Afib Triggers: Mine is my neck or body position, yours?

Are you taking any other heart meds?

No I am not.

The following are potential triggers:
a. lack of quality sleep;
b. working the heart too hard on workouts;
c. stomach distension (aerophagia or too much volume at meals);
d. poor posture (we slouch more and more as we age, especially erect at the 'puter);
e. caffeine, theobromine;
f; some medications, especially those with stimulants, for example some cold/flu OTC medicines);
g. anxiety (ruminating, worry about relationships or work, finances, other health concerns.....); and
h. an intractable spouse/partner.

These are ALL subject to habit, so figure out how to get over the habits.

I am beginning to think that my neck and body position have been triggering my afib. My neck is very sore and stiff and is positioned forward of my body. I can't get it back lined up with my body. I also notice that whenever I sit down, whether in a chair or especially on the toilet (I know it sounds weird,) my heart starts acting up with predominant beats. I am so glad you wrote in. I feel the same way, although my neck is long, but it is still probably pressing on the vagus nerve. I also have a dizziness problem which started the whole neck problem.

You have, apparently, some variant of POTS (positional orthostatic tachycardia/arrhythmia) and it might be due to impaction on the Vagus nerve or loss of tone of the Vagus nerve during certain postures. It could also mean you need an MRI to see if your spine is okay. I'm only guessing.

I would urge you to get some advice, and an assessment, from a postural specialist physical therapist. You may need a 'fascia release' technique, ligamental release or realignment, muscle tone improvement....maybe all of those, but I think you should really do this to find out if you can get even three or four degrees of correction. It might make all the difference in the world.

The other possibility is visceral adiposity....internal body fat deposited around and in between your internal organs. In certain positions, this can come to bear and cause problems on surfaces, blood vessels, nerves....

Thank you so much for your comment. I will definitely check it out. I have a virtual appointment with my cardiologist on Friday and I'll ask him. I can't keep feeling like this. I get afib almost every day and I feel completely worn out. I wish I still lived in the Twin Cities where there are so many excellent PTs and other medical specialists.

You need to see an EP. You can get your neck fixed and stop every habit people here tell you, but then something else will trigger it. Once those nerve impulses are activated all they need is an excuse to trip you over into afib.

If you wait too long and you start having afib that doesnt self correct then treatments like an ablation become less effective. Get it checked out now.

Exactly, mine is triggered by working in stooped over position, like pulling weeds. Asked cardiologist about vagal infringement or stimulations, he did not thing so

I once told my GP doc that my "position" seemed to sometimes trigger my AF. He said that was not a thing. I think I was just using the wrong terminology (rather than saying he was not at all an expert in AF). You are likely correct that it is just related to your Vagus nerve. My "positions" were things like pulling weeds from the lawn, things like squatting and working. All these actions were pressing on my nerve. Vomiting also frequently did it for me (my throat would sometimes get clogged until I had it dilatated, I could only vomit to clear the obstruction).

My afib is definitely triggered by certain positions. I avoid them as much as possible. Certainly bending, leaning to the left and also bloating with irritate my vagus nerve. I never sleep on my left side. Good luck!