Atrial Fibrillation & Stomach Gas, Digestive Tract Problems?

[delcocat]

I saw another post about atrial fibrillation and stomach gas possible association or connection.  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 atleast in my experience in that they don't think outside the box enough possibly because this is what they learned.  I think I/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 and our own health.  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 would like to know if anyone else has any real answers to this as being a 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?  Isn't it possible
that the gas, bloat, perhaps inflamed digestive or intestinal tract can disturb the vagus nerve thereby possibly causing
you to go into an afib attack?  Any real dr's out there any more with some real info about this?  Even conjecture?
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 you know or even think this to be the case for you I would also like to correspond with you to trade stories and info on what you''ve learned and done. Be well.  Sincerely, Rich - delcocat at aol *******

[delcocat]

Roemheld syndrome.  We now have a name of something we can ascribe to.  This is a good thing.  For one thing it's been around for a lot longer than any of us realized.  Another is that we are not alone nor are we all going crazy.  Finally when doctors look at us like we have three heads we now have a medical name to throw at him and say here doc read this and tell me I'm crazy.  There is also another name or term which I've brought up here on the blog in the past and that's vagal nerve induced afib.  There is also yet another perhaps not so well known term but probably not relevant to most of us here but it is called the partiers disease or alcohol induced afib?  So now we have two or three names.  Unfortunately we have to become our own doctors these days but the fact that we're starting to think outside of the box, doing research to figure this out and contributing to this blog shows that we really all are!  The ones we thought and hoped we could depend on to help us out at this point just can't.  Jeff & Lyn above are right.  This is rediculous that we should have to live like this by being stressed, fearful or even careful of how you move etc. so as not to go into afib  Since so many people are suffering with this and the symptoms so similar it may just be possible that one day it all comes down to an as of yet unknown common denominator?  Just as it was ultimately proven that H. Pylori (a bad bacteria) was shown to be the common denominator and culprit that causes most stomach ulcers this could also be caused by a single bad bacteria strain (including H. Pylori), virus, mold or parasite or even a certain combination of these working in tandem.   In my own self exploration I have found that there does seem to be a couple of factors which have contributed in bringing me to this point of sufferage.  Who knows it may not go much beyond it?.  I don't believe it just pops up out of the blue (even though it may seem that way) but rather builds up over time but without realizing it we all literally do daily damage to our digestive tracts!  Interestingly enough our digestive tract has been shown and proven to be 90% of our immune system.  Compromise it and every other system of the body is affected causing us all sorts of physical and mental ills.  This is probably why when I address my digestive woes it also stops the propensity to get or feel like I'm going into afib.  Eating nutritionally deficient foods particularly ones our systems just aren't capable of breaking down and digesting combined with other damaging factors like stress, smoking, drinking, medications, lack of sleep, lack of exercise all have a negative effects and impact.  These ultimately cause the body to become acidic.  Once in this acidic state we experience inflammation in our digestive tract that in turn constricts the intestines and slows things down, traps gas, makes us constipated giving us familiar sysmptoms of reflux, ibs, bloat etc.  Being in this state is ideal conditions for bad bacteria, virus, parasites, mold to breed and take over, thrive and eat away at us which in turn creates more acid, inflammation and even more symptoms.  Some of which can turn into many diseases.  It's a vicious cycle.  I hypothesize that over time damage is done by all of these factors.  I believe the lining of a certain potion of the intestines thins ulimately exposing nerve endings to an area that when induced by inflammation can conflict with normal vagal nerve impulses to our brain and heart which ultimately can lead to the afib.  I even asked a question a while back on either this or a sister blog that if anyone was experiencing similar symptoms plus the fib whether they had a colectomy or small section of their intestine removed in any region just below the left rib cage and whether they had ever experienced relief from both by this surgery?  I have not heard anything as of yet.  So far I have had my best longest term results and relief by dealing with this from a digestive health problem angle (which as mentioned above incidentally stopped inducing afib once relief was obtained)   I did a mild intestinal or bowel cleanse.  I did a parasite cleanse (amazing) using natural mild herbal products but ones that must contain black walnut/wormwood and I also used silver biotics to mop up any bad bacteria.  I adjusted my diet by avoiding foods and drink that cause inflammation, that are gassy or difficult to digest by avoiding such things as coffee, all processed foods, caffein etc.  I upped adding more organic vegegables and fruit and jucing to give my system a rest and chance to heal and become ph balanced.   It's difficult to stay on a close to a perfect diet so I find myself doing these regimens perhaps every 6 months or so if symptoms start to appear and become out of control.
It feels great to feel good and normal again but alas as I mentioned it can come back so even all of this apparently is not a permanent cure?  Perhaps once damage has been done as I suspect it is very difficult perhaps even impossible to revert our digestive tract, intestines and colon back to a thicker more youthful self?  Or perhaps the particular pathogen whatever it may be comes back or is not easily or completely erradicated?  I'll keep trying searching and experimenting.  

[JeffN]

Guys/Gals listen to this doctor's show talk about Roemheld Syndrome.  Hitting it on the head.  

Thanks to Lyn, I was able to find this. Copy/paste url.

https://app.box.com/s/aqlw20oafjkj289pyqac

[JeffN]

YES!  going on vacation or trip, I get worried what happens when I go into it. I don't want to ruin my kids fun, or miss out on these years.. I'm so grateful for your post, again, THANKS.  

Docs were making me feel like I was crazy.  The GI's laughed at me when I said the gas was causing my heart to go funny.  Two different docs were quite condescending. When I'd bring in papers from researching on the net, they'd laugh and say don't believe what's on the net!! and I had to pay for that crap.. Thanks Cleveland Clinic.  

I can't believe this guy Roemheld figured this out in the 30's and nothing has been researched since?  I do see a note on that wiki site that says German research ended in 2009 was not translated.  

Yes, I will keep reading here.  I have gotten comfort and knowledge from each and every post here.

[Lyn74]

I agree 100%! I too am just existing and I feel horrible because it has made me miss out on so much of my childrens lives. Something I will NEVER get back. I can't believe there are so many doctors from all over the world that have no clue about this. Its scary. Enough is enough already. I go to, yet another, new doctor next week, so I'm praying that he is the miracle I have been searching for. Not getting my hopes up, but trying to stay positive that he will be able to shed some light on this. I'll update the thread if I learn anything new.

[Lyn74]

Lol, beer isn't crazy at all. It's carbonated and helps by getting you to burp it out. When I'm going into afib, I grab beer or pop. Whichever is closest to the front of the fridge, lol. My very first afib attack was scary, of course, but it didn't scare me enough to go to the ER because I didn't have any other symptoms other than the rapid and erratic heart beat. I know that may sound weird, like...who wouldn't go to the ER if their heart was beating like that, right? But, I guess, deep down I knew that it wasn't anything that needed medical intervention because I feel these attacks in my stomach while they're happening. I'm going on year 7 or so, of this. Thankfully, the afib attacks are "rare" in comparison to the digestive upset because I can usually prevent them by being VERY careful in the way I move and breath. Sick hey? Who lives like that? Ugh. Anyway, I'm glad I could shed a bit of light for you. I've been researching this for many years and I'm sure glad I'm not the only one having to deal with this mystery that doctors can't solve! Lets keep in touch because you never know, we may be able to solve this without them! :)

[aldagrace]

I broke my tibial plateau a year and a half ago.Next day ended up in the hosp.for 8 days with afib.Had a cardioversion done a year ago.I have the most terrible GAS,bloating,and belching I have ever had in my life.I have never had any stomach issues in my 66 years on this earth.I was always on the go,now I never want to leave my house.I take xanax for my anxiety or I would never get any sleep.Even with that I've be averaging abot 5 or 6 hours a night. I get the shakes too.Now,I have an erosive stomach caused by a high dose of aspirin and warfarin I was prescribed.Now I take Plavix,Protonix,xanax,and feel lousy.No one wants to believe me ,that I feel this bad.I haven't enjoyed my life for so long.It's like I'm just existing.I wish ONE doctor would try to help us.