walking out, "There's nothing wrong with your heart. I think it's your stomach."
jillian92034 David10009
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Hi David,
?I am researching the relationship between afib/digestive issues for my sister, who suffers from Afib--and often seems to have a link between digesitve issues and her episodes, which seem to occur a few times a month. She is NYC--is there a doctor you recommend? She is going to a new EP soon, but i thought perhaps you may have some suggestions since you went to see someone in NYC as well. Wondering who your cardiologist is/was. Thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide. Best wishes, Jillian
jennysherwin edward1943
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Hi all. I'm Jenny. I live in Los Angeles. I'm 49. My first bouts of A Fib where immediately after I 1.) quit caffeine for my blood pressure and 2.) went on Hydrochlrorthiazide. I had three bouts, brief, thought they were a drug reaction between the diuretic and a muscle relaxant, Soma, I take from time to time for my neck (car accident in 1991). Then, I had two severe bouts to days apart and, in a panic, went to the ER. By the time I got there, my heart had converted, they said it may be a reaction to the diuretic and they sent me home. I made a pact with the Universe to get healthier, cleaned up my nurtritional act, lost 50 pounds and was just fine on the Amlodipine they put me on after the ER. The diuretic had messed up my kidney levels a bit, so I was eating a super clean kidney diet and my kidneys got better. During the holidays, my diet got worse (doesn't it always) and even though I didn't gain any weight (I'm a type 2 diabetic who's practically kicked it, through diet/nutrition), small bouts of A Fib started to kick in, followed by a huge episode with rapid heart rate that put me in the ICU for three days, staring December 26. They wanted to ablate, I said no. They wanted to electro-convert, I said no. They sent me home with three meds: Metroplol, Valsartan and Hydralazine. The combination was almost as bad as the AFib, so my new cardio, whom I adore, switched me to Tribenzor, which made me feel great, but four days later, the A Fib came back...twice in two days. Turns out Tribenzor has Hydrochlrorthiazide. So, now, as I'm waiting for a new medication, I start thinking about some things and reading studies online. One, is the gut connection...which seems like an absolute possibility. The A Fib seems to always happen when I've overeaten, One is the diuretic connection...which absolutely seems real. The third is caffeine. I've read it helps prevent A Fib. Should I start drinking tea again? Could my new bouts of A Fib be related to a mid back injury I suffered in a freeway accident in October? And should I take CoQ10? These are the things on my mind, as I wait for my new meds. I'm SO sorry that all of you are going through this too and I'm thankful for this discussion thread. Huge prayers and love to all of you.
peter49548 edward1943
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This is a very interesting thread. I am 60 and live in the UK and have had issues with occasional paroxysmal AF for about 40 years - treated for most of that time with beta blockers on a "preventative" basis - this had a somewhat restrictive effect on my life but was liveable with - had an ablation in 2010 which was a big improvement- but not a total "solution" - like the others commenting here when in AF the "symptoms" I have had have been with my stomach and not my chest or heart -no breathlessness or shortness of breath etc - and in every one of those epsiodes over the past 40 years my stomach is intermittently "gurgling" and "bloated", sensitve and seems to be making "tracking" type noises across its width - I do not experience any gastric or bloating problems when not in AF- again like other contributors when I have mentioned this over the years to doctors and cardiologists as a possible cause of the AF they have dismsissed this and said it is purely cardiac in origin and that what I am experiencing is simply a "symptom" of the AF which are very different in different peope - though I dont really get the usual AF symptoms much at all - apart from heart out of sinus . In my mind however I am convinced that the AF epsiodes are somehow linked to the stomach and the vagus nerve becoming "agiiated"
Personally, I think it is the vagus nerve which is triggering the AF and this goes away when the nerve settles down - I have absolutely no way of proving this but that is what I instinctively "feel"
Generally since going semi retired and losing a lot of weight and playing a lot more sport over the past few years I have felt better and done things - tennis , pickleball, running etc- which I would not have done before for fear of triggering an AF attack
I am actually in the middle of an AF epsiode now- nearly a week - and been to doctor and they say not a major worry as my other risk factors - weight/ blood pressure/ heart rate etc are all OK - they also say you can exercise strenously even when in AF - my consultant says he has some people in AF who run marathons!! - has anyone had experience of playing sports while in AF?
Sorry I digress from the main theme of this thread- yes I agree entirely that this is an area that needs to be looked into - there seem to be loads of people on line - and indeed some eminent scientific papers - all of whom believe the connection between stomach problems / vagus nerve etc with AF - but this seems to still have no traction at all with doctors and cardiologists around the world
My question is that if you have none of the usual AF risk factors- smoking/ drinking/ weight / high BP etc what is the trigger and why does the heart go into AF and why back again - to date I have had paroxysmal episodes only?
Unfortunately the list of suspected "good " and "bad" foods and supplements seems to differ from person to person once you have elimated the usual suspects of smoking/ alcohol/ spicy and fried foods etc
Keep up the good work raising this issue and thanks
frank61666 peter49548
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I am big on the idea of a food intolerance, which differs from each person, but I would start with wheat, all wheat, and eliminate it completely.
A food intolerance causes bloating, and that results in chyme oozing out of the stomach and up into the esophagus where it can cause the heart to go into panic mode via the vagus nerve. This is especially true when you have been lying down in bed for a while.
Fats in a dinner meal are the last to be digested, and if alcohol is involved the fats are digested extremely slow, and that can really contribute to the bloating after several hours.
The lower esophagus sphincter (LES), the muscle that closes to prevent the chyme from entering the esophagus, gets weakened with age, and along with increassing food intolerances, afib-like symptoms appear.
Some things will cause the les to close tightly, like TUMs, and believe it or not, red wine, but not white wine. Calcium-containing liquids like almond milk would probably help since calcium is known to induce les constriction. (BTW, that is how TUMs work, by locking the les shut, not by the acid neutralization many think)..
Frank
reginald86759 frank61666
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Hi Frank,
I've followed with interest your postings relating to the Vagus nerve and digestive process
I have had paroxysmal af for a few years but last December suffered the bloating problem for the fist time. As per your previous suggestions, I started taking a pro biotic in addition to magnesium and it has certainly helped with my digestion
I'm sure of the link between Vagus nerve and look forward to your future postings.
Liz365 reginald86759
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United with reginald86759 I too eagerly hope for more input from frank61666 about connections between AFib and Magnesium deficiency + Vagus Nerve function. It's thanks to Frank's reply (2 years ago) in this thread, that inspired online searches. This week, I am mainly adding Magnesium-rich foods to my meals - so daily pumpkin seeds, yogurt with 100% wheat breakfast (Shredded Wheat bitesize) and an item of fresh fruit. Main meal now has Magnesium-rich spinach, kale or chard. Lunch often has a Magnesium-rich-ish avocado (previously only a rare treat!)
It would be interesting to hear from anyone with AFib improvement likely to be due to Magnesium-rich foods, or indeed supplementation.
frank61666 Liz365
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Magnesium and potassium are 2 super important electrolytes that belong inside the cells of the body. If you do not have enough, then calcium and sodium will take their places and all hell, like a fib, can break out.
In general foods rich in magnesium also are rich in potassium. Humans though need more daily potassium than magnesium, calcium and sodium combined.
Coffee, alcohol, sugar and stress cause one to secrete potassium and magnesium.
Frank
Liz365 frank61666
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Hi Frank, happy seeing your post (after problematic weekend coping with dementia-hit relative).
Bananas (rich in potassium, I gather) no-longer causing me palpitations, after just 4-5 days consuming Magnesium-rich pumpkin seeds daily. Fascinating learning (mainly from you!) importance of balancing nutrition, not just maintining 5-a-day veg+fruit.
Wondering if coffee OK at start of each day, then nil until evening meal (as a digestive). Perhaps aiming to eat Magnesium-rich lunch (eg either spinach, kale or chard). Also potassium-rich breakfast including a banana (probably with delicious new-to-me pumpkin seeds, for extra Magnesium. Does this sound sensible to you?
Experimenting with foods, instead of trying medications, appeals most to me, as a person never with high Blood Pressure, but with a stressful life and in AFib, but now with pulse dropped from 138 last September (when vitD deficiency discovered) to 86 last month.
A problem - any ideas, anyone? Since age 13 years, I've had very large tonsils with pockets which trap chewed nuts, seeds or chickpeas. Then I get a sore throat, itchy ears & runny nose. Is there a simple dietary addition (or subtraction) that can help? I already gargle with warm salty water daily.
frank61666 Liz365
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Liz
If it weren't for alcohol, caffeine and sugar and stress, to go along with a lousy diet that does nmot replace magnesium and potassium, there might not be afib. Everything in moderation, and only if ones diet is rich in magnesium and potassium.
The Mediterranean diet is so good I think simply because it is rich in magnesium and potassium, with moderate amounts of the sugar, etc.
Bananas are fine, except unfortunately, when they are ripe; too much sugar.
FYI, the importance of potassium for heart health was discovered years ago when an African tribe nearly died out due to a water shortage one year that killed off all of the bananas, then a major food source.
Also, FYI, here in the USA physicians used to tell young patients to keep their tonsils - now they take them out with the slightest sign of trouble. If I were you, I'd have them removed. They really serve no good use beyond what the other immune-related systems in the throat can perform.
Frank
Liz365 frank61666
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Frank, thanks for input. Fascinating about African tribe nearly wiped out due to banana crop failure caused by water shortage, leading to inadequate Potassium, etc, via food.
AFib disappearance hoped for by me is aided by:
- zero alcohol (teetotal) since my early-20s ('cos it makes me sleepy)
- moderate sugar (including naturally occurring in fruit+) lifelong
But possible AFib ongong risks due to:
- 3 cups daily of coffee as painkiller + gut mobiliser (black, unsweeeted)
- stress re dementia of elderly relative
- stress re death of parent whose living collection I nurture, but cannot yet move to a new site
Today, my cold-curative lunch was fresh tomatoes with a slither of raw garlic on each chunk. Breakfast was freshly steamed vegetables (+ eggs) missing from yesterday's main meal at friends' home. They served only a small spoonful of beetroot with meat and tiny amount of potato + a lettuce leaf (delicious, but far from my 5-a-day veg habit!)
Unsure if yogurt (plain, unsweetened) is OK re tonsil 'stones', as I see those of us with the pits are supposed to avoid 'dairy' foods...? Bacteria of yogurt seems beneficial to my digestive system.
Wonder if tonsil removal continues to be "dangerous for adults"...?
derek76 frank61666
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In the 1940's in the UK tonsil removal was done at the drop of a hat. It was almost like a dental appointment. They were taken out and the kids were out in the street in no time with blood still coming out of their mouths. In those days they were just snipped and not properly removed.
As time went bye opinion changed and they were no longer removed.