Ectopic beats & mouth breathing

Anybody ever noticed this connection?

I have a chronic breathing problem that has gone on for over a year now, and I've recently also found out I have a deviated septum.

So not only do I have trouble breathing a lot, I also struggle to breathe normally through my nose, so I mouth breathe a lot. It doesn't help at all.

But since I've noticed I have been mouth breathing a lot more, I've noticed a lot more heart-activity.

Anybody experience this too? I'm assuming it could be something vagal-nerve related, as a lot of my activity is vagally instigated.

I too am vagal. I get ectopics in the middle of the night and at times, and have sometimes been able to tie it to my not breathing well. I'm often lying on my back and I catch myself mouth breathing almost as a last resort, like I "puff" through my mouth. Call it sleep apnea I guess. I'm a 160 pound male so not a classic apnea candidate, but there it is. Sleep apnea has definitely been tied to afib in some literature I've read. Could tie to ectopics I guess. So you may not be noticing it at night, the stoppage of oxygen, if your nose isn't doing its job.

Strangely, I got a lot of ectopics in the night too. Especially when I lie down to go to sleep. Left side more so, but right side can be as bad.

I will forget about my breathing a bit sometimes and notice I'm breathing through my mouth. Also at these times, I notice fewer ectopics while I'm breathing through my nose as well. It's all so disheartening.

I was tested for sleep apnea last month and, although it was noted I was having 'apnea like' episodes, it wasn't enough to warrant a CPAP.

Very disheartening. And so mysterious about things that can cause ectopics in one instance and have no effect another time. Left side is a common trigger for many. But you're in good company here with people who have the same struggles. Do you get your weird beats during exercise as well, or just rest?

Mouth-breathing irregularly, like I do while singing, can bring me ectopics.
Karaoke is my enemy.

I had this exact experience just last night whereby I noted a strong connection between breathing and ectopics/low HR Afib. I was able to control ectopics and restore sinus rhythm by deliberate breathing or short breath holds. I also had the very odd sensation of fluttering in chest, but an apparently normal sinus HR in the low 50s. All very vagal symptoms. I have also noted a strong connection to even minor gastric pressure/burps and palpitations. I was a 5 episode/year vagal afibber for 6 years until a routine colonoscopy a month ago. My Afib has gotten dramatically worse since with a dozen mostly nighttime episodes since.... Time to visit an EP I think, as I only have consulted with a cardiologist to date who gave me pill in pocket Metoprolol and Flecainide.

Nasal breathing has been a focus of mine for a long time. I use it as a signal as to whether my exercise is too intense (if I have to open my mouth). I also tape my mouth shut at night to clean up apnea patterns that showed up in an overnight heart rate vs. time recording. I've posted about breathing a number of times:

Mouth taping at night

Breathing to convert to NSR

Breathing instruction & meditation

Other breathing references

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Pompon
Mouth-breathing irregularly, like I do while singing, can bring me ectopics.
Karaoke is my enemy.

I think we'd all admit to it being our enemy in some shape or form! haha

Interesting though that it brings ectopics on for you.

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JoeM
I had this exact experience just last night whereby I noted a strong connection between breathing and ectopics/low HR Afib. I was able to control ectopics and restore sinus rhythm by deliberate breathing or short breath holds. I also had the very odd sensation of fluttering in chest, but an apparently normal sinus HR in the low 50s. All very vagal symptoms. I have also noted a strong connection to even minor gastric pressure/burps and palpitations. I was a 5 episode/year vagal afibber for 6 years until a routine colonoscopy a month ago. My Afib has gotten dramatically worse since with a dozen mostly nighttime episodes since.... Time to visit an EP I think, as I only have consulted with a cardiologist to date who gave me pill in pocket Metoprolol and Flecainide.

I have to say that after I developed some food allergies a couple of years ago just out the blue, I had to change my diet because the bloating and stomach issues were making the ectopics worse too. I had a colonoscopy myself in 2018 but I can't recall how they were after that. Weird!

I saw my doctor Fri morning who has now referred on to a cardiologist. I rarely had ectopics prior to ablation but in the 2.5 years since my health has worsened for other reasons and they've become almost unbearable now..

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GeorgeN
Nasal breathing has been a focus of mine for a long time. I use it as a signal as to whether my exercise is too intense (if I have to open my mouth). I also tape my mouth shut at night to clean up apnea patterns that showed up in an overnight heart rate vs. time recording. I've posted about breathing a number of times:

Mouth taping at night

Breathing to convert to NSR

Breathing instruction & meditation

Other breathing references

Yeah, I try to do similar but with a deviated septum nose breathing is hard. I also have this breathing issue which means that if I do breathe through my nose it feels like I'm starving myself of oxygen.

I am really hoping that once I can breathe through my nose again the ectopics may calm down a little.

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DavrosT
I have to say that after I developed some food allergies a couple of years ago just out the blue, I had to change my diet because the bloating and stomach issues were making the ectopics worse too.

I posted here about using Dr. Arthur Coca's approach to help figure out my lifelong autoimmune issues. Prior to that, I'd switched to my doc, Steve Gundry's approach as described in his books here and here. This helped my lifelong autoimmune nasal congestion by about 80%. Fine tuning with Dr. Coca's approach, has helped another 10-15%. My nose is now the clearest it has been in my life. Earlier in my life, nasal breathing would have been extremely difficult.

I've linked to some of breathing teacher Patrick McKeown's resources in links that are in linked posts above. Here is his method to unblock your nose in video & text. PDF book.