PACS or PVCs in the morning and after meals

Everyone swears by one or two key triggers. You'd be appalled to find that a great many find their heart rate climbing once they recline in bed for the night. Imagine what that means for getting to sleep easily. My sister-in-law has that problem. Now, to go to the other extreme, in bed was where I found respite. It worked like this: I might have PACs or AF throughout the day, sometimes with a cranky heart until bed-time. I'd get into bed, have that first zone-out where many of us turn on our sides, and I'd notice, without fail !!!, that my heart had entered NSR (normal sinus rhythm), and I was able to rest blissfully. I'd awaken to find my Galaxy watch reading out an HR of 55, sometimes less.

So, it's all over the place. When I was heavier than I wanted to be, I found that bending over to tie my shoes was a chore, and I had to hold my breath due to visceral fat. It would often trigger AF. Belching. It happened frequently after eating, and that would trigger AF often....too often. Upset stomach or acid reflux irritates the aesophagus, which runs right along the Vagus nerve. That will trigger AF in a great many. But, so will low potassium, or low magnesium. The latter is a distinct problem for many who don't each leafy greens or who don't supplement with magnesium salts (malate, bis-glycinate, taurate, citrate, etc...)

I also found that I had to pace for long periods while watching TV after supper. My wife knew I was in AF when I arose from the couch and began to walk around the house. It was a fact of life for us.

I don't know if this helps you much, but the fact is that each of us struggles with the disordered heart, and each has a unique journey. In the end, if people will listen, I tell them to get relief from an electrophysiologist highly skilled and experienced in catheter ablations. Almost 60% of all AF comes from AV node re-entrant foci somewhere around and in the left atrium. That's an electrical problem, and takes an electrician's fix to get rid of the undesired cardiac behaviours and the almost inevitable subsequent problems with heart health.

Very helpful post @gloaming

My episodes always happen soon after going to bed. I drink low sodium V-8 in the morning (lots of potassium) and take magnesium. I don't eat after 5. I take Gas-X (simethicone) if I get a certain feeling in my chest and belching relieves it.

When my kids visit, they all know we cannot go out for dinner after 5.

Good words. I’m recently diagnosed after an outpatient surgical procedure where I was put into a light sleep. We awaken they told me I had a PVC and BP was all over the place while I was out. Told me to go see a Cardi. After 3 visits/tests, arteriogram was perform and found a 40% blockage. I was also told I had a mile case of AFIB and sent home, take your statin, come back in 3 months. Guess I’ve got a mild case, because I could not tell you when I’ve ever had a PVC or AFIB. I guess that’s a good thing. I am losing weight, exercising at the gym 3 to 4 days per week. I do have a snoring problem and need to do a sleep study, just can’t imagine my already good sleeping habits will get better wrestling with a mask and hose all night. Thanks for any thoughts or ideas from the field.

@4aces4me are you on a blood thinner?

No. Just a Statin and BP Med.

Hi, I'm wondering if you should be on an aspirin a day as well for a blood thinner. The three go together

ASA and the NOACs act different ways and are not necessarily complementary. I would urge you to consult a cardiologist and let a professional prescribe something suitable for your circumstances. I know of no one who is taking ASA and apixaban, for example, as the latter suffices in almost every instance to protect people with a higher CHA2DS2-VASc.

The statin interrupts your liver's ability to produce LDL. It also disrupts your ability to produce CoQ10, which is exceedingly important for myocyte function....your heart muscles. So, if you are on a statin, you might wish to ask your prescribing physician if it would be a good idea to supplement CoQ10.

Apixaban is one of a relatively new class of NOACs that are not 'blood thinners'. They are anti-coagulants. In fact, they only retard the formation of clots; they do NOT prevent clotting. That is why there is not an absolute zero risk of clot formation for those whose left atrial appendage is not clamped or blocked with a Watchman. Apixaban only slows the formation of clots if they are going to take place in any one patient's appendage. It buys you time and hopefully your heart will flush out the appendage before a clot forms.

Metoprolol and similar calcium channel blockers slow the heart. This helps to control runaway rates when in flutter and in AF. It also makes the heart's beat less strenuous, which is good for those with iffy blood pressure running higher than the physician would like.

It is a best practice to consult professionals whose expertise is highly relevant to the problem.

Hold off on the mask until you finish your weight loss. The weight loss could very well solve the problem.