burping and afib - the chicken or the egg?Hi

[Guest guest]

During my first afib episode I noticed that I seemed to have a lot of

wind, it was uncomfortable just annoying that I would be burping every

20 minutes or so.

I have since had an ablation and am drug and arrhythmia free. However

I had a lot of wind recently and got (I think) a few abnormal rhythms.

Has anyone else had this type of experience?

Hi, PM.

If I have indigestion and feel I need to burp I can pretty much guarantee

that irregular heartbeats are going to accompany it. These two conditions have

accompanied one another for at least 20 or 30 years. And if I can belch, my

heart often will calm down. So yes, indigestion, wind, burps, whatever you call

it, definitely play a part with an irregular heartbeat for me. (And in order

to create a belch, I often perform something very much like the valsalva

maneuver. I was valsalva-ing long before I had any idea what it was.)

I also suffer from gerd and take Prevacid. The question is...which comes

first, the indigestion or the irregular beats? I used to think indigestion

caused irregular beats. Now I think maybe it is the other way around.

Lil

[Guest guest]

Hi

I was told by a doc once that belching was a sign of the heart's

inefficiency, but this article suggests otherwise:

" Tachyarrhythmias triggered by swallowing and belching

P T Wilmshurst

The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury SY3 8XQ,

UK

Correspondence to: Dr Wilmshurst.

Accepted for publication 10 August 1998

Three cases with supraventricular tachyarrhythmias related to

oesophageal transit are reported. A 61 year old man had episodes of

atrial tachycardia on each swallow of food but not liquid; this has

been reported only rarely. A 55 year old man had atrial fibrillation

initiated by drinking ice cold beverages; this has not been

described previously although atrial tachycardia triggered by

drinking ice cold beverages has been described once. A 68 year old

man had supraventricular tachycardia initiated by belching; this has

not been described previously. These cases illustrate the diversity

of atrial tachyarrhythmias that can be precipitated by oesophageal

stimulation and suggest that what is regarded as a very rare

phenomenon may be found more commonly when sought.

Keywords: atrial tachycardia; atrial fibrillation; deglutition;

eructation; arrhythmias "

Link: http://heart.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/81/3/313

>

>

>

>

> During my first afib episode I noticed that I seemed to have a lot

of

> wind, it was uncomfortable just annoying that I would be burping

every

> 20 minutes or so.

>

> I have since had an ablation and am drug and arrhythmia free.

However

> I had a lot of wind recently and got (I think) a few abnormal

rhythms.

>

> Has anyone else had this type of experience?

>

>

>

>

>

> Hi, PM.

> If I have indigestion and feel I need to burp I can pretty much

guarantee

> that irregular heartbeats are going to accompany it. These two

conditions have

> accompanied one another for at least 20 or 30 years. And if I can

belch, my

> heart often will calm down. So yes, indigestion, wind, burps,

whatever you call

> it, definitely play a part with an irregular heartbeat for me.

(And in order

> to create a belch, I often perform something very much like the

valsalva

> maneuver. I was valsalva-ing long before I had any idea what it

was.)

> I also suffer from gerd and take Prevacid. The question is...which

comes

> first, the indigestion or the irregular beats? I used to think

indigestion

> caused irregular beats. Now I think maybe it is the other way

around.

> Lil

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

this part: " A 55 year old man had atrial fibrillation

initiated by drinking ice cold beverages; this has not been

described previously although atrial tachycardia triggered by

drinking ice cold beverages has been described once "

definitely describes me.. other than the part about being a 55 year old man!

Drinking cold beverages - especially standing up when the esophogus is stretched

close to the heart - is a sure way to get me into afib!

Stef