Some people have suggested the vagus nerve can ( in some cases, not all ) cause an effect on the heart creating their Afib to start. I have sometimes felt like pressure in that area can start it off....I found this interesting article....

[raphaelholisticportal.wordpress.com]

Healing suggestions for the vagus nerve [raphaelholisticportal.wordpress.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2017 10:59PM by George77.

Interesting, George. In the archived posts, there should be a post on the Vagus and Hiatal Hernia by Steve Rochlitz, PhD. If you can't find it, let me know. I have should have it on file. It makes sense because of the impingement on the vagus - where pressure could pinch the vagus and start some heart activity.

Here's one link. [www.afibbers.org]

Jackie

Hi Jackie and George

I have always thought my Vagal nerve played a big part in my episodes of AF, but my cardiologst thinks I'm nuts

If I rub the centre of my chest firmly, which I sometimes do when I have severe reflux I can go into AF straight away.

Weight gain and hiatus hernia cause problems for me, and I've thought its probably because when you bend or sit hunched up or relaxed your diaphragm can push up against the nerve.

I find sometimes when I have severe reflux and I'm belching or trying to my AF kicks in.

I'm trying to keep my weight in check but I've found the Beta Blockers don't help, and also I'm little suspicious that Eliquis can cause weight gain if you are inclined to gain weight easily.

Interesting read!

Hi Joy - yes - the info about the Vagus and how, when irritated, can be a source of stimulation for Afib is not widely known or accepted, but for those of us who have noticed the difference, it definitely is a player.

Mainly, the important point is for the afibber to recognize the connection and also take steps to help change the conditions that may cause the irritation or impingement factor.

It's not likely that you'll find knowledge of that from your doctor about that unless he/she deals with postural and functional positions that can contribute to the irritation. But, as you mention, just common sense like weight gain and the resulting physical pressures on stomach and diaphragm area when the midsection is "scrunched" is not a stretch of the imagination. It gives us a chance to feel a bit "empowered" or having control over that aspect contributors to afib.

Be well,
Jackie

At the onset of my AF, every time I felt my gut move it was accompanied by a PAC. Go figure.

I swear, the docs all took a "senior skip day" in med school when they taught the fact that everything in our bodies is connected!

George77.

During my 4+ years of very regular bouts of Afib I obviously started to notice what appeared to be triggers however these triggers were not 100% triggers in that they did not always kick off Afib every time. One trigger was bending down to tie a shoelace so I had to ensure I did not bend down too quickly when carrying out that exercise. Another thing I noticed is that any attempt to jog 50 Mtr/ 50 yards would start Afib virtually every time however I could hike up hill and down dale with my 4 year old son on my shoulders with no bother whatsoever on our country walks. This was always a mystery to me as without doubt the hikes were far more arduous than a 50Mtr jog so it could not have been due to pressure on my heart that started the Afib.

A year or two later I read a post on this forum where a guy mentioned an article called "Wandering Stomach" and Atrial Fibrillation - and then the lights came on. From reading this forum every day for years I had read that the Vagus Nerve is kind of wrapped around the stomach at some point of its journey from the brain to the rest of the body. The story goes that if you have a wandering stomach the stomach sloshes around in your body much more than a normal stomach would so its not an hard stretch of the imagination to consider a wandering stomach would certainly be stretching the Vagus Nerve. So joining the dots, when I jogged the stomach may well have been bouncing around and in doing so impinging the Vagus Nerve whereas when walking steadily the stomach would be much more stable. This would suggest that Afib in many people may simply be a mechanical matter as is the case of people being triggered by just lying down.

Just an observation.
Barry G.

Barry - this is very true. What underlies the 'vagus issue'... is what causes irritation to the vagus.
As you mention, it can be mechanical/physical impingement which is obvious and sometimes it can be from an overly acidic pH of tissue that irritates the vagus... or both ... which isn't uncommon, either.

I noticed that burping tends to precede episodes.

I too notice over the years a mechanical activity connection be it laying down, bending, being full connection. My EP is willing to concede it may be in fact true but his treatment would be the same.

Right now I am in a very bad spell and moving is definitely a trigger.

THANK YOU...I am new here....just found you guys.

I listen to the radio at night....a programme called Coast to Coast. Dr Joel Wallach is on every once in awhile and someone rang in and said they had Afib and wanted to know what to do about it.....Dr Wallach told the caller........DO NOT HAVE A CARDIAC ABLATION....A MECHANICAL DEVICE IMPLANTED OR TAKE ANY OF THE NEW HEART MEDS! Welll that woke me up as I just had all of the above. Dr Wallach talked about the vagus nerve and his opinion was that if heart meds to lower your heart rate only make it increase........YES.....and if cardiac aversion only makes it worse.......YES ...then the problem may be the vagus nerve and NOT your heart! I was off and running.

I spoke to my cardiologist about this and she repeated what she knows about it BUT said that my case of Afib was so severe (I went into cardiac arrest and was in a coma for 9 days when they implanted a medtronics device) that they had no choice.

So my main concern now is that all those ships have sailed and I am now stuck with this device (which is 'too big' for my chest). I am stuck with the meds........and STILL HAVE AFIB!!!!

Grumble grumble! Thanks for letting me vent. Any information about this is more than welcome!