Food and heart arythmia

Lots of people have pvc's, ectopic beats etc, after eating or eating certain foods. I always have problems with cheese, bread, pastry or if I overeat. Cardiologists aren't really interested in the connection and maybe it's something a gastroenterologist would show more interest in.  Some people have vagus nerve irritation after eating whic causes a rapid heart rate and irregular beats. If you google it you will see quite a few people suffer.

SVT and PACs are not dangerous. AF is. If the Vegas nerve is irritated it will irritate the heart. Avoid those foods,it's different for everyone but sugar alcohol and caffeine are usually universal.

Shane you are not alone on this.  One of the strongest and most highly selected cardio / EPs in my area was very keen to pick up on this with me.  He said that it astonishes his profession that still to this day, there are very simple things that occur from a diet related standpoint that have such a profound affect on the rhythm of our hearts. 

After 11 years of this, I know for a fact that large meals with a high glycemic index affect the vegus nerve that runs through our stomachs.   If you lower the suger / carbs and stick with this for 8-10 days and also balance out the mag / pot you are missing........the SVT and PAC will diminish significantly. 

I have been told that even them I'm not Celiac, that just modifying my diet to avoid white carbs and sugar could have a profound impact on my electrophysiology.  

Please try it.  Please avoid white sugars and white carbs for 10 days.  Double your intake of water and eat one banana a day.  Just to see how this helps as I said earlier, its a rare condition that they don't understand and they know once you try it there is a 15% chance it solves the problem ( no ablation  / surgery or meds ). 

For me drinking enough water and 100% avoiding alcohol was the biggest part. 

Hi Shane,

?Absolutely no argument on this from me. 

I was diagnosed with paroxysmal AF in Jan 2010.

?It took about 6 months for me to adjust to my party bag of new drugs, then I began to notice some digestive issues arising. Basically, I noticed my AF would kick in after I'd eaten, might be as quick as 3 hours or as long as 8 - depending on the food. Other symptoms would also occur, bloating, massive, massive and often painful bloating, burping, intestinal gurgling and diahorea - not all at the same time, any at random. The most common, and most alarming was the bloating.

?My GP ran some blood tests to check on Coeliac Disease and also IBS. Results were clear. Neither he or the cardiologist who diagnosed my AF in the first place ever mentioned anything about diet. My GP offered to run more tests but I declined.

?I then privately consulted a Nurritionist and poured my heart out. She admitted that the also had referrals from a gasterenterologist and that vagus nerve was always considered. So to her this assumption of mine that a dysfunctional vagus nerve was responsible for the frequent return of my AF.

She then did some basic tests which confirmed that there was a problem with my 'gut flora' and put me on a course of antibiotics. she also suggested I go gluten free, wheat free and also consider some aspects of the FODMAPS diet. At a later stage I also went oats free, and even later still added sugar free.

?All I can say is that as a result, my last AF event was in April 2015 !

?Job done !

?The range of food that I can and cannot eat is amazing.

?I always have a banana a day. I have nothing with gluten and wheat in. Nothing with oats in (including chocolate coated oatmeal biscuits) and no added sugar.

?Strawberries and cream are fine, raspberries and cream are no good. Pork is out ! Soft cheeses no good, hard cheeses like Edam and Gouda and Cheddar are fine. Yoghurt is out. Chinese food (eat in or take away) I have to be very selective on what I eat (MSG intolerant?). Junk food like KFC and McDonalds, no problem so long as I am selective. Salads ( lettuce etc) no good but I can handle small amounts of Rocket. Radish OK, Shallots OK, other onions no good. Watercress OK.

?And so it goes on. Alcohol, coffee and tea - no problem at all.

?All that said, I do not regard myself as cured of AF nor do I regard the risk of AF generated stroke in any way diminished .... I don't! I keep on with my prescribed drugs regardless - Warfarin and Bisoprolol. The point is - in the words of my cardiologist - "your left atria is damaged and this will always predispose you to an AF event as well as the inherent risk of a stroke". The Bisoprolol controls my heart rate.

?So it is with this blend of drugs and diet that I can confidently say my AF is controlled BUT it is such an untrustworthy condition that I'd never claim to have been cured.

John