Atrial Fibrillation Stomach Gas & Bloat Relationship?

I saw a post about atrial fibrillation and stomach gas possible association.  I too have the same thing so it may not be all in your head if your suspect this to be the case.  Most dr.'s think your crazy or never heard of this when you even suggest it.  Thats whats wrong with most dr's.  They don't think outside the box and most always treat symptoms with side effect ridden drugs because this is what they learned.  I think we can guess or prognose just as well or better than they can at times particularly if we know something about health and or ourselves.  Never be afraid to speak up because I feel strongly that digestive tract problems are real and translate into other real nasty symptoms like this.  Fortunately we can prevent much of this & need to prevent it from happening. I do feel the more you get afib the worse it can become either physically, emmotionally or both no matter what the cause.  I thought up until now that I may have been the first to discover this but thought I would put this to a POLL since the question already exist out there about the afib gas connection.  I would like to know how many people feel that they get atrial fibrillation and feel that it may be related to gas or full, bloated stomach, intestinal or digestive tract troubles etc?  Any way I also would be interested in what anyone might have to say about it and or what they may have learned from this if they know or even think this to be the case for them and would also like to correspond with others to trade stories and info on what they've learned and done. Be well.  Sincerely, Rich - ***@****


This discussion is related to Stomach Gas and Arrythmia.

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55%

 (5) 

Yes, I get afib and feel its stomach gas or digestive problem related

11%

 (1) 

Not sure but I suspect it could be related to gas and or digestive problems

33%

 (3) 

Yes I get afib and know it to be related to gas or digestive trouble but can find no dr to look into it from this angle.

0%

 (0) 

Yes I get afib and know it to be related to gas or digestive problems and have found a dr. that has helped me

9 Members voted

[Carico]

I, too, suffer from this gas associated arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation. I can have it in the middle of the night or day. There is an improvement when I take Pepcid or Diovel, but the best bet is Ovol extra strenth or Gax X. If I don't take anything it can get pretty scarey and last a long time. My entire chest throbs, my esophogus feels tight and I feel a pressure on the back of my tongue. Also feel a sudden fatigue.
Carol

[jjack100]

I have suspected for a long time a connection between bloating and the relatively mild case of atrial fibrillation that I've experienced. My doctors, including two cardiologists, are not very good listeners.

For now, I just try to regulate my food intake so I won't bloat. Gas X does help.


J

[Meejee]

Usually after I eat a particularly fatty meal, or if I eat cereal containing milk, in which milk makes me gassy, I start to feel my heart rate increase well above 60 bpm. If I drink 1 or 2 bottles of water, it seems to help a bit and makes me more comfortable. I always have to eat dinner about 3 hours before bed. If not, I will endure the uneasy rapid heart rate which will prevent me from resting. It sometimes also results in heartburn.

Rena

[delcocat]

Thanks for your responses.  You read my post and know I like you are still a work in progress in this atrial fib/ digestive track disorder association.  I did a colon/parasite cleanse.  Also did a liver/gall bladder flush.  I followed this up with a continual supplentation of acidophillus liquid probiotic, mastic gum, papaya enzyme blend after meals or twice a day, lactaid enzyme when I eat dairy and beano when I eat gassy foods.  In the event I still get gas or stomach discomfort I use DGL and sometimes take it once or twice a day any way.  I have been very much improved.  I suspected ulcers and knew I had an acidic condition and all this helped tremendously with no side effects.  Give it a whirl.  Good luck.  Rich

[snowbie28]

I am a 38 year old female.  I have noticed this correlation as well.  I am a vegetarian and tend to be gassy, plus I eat a lot of high fiber foods.  I brought this up at my last visit to the cardiologist.  He said that there is a correlation between gas and Afib.  That gas stimulates the vagus nerve.  He advised me to take GasX.  The problem for me is that it seems to help me temporarily, but ultimately causes me to become constipated.  Then I have to take another pill.....and it goes on.  Anyway, you are not "crazy".  I have a friend younger than me that has AFib and she had a episode of Afib when she had food poisoning.  The vomiting seemed to "kick it off".    

[ed34]

My heart problems were misdiagnosed for 12 months as a stomach disorder because
I only received chest pains after eating. After a build up of gas and releasing it, the
pains seemed to subside considerably. One of the symptoms I gave the cardiologists
on the day of my Heart attacks was "lots of wind".
The digestive system required a large amount of oxygen to digest food and this is what
triggered my heart attacks in the end. It stands to reason that there is a link between
the two. After being stented it was great to be able to eat again but as other vessels
have become worse, the problem is returning and I have to eat little but often. If I eat a
meal and try to walk for more than 2 mins, I am on my knees gasping for air. If I have
just a very small snack, I can walk for over a mile with just a small amount of throat
discomfort.

[sheila41]

Definitely, there is a connection,when my heart races, it's always after a heavy meal, and then trying to walk or something. I also have told doc.many times, but she just gives me more antacids, which do nothing at all for the vagus problem, which she didn't even acknowledge. Antacids make it worse most often.  I darn't go out for a meal, which I would love to do, as even the getting up and then walking afterwards makes a crisis situation.  SO, YES THERES A CONNECTION -  AND NO I HAVN'T FOUND A DOCTOR WHO WANTS TO DO ANYTHING (OTHER THAN GET YOU OUT OF THE SURGERY ASAP)   Best wishes.

[delcocat]

Thanks for your responses.  i check back and like to hear whats going on and to see if anyone not only has this but what they or their dr.'s have done.  If you like try some of my suggestions above in one of my post or in this one.  Also, one thing I did not mention in past post when I
started this is that anxiety also can bring this rapid heart rate and or atrial fibrilation on as well.  Being bloated, gassy, uncomfortable in your stomach and or digestive tract can bring on anxiety.  It can be a vicious cycle.  I don't like getting afib because I often have to endure a full day (between 6-14 hours) of misery.  When this happens I do a few things.  If I feel it will be around for a while I generally take 1/2 to 1 plain aspirin for good measure and prevention.  I try to relieve the acid, gas and bloat sometimes with a teaspon or two dose of epsom salt disolved in 8 oz of water which usually results in a complete clean out from any where between a 1/2 hour to 3 hours of taking it.  I then juice a large glass a mix of carot, parsley & several stalks of celery and drink it slowly to replace any missing vitamins or minerals and drink water to keep hydrated.  I eat lightly (only veg or chicken broth and or toast).   Theres no particular order however I think its important to  keep all the medications ie., aspirin/magnesium etc.
seperated by atleast an hour.  Another thing I should mention is that everyone is different and may experience or have this for different reasons.  I like many of you have been check by doctors and they really don't know why I (or in a lot of case) people get this.  Rule out any illness first.  i can tell you I never get afib for example when I excersise or exert myself (thank goodness)   I have suffered with digestive problems ie., acid, gas, bloat, ibs, possible ulcer and inflamation (inflammation) etc. and its usually when I don't watch and am very bad with my diet (go off the wagon) when I get this and its usually seperated by 6 months or more.  But thats me.  If you try any of the stuff I have done then I would love to know if any of it helps you but I am no doctor and am not prescribing anything, making any claims and taking no responsibility for any result.  Good luck!  -RICH-

[jheaven]

I have been experiencing the same symptoms for about six months now.  I seem to have sometimes dull sometimes sharp pains under my breast bone.  I get bloated very easily after eating.  I burp a lot of stomach gas.  Lots of belching ensues.  Sometimes I feel like my esophagus swells up and then I can feel my heart beating in my chest, the fluttering and butterfly feeling.  Then, this irregular beating in my chest scares me and causes anxiety, then the viscous cycle repeats.  The anxiety causes more chest pain, more gas, and more discomfort.  I have been trying everything to treat myself.  Changed my diet (was drinking lots of soda and taking NSAID pain relievers every day) for the most part, but due to my work schedule I do eat too much fast food to this day.  I drink nothing but water now, I have been watching everything I do.  I wait tables at night so being on my feet seems to always help, and these pains occur a lot less.  Also they seem to have gotten better by doing 2 weeks course of Prylosec OTC.  But still I am not "cured" and I just had an episode today.

My doctor visits all said the same thing. That anxiety, ibs, and stress have led to ulcers and my stomach being torn to shreds with acid. And then they give me antacids and send me on my way.  Well, all of this seems logical, but why has my stomach not healed after months and months of diet changing and antacid treating?  

I have been noticing that anxiety (watching a big football game) along with eating gassy food (like a bratwurst) can bring this on as apposed to just another day.  Also my episode today was brought on by me eating less than 3 hours before I went to sleep (around 1.5 hours).  When I woke up this morning I could tell my stomach and esophogus were upset with me, and when I finally ate lunch (several tums, water, and a prilosec later) 15 minutes or so later the bloating and heart fluttering kicks in.  

Please if anyone knows a way to heal yourself from this condition let me know.  I have been living in discomfort for 6 months and I am afraid that my 29 years of Moutain Dew and Taco Bell finally caught up with me....

[cqberry]

There is a connection. It could be food additives causing some type of allergic reaction. Just guessing on that. I've had the fatigue, bloating, shortness of breathe, racing heart. Sometimes when I haven't eaten. I'm extremely fatigued most of the time. My sleep patterns are all out of whack. Have eppisodes of hives on occasion. I've always been told the same thing. Depression and anxiety. I'm not buying that **** anymore. But what can we do about it? Nothing. Just keep taking the antidepressants, antihistamines, and antacids. No wonder we're tired.

[delcocat]

To: jheaven & others
Hello j.  Sorry to hear of your dilemna.  By the sound of it you are describing what I and others have experienced.  It sounds also like you have also visited the doctors and other than the stomach & digestive troubles you are relatively healthy.  Have you read the other posts by myself.  Please look at them and you'll get some more insight as to what i have gone thru and some things that i've done that helped more than I can do here.  I will try and give you a quick overview and some suggestions.  First it is entirely possible to get afib via gas bloat and other stomach and digestive tract disorders.  If your stomach and digestive tract is as described then you must have inflamation (inflammation).  All this inflamation (inflammation) and bloat and gas will push up on your diaphram and surrounding areas and cause great discomfort and pain but also can press upon nerves.  One of the nerves could be the vagus nerve and the afib may be vagul induced afib by exerting pressure on it and cause your heart to pump harder and disrupt the firing pattern of your heart causing it to go into fibrilation.  You still need to re-evaluate your eating.  There are many foods and beverages that produce and cause inflamation (inflammation), gas, acid and bloat etc.  Stopping all carbonated beverages was a good start but apparently not enough.  You need to cut out all junk food and fast food.  You need to eat lighter more spaced out meals and include better for you foods such as raw fruits and vegetables etc.  i would recommend when eating any food that may cause gas such as beans use beano.  If you have any kind of dairy take lactaid.  The worst thing you can do is take any antacids all of which you mentioned.  These may give quick temporary relief but mere hours later come back to haunt you with a vengence.  They actually cause you to produce an over abundance of acid and really inflame your digestive tract so food you've eaten has no way to flow smoothly down its pathway kind of like a backed up sink.  I would recommend getting a good probiotic and some digestive enzymes.  Your ulcers I would recommend trying mastic gum every day as directed for a few weeks.  This can help heal ulcers and perhaps kill the bacteria that cause it.  If you get gas there are other things you can try for relief ie., try baking soda in water ( disolve completely first!), licorice, dgl, cumin powder, fennel etc.  If your really backed up you may need to flush your system and colon out.  I like using epsom salt in water.  Make sure your not on any meds that might not be good combination.  Try 2 or 3 teaspons in glass of water then repeat several hours later.  Drink plenty of water in between.  After you feel really cleaned out give your system a rest and drink only clear soup broth and green teas the next day.  Gradually ad stomach friendy food like low fat yogurt.  Keep an eye on what upsets you or look up on line about food combining and check PH foods vs acidic foods.  Do some walking or light excercising and do not eat atleast 4-5 hours before bed.  If your hungry have only a light protein snack.  This even now is still a work in progress for me but I feel a lot better.  I am trying to figure out whether getting this has caused what I suspect to be a succeptible area or pocket somewhere that may or may not heal with time?  If I go off the wagon or forget to do what I mentioned then I can get that jolt or funny feeling and afib may result.  So far 8 months and counting with no episodes.  Well, I hope some of this helps.  Let me/us know and good luck.  -Rich- delcocat

[bruce587]

I find it interesting that your questionnaire has NO OPTION to state that we have a contrary opinion and don't think our AFIB is related to stomach gas.

[delcocat]

Hi bruce587,

    Thanks for your statement.  There is actually a very good reason I didn't place any other options for this questionaire.  Afib is for the most part still a mystery all the way around and there are still more questions than answers.  I feel this affliction, the susceptibility to it or disease if you will has many possible causes and can be unique to the individual.  My reason for starting this page and another corresponding page at          ( http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Heart-Disease/Atrial-Fibrillation--Stomach-Gas--Digestive-Tract-Problems-/show/767987 )  was my quest in seeking knowledge and answers to a condition which sprang from my own personal experiences with it.  My other reason was to impart some knowledge I gained hopefully that might help others if they felt that they too may also fit into this category?  I had been through all the test.  I am relatively healthy and in my own case started noticing a pattern where by it became clear to me that there did seem to be an association between my afib attacks and digestive troubles namely gas and or bloat.  The gas sometimes wasn't obvious or noticeable but never the less hours later into afib I would get this gurgling in a particular area in my gut and eventualy would release gas either by burping or by relieving myself in the bathroom.  Once this happened enough the afib would go away either instantly or soon after.  I've learned quite a bit about afib, myself and digestive related problems.  There is a probability that since the pathways of nerve impulses to the brain via the stomach and coronary system are the same that if there is pressure placed on either there could be disruption in the pathway signals to the brain and or organs that ultimately disrupt things enough which just may send a person afibin.  Certain doctors (particularly heart) have considered a certain correlation and state it possibly to be vagus nerve induced atrial fibrillation.  I saw a correlation in my case and wanted to know if others suspected the same?  I didn't know in the beginning or at the time if it this was the sole cause and now know it is not in all cases but the possibility that it is in many could potentially open the doors to relief for so many if it is a cause!  Digestive problems as you probably are aware have become a big problem too.  While there still seems to be much to learn about these I think in general we have a better handle on them.  Our fast paced society, stressful living, wrong food choices, unhealthful living etc. for example are what generally bring these on.   Even though the medical community attaches names to these symptoms and now call them diseases like collitus, irrital bowel, reflux etc. and generally treat the symptoms as opposed to the cause with drugs making these conditions come back again and again sometimes with a vengence are still believe it or not seemingly more easily addressed and treatable.  In my opinion its not so far fetched to see afib as another possible symptom to digestive disorders and some people are susceptible to it and some aren't.  Either way both are bad but the afib is misserable and being what it is and having doctors look at you not knowing the cause and wanting to run test after test and place you on drugs prior to even knowing an actual cause can make for a lot of worry and stress.  Any way the above stated are the reasons why I limited the input on this particular questionaire to what i did.  It wasn't meant to exclude other possibilities or other sufferers of this affliction.  If this is one
example of a possible cause then I would say it is probably the least serious and potentially most treatable.  The others what ever they may ultimately be may be of more serious concern and require more attention, test, research and treatment which is or would be outside most of our parameters.  I hope this helps.  -Rich-

[kennvido]

I first got a bout with AF after eating a fried chicken dinner and being very tired at age 23 the evening of July 8th 1979. I had just graduated college living in Orlando and was burning the candles at both ends and eating as a college kid eats.
Now, I am 53 and had had bouts for 30 years. I had GAD pretty bad in the 80’s, but go over most of that. I have experienced panic and anxiety attacks over this, but which came first the chicken or the egg??? No pun intending. My resting rate is around 60.
I have noticed, as a precursor, to getting AF straight out or getting a fast heartbeat and then it goes into AF, with having gas or cramping in my ascending colon or stomach area (right side cramping or gas or bloating). Got that tonight at about 3 AM which is why I am here with my monologue. The bout lasted less than 5 minutes and as I write this I am passing gas. Aren’t you glad I shared that info? Oh, yesterday I am some Oreo’s and normally don’t eat those, bingo… constipation. But, I do drink a lot of water, it’s my favorite drink.
Have had 3 colonoscopies and the same amount endoscopies over the 30 years, oh and the upper and lower GI’s as well, and each shown healthy parts thank goodness. Sometimes when I get constipated from eating foolishly the AF can creep up. Sometimes when I am asleep lying on one side AF will start, I'll get frightened, which doesn't help. MANY times I will eat scrambled eggs and toast with a hot drink, or hot water, pass gas, and it will go back to sinus rhythm. I can't tell you how many times I have gone to the ER over the years, had EKG's, heart echoes looking for MVP and other things and they can't find anything wrong. I DID have a doctor say yes the gas and gut upset could the AF, so he did think out of the box.
I can move mountains, walk fast, exercise, mow the lawn, and when the kids were young go up so many stairs at the water parks it wasn’t funny and nothing, never got AF when doing those physical things and NEVER got chest pains or fainted. That even goes for the times I was in AF, never chest pains or fainted. Yet on a cruise I got it on the ship. SOOOO much food, gut not used to it? I ask what do you think?
I can go months without it or get it 3 times in one week. Seems like when I get it more than once a week I am having gut problems. I so much think it is food, gas, cramping, and constipation related. So, glad to know others have it because it drives me nuts sometimes thinking I’m the only one out here…
It can last for less than five minutes, like it just did, or go on for 20 hours and then go back to normal sinus on it's own as it has for over 30 years. I notice the more I would stretch or manipulate my gut with my fingers, the quicker the AF would go to sinus. Or eat something like the scrambled eggs or a banana or hot soup it seems to start peristalsis and I would get over the bout. The more I remained not moving, the longer the bout lasted. Sometimes, yes sometimes, I can extend my arms over my head and it will go to sinus, but not ALL the time. Now, is this crazy or what? But, it’s true!!!! I get so frustrated when I get it. It's like what did I do wrong to get it now. Please get back to me on this, so I know I have some brothers and sisters out there with similar situations. It’s just a relief to relate to others with this malady. God Bless all of you for reading my little diatribe and understanding.

[GlenBlanchard]

I am so grateful to read all of your experiences and know that I am not alone with this A-Fib thing!  I have been telling all the doctors I have seen that I really think this is related to gas.  I can remember always explaining it this way "I feel some pressure in my chest, my heart flutters, I burp, and the pressure goes away and my heart goes back to normal."  Now that sort of thing doesnt really scare me (premature ventricular beats).  What scares me is when I go into full blown A-fib.  It has happened only 4 times in my life, when I was 19, 21, 23, and now just last year when I was 29.  The first time it happened I thought i was having a heart attack!!

The first time was due to lack of sleep and drinking, the 2nd time was due to food poisoning and throwing up all night, the third time was drinking and not sleeping.  This last episode came out of the blue and think was due to my diet.  I was diagnosed with "Holiday Heart" soon after and since the last time it happened I have pills in my pocket if it happens again.

Anyway, after it happens the first time you cant help but be sensitive to every heart beat.  I can feel my heart beating at all times, I know as soon as something is wrong ... doctors generally dont believe that when I tell them.

I also noticed something after the first time.  I felt as if I could not get a full breath sometimes.  Not like "shortness of breath" but it felt as if my diaphragm was not expanding all the way sometimes.  Just thought I would throw that out there since we all have so much in common.

Since I have been studying myself for the past 11 years I have no doubt that my afib is aggrevated by gas and indigestion.

I find it odd that anxiety is coming up a lot.  I never had anxiety before this happened and I am convinced that any anxiety attack I have had since is because I am nervous about A-fib.  Anxiety is the side effect of A-fib in my opinion, not the other way around!

[delcocat]

Hey GlenBlanchard, Welcome!  Everything you put out there makes sense and can contribute to afib.  Drinking & throwing up and even sweating a lot can really throw your electrolytes out of balance particualrly potassium and magnesium which both help keep regular heart rythm.  Lack of sleep for any reason hurts you since this is when your body repairs itself and balances out your system funtions.  Stress and all the above can lead to anxiety which can also cause afib.  Anxiety is a funny thing and is another discussion in itself.  You may be right in your case about anxiety coming on as a result of being nervous but it can be brought on seemingly out of no where for many reasons and it can place a person that suffers with it into a vicious cycle of misery if not brought under control (something I know can be hard to do particularly once you go into afib or think you are).  Holiday heart is what doctors call a person that goes into afib and they have no other explanation for it other than you specifying that you drank and partied a lot.  I have no doubt theres a connection between afib and gas, bloat, indigestion or perhaps what causes them.  Its not a natural state for our bodies to be in.  An occasional bout of gas etc is to be expected but I've noticed with myself and others that it is usually more severe than that particularly once we see this connection.  Ever see how over the last few years this has become so common and the medical community now calls these diseases and attaches names to them like gerd, ibs, reflux etc.?  For some that are lucky it may just be a case of modifying what they eat for a time and make some adjustments to help make a healthier lifestyle however for others I think it can be more complicated.  We all carry around in us to varying degrees bacteria, viruses, parasites, yeast, mold etc.  Its now my belief its one or combination of these that is the under lying cause probably due to poor eating habbits and drugs and antibiotic use that ultimately cause these things to rip into our digestive tract causing these so called diseases.  Once brought under control your body will adjust and heal and hopefully afib can be a thing of the past.  Drugs and medicine unfortunately are not the answer in most cases and only make matters worse.  My quick recommendations are to reduce stress, get proper rest and sleep, moderate exercise, adjust what your eating to include healthier choices, ad a good broad spectrum probiotic to your daily diet, stop smoking, no alcohol, no drugs (unless prescribed and absolutely necessary), no coffee or soda etc.  Keep notes on what your eating - if something seems to bother you ditch it from your eating plan.  If you eat anything you suspect is gassy use beano, if you eat dairy try lactaid.  Try this for a couple weeks and see how you do.  There are many more things you can try and experiment with if this all doesn't do the trick some of which are listed in other postings.  Good luck and be well!  -Rich-

[Reify]

I've had this condition for at least 15 years. I have been told by at least five doctors, including 3 cardiogists that there was no link between gastric upset and arrhythmia.  Like all of you - I was sure...I just knew there has to be.  I was on vacation last year and found among the small library at our cottage a very thick old book from the 1930's which was a collection of Physician symposia on every medical condition and health matter immaginable - yes, the book was about 8 inches thick and the font miniscule.  There was, of course a huge section on the heart and heart health and heart conditions; AND,  there it was, my friends - about ten or twelve pages dedicated to arrhythmia and it was there-in stated quite clearly by several physicians - that the vast majority - not just some - but the vast majority (I'm almost certain it said over 90%) of common heart arrhythmias were caused by gastric distress and not by problems related to the heart itself. They went on to give several case studies to back up their claims.  Now, please don't be upset with me when I tell you I don't know the name of the book or the physicians who delivered this symposium - the book's still at our cottage in Hew Hampshire and I'm here in Pennsylvania - but I will be back up there eventually and will update this for you.  In the meantime - think Old School, because I swear, based on my experiences with old and new doctors - those Old Schoolers knew general physiology and cause and effect better - and were willing to talk about it - than new ones. I kept my pediatrician right through college until he retired because the man was so knowledgable and always had an explanation for what was going on and he always made complete sense

[ulua808]

Ya I think they are somewhat related..its hard to describe but when I feel my stomach bubbling or before number two my heart will flutter..Also I think I have found somthing very new and weird..everytime before my mind is aware that I have to go urinate my heart flutters and lets my mind no before my body is even aware..weird but i swear on my life true.

[delcocat]

Can't wait to hear what book that is!  Nice job!

[delcocat]

Nope your not crazy.  The search for answers continues.  Stay tuned!

[ccf344]

Hi delcocat,
I too suffer from atrial fibrillation due to stomach gas although not as bad as some of the other posters on this forum. One product that helped me tremendously id Digest RC. It is made with natural extracts and has been used in Europe for the last fifty years. Sells for about $15 dollars online (30 capsules two capsules a day usually). If you buy your supplements from Life Extension and you're a member it is cheaper still. Hope this helps. Website: http://www.cxresearch.net/

[delcocat]

Hey ccf344 good to know.  As you've surmised I'm convinced digestive disorders to be a cause in a lot of afib cases.  I've heard of the product you mention but never tried it yet myself.   My troubles fortunately have been few and far between but maybe I'll just give this supplement a try.  

[Jay195456]

Stomach bloating lets me know  that I am in afib.    The doctors claim this is unusual, but when I say I am in afib I am 100% correct.  When I am in afib my stomach bloats when  I walk.  While I am sitting I am fine but once I  start moving around I can feel my stomach boating and makes it difficult to walk.  Have anybody else experienced this problem.  I am in afib as I type and at this point do not know what to do  being the doctor do not want to cardiovert because it only last about 3 weeks and I am back in afib again.   During my last visit the doctor told me that I would have to stay in constant afib.

[delcocat]

Hi jay,

    Sorry to hear.  I assume you've been checked out and everything other than the afib and bloat episodes you seem fine?  If this is the case then perhaps you are backed up and might benefit from cleaning your digestive tract out.  Try an 8 oz glass of prune juice. Then try another glass a few hours later.  Drink plenty of water in between.  The prune juice has naturally a lot of magnesium and potassium (both good heart regulators) and this should have you going to the bathroom several times and ultimately should clean you out and calm the gas and bloat.  When you start eating again eat very light like clear soup broth and toast or tea.  Start a good probiotic.  Don't take antacids as they will make things worse and put you in an even worse acid state.  Stay away from gasseous causing foods or ones you suspect might cause you bloat.  Good luck.  

[tarmo]

I have had some or all of the symptoms of all who have described their afib episodes but I've not heard anyone say if they are taking any prescription medicine from their doctors for afib.  ie rythmol, amodarone,  etc. and or any others. I agree that it seems diet related but do any of you take precsripton medications help it? It is 12 midnight and I am going through an "event" of afib and am looking at a new rx for rythmol in front of me and wondering if I take it at this hour and have a bad side effect -which is worse the afib or the bad side effect especially since I live 45 min. from a hosp. Would appreciate a comment..........thanks gail

[LindaTX]

How often and how long are your a-fib episodes?  I assume the Dr. just prescribed the Rhythmol for the first time.  I have a long history of a-fib and finally had an ablation last Sept.  I continued to have a-fib episodes almost constantly for 3 months until I was put on a very high dose of flecainide.  It's in the same class as Rhythmol but has worked better for me in the past.  Has your a-fib always converted on it's own or have you ever had to be cardioverted?  I wish I could be more helpful but everyone is different and responds to meds differently so I would have to say follow your Dr.'s orders.

[delcocat]

Hi linda.  Your right!  Everyone is different.  This means those suffereing with episodes of afib may have varying reasons for getting them.  Age does not seem to matter as it can afflict a 20 year old as easily as a 70 year old.  There also differing frequency of occurrences and how long they last.  Some people are in poor health and some are seemingly in very good health yet still get attacks.  Drugs are needed in many instances and the answer for some but not necessarily in others.  I'm of strong opinion that digestive tract problems can lead to episodes of afib.   The answer to many of your questions can be found in these posts.  I hope you find them useful.  Good luck and let us know how you do.    

[kingofswat109]

Yes, I too have the same problem with bloating when I walk.  While I am sitting, I have feel great, but the minute I get up and start to exercise even simple walking, I bloat miaking it hard for me to breathe.  I too have found no one who seems to care and will listen.  Most of the doctors we we see today are specialists in only one thing thus they have no "general" knowledge of how the overall body functions.  Let me know if anyone gets any help.

kingofswat 109

[kattiemk]

definitely think it's related. great relief to see others with a lot of the same symptoms. I am 39, have had a lot of belching for about 10 years, it started very abruptly, i had a bad diet, didn't eat all day and ate late at night. docs dismiss it, and so did i.

I had my first a-fib attack about 2 weeks ago and am doing as much googling as possible to learn as much as i can because i'm so afraid of it coming back and am realizing that other people with a-fib also have had the belching/gassy problem.

last night i went into the emergency room again because my heart rate was rapid even though i've been on a beta blocker since the a-fib attack, also my heart felt like it was pounding harder than normal in my chest. i knew something wasn't right, but at the hospital they told me everything looked good, i'm guessing my beta blocker kicked in and my heart rate went back to normal, but it still felt like it was pounding harder than normal.

I can't decide it my problem is vagal and diet related or adrenergic and adrenaline/stress related.
Can anyone tell me if there is a definite way to tell if it's vagal or adrenergic?

I would greatly appreciate a response, and good luck to everybody.

[rocketdoug]

I am a 51 year-old male who also had the first known AFIB episode at age 39.  The first time it happened, I had been up half the night before after being awakened by a loud noise outside my hotel room.  I had jet lag and had been traveling extensively across many time zone for the past 2 weeks.  I had also taken pseudophenedrine and Pepcid that morning.

I have had 4 major episodes of AFIB since then and many short-lived minor episodes of either AFIB or PAT's.  It always starts the same way:  a panicky, lightheaded feeling along with an intense need to belch.  It feels like the entire contents of a large truck innertube are in my stomache.  The pressure is so great that it distends my diaphragm, and makes it VERY hard to let the gas out.  When it gets to this point, the best action for me to take is chewing a Gas-X tablet along with half of a 25mg Metoprolol tablet.  

There is no doubt in my mind that the gas is the cause of my AFIB episodes.  There is also no doubt in my mind that what is causing all my problems is known as "Roemheld Syndrome"  - - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roemheld_syndrome.  All of the doctors I talk to so far think that I'm a raging hypochondriac, so I have to research the problem further on my own.  

We are NOT crazy!  It is a serious STOMACHE problem that manifests itself with cardiac symptoms.

[dumdaire]

I was driving home one night with the family and for about ten minutes my heart went nuts. I thought I'd have to pull over and call 911. When we got home I went to the bathroom and did my stuff. Well, whamo no more heart issues!

[stowaway]

At the age of 65 it was discovered that I actually had a second smaller stomach attached to my diaphragm. It was floopy and shutting off so I had my digestive tract rebuilt and have been pretty healthy since (now 74). Shortly after the operation however I had Atrial Fibrillation, which I had never had before. At first there was no obvious reason and I was cardioverted with no problem. I subsequently have one or two episodes a year and it was evident that gas and bloating was the culprit. I had to give up beer and carbonated beverages, also gas producing veggies, particularly Broccoli. Still finding triggers after 9 years. GasX works well but the magic bullet for me are Charco caps, not available in Canada, so I stock up in the USA. Two capsules usually stops gas in 30 minutes. Travelling and functions are the toughest because you are never sure what you are eating. The doctors have never given me a definite reason but the most common theory is that my organs are not exactly in the right location and when my stomach is bloated it presses on the pericardium.

[delcocat]

stowaway description sounds logical.  I responded to a gent who was inquiring and since I haven't posted here in a little while here is what I wrote.  I blocked out his name since he contacted me personally and he may want privacy.  This is the essence of why i started this thread along with another.  Hi B*******,  Yes I actually started this thread and have listened to and offered a lot of my own experiences and input.  Sounds like you and I are similar in the amount and time frame of attacks.  As you stated you can become preoccupied with worrying whether it happens again.  What I have done to deal with this however is to become more preoccupied with why it might occur, take notes and take a hands on approach to minimize it from happening again.  I'm convinced that in many cases such as myself that my digestive tract has been compromised and that there seems a correlation between my digestive tract health and my predisposition for getting an afib attack.  Example is if I eat the wrong foods over a few day period that my digestive system becomes backed up, bloated, acidic as a result.  When my colon on the left side just below my rib cage starts distending and giving me ibs like symptoms this is where i get into the danger zone and threat of afib.  My suggestion is to read the threads, learn what it is you feel may be causing your own afib (my case remember seems in my opinion digestive related) and then take steps to learn as much about the cause as possible and treat it and see if you get good results.  There are so many causes besides just getting older and your digestive tract slowing down that cause digestive problems that it can be staggering and a cure just as ellusive.  Stress, poor eating habbits or poor combining of foods that create an acidic condition causing inflamation (inflammation), parasites, bacteria, virus, fungus, yeast, smoking, alcohol, drugs (both otc or prescribed like antibiotics etc), over weight, little exercise, over doing it with herbal supplements etc all can contribute.  Once the digestive tract is compromised from years of neglect either known or unbeknownst to yourself it can be a real challenge bringing it back.  I'm still a work in progress.  I do good for a while then i go off track and it comes back.  A vicious cycle.  Doctors unfortunately know little about either condition and more often than not refuse to believe one has to do with the other.  Then they often prescribe things that often make matters worse even when in some cases they might seem to give initial temporary relief.  Things such as antacids, antibiotics, antidepressants generally don't work.  In some instances the prescription is for surgery such as ablation. Unfortunately I have known personally two cases that this did not cure the afib.  This is why I started this thread.  I assume by your description you have been checked out probably several times by several doctors and had tests and showed your relatively healthy?  If not I suggest that would be a good first step.  I hope this helps you out. Keep reading and if you have any info or results let us know by posting.  I wish you luck!  -Rich-

[HT125]

I started  experiencing heart palpitation about 3 weeks ago. I am a 52 year old male. The day it started I had a bagel and cream cheese and lox for breakfast. This was unsual because my normal breakfast is about 1/2 cup of oatmeal. For lunch that day I had salmon again with salad. I felt good about myself and after lunch I decided to get out of the office and do the right thing- walk. I walked around the lake right aross my office at a fairly rapid pace and elevated my heard rate to about 125 to 130 beat/minue. After 1/2 hour of walk I retuned to my chair and started to cool down. All of sudden my heart started to act up. It felt like I had butterfly in my heart and stomach. The heart beats were pronouced and hard, as if my heart was dropping. I had similar feelings when I was younger when I had to take a major test in school or something major was about to happen or like having my first kiss.   The irregular heart rates continued all day and for the next two days to the point that I made an appoint with my doc. i explained to him what happpend. He did an AKG and said it is normal. He listened to my chest and found nothing. I said based on my research it may be an overactive thyroid. He orderd blood test to check that. I said may be it is related to my gasy stomach. I belch a lot. He presecribed acid reflux medicine and said come back in two weeks.    Tomorrow is my appointment time and these two weeks I felt better. I also experienced that after an hour of bike riding on Sunday, during cool down, and for about three hours after that when my heart beat rate was approching at rest rate, palpitations were at their worst . There was no problem during the excersice when I was peddaling uphill and pushing myself. No problem, heart worked like a swiss watch. it was only after the execrise during cool down that heart irregularities kicked in.  

[Noddy11]

I've been wondering for some time if there was some connection between stomach issues and heart palpitations/rapid heart beat. I've been trying to figure out what is wrong with me for a while, but the doctors seem to be very limited thinkers and not capable of much other than flow-chart type logic and haven't been any help.

Like some others, I sometimes feel short of breath and my heart flutters and bumps, and burping often seems to help. I'm sure my diet doesn't help, not so much what I eat but when I eat, which is intermittently and often nothing at all until the afternoon or evening. I'm trying to do better with that though. I tend to chug 3-4 pints of Guinness a night as well, another thing that is probably disastrous.

One thing that frequently happens that bothers me a lot is a short, sharp pain in my chest, left side around/under the breastbone. It is immediately followed by a feeling of warmth in the face and upper body, and a general sense of feeling unwell. It might last fifteen minutes or maybe an hour or more. I am concerned that it might be a heart problem, but the doctors I've seen don't seem to think so. Does anyone else experience this or know what it might be?

I've had a few EKGs, and a year or so ago I had a stress test, followed by a nuclear stress test. Based on that I was sent for a catheterization, but they said it all looked good in there, no significant build-up, or words to that effect. More recently I started wondering if it is a digestive issue, but I don't know what to do next. I guess I'll go see a gastro doctor and see if I can figure out what is going on. I've found this whole thing quite troubling and it can dominate my thoughts for long periods of time, wondering if I'm going to drop dead at any moment.

[Brianmsh]

I've been trying to figure this out for 8 months now! My first scare was an ER visit because of a strange dizziness that I experienced. I got a full checkup ($12k insurance hit) every type of scan and test only to be sent away as a possible vertigo case. I didn't buy it. I would randomly feel my heart skip and flutter which would cause the dizziness if I was walking upstairs or pushing myself. I also feel a strange pressure on top of my head. I met with a holistic doctor who gave me a multizyme and other vitamins and it seemed to improve things for a few months but it came back so I kept searching. Went back to my gen doc, tested blood (results normal, except cholesterol could be better) did a echo test and 24hr heart monitor and results were normal. Next I tried a Chiropractor and treated my neck for a possible pinched nerve for one month- symptoms stayed. Tried a 30 day health cleanse, kicked dairy, glutton, and sugar and stuck to the program. I lost 20 lbs which is great but now it seems like I'm more sensitive to certain foods causing stomach gas.
I just recently linked my heart palps to gas/indigestion! I can predict when they are coming just by what I feel or hear from my stomach. I had a really scary episode last week that landed me back in the ER. I felt like my heart stopped- scared me to death so we went in. They hooked me up to the EKG for an hour or so and the heart palps happened while I was being monitored. Again- I know when they are about to happen so I would tell the nurse to watch. I felt pressure in my stomach- and heart beats dropped from 100 down to around 60- then I felt the missing beats and my heart rate shot back up to 110! This happened at least 4 times while I was there. The doctor said that the gas and heart rate have no relation whatsoever. They had no explanation why my heart raced and dropped for no reason while I laid there! Sent me home and said to try a cardio doc.
I've discovered one thing that helps a ton while I'm trying to sleep (and my heart is jumping around) and that is St Johns Wort in liquid form- about half of a cough syrup medicine cup.
Sounds crazy but trust me- this has been the only thing that seems to help. I only use it when I really can't fall asleep (due to my heart palps)
I went to a gastro doc and he said the same thing- no relation to heart. He wants to do a colonoscopy but I'm not sure I want to go thru with that nightmare. Reading these posts have helped and I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling this. I will try some of your remedies as well.
The theory that makes any sense to me is the vagal nerve being bothered. I will continue to research and let you guys know if I find something that fixes this annoying condition!

[ChiefThunderbutt]

I have suspected a correlation between gas and my a-fib for many years.  I have mentioned this to both GPs and cardiologists and been poo-pooed or openly laughed at in all cases.  I take Metoprolol twice daily and have very few episodes of a-fib now but those I do have are usually accompanied by lots of burping which seems to afford some relief.  

[Transplanter]

I also have noticed that  when I get an A-fib episode that it is always associated with gas.  I get the urdge to belch and when I do the symptoms lessen.  On occasion when an exceptionally large gas release occurs the A-fib goes away very soon thereafter.  I have noticed the correlation of gulping liquids, some carbonated and some not (water) just prior to the onset of the A-fib.  Naturally I avoid that now.  Also usually it occurs directly after a large meal, but not always.  I have been to the emergency room twice during extreemly bad episodes and all they do is monitor it, giv some drugs, which I don't know if they do anything, and perscribe Coumiden to prevent blood clots when the next episode happens.  I don't take the Coumiden any longer as I believe the side effects were worse than the benifits.  I like the idea of taking asprin on the onset of an episode to lessen clotting.  Any ideas about that?  I should mention that I am a Kidney transplant patient.  One in 1990 lasted 13 years, and the current one I now have in 2007.  So I take many drugs, anti-rejection, and blood pressure, plus a few others.  I'm sure that these chemicals have some bearing on the A-fib, but as has been said in this forum getting an answer out of a Dr. is all but impossible.

[jakv]

Three years ago I had cardiac ablation following nearly 40 years of mild episodes of tachycardia for which I never sought medical treatment.  As a child my mother said that everyone had occasional bouts of tachycardia, so I didn’t think anything of it.  She should have said that everyone on her side of the family had them!  Anyway, the episodes increased after I was 50 to the point of blacking out, hence the ablation for a diagnosis of SVT.

After I had the cardiac ablation, I thought my problem was solved.  However, for the past few months, I have been having mild episodes of irregular heartbeat and tachycardia different from what I had before. These episodes usually occur after lunch or dinner and last from a few minutes to hours.  Last week, my heart burbled around for several hours making me feel a little tired, but not overly bad.  I had indigestion and kept belching with discomfort in my left side under the breastbone.  My husband picked me up after work.  We were supposed to go out for a nice dinner, but I felt so bad that we parked for nearly an hour in the ER parking lot.  My heart was beating funny and I kept burping, so I thought maybe it was just indigestion.  Finally I decided we should just go to dinner.  I’d either get a lot worse or maybe feel better.  I drank several glasses of water when we arrived.   A trip to the restroom where I passed gas made my heart better.  Seemed like a crazy thing to have happen.

I have low blood pressure, usually 90/60, so thought maybe I wasn’t eating enough or not eating right.  I’ve been trying to eat better all week and the heart’s been fine.  Then Friday night again, so we go out for Mexican this time.  Within an hour, I have terrible bloating and belching, but no heart problem.  I lie down in bed, propped up with an extra pillow.  When I wake up a couple hours later, my heart is pounding so hard that I can feel it in my ears.  This continues for several minutes.  I still have intense bloating.  Then I pass gas and my heart instantly slows down to regular rhythm.  I’m convinced that the heart problem I am having now is somehow connected to my digestive tract.

[delcocat]

Lots of good observations, posts and comments right above here.  As I mentioned previously there can be many causes that trigger afib.  As one mentioned above thyroid is a suspect in many cases both low or high.  If it is supplementing with kelp or iodine can help.  Just check with a doctor to see that it would be o.k. and not interfere with any other meds etc and definately don't over do as more is not better and can make matters worse.  Digestive woes are still my number one suspect and any eating or drinking that causes acid and inflamation (inflammation) will cause a backing up and bloating like a clogged sink.  Now many things cause digestive problems but to get to a point were it seemingly can bring on an afib episode is perhaps some distance beyond the occasional heart burn and belly ache.  Its my opinion and observation that something in the digestive tract is broken and we have become hypersensitive in a region of our digestive tract (for me left side just below rib cage)  that once activated causes spasms which activate the vagus or other nerves leading to the heart causing it to speed up and spasm.  Unfortunately until researchers can get a hold of some good candidates and really look into this it seems were kind of on our own and have to figure out what works for us.  Prevention here is key and eating foods and drinking drinks that are acidid to the body are something to avoid.  I think bacteria such as ecoli and H. pylori or yeast (fungus or over growth there of) can also be present and love when we eat that way causing much grief.  One thing that helps me when I don't watch and I feel those twitches and twinges that an episode may be iminent I drink prune juice (10 oz usually sufficient) and I try not to lie down right away or crouch or slouch in a way that places pressure on that region I mentioned.  This seems to help in a few ways.  Number one prune juice is loaded with the natural heart regulators and relaxants of potassium and magnesium.  It seems soothing and will cause everything in your digestive tract to move and ultimately make you poop like a race horse cleaning all the nasty acid and bloat causing stuff out.  Sometimes I'll need two or three treatments.  Sipping a couple glasses of water as a follow up so you don't dehydrate is a good idea and following up with clear soup broths and tea and dark toast for the next day til everything normalizes and any acid and bloat is gone.  So many things have helped me but I ultimately want that magic bullet everyone seeks as a cure.  Thanks for posting, feel better and good luck.  -Rich-   PS -  I have another thread with many who have posted on med help as well.  Take a look.  Lots of good info there.

[afibnomore]

This morning I woke up with bloating/gas had pains, by the time I got to the kitchen to pour a cup of coffe I was in afib.  Here I sit hoping it will go away.
I was diagnosed in 2005, it happened after lying down and getting up from a heavy meal.
The cardiologist told me it was stress and I was in the pill in the pocket mode.  I guess I am a worry-er - but most times when I go into afib I would not think I am unusually stressed.
I find taking the arythmol the cardiologist gave me does take me out of it but so does waiting.  Since taking the drugs seems like I need and go into afib more.

I am currently reading blogs like yours and others and trying Dr.Lams 33 weeks to a natural cure for Afib.  If needed, I would def take the drugs but hope to get a better control of this naturally.
I have a list of supplements and have committed to at least a 30 minute walk every day.
Seems like whether I take the drugs, or not, supplement or not Afib comes and goes.  It is always depressing to me.
I like others on this site feel it is related to a gastro problem.  It is hard for me to believe that no one is researching this - I also believe that it truly is connected to being out of balance.  I am researching several other avenues as in Chinese medicine -  very interesting articles on your Qi being off balance or for us here it could flora etc.  
In the end, if it comes and goes with ot without medicine /ablation I would much rather try these natural alternatives.  Cider vinegar etc.
I like the idea of the AFI tracker on the side of this site - over time it would connect the dots for all.  Thanks for putting this together.  My husband has got to be tired of listening to my thoughta and he really cannot understand what it is I am dealing with.

[pepsi911]

I was told i had afib went in hospital had tests done sonogram/stress test/heart schocked twice and was told i should havea caterter ablation which scared me half to death so cancelled it now i have heart burn and my anxiety is through the roof my questions are can i die from this afib no blockages or blood cots were found i take 5 pills a day and 3 at night am soooo scared inside i can't think of anything else has anyone else had this....i need help...

[delcocat]

Oh yeah a lot of people have had this.  Read what has now become a pretty lengthy blog and you'll see.  Best approach is try and stay calm and relaxed as possible (hard to do I know).  Stress and worry may or may not make it last longer but can definately make you feel more miserable.  Doctors don't have a great bed side manner when it comes to this either making it seem like the world will cave in unless they do something that sounds or may or may not be dramatic.  Your heart burn sounds like a clue.  If the tests cleared you of problems and they don't really know whats causing it then theres a chance it could have been brought about by digestive tract inflamation (inflammation) which is probably why the heart burn.  If you feel bloated like a sink backing up theres another clue.  Sometimes a good deep belch if it comes will bring relief.  Someties its a sneeze that snaps you back to rythm crazy as it sounds.  I think once the inflamation (inflammation), gas & bloat subside then so will the afib.  I personally try to help that along by drinking a large glass of prune juice.  It is high in potassium, magnesium which are important natural heart rythm regulating minerals which many people are deficient and it flushes the gut out by causing a nice bowel movement.  Once I go back to sinus (normal rythm)  I take it easy by only drinking tea, water, soup broth and toast for the next day or so and watch that I do not eat any acid, gas & bloat forming foods (which encompasses about 90% of the usual normal American daily diet)  Once again to show your not alone read this message board and take some comfort in that.  Good luck and feel better.

[delcocat]

PS  -  this started out as my take a survey blog and has grown but check out the related discussions above  •Atrial Fibrillation & Stomach Gas, Digestive Tract Probl... (204 replies): I saw another post about atrial fibrillation and stomach...[more] -

and I have another one with even a lot more posts and information.  

[RICHARD566]

I agree that stomach gases  or other problems can trigger atrial fib/flutter or other arythmias.  I think these things are only the triggers and not the cause. I believe the actual cause is within the atrias.  I think this triggering is related to the vagal nerve.  My last episode started when I had terrible gas and stomach pain at night.  I think it acted as a trigger as most of you have indicated.  

****

[delcocat]

I generally state it as a trigger rather than cause.  If its the atria itself then I would start to worry that there's a lot of people walking around out there including myself with some unknown heart problems.  Tests usually indicate nothing out of the ordinary and there in lies the mystery.  The vagus nerve is suspect and has been.  My theory and actual observation has been that digestive inflammation seems to cause a particular part of the intestine or colon to quiver perhaps in a region that is close enough to the vagus or other nerves running the same pathway that our heart takes to the brain which causes us to respond in kind to the interruption of signal or stimulus giving us (afib/tychardia) or rapid quivering heart. My other observation is that with careful diet, eating less, exercising, controlling stress all seem to help keep this from occurring.  I've gone over a year or more without afib occurring.  Once I let my guard down and eat things I shouldn't in quantifies I shouldn't then it can come back.  I don't think the above is a cure either but that being said there is something going on that has caused us as a society to now have on a massive scale severe digestive problems.  Reflux, IBS, bloat don't state cause but rather symptoms of something going on which again the medical community has few answers.  Since our digestive tract is known and considered to be 85% of our bodies immune defense system then the aforementioned is definitely a problem.  Again this is not proof positive that my observation or theories regarding any connection I've made between digestive tract problems as possible triggers for afib are correct but with what I've experienced and heard others state I say why not?  I was lucky enough to have some symptoms that I was able to pay close attention to which while ironic seemed to coincidental to dismiss.  Some people get few if any symptoms or don't pay attention to them or have not or cannot make the same observation or connection.  Sometimes they don't realize it until they hear about it from someone else or read it in a blog like this one. Hopefully one day soon we'll find more out a lot more about this!

[MACH1NEHEDZ]

I HAVE HAD ON AND OFF A-FIB FOR  8 YRS NOW . IT WAS VERY BAD AT 1ST . IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 3 DAYS . THEN CARDIOVERTED IT WAS LIKE A CIRCUS IN MY HOSPITAL ROOM . VERY SCARY . ALL THE INTERNS WERE POKING THERE HEADS AROUND THE CORNER TO SEE HOW HIGH I FLEW OFF THE BED WHEN THEY SHOCKED MY HEART BACK INTO  NORMAL BEAT .  DOCTOR SAID, NO SMOKING, NO ALCOHOL, ANY SIMULANTS OF ANY KIND MUST BE AVOIDED, NO SALT ETC........ SO I DO ALL THIS  AND .... A-FIB  AGAIN  BUT, NOT AS SEVERE NO DOUBT O2 LEVELS AND STRESS OF DIGESTION TRIGGER MY AF. I NOW GET A LITTLE HEADS UP WHEN I AM GOING HAVE A BOWEL MOVEMENT NOW . MY HEART STARTS SKIPPING BEATS. HOW UNCOOL IS THAT! MY MOM USE TO SAY MY HEAD AND MY ***  MUST BE CONNECTED BUT ITS MY HEART AND MY *** THATS  CONNECTED THIS JUST STARTED 1 MONTH AGO. IF I STAND BURP  AND  POOP.( NOT  ALL AT THE SAME TIME ! ) VIOLA ! AF IS GONE LIKE MAGIC , JUST LIKE A SWITCH WAS FLICKED.  HEY SORRY BOUT THE GRAFICS BUT WERE ALL IN THE SAME FAMILY WHEN IT COMES TO AF. ALOT OF PEOPLE DONT EVEN KNOW THEY HAVE IT ,  THEY JUST FELT TIRED OR WORST FELT NOTHING. MAYBE A LITTLE DIZZY NOT ENOUGH 02 TO THE BRAIN . VERY BAD WHEN YOUR TICKER STOPS FOR 2-3 SECONDS BETWEEN BEATS 5-10 TIMES IN ROW . YOUR SPINNING IN CIRCLES PANIC SETS IN . TAKE TO MUCH  BETA BLOCKER AND I GET A HEART RATE OF 39 BPM  WHEN AF GOES AWAY ALSO BP IS DOWN.  I GOT A BOOK FROM MY VITAMIN SHOPPE , PERSCRIPTION FOR NUTRITIONAL HEALING BY PHYLLIS A. BALCH, IN THE SECTION ON CARDIOVASULAR DISEASE THERE IS A LIST OF AMINO ACIDS, VITAMINS, MINERALS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO PROMOTE NORMAL HEART FUNCTION.  TAURINE IS AN AMINO ACID THAT I FOUND HAS HELPED REDUCE MY TIME IN AF . THERE ARE MANY MICRO NUTRIENTS MISSING FROM OUR USA FOOD . WE ARE STARVING OURSLELVES AT A CELLULAR LEVEL.  WHEN TAKEN AT RECOMENDED DOSES THESE SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD NOT KILL YOU LIKE THE BIG DRUG COMPANY STUFF. YOU SHOULD CHECK WITH A DOCTOR ALWAYS !ST  BUT , THEY MAY LAUGH AT YOU . MOST DOCTOR DONT NO ANY OTHER WAY. IN SEVERE CASES DRUGS ARE NESSESARY , I HAVE WEENED MYSELF DOWN TO 25 MG ATTENANOL PER DAY. AND MY AF SEEMS TO GO AWAY WITHIN 12 HRS AND MY AF IS NOT AS SEVERE . BUT THIS IS MY RESULT YOUR MAY NOT BE THE SAME AND THESE VITAMINS, AND SUCH AINT CHEAP. THIS BOOK HELPED ME. IT CANT HURT TO CKECK IT OUT . 900 PAGES OF GOOD READING    29.95 IS WHAT I PAID.  I AM GOING FULL TILT ON THE DIGESTIVE TRACT THIS WEEK . PROBIOTICS , ENZYMES, PAPYA MANY LITE MEALS NO EATING LATE NO JUNK FOOD  KEEP CALM  EVEN THOUGH MY AF  STILL COMES AND GOES REGULARLY IT IS WAY BETTER NOW. GOD LUCK YALL ( GOD LUCK IS WHAT I MENT )

[therecombinant]

I have a history of heart disease. I was born with a single ventricle heart. I have had 3 surgeries before and the last one was in 2007. I take medications to maintain my heart and I also get a frequent check with my cardiologist. I have suffered from the palpitations before and yes they were triggered by my gastric problems. I am 19 years old and as usual I like to stay up late, eat fast food and enjoy a life like a normal teenager but my heart issues have always troubled me. It has given me physical distress as well as emotional. Few weeks ago after eating a heavy meal at subways my heart started to flutter/ or skipped a beat or what ever it was the feeling was not good. I felt like my heart sinked in and pumped a huge amount of blood all over my body but the feeling was very very unpleasant. I take beta bockers to control my palps. I went to my cardiologist and after 72 hours of holter monitor he couldn't figure out anything. I too believe it is due to my gastric problem and I am thinking about going to a Gastrologist. I don't know what to do and I am currently on a event monitor. Please let me know if there is any treatment to this.

[delcocat]

Hi, I don't know if there is any specific treatment but you may have answered your own question.  Prevention may be key and eating less of what bothers you would be a good start.  Eat healthier choices that won't cause you gastric distess and eat lighter and don't gorge on junk food.  Get a good full 8 hours sleep will help also.   Read the post for other possible tips and keep us posted on any progress.  Good luck and thanks for posting.

[scotlandthebrave292]

Hey Folks

I was 28 when i had my first episode of Afib which was really bad, my heart was >200bpm sitting down and i thought i was going to die. I'm 32 now, since my first bought i have been backwards and forwards to the cardiologist who keep finding nothing wrong with me. I now feel as if the doctors think i'm a hypochondriac! :-)

I have just had a holter monitor on for 2 weeks which found nothing, I'm now going to have another ultra sound of my heart and an exercise test to see if anything happens under exercise.

I suffered with really bad heart burn during my late teen and 20's, i had to take omeprazole for acid reflux. My cardiologist has said that there is a posibility my vagal nerve could be causing the Afib / irregular heart beats (as some times my heartbeats really slow ~40bpm). He has stressesd if it is my vagal nerve then the afib will get better over time as the vagal nerve becomes less sensitive as we become older.

After eating meals i deffinatley feel my heart beating funny.

All the best to everyone out there!

[Big_Syp]

I am 24 years old and have been shocked for atrial fibrilation one time thus far. I say thus far because i often have moments of what my cardiologist call atrial flutter.
There seem to be a lot of things that affect the intensity and frequency of this. By far at the the top of the list is G.I. bloating, but there are plenty of other factors, for instance; how much, and how well i sleep, the intesity of my back pain, my stress and or anxiety levels, my blood pressure,  how much water i have drank, or the ease, and the size of my bowel movments.
I have been through a battery of tests i cannot afford (i do not have insurance). Among those are echocardiograhm, sleep apnea, stress test, an event monitor, and an ultrasound for a pulsation my E.P. heard in my corodit. Everything has come back fine. No sleep apnea, no dysfunction under stress, nothing with the echo, no blockage in my corodit, and all they could find with my event monitor was "an ocasional premature heartbeat".
All they have done is tell me to stop smoking cigarettes and marijuana, eat better and exercise, moniter and regulate my blood pressure, and avoid caffiene and chocolate, all of which i have done to no avail.
Still they schedule follow ups to give me an EKG, listen with a stethoscope while i breathe, check my Blood pressure (if its high he ups my dose of diltiazem or lisinopril), and tell me im fine to the tune of about 230 bucks, knowing i dont have insurance.
I feel like they are milking me for what i don't have knowing i dont have it. Between the the office visits, the initial E.R. visits, and the testing im like 10-12 grand in debt.
After doing some research online i think i may have a hiatial hernia and or GERD, and am wondering if i should see a G.I. specialist.
So i guess my question is; do the potential benefits in my case seem to outweigh the cost of yet another doctor i can't pay? I feel like I am too young to be in a hole this deep and am scared i may never dig myself out.

[jlo618]

I feel the same thing. If I have to go to the bathroom, no matter what it is, my chest flutters. First I thought this was all hormone related as I only had the fluttering during pms. Now, every time my stomach is upset or feels yucky, I feel the fluttering. My doctor said, not at your age it's not hormones, then turned around and said well,....obviously it is if that's the only time it happens. ??? Really? This all started in 2000 after my dad passed away. This same dr tested me for the heliopolori stomach virus which came back negative. After two weeks of feeling like I was going to croak, one diagnosed me with panic attacks? The other decided to treat me for the helio even though it was negative. I felt like a million bucks after 14 days of medication. Now, I'm back to the same feeling. I have had a halter monitor, 2 echocardiagrams and a sono. All showed normal. They have perscribed anxiety meds, ulcer pills, nexium, tagamet, etc. No luck. I hope someone can figure out what this is.

[jlo618]

My doctor perscribed atenolol but I am afraid to take it. He "thinks" I have mvp, which my gyn said he thought he heard a murmur after several years of going to him. I can't stand the thought of taking something, that if you forget to take it, it may cause you to have a heart attack. Doesn't seem right to me. Although, my AFs are enough sometimes to make me want to grab the bottle and pop them. Just afraid of all the side effects.

[IcebergCO]

It sounds to me like you possibly may have the same problem that I (and many others) have where afib events are triggered by upper GI gas (bloat).

I have been living with this condition for the last fourteen years, and an endoscopy has confirmed that I have a hiatal hernia that is likely the cause of most of my afib events.  My gastroenterologist has advised that there are three things that I can do that will help with my situation. 1) Have a Nissan Fundoplication (http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/fundoplication-surgery-for-gastroesophageal-reflux-disease-gerd) which is a surgical procedure to reduce gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).  The gastroenterologist does not recommend the procedure because the procedure has to be redone in many cases after a period of time.  2) Take a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) like Protonix, Prevacid, or Nexium to reduce the amount acid secreted in the stomach.  3) Learn which foods produce excess gas in the upper GI tract.  

I take a PPI daily and avoid foods that I have found produce upper GI gas.  There are a number of over-the-counter (OTC) PPI medications that are identical to the prescription PPI medications except they have a lower dose.  Taking OTC products with Simethicone like GAS-X, Mylanta, or Phazyme can also reduce the upper GI gas (bloat).

In my opinion, it would help knowing if you had a hiatal hernia.  Without having an endoscopy to prove that you have a hiatal hernia, you could try taking an OTC PPI, and avoid food and drink that you have determined produce gas.  If this results in less upper GI gas (bloat) you probably do have a hiatal hernia.

[screwed001]

Afib is directly a response to abdominal gas pressure in my case, I can feel the gas bubbling up to a point my heart starts to fibrillate....  I constantly belch and manipulate my body to facilitate the release of the gas, fib can happen in my sleep. Doctors refuse to acknowledge the facts, I believe they want what money they can get for miscellaneous treatment and do not really care about the cause or effect.

[screwed001]

It is a sad reflection on our medical society to see the lack of knowledge in association with common problems such as gas related afib.

It is the safer less involved and easier avenue for drs to take by refusing to accept facts and deal with the reality of GIA (gas induced afib).

When your heart can be stopped, removed, repaired all while your body is in limbo and yet GIA is dismissed.... something is terribly wrong!

[jhi5]

i am the same tried everything food   tried spices helpes  gassup burp fore 5 minets then can drive and stop spinning  then fine   back to normal feel  70 persent  few days 100 persent  think you are healed starts again

[mares152]

Hi found your posts and had to read all of them. I am 57 years old and 2 days ago, after taking my last bite of a large salad, went into A-Fib. Ambulance took me to the hospital; heart irregular beating over 200. After 11 doses of meds, it went back to regular beats. I have felt this type of palpitation/ fluttering after eating other times, but never told anyone about it. The episodes usually went away after a short time. Now, I'm scheduled for several tests next week, and even though I feel it's digestive related - I just get the "funny eye roll" from the doctors. I have a bit of weight under my chest, and a lot of scar tissue from pancreas surgery and spleen removal, that just pushes everything up on my left side. I also suffer from diverticulitis. My sister also had similar ,though slighter sensations before she was diagnosed with hyatal hernia. How can we get doctors to listen before making us go through such rough testing?  Thanks for the posts - they made me feel validated

[delcocat]

My opinion is to be careful when a doctors right off the bat suggests ablation.  Particularly when they themselves don't even know whats going on and there have been few tests to determine it.  My opinion is the same as it has been. In probably more cases than not afib is probably brought on by digestive tract troubles.  Now if the doctors could do ablation on the colon and section that sets the nerve impulses off triggering afib then maybe they'd have something?  Certainly couldn't be any worse than taking a shot in the dark by burning heart nerves and heart tissue.  Yikes! .
To the above - if a doctor roles their eyes and disrespects you then find another.  Good doctors that actually know there stuff are more rare these days than some would imagine but there out there.  Many good doctors are finally coming around to the fact dangerous medicines are not the answer and often times natural homeopathic remedies are the way to go.  There is someting hugely wrong with the medical establishment these days.

[Livivghealthy]

U need to check out naturalist doctors like dr Bruce west he makes a lot of Since and more than likely help u what he's said and has has helped my mom  who is 68

[Ross1940]

I have said what you said for 10 years now when I had A-Fib and had to go to the hospital and I converted on my own.If I feel gas'y I take a Tums or something to relieve the gas and the feeling of A-Fib coming on went away.I don't know why Doctors don't know this.I think all of you have responded are just using comon sense to solve the problem.I am so happy that I seen your posts because my brother has the same problem and this is what I told him it could be from to much gas.

[delcocat]

Thanks Ross for your comments.  Heres my observation and take on this.  Gastrointestinal problems are really prevalant today.  More than likely due to poor diet from highly processed acidic foods laden with preservatives, artificial colors, sweetners and other toxins,  Antibiotics are high on the list also since they create situations in the digestive tract that kill all friendly bacteria and allow the bad bacteria, virus, parasites and yeast to take over.  The sneaky thing about all this is that gastrointestinal symptoms like ibs, gas bloat and others may not show up until years later.  By then a lot of damage could have occurred and to such a degree that it compromises our colon.  The colon is wrapped up in nerves and it becomes thinner, and even holey (leaky gut).  When we eat foods ( especially bad food) our digestive sytem has to go to great lengths to process them.   Its at this stage I believe when we get our vagus nerves junping which in turn sends irratic impulses sending us into atrial fibrilation.  If this is the case like I think it is then avoiding the bad food and eating only foods that are easy to digest (and less of it) and trying to heal and reverse the damage are key.  The problem is as you pointed out and reminded us of is that doctors and the medical community is not listening or looking into this and there are no set answers and guidelines.  Typically (and I'm guilty of this) is we go on a short change of diet and when we feel some relief go shorty thereafter back to our old bad habbits and presto this becomes a vicious cycle.  I'm still observing and experimenting and with some decent results here and there however I would love to have definative proof we could actually test and see along with some definative rules and guidelines to heal and prove what I'm saying to be accurate and true.  Maybe one day soon we'll get closer to some better answers.  For now if certain foods cause discomfort, are hard to digest causing gas and constipation - just stay away from them.  Preventative approach right now is best.  Antacids by the way will only create more acid and constipation so beware.  

[psmith43]

Hi Kattie,

Thanks for your post...did you ever get the answer to your question here.

Thanks, going through same exact thing...woke me up in the night

[ethalfrida]

Hello. This is my first day posting even though I've read your comments for months.

I started having gas problems a few years back with passing it almost every minute I am up. Totally embarrassing although most of the time it wasn't the smelly kind but noticable. I also noticed that I would get a little thump-thump the more gas I had.

At first I attributed my extreme arrhythmia occurences to smoking so I quit after a particularly bad one that lasted for way over an hour. Then one day one occured for what I determined was no reason, hadn't smoked for 6 months, had had a smoothie for breakfast and hadn't done much but walk to the store which is only two blocks away.

Until this time no one knew I had it. But one day it happened when I was at a friend's for dinner. Eventually it subsided and I went home. After that, I decided to do more research and found out that the Mayo Clinic and two other trusted organizations recommended acupuncture a very useful method in treating arryhthmia. So I started going to a Tradictional Chinese Medicine/Acupuncturist I had been to for something else.

I told him my history and let him know that I do not eliminate regularly and therefore I had a lot of gas and suffered from irregular/excelerated heartbeats. He checked my pulses and my tongue. Then he asked if I drank a lot of water or if I was thirsty a lot. I assurred him I drank no less than 1/2 gallon per day. I am never thirsty because I drink that much water.

He told me that I was dehydrated nonetheless. He showed me my tongue and the teeth marks were very prominent with no coating at all. So he started me on acupuncture treatments along with traditional herbs.

This method requires a series of treatments but I didn't know that at first. My doctor was located so far away that it became inconvenient to continue. I found a doctor who was closer but his fees only included the herbs and that cost three times as much as my other doctor. I could not afford that.

Thank goodness for Yelp because someone had written an in-depth review of another doctor who was even closer. I am seeing him now. He told me the same thing about dehydration and my kidneys and liver not functioning properly.  

But I had had enough of the gas because I got a new job and my walking and standing were dictated by leakage, so to speak. I wanted relief right away to stop the embarrassing toots. Further research about gas and bloating brought up color hydrotherapy and that looked like it was the answer. I found a local spa that offered it and went in. The first appointment did not go well. I had so much gas the water would only go in a little way and not much "stuff" broke loose. The second appointment was way better but still did not do the job. The third appointment was the winner. The tube was filled with "dehydrated stuff". After that came the "stuff" that was circulating on top of the old stuff.

I have to say that that "stuff" was really old. I could eat two helpings of Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings and still not eliminate for two weeks. The therapist was so good at what she did she explained that our digestive system was connected to our vascular system. When digestion was off then the vascular system was affected.

So now, I am still in treatment with acupuncture to regulate my system but that color hydrotherapy was a winner. So here is my regiment: I eat well and at least three times a day; I exercise via a dvd and walk at least one mile every morning before work; I get the acupuncture to get my body back in balance; I take Traditional Chinese herbs along with Milk Thistle, Chia Seeds in a smoothie.

Let me give an example of an incident with acpuncture: One day on the way to see the doctor, I ran into a stressful situation with road closures, no place to park and missing my train altogether. Then I had to walk uphill to the doctor in 80 degree heat. When he took my blood pressure, as he usually does, it was 166 over something really high with the heart icon flashing. He was so concerned that he treated me for it right away. He stuck two needles, one in my foot and theother in my hand and took my reading right away. In a matter of seconds my blood pressure had gone down 25 points for each alert and the heart icon was not flashing.

So now he is treating my for high blood pressure because he took note that I do become agitated under certain circumstances.

I also joined a site at www.yingyanghouse.com that discusses acupuncture and TCM.

I feel so much better these days and my skin lost its grayish overvcast, the flatulence is diminished a noticable amount and the arryhthmia is less than it was. To be honest with you, my life had become a lot more sedentary in the past two decades because my jobs required sitting for long periods. In the past, my jobs required walking and a lot more physical exertion. Sedentary lifestyles are the culprit of a lot of problems along with the unhealthy foods that are available.

So I recommend checking out your colon, visiting an acupuncturist and investingatin traditional Chinese medicine. Also do some research on your own for your personal experiences with irregular heart beats.

[jacsaly]

I have too visited cardiologists and gastroenterologist but they seem to ignore the relation between gas/bloating and afib!

[jacsaly]

I suffer from this too, I have visited many, many doctors but none seem to know the relation between afib and stomach gas.  Just one doctor tried to come with a possible explanation.  I have tried a lot of medicines (prevacid, nexxium, zantac) but the real relief comes from not eating any diary or milk products in any form...  a lot of foods including snacks, cereals, canned stuff are made with milk, I just take a look at the labels.  If I eat some food with milk or dairy the arrythmias or afib will last for approximately 4 days.  Avoiding this kind of food I have been able to be medicine-free and eating every other kind of food that before I couldn't.  Just when I eat dairy not knowingly, I get the afib with shortness of breath and it doesn't let me rest.  It is awful.

[jacsaly]

I suffer from this too, I have visited many, many doctors but none seem to know the relation between afib and stomach gas.  Just one doctor tried to come with a possible explanation.  I have tried a lot of medicines (prevacid, nexxium, zantac) but the real relief comes from not eating any diary or milk products in any form...  a lot of foods including snacks, cereals, canned stuff are made with milk, I just take a look at the labels.  If I eat some food with milk or dairy the arrythmias or afib will last for approximately 4 days.  Avoiding this kind of food I have been able to be medicine-free and eating every other kind of food that before I couldn't.  Just when I eat dairy not knowingly, I get the afib with shortness of breath and it doesn't let me rest.  It is awful.   Exercise helps a lot because it ceases the afib for a while.  For me, without any doubt my upset/inflamed stomach is the cause for my heart discomfort.  Takes one that has it  to know it.  
Thank you all for your great advise, I will take some of them into action.  

[jacsaly]

I have had it for 20 yrs now, I every heart lab/study comes fine, I use to take atenolol 25 treat my afib./fluttering.  Since I found that dairy is the culprit, I have been able to be free of it.  I also excercise, which seem to alleviate when I have a flare up when I eat some dairy or milk product inadvertedly.  Hope this helps.  

[Nige7651]

At least 6 years ago I suddenly developed almost constant belching, and after an hou or so I was aware of an erratic heartbeat, at times almost like a flutter. After 6 years of numerous cardiographs and a private consultation at our local spire hospital, the result was always the same, nothing abnormal, just an ectopic heartbeat was noted, to say the least this was becoming intensely worrying for myself and wife. At its worst the wind and iregulare heartbeat would last for several days. Finally early June after another 24 hour heart monitor I was informed by my gp that the diagnosis was arterial fibrillation, but again when I stated it was always accompanied by bloating and wind no one seemed to hane any idea if there was a link.

After 3 cancellation by cardiology clinic my appointment to see the consultant is now 10th September. After reading all the comments on this website linking all the symptoms I propose to make the consultant fully aware of these facts.

All the worries with regard to myself and family fearing the worst could have been avoided if the specialists were fully aware that all these symptoms were LinkedIn ibs in some people, myself having been diagnosed with ibs over 40 years ago.

Nigel, Southampton.

[delcocat]

Its no mystery to me.  I have felt for a long time perhaps longer than most that its no coincidence between afib and it being brought on when symptoms of ibs, reflux, gas, bloat etc. exist.  However those are the symptoms.  Its what is causing these symptoms that is the perplexing part since there are many causes.  I think the number one cause is actually tied with another.  Thats poor diet and antibioics.  Even if you strive to eat a healthy diet today chances are its still a poor diet.  I would be hard pressed to believe that anyone that gets occasional afib and takes notice that it usually is accompanie by digestive symptoms mentioned above that at some point in their lives they were prescribed antibiotics.  Why is this important?  Antibiotics do their job very efficiently in killing off all kinds of bacteria and not just the ones their prescribed for such as bacterial infections but also the good kind.   It may take years for someone that was prescribed antibiotics to become symptomatic so how in the world would it even be a consideration in addressing the problem?  Science is just coming around to the conclusions that probiotics (good or friendly bacteria) are not only natural but absolutely necessary and beneficial to the body and your health.  It has been a long road with its ups and downs for me regarding afib and digestive woes.  Ive tried many things and had some relief thats lasted for 6 months or more but eventually the symptoms rear their ugly heads again and if I'm not on top of my game afib will follow.  One of the biggest problem for me is that I can not look inside myself where I feel the problem has been stemming from.  That is a region that is in (or on) the colon just below my left inner rib cage,  I'm thinking there is clearly some damage and sensitivity in there brought on by the aforementioned.  The next hurdle is how to sooth and heal something for which you don't really know the extent of the damage but can only feel it in the the way of symptoms and what do you do about it and what do you take or eat that will heal it completely if thats even possible?  This is where science and the medical community have to pull together and help to find answers.  There are certainly enough cases out there for which they can test and experiment!  I feel bad when someone goes for ablation only to find it did not cure the afib and in some cases made things worse.  I have not yet heard of a specific case like mine that was cured of afib when an operations to cut out a small section of colon which was found to be diseased or problematic has cured digestive problems and cleared symptoms of ibs etc.  I'm willing to bet if they had the accompanying afib along with their digestive problems it would have?  Not wishing it on anyone but perhaps it will take a higher up in the medical or scientific field to get this and realize what I have to encourage them to do the tests to finally come up with some answers?  Just remember you probably heard it here first folks!   To those of you going to doctors and having them reluctant to believe you when you say to them you feel that there is a connection even after all the tests show clear then keep pushing and insisting they look into it further or find someone that will.  Perhaps a colonoscopy could show something either they or you didn't know existed?  If anyone comes accross this board or is already here on this board at some point ever does have laperoscopic surgery or colon resection and finds it relieved not only their digestive problems, blockage or whatever the case maybe but also the afib please let us know immediately!   Good luck and thanks to all who have posted here.  -Rich-.  

[Grixy]

Thank you so much for this thread!  I thought I would never find anyone with the answer to my constant palpitations and pounding heart, especially after a meal.  The answer seems to be cleaning out the gut, so to speak. I am 49 a mother of 6 and extremely busy and stressed. I have been eating pretty poorly lately and am anxious to see if I cleanse and fast a bit, if that will bring on some relief. My cardiologist hasn't found anything as of yet, but seems to be open to the idea of a possible hiatal hernia. He suggested a barium swallow and scan of the stomach area, and a thyroid test. I am a little hesitant to do the swallow, sounds toxic and irritating. I sometimes get relief after my massage therapist pulls my stomach down. He manipulates under the diaphram to temporarily put the hernia in proper position. It seems to really help, but then in time the problem returns. I will continue to search for an answer. I live in Central Pa, so if anyone knows any practitioner that can help, please respond. God Bless to all of you.

[joedipp]

ive had this also!  but i dont know if ive ever been in Afib i do have a history of SVT and had an ablation on 2008 when i was 18. i do recall one time when i was having an SVT episode, if anyone has ever had it or even afib they know the feeling of the massive pounding in your chest. well one time i couldnt feel the pounding in my chest but it was clearly pounding rigt below my ribs in the middle... my stomach.. when i todl the ER this they thought i was crazy. I also have history of ulcers and recently have been diagnosed with gastroenteritis, again. when ihave bad stomach pains wether its shooting pains or a sour stomach my heart will race and since i have no insurance i dont usually head to the ER unless i know its getting worse or more abnormal than usall, but i can deffinatly feel my heart speeding up and slowing down with random flutters and palpitations, i wouldnt be surprised if im having mild afib. once my stomach pain goes away my heart rate seems to be more stable and in a sinus rythme, i have recently had a CT scan and everything came back normal but could a ct scan show a hernia somewhere in my digestive tract? also  could this problem or problems that bring on the  heart racing and flutters be serious thing to worry about since they go away? or should i just act open them when they happen and just go about my day once it stops?

[Grixy]

Hello. I am a female, 49 and have a very busy life with 6 children and a husband. I just started on this board and was so glad to see you actually had some suggestions! This problem has been going on with me for about a year now. Trips to the ER, cardiologist, and chiropractor. I think you have hit it. Eventhough I don't know exactly what triggers it, I think when it happens most is when I am in the car a lot, eating garbage food, in a hurry, and then stressing. I have had weeks go by with no episodes and then, bam, it comes on me like a vengence! I find that the early morning after a rest, and empty stomach I have the most relief, but it still feels like I just got over the stomach flu and just threw up, (forgive my graphic explanation). In the morning, my stomach feels relaxed but a little shaky, and I am reluctant to eat ANYTHING.
Last night I took your suggestions and drank prune juice. I emptied out this morning and only drank water. So far, just a few palps.
Here is my suggestion. My massage therapist gave me an article on hiatal hernia and our condition. He has massaged my stomach area, just below my diaphram and "pulled down" my hernia. He also massages the ilocecial valve. Somehow, it relieves me for about a few days. I checked online and found a lot of articles on how to adjust a hiatal hernia. All of them are similar to what he does.
My cardiologist suggests it could be related to the vagus nerve. He suggested a barium swallow and a scan to see if there is any connection to a hiatal hernia or this other condition that I don't know the name of. This condition is like a defective "flap" at the base of the esophagus where it meets the stomach. So far, I have been reluctant to do the swallow. I know it is digestion related, but I would prefer to heal my gut first before opting for that.
Another forum had people swear that changing diet and taking aloe vera caps with omega oils was very helpful. I tried that for a few days, and didn't see immediate results, so I gave up. I need to be consistent and give things time. Anyhow, please contact me and let me know of a more specific protocol that works for you. I would really like to hear.

[eviwey]

I been researching how to do what you just described.  I not in permanent AFib yet, but if I not begin your program, I'm sure my life will be greatly shortened.
Please direct me where I can find out more about what you know, cause the doctors say eating is not related to heart issues.

Thanks,

Mike

[delcocat]

I have not been on in a while so sorry if it took some time to get back.  I also have another thread (see above) •Atrial Fibrillation & Stomach Gas, Digestive Tract Problems -  that I usually go on more often,  There is a lot of good info and many others that have posted there with the same, similar and or other problems.  I do feel for me and many there is an absolute connection to something going on in the digestive tract region and afib.  Grixy you bring up an interesting possibility and one I've heard and even suspected myself being a culprit in some cases of this with hiatal hernia.  I think hiatal hernia can or should be able to be diagnosed fairly easy by doctor however there could be perhaps a form like you suggest in that things may have gotten pushed up higher rather than out as is with most cases of hernia.  Eviway,  I'm not on nor do I offer any particular program per say.  I've learned that while symptoms can seem similar the causes are still yet unknown or unclear and yours causes may differ some what from someone elses and therefore something that works for me may not necessarily work for you or someone else. I'm glad you tried the prune juice.  I don't use it as a cure so much as i do a preventative however I have used it when in afib and it has helped on occasion since it will alleviate the pressure of gas and bloat by cleaning you out if you drink enough of it but it also does ad potassium to your diet which along with magnesium is a natural heart regulator.  I have also used magnesium (supplementaion) and epsom salt (for flushing) in such cases as well.  For me getting my digestive tract back into shape and trying to keep it that way seemed to give me a challenge but also my best results in preventing afib.  The trick was to figure out what it was that was causing it?  This made me pay attention to symptoms, do some research and experiment.  For me I always had a sensitive stomach but the symptoms went well beyond this.  At my worst I had symptoms of gas, bloat, acid reflux no matter what I ate or how small an amount.  I had bad breath, coated tongue felt, tired and sluggish etc.  I first suspected parasites and or bad bacterial over growth. I first used a combination of wormwood/black walnut for parasites twice a day and combined it with colloidal silver for the bacteria.   I ate light staying away from obvious triggers like milk, cheese, processed and fried foods.  I also added fresh juices,.  i can say I did see some stuff come out and it did look like a combo of parasites and bacteria.  After a week of this I must say I felt a lot better.  i was able to eat normally but this only lasted a couple weeks and then it started all over again.  Perhaps it was my adding foods to my diet which while not completely bad were still triggers for me.  i felt for a short time like i could eat anything and like a person out of jail I was enjoying my taste of freedom.  So now my dilemna was now what do i do?  What do i try next?  Should i do a repeat of what i did before again?  What if it doesn't work?  You get the picture.  From that point I've tried many other things too many to get into here but will tell you of a few.  I know there needs to be a balance and healthy tract so I tried different probiotics.  Some worked for a while then after a while seemed to have no effect.  Some just didn't work and made me feel worse.  I can tell you all probiotics are not the same.  The more the varied strains usually is best.  I have also used with good results slippery elm a couple times a day to help kill off the bad huys and to also help my tract run smoothy and heal.  I have learned after doing a flush and getting your digestive tract close to empty and clean you should take it very easy afterwards and build up slow.  Pay attention to what bothers you and try and stay away from them.  If you can't avoid dairy take a lactaid.  If you can't avoid gasseous forming foods then take beano.  I've actually stopped taking both by adding a very good digestive enzyme to my daily diet routtine.  I sporadically use probiotics but not every day or every week at this point.  I also have used tumeric and curcumin which help alleviate gas and also provide natural defense against inflamation (inflammation).  Speaking of which "inflamation (inflammation)" as I've come to learn is what happens in your digestive tract when all is not well and what it does is constrict every thing.   Your digestive tract will often be very slow and sluggish and act up as a backed up sink would giving you bloat, constipation, reflux and other symptoms.  So what does this all seem to do with afib?  Well in my experiience I have speculated that I have a trouble spot or weakness in my digestive tract which on occasion in the past I've noticed when it becomes inflamed or sore or what ever it makes that region in my gut also feel as though it fibrilates which then because of the vacinty can cause nerve impulses to the heart and or brain to be disrupted possibly in turn what triggers, causes or sets off atrial fibrilation.   While a lot of my observations have been speculative or what a doctor would write off as nonsense it makes sense to me and when I have approached it with common sense I have helped alleviate this thing much better than what is common practice or whats available now.  The ironic thing is a doctor may say I'm crazy and yet more often than not will want to prescribe dangerous meds for a condition he has no idea of what the actual cause is himself?
Bottom line for me is that once its gotten this far to where you are getting afib and you have had all the check ups and test indicating you to be pretty healthy and yet no answers then its quite possible the problem started a while ago and its to a point that obviously requires a lot of attention.  Another words damage has been done so now the trick is to try and reverse it or at the very least minimize the possibilty of it getting worse.  This can be done via careful diet, supplementation, exercise and reducing stress.  Constant worry and stress can cause not only anxiety, depression and other symptoms but I know it can directly affect digestion, cause digestive problems and even arythmias themselves.  I hope that some of my stated experiences helps you in your endeavors to get well.  Thanks for reading, good luck and thanks for posting.!

[doner73]

Yes intestinal gas precipitates Afib...
I can eat and in five minutes gas builds and put pressure somewhere, probably the vagus nerve and I go into Afib.... as I belch enough to relieve the pressure Afib stops,,,, Referred to as "Vagal Afib".
I had Catheter ablation to the tune of $150,000,00 but it did no good.

You have to be lucky and rich to find competent Cardiologist... most only know the basics and want your MONEY!.

I am 72 years old and probably will die soon from Afib complications even though my heart is as strong as an Ox.

[delcocat]

Don't dispair.  Your 72 years young and you sound like a fighter.  It also sounds like you experience what I and lot others do (that is beyond the frustration of doctors inability to help even when they let on like they know) so much.  Get your digestive tract healthy, stay away from known triggers and that may help.  If you bloat up after everything you eat in any size quantity then it sounds like you may have what I experienced and thats parasite, fungal and or bad bacterial over growth in your digestive system.  Perhaps try some of what I mentioned above ie, slippery elm, wormwood/black walnut, colloidal silver to help remedy that and then make sure you ad a very good digestive enzyme just before you eat and probiotics..  I also have and had experienced sluggish gall bladder and that in and of itself can cause big digestive bloat and other problems which is another reason why the enzymes are important.  I also take some lemmon water with my meal to help digestion (apple cider vinegar is good as well is you like or can tolerate it).  Make sure you get some moderate exercise and reduce stress.  Its sad doctors can't figure this stuff out but if you have a pretty clean bill of health and have no sensitivities to some of this or other things mentioned give em a try.  Hang in there.

[trudyvdr]

I often wake up an hour after going to bed with my heart racing super fast, my stomach swolen to the point where it feels like it wants to pop, and my skin burning all over.  This has been going on for a few years already.  I take ativans to slow down my heart rate, since it feels like i am a minute away from a heart attack.  It only happens to be after i sleep for an hour.  It scares me to the point where i am afraid of going to sleep at night.  Its utterly traumatic and exhausting.  I sometimes can't go away for trips because i fear that i might have an attack and won't find a hospital in time.  I have not spoken to any one who has similar experiences.  I am constantly told "oh you work to hard, yes just check your diet, it anxiety, it's all in your head".  I don't think anyone understands how difficult itis to live with this, you change your life to accommodate your random episodes.  I am fine if i take probiotics daily.  I've been told to go and swallow a camera, not sure if there is a real sollution here, and not sure why it always happens an hour after going to bed.  It scares the hell out of me, but no one seems to understand, i guess you can't understand what you have not experienced.

[soozee438]

i have suffered from palpatations since I was 21,im now 54.Since suffering hypothyroidism I have had several attacks of AF recently.In turn i have had to lower my thyroid meds which in itself is distressing to me.I have come to the conclusion that the AF is not triggered by my thyroid levels.I commented to my husband that when I am in AF my stomach has blown up like a balloon.The episodes have lasted 4 to 6 hours.I usually start to feel the wind in my system start to move.my heart has reverted to the normal rythm itself.I took myself to the hospital last time this happened.My thyroid TSH was slightly suppressed.I was told these things happen and even someone who lives to be ninety could experience this.I have recently been suffering heart palpatations as well, have noted in the past many times that they are accompanied by a feeling of indegestion.My Doc has usually put them down to anxiety in the past but I have had many stressfull periods in my life when I have been free of palpatations.so it was of some comfort to me to discover this thread tonight as I have had palpatations for 2 days now  along with a windy bloated belly.Have just been away for a few days and my diet wasnt the best,so now I can stop worrying about it knowing Im not alone.I have a doc appointment next week and will discuss this with him.Thanks again

[ghostkasper]

I have had the AF problem for five years now.  It started when I was 65.  Mine is definitely vagal and caused by stomach gas.  I have changed my diet a number of times trying to find the one food that causes the AF.  I was tested and found I was allergic to eggs and nuts.  Eliminating them has helped some, but is not the complete solution.   Yet, when I tell my Cardiologist he treats me like I have three heads and suggests blood thinners and ablation.  What a crock!!  He did one good thing for me, though.  He gave me a prescription for Flecainide.  
Whenever I have an episode of AF, I pop 50mg of Flecainide and within an hour, all is well again.  I hate being dependent on a pill, but it is better than letting the AF run until it resolves itself.  I am of normal weight
and reasonably fit.  Guess I will keep trying for a solution.  In the meantime, I carry a Flecainide in my pocket at all times.  Thanks for this site where we can compare notes and air our complaints about AF.

[delcocat]

Hello, sorry I haven't logged on in a while.  As for your afib episodes happening an hour after you go to sleep I believe there are several possible contributing factors.  Do you eat anything within three or four hours of going to bed?  What do you eat?  Do these foods tend to give you gas?  Some good candidates could be dairy, nuts or things that are high in fiber.  You would have to answer this for yourself.  Now when you go to sleep odd as it may sound you can be placing yourself in a position that in fact can make you more susceptible to the gurgles and pops that may come do to stomach or intestinal distress which I believe in turn stimulates the vagus nerve pathway which in turn can trigger the afib. This has happened to me.  It also does not help that you are now anticipating this.  This places you in a state of worry and anxiety which also can trigger and or aggrevate these problems.  Nerves and stress can definately impact digestive tract health and pretty much anythnig else.  I would suggest not eating prior to going to bed by atleast 4 hours.  Be mindful of what you eat.  Take probiotics and especially a good enzyme supplement at every meal.  If you eat anything prior to bed time make it a very light high protein snack.  Avoid anything with caffeine or alcohol for atleast 6 hours prior to bed and drink plenty of water through out the day to help keep things moving along and to help you stay hydrated.  Give these a try and see if you get some relief naturally.  Hope this helps.  Thanks for writing and good luck!

[stampwiz]

Atrial Fib from gas is related to vagal tone atrial fib where the vagal nerve is excited and results in inducing atrial fib in some people. Most DR's are either unaware or dismissive. One reason is that the atrial fib triggered this way often self corrects to normal rythim very quickly, though not always. Unless Drs see the afib on a monitor, ekg or tape they don't believe you have it.

[delcocat]

Hello Stampwiz and thanks for your input.   This is the conclusion I have drawn some time ago and one that I have put out there for people however I've tried to convey this cautiously since I know not all people or their situations are alike.   That being said if you have certain other obvious symptoms such as intestinal distress resulting in gas & bloat I know that can lead to the stimulating of the vagus nerve which can then can trigger the afib.   I have paid attention and felt this many times.  I therefore have placed great emphasis on acknowledging the need to not only try and be self aware in any such self diagnosis but also to help remedy digestive woes which is a real bear of its own to deal with.   I suspect most people suffering with afib relating to the aforementioned have a considerable amount of damage already to their digestive tract that tends to sneak up on you over time.   As for doctors you are correct.   It has been my observation that they do not know, realize or admit that you have afib until they place all the monitoring systems on you.   Something obvious to you and I just isn't for them for some reason.  A simple stethoscope and listening is no longer enough anymore I suppose.  To make matters worse even after the diagnosis they are totally perplexed and generally have no clue as to why and they have looked at me like I had two heads on a few occasions early on when I visited the ER.   Only one time in my life did I get a doctor in the ER that understood and worked with me as a human being.   I told him what I had which he confirmed and why I believed I had it which he thought seemed logical.  He even went so far as to understand my reluctance to have any of the drugs mentioned administered and even used my suggestion of intravenous magnesium and he also gave me potassium pills.   This worked for me like a charm and I came out of the afib faster than any other time that drugs were administered.   I do not know if you are a doctor but you seem to have knowledge and understanding about this subject.   I had to learn the harder way.   I was relatively young and in good shape when I got these episodes and so am glad I stuck to my guns and refused the medications many docs wanted to place me on all without knowing why I was getting these episodes in the first place which could have had detrimental impact on my over all health above and beyond what i already was experiencing.   Now yourself and others will (if they don't already by now) know why I'm so passionate about this.   You will see that when I first started posting I too was confused and worried and not certain of what brought these episodes on even though I developed some suspicions that as time went on became all to clear for me.   I've made tremendous strides in being self aware, learning and understanding and helping myself.   I now know the signs and symptoms.   I now know 99% of the time how where and why I will or might get this and I can usually nip it in the bud particularly when I know I have been a bad boy dietarily before it does happen.   I believe others can as well!  Beyond just the comfort it brings others knowing others suffer with this I hope that I have done good for some in putting it all out there on this and other med help blog.   Again thanks for your post, comments and acknowledgement.

[Duarte666]

Hello Everyone.
It is difinitely related.
The symptoms are clear. Actually after describing the bloating symptoms the sense of prechure in the upper stomach, and the ocasional arrythmia episodes, the gastrologist I've seen, told me right away, after doing an abdominal palpation "that's caused by the gas", and then i told him that at the time I saw him I wasn't having those symptoms anymore, I continued saying that I had drunk cabbage and carrot natural juice, done at home, for 7 days. Then he replied "Yes, keep doing it, the only thing about the cabbage is that may produce a little gas in the intestins, but thats all ", he continued "Since you like to use natural herbs, drink peppermint tea, or fennel tea this may help reduce the gas in your digestive system."

This doctor specialized himself in H.Pylori infections treatment, and he stated further "We've done an experiment when I was elaborating on my thesis for my academic degree that involved using natural substances existing in graprefruit or a fruit similar to that, I'm not sure, that was a bomb in erradicating H.Pylori as potent as an antibiotic, oh it was an natural antibiotic of course. It was just a shame we didn't procceed with that studies...".

So... concluding I would like you guys to experiment on drinking the cabage and carrot juice for 10 days at least and then report if you noticed any improvement... I believe it would be important for many... I haded apple sometimes as to make it more palatable. Thanks for your attention and I believe you'll find a way of improving ;)

Take care

[mkarashmk]

I read your article. I have similar situation like you. Off recently i experienced some funny sensation in my heart. It is something very uneasy where i felt someone touching or twitching you heart from inside. It comes and goes. TOday i had something different wherein i felt like the heart is choaking but sonna after my burp and fart .. the feeling and sensation subsides. I called my cardilogist he said it gastric problem... what you think perhaps you can share some views of yours.

[sentientbeing]

As a fellow sufferer, I think there is no doubt that heart arrythmia can be caused by excessive gas and bloating. I have experienced it 3 times now and I'm 28, the latest one was during exercise. Some of my observations and thoughts are:

1. Bloating seems to occur after eating. Bloating increases when I begin to walk or do some physical activity. For example gas could start building up when I've done two sets of pushups or walked up a steep incline.
2. The Vagus nerve is a clear suspect. Since its a major nerve ( ne of the primary groups in a set of 11 I think) that regulate critical functions including heart rhythm. Gas pressure  as well as rupture caused due to acidity and reflux may have a strong bearing on it misfiring, causing the heart to jump out of rhythm. All my racing heart episodes have been triggered when I was walking or exercising when there was gas buildup. I've had myself checked to rule out heart problems. Other times I've had micro-episodes of racing hearts like just as I'm drifting off into sleep and wake up with a runaway heart!
3. Hiatal hernia: When I had an endoscopy I was told I had a small hiatal hernia. The symptoms during that time which led me to the doc was moderate gas and sudden racing hearts lasting for a few seconds that'll knock me off my seat,  the same feeling when you wake up with a racing heart. It wasn't hard right away to see a correlation between reflux/gas/digestive problems and heart palpitations and shortness of breath.
4. When I have severe bloating and it feels like my stomach and diaphragm are all gonna explode anytime, there is clear shortness of breath. Obviously my guess is the lungs don't have enough room to expand and the heart may even come into direct contact with the pushed up diaphragm. And possibly with the herniated stomach too. All of this results in lesser room for the cardio-pulmonary system to expand, and contract, let alone staying in tune.

Last year I had the barium swallow. They saw no hiatal hernia but definite reflux. I somehow don't believe that test is accurate and all it did was give me an appendicitis a day later I think due to the barium that got clogged in the appendix opening. I wish I was scoped instead.

I am determined to get to the bottom of this, I will get an endoscopy soon to learn if there's is a mechanical problem (hiatal hernia) and what other damage the last 2 years of reflux has caused and go from there. There are many questions unanswered like could it be H. Pylori? What causes excess acid (and gas) in the absence of clear mechanical abnormalities like a hiatal hernia? Why is the esophageal valve loose? For GERD I think there is no definitive cause effect relationship. Is too much acidity causing the valve to loosen up? Or If it was the valve that is malfunctioning, why should it cause excessive acid? For all the scientific/medical progress we've made there seems to be a poor holistic understanding of body science! I guess we have to rely on our experience and every bit of knowledge we can assimilate to work towards a solution.

[delcocat]

Some good info and observatios.  As noted above there may be no one size fits all description of what causes excess acid, gas, bloat and even perhaps afib itself.  I think thru my own personal observations that its reasonable to assume there is some correlations between the two sets of symptoms.  Digestive problems have a vast array of causes and I believe more than afib.  I do believe there is ultimaely some trigger point caused by digestive problems which leads to a chain of events that sets off the afib.  Gas, bloat, acid are the symptoms and things like ibs, gerd, reflux etc are descriptions that have been given to label these as some sort of medical condition,  The whole problem is to identify an underlying cause, stop doing what causes it, ***** damage and hopefully be able to treat, repair and reverse such damage. This can be a huge under taking with lots of tests and no guarantees you'll be any closer than you are now at finding the problem and or solution sorry to say.  My theory is that inflamation (inflammation) is the first culprit that leads to all the above and thats pretty easy to address once you educate yourself on what causes it.  It is generally caused by poor diet, eating the wrong foods, stress, smoking, medication, alcohol or junky sweets and junky drinks like soda.  Eat these and this causes inflamation (inflammation) in your intestinal tract making it hard for food and gas to pass.  It slows the digestive process down and then it can cause you to become bloated and out of balance.  Bad bacteria (ecoli, H.Plylori etc) can then over take your good gut bacteria (probiotics).  This can also lead to other things like viruses and parasites.  These then go further by actually damaging and thinning out your intestinal lining making you susceptible to diseases like crohns, ibs, leaky gut etc.  Once this damage occurs is when we start seeing afib or the propensity to get it.  I believe when the intestinal lining wall thins, becomes porous is when the nerves in the lining become inflamed and sensitive and react and these are super close if not intertwined with the vagus nerve pathways.  Once the vagus nerve pathway is disrupted this in my opinion is what causes the afib we associate with the condiions mentioned above.  I have been saying this on this blog, to doctors etc for years and yet there still seems to be little to nothing known or on the horizon to help.  So in conclusion I have taken control and better care of my digestive tract by making modifications in my diet to disinclude as much as possible anything that causes inflamation (inflammation).  I'm not perfect and its sometimes can be a struggle but all in all it has worked pretty well for me.  Some key points.  #1  avoid stress, acid forming foods, drinks, smoking.  #2  Use a juicer or whole food pulverizer and include a lot more easy to digest, easy to  absorb raw fruits and vegetables in your diet.  #3   Use a good probiotic and take digestive enzymes with every meal.  #4  Drink more purified water.  #5.  Gets some exercise.  #6.  Stay away from sweets and sugars.  #7.  Try not to eat within 4-5 hours of bed time.  A very light natural protein snack generally is fine.  Try this for a few weeks and i think you may see a difference too.  Good luck and thanks for posting!