Endoscopy

[Cavalierrubie]

l have not had AF for a few months. Yesterday l had an Endoscopy and it has given me AF. I had an episode in the night with chest pain so l dialled 999 as l was unsure what was going on. They arrived in about an hour (which was good) but by the time they arrived l had gone back into sinus rhythm. I had sedation and was told to rest after this procedure so I had an hours sleep this afternoon and have woken up with AF again. Has anyone had this reaction to an Endoscopy? Thanks.

[meadfoot]

Sadly it can happen. After an endoscopy I had a Bravo capsule inserted into my oesophagus to measure acid reflux. It set my afib off and I had to go to a and e.

The oesophagus is extremely close to the heart and messing with one can affect the other. It settled again after several days of upset. Good luck.

[Cavalierrubie in reply to meadfoot]

Thanks Meadfoot. I know they also pump the stomach with air to inflate it which would also cause pressure on the heart. I was also very stressed and was kept waiting 3 hrs.

[meadfoot in reply to Cavalierrubie]

Stress will have exacerbated the afib too. The procedure, the waiting beforehand and awaiting results, all perfect storms to trigger our afib, sadly on top of poking around in our oesophagus. All horrid experiences. Wishing you well.

[Desanthony]

I am not surprised as I have been poorly since I had my endoscopy about a week ago - not from AF as i am in low rate permanent AF, but had side effects from pain killers, given as they were having trouble and causing me pain - all done privately as would have had to wait too long on NHS. Luckily nothing bad found but then had to have blood tests and MRI afterwards - not given anything from MRI yet as have appointment next week with consultant to see what has happened as apparently the pain killer shouldn't have stayed in my system that long!

The bowel prep itself can cause problems and the fact that you couldn't eat or drink for a while could possibly also cause problems with AF.

I have had lots of endoscopies with and without painkillers and never with sedation and only this last one has caused me problems. I am thinking it is an allergy to the pain killer used. Sure your AF will sort it self out.

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Desanthony]

Thanks. No l had nothing to eat for 19/20 hours and nothing to drink for 4 hours, which could have contributed as you say. Sorry to hear your problem with the painkiller and the tests afterwards would be very debilitating - a lot all at once. Hope it soon settles down for you. Hope you get good results.

[Desanthony in reply to Cavalierrubie]

To be honest now I wish I had never had it. Especially as nothing was found!

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Desanthony]

Me too! I had barium swallow12 months ago. I will opt for that, if there is a next time. Much better for initial diagnosis, but won’t be having an action replay anytime soon. Thanks and best wishes.

[Desanthony in reply to Cavalierrubie]

Me neither! Take care of yourself and have a great weekend - they say Saturday is likely to be a dry day here so lots to do tomorrow!

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Desanthony]

Yes, hopefully we have some brighter days ahead. We all need some sunshine. Let’s hope we have a good summer. Look after yourself and take care.

[GoodHearty]

The proximity of the stomach and heart can sometimes make the heart rhythm change, including if someone has hiatus hernia, or if there is pressure around the stomach after a large meal or bending down.

I found this video enlightening and am convinced my AF episodes are a consequence of HA that was discovered after an endoscopy

I found this video enlightening from brilliant cardio.

youtu.be/Seb55YhOtl8?si=moO...(Not working as expected?)

[Cavalierrubie in reply to GoodHearty]

Thank you so much for this video. Very interesting indeed and l have found it helpful. I hope one day they get to the bottom of all this, probably not in our lifetime, but nevertheless sometime. I know the Mayo clinic do a lot of research in this area. With the volume of patients now getting this horror it really needs priority don’t you think? Thanks again for your time and help. Take care.

[Bluetonic]

Thankfully when I had an endoscopy I mentioned that I had AF before a successful ablation.The doctor suggested we should try without sedation as he could not guarantee that it would not cause af.

So thankful that he did. It was uncomfortable but not unbearable

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Bluetonic]

I wasn’t aware of that fact so thank you for info.

[Vonnegut]

I had an echocardiogram a month or so after my paroxysmal af was finally diagnosed and even though I had to walk to get to the hospital and use the stairs as the lift at the hospital wasn’t working, it showed my heart was structurally fine which was reassuring . How different we all are. Sorry I was thinking of the echocardiogram! But I had an endoscopy without anaesthetic and could watch what was going on inside as my hiatus hernia was found - perhaps the area was anaesthetised but I was able to see that over 5 hours after last eating my stomach still hadn’t emptied!! My heart behaved well throughout!

[Mugsy15 in reply to Vonnegut]

An endoscopy showed your heart was structurally fine?

[Vonnegut in reply to Mugsy15]

That’s right. Atrial fibrillation is an electrical fault in the heart that can be structurally fine.

[Vonnegut in reply to Mugsy15]

See my amended reply above!

[Mugsy15 in reply to Vonnegut]

Haha I see! Thanks for clarifying. 👍

[Vonnegut in reply to Mugsy15]

I am sitting in the garden in the sunshine after managing to walk round town following the Stroud Red Band for the annual May Day celebration event. So pleased I made it with my husband’s support (and a good stick seat) despite the fatigue I also suffer from.

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Vonnegut]

Well done. Enjoy the sunshine it will do you more good than all the meds. Xxxx

[Vonnegut in reply to Cavalierrubie]

It would be great if that were true but I’m certainly enjoying it and our magnolia blossoms have survived all the rain we’ve had and are enjoying the sunshine too.

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Vonnegut]

It’s so good to see the sunshine in the garden, it’s as if all the greenery is in song. I am in the garden too and have windows open at last. It is like a different world. Enjoy your day and thank God we are blessed. Xxx

[Mugsy15 in reply to Vonnegut]

I had a pal from Stroud, Dennis McGill. Ex-Fireman. I'm a Geordie but stayed at Stroud Fire Station once, the night before playing a Fire Service Rugby match with Dennis at Gloucester RFC.

[Vonnegut in reply to Mugsy15]

The only Dennis I know in Stroud is a poet and older than me (and losing his sight and hearing) with a different surname, but interestingly, my father was a fireman in the war!

[Ppiman]

Bad luck. You mean the rear end, I guess? I was told to take an extra bisoprolol for mine and I luckily had no problems. It surprised me as I'm quite sure that my heart rate went through the roof as I didn't have sedation and the pain at one point was off the scale as the doctor had to invert the scope or whatever. He did warn me and they did give me gas and air but by that time the worst was over and it did nothing. It was a salutary lesson for me.

Do you get lots of symptoms with your AF? I haven't felt the need to go to hospital except the first time back in 2019 which was soon after my ablation for atrial flutter and I really thought the worst.

Steve

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Ppiman]

Hi Steve, No, it was a gastric endoscopy not a colonoscopy . I have had the rear end done, many years ago, without sedation and it has never been forgotten! Never again without sedation. They took a biopsy as well, and l saw what they had taken as l was awake and it was large. Ouch! You can imagine the pain? At the moment my hiatus hernia has been causing problems. I have a large one and unfortunately, over the years, they increase in size. I am hoping, after this test, l will get to see a Consultant and hopefully this year! It seems, like myself, you have experienced a painful life. Take care.

[Ppiman in reply to Cavalierrubie]

I told the doctor that I did not want to look at the screen when I have these. I don't want to see things that are worrying. I'm a born worrier, unfortunately. The first I had, I did look, and I saw they removed a polyp, just yanking at it with the instrument causing blood to flow freely. I swear to this day that is what caused the large diverticulum the later endoscopies showed up!

I'm sure you will either see the consultant or hear from him via your GP. I have a HH, too, but its main effect is to cause acid reflux, for which I am consigned to PPIs for life - which aren’t without their own worries.

Steve

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Ppiman]

Yes, me too. Have been on pp’s for years. Going to discuss this with Consultant to see is there is alternative, but l can’t manage without them. I am sure I must have a scar somewhere in my bowel too. Everything worries me Steve, especially these last few months when l have heightened anxiety with health problems. My life is filled with medical appointments which gets one down. It could be worse, but is still debilitating. You take care and thank you for your response.

[Ppiman in reply to Cavalierrubie]

Like you, I always remind myself that it could be worse, but, my oh my - a list of the parts of me that are still functioning as they should is an increasingly short one! Life goes on well enough, nonetheless, so I mustn’t complain. Fifty years of happy marriage this year is an achievement, too.

I hope you get some comfort and peace from it all. It’s can sometimes be a hard and even rather lonely life for us worriers.

Steve

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Ppiman]

Congratulations on your wedding anniversary. Something was right in your life! Yes, l am afraid the tent wears out. There is disease and illness and then there is old age. Keep smiling through.

[Blueflags in reply to Cavalierrubie]

I do sympathise with you, my life is pretty much the same, various health issues and medications drive me mad at times, I get so depressed at times and have a good cry which does help!! I totally appreciate that there are many people who have much more than me to deal with,but at times I get so fed up with it all. I wish you well, 😊

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Blueflags]

Thank you for your kind words. When it goes on and on it’s very depressing, as you have explained. There are poor souls who probably have more serious things wrong, but we are all the same mentally with something that takes away your quality of life. It’s sunny today so that helps to brighten the day. Tomorrow will be a better day. Take care.

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Ppiman]

P.S. Have you tried sipping almond milk, chilled in the fridge. It’s alkaline and helps me enormously with acid reflux.

[Ppiman in reply to Cavalierrubie]

The esomeprazole tablets stop most acid reflux, at least most of the time, but that sounds an interesting idea. I’ll buy some next time we’re shopping and give it a try. Thanks for the tip.

Steve

[Vonnegut in reply to Cavalierrubie]

I have a hiatus hernia too - discovered during the endoscopy I was able to watch. I take Omeprazole for it and sometimes a few spoons of Gaviscon but for some time I did a daily exercise each morning that was designed by a doctor that a friend found on the internet but now my chronic fatigue means I don’t manage it as regularly as I used to do.

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Vonnegut]

Why are you fatigued Vonnegut? Is it a health condition or medication? I am fatigued too and they said l was borderline anaemic and dr gave me iron pills.

[Vonnegut in reply to Cavalierrubie]

It seems to be chronic fatigue which developed, as the paroxysmal atrial fibrillation did, when I had an episode of shingles when the pain came before the rash and I couldn’t get an appointment at my surgery for nearly two weeks by which time the pain had gone and the rash had appeared and I wasn’t given an antiviral - no doubt it was too late for that! But I am 80 and after my son posted a photo of my husband and me on the May Day March on Facebook, someone commented we were “so cool”!

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Vonnegut]

Sorry to hear you have this. My daughter got shingles twice after having Covid vaccination. I don’t think they did a lot of good for our general health. Congratulations on being 80 that is “cool”. I am 76. 25th May. I am catching you up. Have a good bank holiday and stay cool. 😎. Good to meet you. Xxx

[drdubb]

I had an episode after a colonoscopy. I assumed it was dehydration.