Atrial fibrillation

[Andy1982]

Hi guys I've recently been in hospital with atrial fibrillation which is uncommon for someone who is 30 years old.
I was wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them and I also wondered if there's a link between crohns and atrial fibrillation??
I've had crohns since 2007 had a right hemi and currently on pred for a flare up.

 

[DustyKat]

There could be two reasons that I can think of that may have led to your AF and they both relate to active Crohn’s.

1. When flaring it seems it is not uncommon, when presenting to hospital, to have a low potassium level (hypokalemia). It was certainly a feature for my children and needed to be addressed via IV and oral therapy. Whilst they did not have AF as a symptom of their hypokalemia one of the side effects of low potassium is AF.

2. High doses of Prednisone, like those needed to bring a flare under control, can also cause AF.

Did the docs offer up a reason why you had AF?

Dusty. xxx

 

[Andy1982]

They never said how it happened they just gave me an Iv and it sorted it's self out.
They said they checked bloods but I'm not really sure what they checked.
Waiting on a ultrasound on heart to see if there is something causing it

 

[DustyKat]

Well I hope it stays sorted and it isn’t something related to your heart. Good luck!

Please keep us posted with how you get on.

Dusty. xxx

 

[Andy1982]

Thanks,I have suffered from low pottasiam in the past and was given pills.
Fingers crossed..

 

[Andy1982]

Got pottasium levels checked 3.6
Been drinking coconut water and eating more bananas to try and raise it a bit.

 

[Forristicat]

Hi Andy. Was curious what ended up happening with this? I have recently been in a similar situation to yours.

 

[Christelle]

Hi Andy

I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2010 and had another flare up in 2014. It became so severe that I had SVT and Atrial Fibrillation. I had ablation surgery for both. The specialists were unsure of the link between Crohn's and my heart problems, but I was convinced that the extreme inflammation was the cause. I was extremely ill and I wasn't sure whether I would survive or not. Thankfully, I did. I have to monitor my heart ( I have an implant called a LINQ loop recorder which records ECG rhythms. ) I am currently in another flare up which is going on for almost 11 months. I have a lot of inflammation which affects my eyes, skin, joints etc. and my immune system is not great. My advice is to get an excellent cardiologist who specializes in heart rhythm issues and to take good care of yourself. If you are having a bad day ( or week) just take it easy. I didn't do that - I thought I could do it all. You can't - ask for help and get rest. The inflammation is no joke - it affects your entire being. Good luck.

 

[Andy1982]

Hey guys sorry for the delay (6years)

I’ve had to Be cardioverted twice now by shock and once by medicine due to atrial fibrillation and they still don’t know what’s causing it. I’m now on meds for it. Was in hospital last week and potassium levels were borderline along with my magnesium level.

It’s so frustrating

 

[Scipio]

It's very common for inflammation to trigger AF, especially in older patients. I had undiagnosed IBD for years but the AF showed up when I had an attack of appendicitis. An IBD flare could certainly trigger it too. I

I've been battling both at the same time for about 7 years now. I have had cardioversions several times and one ablation. I am almost always in sinus rhythm these days thanks to the ablation coupled with medication. One of the most frustrating things is that the drugs good for one condition are sometimes bad or even dangerous for the other. For example, AF patients need to constantly take blood thinners to prevent stroke, but of course blood thinners are the last thing an IBD patient with a chewed-up gut prone to bleeding needs. It is indeed fristrating.

 

[emmaaaargh]

It's very common for inflammation to trigger AF, especially in older patients. I had undiagnosed IBD for years but the AF showed up when I had an attack of appendicitis. An IBD flare could certainly trigger it too. I

I've been battling both at the same time for about 7 years now. I have had cardioversions several times and one ablation. I am almost always in sinus rhythm these days thanks to the ablation coupled with medication. One of the most frustrating things is that the drugs good for one condition are sometimes bad or even dangerous for the other. For example, AF patients need to constantly take blood thinners to prevent stroke, but of course blood thinners are the last thing an IBD patient with a chewed-up gut prone to bleeding needs. It is indeed fristrating.

I hope I'm not being pedantic but actually blood thinners are not contraindicated in IBD. In fact, they're encouraged, because in a flare the liver overcompensates its protein production, leading to hypercoagulation. IBD patients in flares are at 2-3 times more risk than the general population to have a blood clot. So if you're taking anticoagulants, rest easy - it's not going to make the bleeding worse, and in fact is good for you!

 

[Scipio]

So if you're taking anticoagulants, rest easy - it's not going to make the bleeding worse, and in fact is good for you!

Good for you maybe but not for me. I have already had one catastrophic bleed from my gut made much worse by by the blood thinner and that landed me in the hospital, and I am in constant risk of another.