Medication, also is there a link between Gluten and AF ?
Posted , 10 users are following.
Hi ,
i`m male 51 and have had random episodes of AF for at least 15 years, each episode not normally lasting more than 24 hours. When i was first diagnosed with AF i was advised to cut out all the usuals, caffine, alchohol , keep myself hydrated etc..i did all this but AF episodes still randomly occured . At first i was put on sotalol but that didnt work. i was then put on flecinide and my symptoms did improve but overtime they gradually got worse again . i was then added Bisoprolol to the Flecinide and this made a big difference. Over a few years i started to notice that my symptons would return soon after the pharmacy had inrtroduced a different brand of meds. I mentioned this to my GP but he quickly dismissed my observations as he said all the brands had the same amount of the active ingridient. My pharmacy was more understanding. Over time i worked out which certain brand worked best .I also have the same problem with both the medications . At the moment everything is good but last week my pharmacy informed me the brand of bisoprolol that works fine for me is no longer available. i know from past expeiriences that when i have changed over to a different brand then my episodes of AF will return.
At the moment i have 28 days supply of the good one but from past experiences i know what is coming.
I read recently that all meds have the same amount of the active ingredient but they allow a 20% margin .As in the past when i change to a new brand i`m now expecting the sympoms of AF to return. If they do return then im going to go back to my GP and ask him to slightly increase the Bisoprolol to compensate for the 20% magin because if it`s true it could be the loss in 20% that`s making the difference.
I`m no expert but i cannot think of any another reason why changing over to a new brand would make the Af return.
i would also like to add my expeirence with Gluten and AF with the hope it may help someone. Even though i`m on meds i have still been having random episodes of AF. After having three episodes in one week I decided to trace my diet back and i realised that wheat was major trigger and so was cheese. So as an experiment i whent on a gluten free diet. I have to say i have never felt so good and my symptons vastley improved. I,m fully aware without the medication i`m certain i would go into AF. Since i`ve cut out wheat my symptoms have 90% improved .I used to drink beer but i had to stop because it was triggering the AF but now since Ive realised it was the wheat in the beer that was triggering the AF i can now drink cider or red wine with no AF, all within moderation of course. I mentioned this to my GP but he quickly dissed my wheat observation as he said he`d never heared of the wheat connection before. . In the past going out for meals or takeaways would have trigger AF but now since gluten free my episodes have stopped . Most places can accomadate Gluten free Indian food is normally gluten free apart fom the nan bread.
When i look back to my teens i did have random episodes of a fast heart rate and that was diagnosed as panick attacks.
Looking back now i`m convinced it was the wheat intolerence that was triggering the fast heart rate because im not an anxious person. The upshot is i,m now on flecinide and bisoprolol,. i keep myself hydrated, i have no caffine not even decaf , no cheese, im also on a gluten free diet and i have to say it has took me years of AF episodes to get to this stage. I do get episodes but they mainly happen after i have let my my guard down against the triggers mentioned.
I hope my obsevations that i have had over the years will also help someone with the same condition
john.. good luck.
3 likes, 40 replies
ana36 john84040
Posted
Don´t worry about the late reply I too have not been here for a while and have recenlty had some episodes though they have now morphed into tacchyarrythmias.
I too find that certain things trigger them the wheat is a big culprit for me and lying down and relaxing it also depends if I have over done things too.
I am also on beta blockers a new one I have been given was working fine for me but it overdosed in my system and I was having bad sympotms. So just a case of finding a lower dose and hoping it works the same. My doc says that AF is common in my case as I have genetic heart problems but I disagree because many people suffer with this.
Lets hope you are feeling better and thanks for your reply, nice pun too :-)
take care
from ana
P.S. yes iphones can do that :-)
john84040 ana36
Posted
sorry to to hear about your episodes morphing into tacchyarrythmias.
This is a long shot but I have been on three different brands of Bisoprolol .
out of the three only one brand has worked . All the same strength , all the same avitve ingredient .just different brands . What happened was when the pharmacy changed brands I would have side effects ie. Fast heart rate palpitations and anxiety feelings.
How can this be if they are the same drug ? What I found was different brands all have the same active ingredient but they're made up of different compounds . I was having a reaction to not the main active ingredient but something that was in make up of the compound that binds the drug together .
I realised over time that I would have side effects only when pharmacy had changed to a different brand of Bisoprolol .
The reason why I noticed this was because I had the same trouble with flecinide but only when the pharmacy changed flecinide to a different brand. It took me a few years to work out that when I was on a certain brand of flecinide I would have palpitations and when on another brand I was fine.
My doctor dissed me when I mentioned this to him . So I asked the pharmacy and they said you can have a reaction to different brands even though they are the same drug.
Like I said different brands have the same active ingredient but the compounds are not the same and it could be something that's in the compound that triggers an allergic reaction.
Lucky for me after trying 3 different brands Bisoprolol I have now sorted with my pharmacy the one brand that works fine .
I know this is a long shot but try a different brand of beta blocker with your pharmacy until you find one that you don't have a reaction . The symptoms I was having with certain brands was similar symptoms to the reaction that I have with gluten .
This is something I worked out myself and my doctor thinks I'm talking rubbish as he's never heard of it . My pharmacy did say to me it's possible to have a reaction on different brands of the same drug because the active ingredients are the same but different brands are made up of different compounds .
Im no expert and you have to listen to the experts but changing to a different brand may work. Ask your pharmacy is it possible to have a reaction from a different brand of the same drug.,
hope you get sorted soon Ana , I may be way off the mark but anything is worth a try if it helps...check with your pharmacy,first .
Good Luck,
john
ana36 john84040
Posted
Its worth a try its not good to keep channging anti-arrythmics as it can interfere with the heart rate even more. Maybe changing medication brands is similar to this.
Thanks for the advice, I will chat with my pharmacist, sometimes is best to go right to the source.
thanks again take care
ana
john84040 ana36
Posted
I mentioned the brand issue to you Ana because the beta blocker I was on was working fine but when the pharmacist changed the brand I had a similar reaction to what your going through at the moment... I went back on the tried and tested brand and now I've sorted with the pharmacist to keep me on the same brand.
I fully understand what your going through ..It could be your just intolerant to a small ingredient that's in the compound( not the active ingredient). Another brand may agree with you better than the one your on at the mo :-)
Take care Ana
John.
richard59054 john84040
Posted
Hi John, i also tracked my AF to gluten! my doctor said the same- "said never know of any link"
they wanted to do heart surgery!! i wonder how many people have this and dont realise like us!
all the best.
R