Frequent urination at the onset of afib

I had another episode earlier this week- woke up needing to pee (don't usually pee much at night) and realised I was probably in afib. This time I had the AliveCor ecg device so was able to check and sure enough I had 160 bpm and "possible atrial fibrillation". The episode didn't last as long previous one, and I felt fine next day. However, over the following days I got a feeling of lightheadedness, particularly later in day, and a vague anxiety, though heart seemed normal. I was able to send Alivecor results to GP who will refer me to cardiologist, but wondered do others get this odd, lightheaded sensation for a few days after an episode?

Hi Larry

Not rare at all, most people I know with AF say they need to pee more often, and I certainly do.

This is a well known symptom. The atrium is irritated by the AF and secretes a hormone which then acts on the kidneys, stimulating them to produce more urine. In some patients this is more troublesome than the AF itself.

I think a lot of GP's are totally uneducated in regards to AF and just give advice from the book ,and a lot of Cardiologists are the same and don't even bother to ask.

My goto man is my EP...they are the people in the know.

Peeing...it doesn't worry me all that much, I just stagger out of bed and go to the loo 😃

All the best

PS Keep well hydrated as being dehydrated can cause AF

YES, yes, and yes. It's not rare. It's common and your doctor is behind the eight ball.

I'm always amazed how little Drs know about this complaint. Is he a cardiologist? If so I would be telling him to update his knowledge.

A lot of people I know with AF need to pee including me, you need to keep drinking to make up the fluid loss as dehydration can make AF worse.

its normal in some people. and I have it . sometimes lots of urine especially if you have drunk lots of water the hours before.

That could answer my problem, every night when i lay down the afib goes into overdrive, i try sleep sat up as that seems to help unfortunately I have a failed spinal fusion so sitting up is painful but i would need to pee 4 or 5 times until about 3.30am i started the Apixaban again and it stopped, unfortunately the side effects from the Apixaban are so bad i cannot take it regularly.

I have paroxysmal afib I have similar symptoms with onset starting in early AM beginning with frequent urination. Has anyone had any correlation with Aldosterone release and abnormal potassium levels? I've read that can cause afib as well as frequent urination. My annual blood works showed high Potassium level, a repeat in a month showed it was normal, then 6 months later it was high again. I'm considering purchasing a meter to see what the levels are when I experience the frequent urination and onset of afib. It happens about once every month - month and a half.

I have been to 2 cardiologist and one ambulance trip and two hospital stays with "run away heart" plus irregular heartbeat. Never been diagnosed with AFIB. Every once in awhile it flares up. Probably stress, fatigue or whatever. I also have high blood pressure (lisinopril), hypothyroid (levothyroxine), and type 2 diabetes (metformin) and I am overweight. I do experience episodes of extended AFIB symptoms (1 hour- 2 hours) with frequent urination during those times and YES only at night! It wakes me up! My heart stuff begins first then I get up, go to the sofa, and I am back and forth to the bathroom every 5 minutes! So aggravating. I have to watch a movie that I know just about every word to to "numb" my mind to try to relax and it usually goes away. The first time this happened it totally freaked out my husband and I and we called EMT's. They gave me the shot that restarts your heartbeat.... twice! before we made it to the hospital. I peed in my pants!! NEVER want that shot again. Felt like an elephant sat on my chest! I am not taking any meds currently for AFIB or irregular heartbeat. Most of the time I never have any issues. Just comes in spells. This has been going on for at least 15 years.

I'm in the UK, have had paroxysmal A.Fib for about 4 years (thought at first it was A.Flutter which I had 6 years ago and had ablation for). Been on Bisoprolol (beta blocker) about 3 years. I get A.fib episodes maybe once a month, normally starting around 11pm when already in bed. A couple of months ago this was accompanied (after the start of AF) by the need to repeatedly visit the loo to pee. 4 or 5 times in the space of an hour, before that settled down but the AF continued. I didn't dare drink for fear of worsening things. The AF ended about 10am next day.

Last night AF started early at 8.30pm and immediately I needed to pee frequently. By 9.30 that had settled down but felt dizzy and tired so went to bed, but the AF was really uncomfortable (most unsettling I've had) so took myself off to A+E (emergency room). By then the peeing had settled. Discharged 4.30am when my heart rate was down to just under 100. When I woke at 10am AF was over. (First AF hospitalisation since Covid; previously they've always kept me in till heart back in sinus rhythm, but guess they're now keen to get people out as quickly as possible. That plus it was Friday night and the A+E department was heaving...)

I spoke to my GP a few weeks ago about the urine issue but she'd never come across that. So reassuring to know it's not that uncommon! From comments on here sounds like drinking ice-cold water may help shorten the AF episode so will try that if there's a next time. Doubling my Bisoprolol dose on the A+E doctor's advice so fingers crossed I won't need to try for a while.

Very common, due to the release of atrial natriuretic peptide from the fibrillating atria.

Hi new here. When i go into afib or before i also pee alot. I also started going into afib about 2am everytime. The dotor told me that thats how the body gets your attention by making feel you have to pee. He also ordered a sleep study and sure engough i had sleep apnea. Which by the way can bring on afib. Another thing i have noticed is when i have not gone number 2 in a while and feel bloated the palpitations really kick in. From what I've noticed is that the vagus nerve can really mess with you so that if you lay on your side or are bloated what ever pushes on the that nerve can causes problems. When i lose weight it helps a lot just wish i could keep at it.

Yes Larry it happens to me just like you said. drives me nuts happened last night. I asked my afib doctor and he said he never heard of it before.