Hi everyone I'm a regular on here and up until recently I've been pretty stable on flecainide at a low dose. But lately I am getting terrible strong PVC's after I eat. At first it was almost exactly 2 hours after lunch so I started eating only half of my lunch and the rest later in the afternoon. That helped. No PVC's or very few. Weird thing is now they have moved to after my dinner. This is happening every flipping day. I take a digestive enzyme with dinner. But I swear to God there is a button in the stomach area or small intestine that gets pushed or something and bam off go the PVC's. Problem is that these can quite often go into full blown A Fib. 
. Anyone else have this strange phenomenon?
What are PVC's?
G'day there,
Well your self dignosis is almost there .... not quite a button, BUT the Vagal Nerve. Briefly, the Vagal Nerve is a major nerve in the central nervous system which controls both the heart AND the digestive system. I do suggest you 'Google' Vagal Nerve or Vagus Nerve and you will learn much more than I can ever explain on here.
Some 4 to 6 months after I was diagnosed with AF I found food triggered an AF event. This was accompanied by massive, massive bloating, diahorrea, burping and loud intestinal gurgling. Not all at the same time but always one, and quite at random. The bloating was the worst and most common, I could feel it put pressure and pain around the heart region of the chest.
My GP had tests done as to whether I had IBS or Coeliac Disease - all clear. I was offered other tests but rejected that.
I went to a Nutritionist who put me on a course of probiotics and suggested changes to my diet, i.e. Gluten Free, wheat free and also adapt aspects of the FODMAPS diet. I did this around July 2010 and my 'gut behaviour' gradually improved and kept on improving. My last recorded AF event was in April 2015. Since the original diet change I have had to constantly be aware of what I eat and modifying it is a work in progress.
Hope that helps - also 'Google' FODMAPS if you aren't familiar with the diet.
John
Yes,yes,yes. Even before I knew anything about this forum or afib or its many arms of aggravating problems, I told my daughter I noticed all these pacs and pvcs after eating. Usually mine started after eating too much. I have narrowed it down to too much, too much sugar, and too late in the evening.
I will add that I had my ep do another check of my potassium and magnesium. Both were at the very low end of what is normal. Potassium should be 3-5.5.and mag is 1.8 to 2.4. My levels are 3.5 and 1.9 and I am now on those supplements and all extra beats are gone.
Always ask your cardiologist before taking any supplements and be sure u need them.
Good luck.
Carol
Sorry, read my answer to sandisshealthy. That was meant for you.
Premature ventricular beats as opposed to rapid irregular beats of atria. Pvcs are benign skips. Mine however couple with pacs irratically and put me in afib sometimes. Not always.
Hi afiblady, OK I got that. Thanks.
Thanks Carol I've also eliminated different foods do to sensitivity causing problems. And this has helped too. But this eating thing is driving me nuts. I'm gonna ask my doctor to check potassium and magnesium levels when I see him for my physical.
I had copied and now paste "vagal stimulation", but 3john506 beat me to it. Regarding another response that included low potassium, I've read flec can cause low potassium and I've personally experienced low sodium results.
Sorry that's john5006.
Hi John thanks for your reply. Ya I've always thought the vagus nerve was involved. And I actually have scar tissue in that area due to open heart surgery when I was 3. I had a ventricular septal defect a very common birth defect. So yes I do believe this is an issue but to find someone to acknowledge this is next to impossible. Also I am, gluten, dairy, fat and chocolate freely lol. Oh and no alcohol either. And have been for quite some time. I'll review the fodmaps diet again and see if there is more I can change. Thanks so much
Ya mine are probably PAC's and PVC's. It's just plan nasty. Lol ugh I really wish I was one of those who don't feel any symptoms with there A Fib like my dad.
Wow this as really helped me I have diverticuler and really bad acid reflux plus a MRI as picked up what may be Chrones after. Certain foods I can feel my missed beats I once ate a full box of chocolates and I went into Af bad so maybe this nerve thing is the key to my afic 😳
Hi, for me its no big meals any more . . sad but true. Get into the habit of snacks, if you are a meat eater, try a chicken breast and nothing else, and small portions of anyhing. I expec you have stopped coffee and tea and chocolate? Good Luck . . . .
Hi Jay thanks for your ideas and support. I've been doing small meals and yes it is helping and I stopped ALL alcohol and caffeine years ago although the odd decaf coffee sure is nice lol. I've also just started the FODMAP diet. And funny thing is I've already stopped eating many of the foods listed. So I'm on the right track. Hopefully this bout of it will settle soon.
Hi John hope you are doing well. I started the FODMAP diet yesterday and interestingly I had a good day lol. On to day two. So my question to you is :how long before you found things were changing and after six weeks were you able to reintroduce some foods back? Also what foods or food groups still trigger problems for you? Also how do you add and save a forum to your own profile I can't seem to figure this out and how do you private message someone? Thanks for your help lol.
Hi Sadie iv been doing it too I'm amazed how it helps iv only had a cpl of flutters in two days il follow this thread as it's been so helpful , regards Bea Plus drank lots of water
Hi Bea ya funny thing is I had already eliminated a lot of the foods but there were still a few I hadn't like nectarines which I had been eating 2 a day for a couple of months almost the same time the PVC's started up. Plus I was a big eater of cauliflower and Broccoli so I've removed those offenders lol. I'm very interested in seeing we're this takes me. Yes I also find lots of water helps especially when I get a long run of flutters.
I cut out alcohol two years ago but did think chocolate was a culprit too but sugar seems to be another I thought fruit too so let's hope we are going to see much improvement now I'm feeling positive 😊
Yes I'm feeling hopeful too Bea. Let's hope together lol. We can do this. Let's conquer this!