Alcohol?

I know this question has been brought up before but I was curious from fellow afibbers how sensitive they are to alcohol. It's strange how some nights I'll drink a little to much and I will have no problems sleeping and no issues the following days. I have noticed that when I drink a couple (3-6) and go to bed feeling sober, I will wake up in the middle of night and my heart will be racing. It's not afib but it's unusual and confusing me.

Randy,

Alcohol is a very common trigger for most afibbers. I have enjoyed most alcoholic beverages over the years, but for me it's like dodging a bullet. I finally smartened up a few years ago and am now at the point where I will only have the odd beer or glass of wine.. I think moderation or totally abstaining is the answer.

Lou

Randy,

It could be a blood sugar issue (or not), I could be that you are a little low in mg (or not).

From what you posted, alcohol itself, is not a trigger (otherwise, every time you drink, you would be in AF). However, alcohol consumption could be leading to other (sub) issues. It could be as simple as an anxiety issue, that you are keeping at bay by drinking (or not). That might explain it when you go to sleep relatively sober, but wake up agitated.

I may be way off base, but it is something to keep track of so you know yourself.

lisa
__________________________

So much of medicine is looking solely down the wrong end of the gun barrel, and that is really a pity for all of us---Shannon

Randy: You might try a simple test to see if alcohol could be the cause of your waking in the middle of the night with a rapid heartbeat: Try eating a rich dessert, heavy pasta or other simple carbohydrate rich food containing as many calories as the alcohol you drink in the evening instead of anything containing alcohol one evening. Here's a link to a chart of calorie content in various types of alcohol: [www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov] And here's a link to some pasta calorie content: [calorielab.com]

As long as the food has simple carbs as the alcohol does, you should get the same effect if they are the cause.

One explanation I read is that the rapid simple sugar intake causes your body to rapidly step up its insulin production so once that sugar is dealt with the insulin is still there demanding more calories. If you're insulin sensitive too much of it can cause the symptoms you describe which I have certainly had.

Gordon

I vote for hypoglycemia


[www.medicalnewstoday.com]
[answers.yahoo.com]

George

For me, both hyperglycemia and alcohol are triggers for PVC's/PAC's.... my heart is telling me to smarten up but not going into aFib per se. I am keeping a list of triggers and avoiding them like the plague. One of my triggers is also my sodium/potassium ratio and if I allow my potassium to drop I know I am for sure going to hear about it. So Low Sodium V8 and Potassium Gluconate powder are on my daily intake list.

Now that I have some chompers back (after 2.5 years with a whack of missing teeth from my period of time in hospital summer 2009 on life support) I am amazed at how my system coped with the unchewed food being taken in. I am much better able to consume a paleo-like diet now and am doing so as best I can. Getting rid of the processed foods and excessive carbs will make a big difference. I put alcohol on that list as well.

There are days when I would walk on hot coals for a bloody caesar or an ice cold beer - but regretably, both are off the 'can do' list for now. I am on TIKOSYN 500mg. b.i.d. and alcohol is not a good thing in any event.

Low Sodium V8 is my beverage of entertainment these days.... or spicy Motts Garden Cocktail (mmmmmmmmm).

Murray L

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Tikosyn uptake Dec 2011 500ug b.i.d. NSR since!
Herein lies opinion, not professional advice, which all are well advised to seek.

I often wonder how many afibbers would have fewer issues and failed ablations if they would just quit drinking in excess, I limit myself to 2 beers, red wine seems to give me ectopics.

Randy - I agree with George – probably hypoglycemia and I can relate to your alcohol-as-a trigger for AF situation because prior to my onset AF, I enjoyed regular drinking at a variety of social gatherings and always on the weekend. Although, unless it’s a sweet drink, alcohol does not have any carbs… (wine has some and beer has more), but since alcohol ACTS like glucose in the body, undoubtedly, it is an hypoglycemic event…and an over-reaction of insulin response…especially, if you drink on an empty stomach. I’m not saying it’s okay to ignore what your body is telling you, but that if you do plan to drink, then have something substantial to eat and try small amounts of alcohol. Limiting the amount seems like a no-brainer if you keep having events related to 'cause and effect.'

I stopped alcohol consumption when I realized it was a trigger and for 8 years of my journey and 3 years, post-ablation, I avoided all alcohol exposure. I changed my social groups so I wasn't so tempted to join in and found that I felt better and had even more fun than with the drinking crowd as nothing too meaningful went on with that mentality anyway. Now I enjoy an occasional glass of merlot but never on an empty stomach.

If you care to get into this, then do research on alcohol, hypoglycemia and insulin response. If you are addicted to alcohol, that’s another issue entirely with the same complication of the fact that magnesium and potassium are depleted rapidly by alcohol and as you know, that’s notorious for triggering AF. Ultimately, it's your choice, obviously.

Jackie

This is interesting to me because I assumed that everyone had the same reaction that Randy has to drinking more than one serving of alcohol in the evening. For me, anytime I drank 2 - 3 glasses of wine with dinner, I could assume that I would wake up with rapid heartbeat later. I thought part of it was hypoglycemia, from which I do suffer, and also dehydration. Of course alcohol depletes magnesium, and that seemed to me another factor. Glad to know that not everyone has that reaction. Now that I'm not drinking at all and haven't for months (only because I've either been too ill to do so, or are on a medication that doesn't mix with alcohol imbibing, I have no such episodes. And Jackie, like you I could never drink any wine on an empty stomach.

Here's an odd fact about wine as a trigger for me: I live in California and love good wine, but California wine became an almost instant trigger for afib, while I could enjoy a glass of any European made wine with immunity. Any comments on this? A chemist friend thought it might be the must on the grapes. Erling??

Now that I'm on Multaq for a few months, my wine drinking days are in the future, I hope!

Cindy O

Cindy congrats on your recent successful ablation. During my recent stay in Bordeaux we had the chance to go on a couple of wine tours to some local chateaux's in the area. One of the points made by the chateaux owners during the tour was that they only use the absolute minimum amount of sulfite in their wines. I'm only speculating here but it could be that north american vintners are using more sulfites than their european counterparts. In any case I'd like to repeat what my ablation dr. in bordeaux, Dr. Hocini said when hearing that we planned to do the wine tours. She said with a smile, don't drink too much wine.... unless its a good wine and then she left she left.

Shine on

Adrian

Also there is another factor to think about concerning alcohol consumption. When i was last in a chemistry class, many long years ago, it was explained to us that alcohol is metabolized to sugar in our bodies and that it uses up insulin just like if you ate candy. Since then i have learned that the insulin making process uses up a lot of potassium, leaving the body often without the necessary potassium needed to run the heart efficiently, which is the reason that alcohol consumption tends to put people into afib. Our bodies do not store potassium like they do magnesium, but depend on regular intake to stay supplied.

PeggyM

After ablation and stabilizing magnesium and potassium, alcohol and exercise are now just fine. For the past two years I've gone back to 10-12 glasses of wine per week, a martini now and then, and 7-8 hours of weekly training, some at a fairly intense level, although short of those long ago competitive days. None of this shakes my heart at all.

Haven't had any a-fib and only occasional PVCs. If I'm more stressed than usual at work and have alcohol, and exercise hard (particularly in the heat), I have to be extra sure to get enough potassium. I do only natural potassium along with 800 mg daily magnesium. Potassium from orange juice in a.m. and low-sodium Knudsen (it tastes way better than V8!) in evening.

It is possible (perhaps I'm lucky) to have a completely normal life back after struggling with this beast.

I had a Scotch and a beer Friday, 2 beers and a Tequila shot last night, and 2 stouts and a light beer today with no problems.
Last week one beer Friday made my heart erratic. I have been making drinking Wally Water from MOM this past week along with about 400-600 cheleated magnesium I have been taking the last 6 weeks or so along with 2000mg Vit C and the other supplements........
Who knows but I've really managed my salt intake, dropped about 10 lbs, and cut down on the heavy weight training too go pretty light now for me anyways..... let's see but my heart has been real quite the last 3 weeks!