Sleep Issues

Hi All, I'm a long time consumer of the great info here. I have had Afib maybe once a year or less for the last 12 years. It seems to be vagal and lack of sleep is a huge trigger. My last episode was January 5th. I tried a Flecanide Pill in the pocket for the first time and it took me down to 5bpm and still left me in arrhythmia. Needless to say that was a scary experience. I was electro cardioverted for the 4th time in my life after that. The last two times have led to really bad anxiety for a period after, fearful that it's going to happen again and my rhythm feeling "fragile". I was starting to do better lately, started some Mg supplementation but had some very brief moments of palpitations this weekend.

Now every time I'm just about to fall asleep I get woken up by an irregular beat, and quickly switch positions hoping to avoid an episode. This is killing my ability to sleep at night.

Also of note I've been having some major bloating and digestive issues lately. Quite possibly anxiety triggered as I have a touchy stomach at the best of times.

I'm 35, 6'8", 205lbs and decently active. No underlying heart or medical issues.

How do I get some sleep?? How do I stop fearing Afib?

Hello Brad - That was certainly a very scary experience for you. I can't imagine how alarming that was for you.

I have some suggestions for helping you stay asleep but first wanted to ask if you had found the report from several years ago in the Conference Room Library collection... this one is CR 57 on LAF - A Case for Entrapment
[www.afibbers.org]

Just thought I'd mention it since you are tall and I'm wondering if you have meet some of the "chest measurement" criteria?

I'll continue in a second response in more detail on sleep ideas but because you mention several other factors that deserve attention... the major bloating and digestion... definitely influences or triggers, I'll ask some questions first so I can respond appropriately.

First, on the anxiety issue... do you know of or have you tried using L-theanine? It's very useful and many afibbers and others rely on it. There are many previous posts on theanine. Use the search feature and if you can't locate it let me know and I'll find them for you. I would not ever want to be without a stash of theanine. Just in case.

Now some questions:

Can you relate the bloating to any specific food? Often it's dairy or grains that contain gluten. Or, it could be that you don't have enough natural stomach acid to break down food and the result is the putrifaction of food in the stomach because of slow clearance. That can be managed with digestive enzymes and supplements to help support making your own stomach acid.

Remember that if your stomach is bloated/distended, then that causes pressure on the vagus nerve which in turn can stimulate the extra beats or arrhythmias. This can be from the undigested food factor....or it can come from a Candida albicans overgrowth in the GI tract and bloating occurs when you eat foods which feed the Candida or yeast. Just as when making bread the old fashioned way, you add yeast to flour and warm water... and set aside to 'grow' or rise. The same thing happens in your stomach and intestine. So the again, the bloat can impinge the Vagus and cause your blips. Each of these factors can be corrected.

And...on the magnesium intake. Since the average person needs 600 - 800 mg magnesium (some less some more) to satisfy all the magnesium requirements for the entire body...then taller/larger bodies may need almost double that amount in order to reflect intracellular optimization...which is where the magnesium works... inside the cell. A solution for you may be to try the transdermal (topical) magnesium gel or 'oil' as it rapidly is absorbed through the skin and in the blood to the cells so you can get almost immediate benefit. An example is that if you use it on a sore muscle, the pain stops in about 15-20 minutes.

But...here's the catch.. if you suffer from Candida overgrowth, then the magnesium you do take probably can't access inside the cells because, first it has to transfer from the intestinal portals to the blood stream and then to the cell wall for access to inside the cell. When the intestinal wall health is compromised, a lot of symptoms occur because of the inability for nutrients to enter the body in abundance. That's a whole other discussion.

My last comment is about food intake - the last meal and anything afterwards... the time lapsed between the last meal and bedtime... and the typical amount and content that you consume. Beverages?

Lots of considerations.

Jackie

Brad, have you checked for Sleep Apnea? That can impact Afib.

Jake

Thanks Jackie,

Your post was extremely helpful.

After digging into L-theanine I went and grabbed that and some GABA and had a MUCH better night. I still woke up several times throughout the night, but zero of them were in a state of fear and anxiety and I had no sensations related to my heart, imagined or otherwise. So thank you again, I feel so much more positive as a result, and it's great to have another tool in the toolbox.

As for the digestion issues, my biggest problem is I am the fastest eater I know. Always have been. I'm working very hard at correcting that. I also suspect I have a hiatal hernia, as I'm sure many of us do, so I've been working on posture as well.

I think the biggest factor with indigestion is the anxiety. If I get anxious, my stomach goes to crap.

Isn't it amazing how many aspects of this battle are self defeating cycles?

Thanks to a calm night, I feel like I'm stepping out of this one, and life is good again.

Jake, luckily sleep apnea isn't anything I've shown symptoms of, but it is common in my family so I'll keep an eye out for it.

Thanks all!

I forgot to mention the chest entrapment issue.

I've never had a taylor that wasn't a little surprised by my small chest measurement for my size. I'll be looking further into that as well and will report back.

Hi Brad - I'm glad the theanine and GABA helped. With a bit of time, you may be able actually sleep very well. I certainly hope so as I know how the cumulative effects of all this stress feels. I didn't mention another relaxer... that's Bach Flower Rescue Remedy. There is liquid and pastilles. I use both. I get the alcohol free liquid and use if I'm over-stressed right along with the theanine. I have a small stash of the pastilles with me at all times (as well as theanine) when I start to feel overly stressed when I'm away from home. Now that my heart has remained calm after ablation #3, I don't need to use these nearly as often but take comfort in knowing they work effectively for me if I do need them.

Michael Murray, N. D. of Natural Factors wrote a report that included theanine dosing guidelines. I'll send you a PM with the information... along with a report on Hiatal Hernia by Steve Rochlitz, PhD... that may be of interest to you as well.
I had what I thought might be a HH and I went to a holistic chiropractor who used special muscle testing techniques to make adjustments that were not what you traditional think of with chiropractic.... no bone cracking or weird manipulations. He said that my stomach was pushing up into my diaphragm and thought that pressure was causing me to have Afib. I went for treatments... as I recall it was two a week and after the first week, I went from having afib almost daily... to just a couple of events. After the second week of treatments, the Afib calmed down and I nearly cancelled my first ablation date. You may decide eventually to try to find that type of evaluation as well. I'll also send you a very informative report on Hiatal Hernia by Steve Rochlitz, PhD that I found helpful back then as well.

You are very good at self analysis. It's true. We and our emotional status can be our own worst enemy. Once you start to see the effects of some of these suggestions, you will begin to feel empowered and that helps relieve some of the stress and tension over always worrying about impending doom.

The eating fast factor is a huge contributor to bloating .... it goes to the complication caused by not chewing food well enough to create a 'slurry' so that stomach acid and digestive enzymes can function properly. Probably, it will take some targeted discipline when you eat... to eat slowly and chew until the food is mostly liquid in your mouth before you swallow. If you are ravenous when you start to eat...then consider that you need to eat more frequently... and/or consume enough protein and healthy fat (both of which are sustaining) so that you can consume your food in a more leisurely fashion. That may be difficult to do ...but it can be the most important thing you can do for yourself.

Also, consider using a digestive enzyme with meals to help break down the food. I've tried several and decided on Source Naturals, Daily Essential Enzymes... I use one with each meal. Read more here: www.iherb.com/pr/Source-Naturals-Vegetarian-Daily-Essential-Enzymes-500-mg-240-Capsules/1448 And I also add betaine hydrochloride capsules when I eat meat protein to assist with digestion. [www.iherb.com]

I failed to mention the report on Digestive Wellness ... you can read here: [www.afibbers.org] and this one on No More Heart Burn also contains useful info [www.afibbers.org]

Posture has a significant influence on what 'scrunching' does to your stomach and diaphragm and as you know sitting for long periods is also very detrimental. Most of us hunch over a computer keyboard far too long without breaks. I would think that the taller you are, the more intense the problem. So the new rule is to be mindful and get up and stand, walk around, and break the constant sitting habit...which may be easier for some, and not at all easy for others.

I'm sending the PM right now with those reports.

Best to you,
Jackie