Hi @catmom777,

You’re quite correct that many health experts believe there is a connection between alcohol or caffeine, and A-fib. However, there are many other possible triggers that may work alone or together to cause A-fib, and it is also difficult to work out how much coffee or alcohol could trigger an episode. This makes it difficult to isolate a specific cause.

There actually is a specific form of A-fib known as holiday heart syndrome (HHS) – as you mentioned. HHS is the sudden appearance of A-fib in individuals who are otherwise healthy, but who recently took part in excessive drinking. Researchers noticed that HHS is more frequent after weekends and holidays linked with increased alcohol use, which is how HHS got its name. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/155050-overview
Studies have also found a connection between A-fib and chronic alcohol use., but no link was found for moderate drinkers. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3998158/

Here’s some information from Mayo Clinic, which I hope will help:

Abnormalities or damage to the heart's structure are the most common cause of atrial fibrillation. Possible causes of atrial fibrillation include:

High blood pressure
Heart attacks
Coronary artery disease
Abnormal heart valves
Heart defects you're born with (congenital)
An overactive thyroid gland or other metabolic imbalance
Exposure to stimulants, such as medications, caffeine, tobacco or alcohol
Sick sinus syndrome — improper functioning of the heart's natural pacemaker
Lung diseases
Previous heart surgery
Viral infections
Stress due to pneumonia, surgery or other illnesses
Sleep apnea
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/atrial-fibrillation/symptoms-causes/syc-20350624