Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation.

[jalba]

Has anyone on this site been diagnosed with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation?

I would be interested in your progress and experiences.

[Rich101]

Hi, yeah have had lone or paroxysmal a-fib, for 3-4 years now.
In total Ive had a number of attacks, normally happening around 2-3 times a year. Ive had e.c.g, two 24 hour e.c.gs, a echocardiogram, blood tests, chest x-ray. And the docs have said that their is nothing structurally wrong with my heart, and that I just have to try cope with the symptoms. Not good enough from my point of view.
Just cant find the reason behind the episodes. It has happened a few times, when I have either bent down suddenly, or have been exercising.
It leaves me breathless, light headed, heart racing so fast i struggle to do anything at the time of attacks.and anxiety goes through the roof, which is probably resposable for alot of other symptoms, (pins and needles),
Strangly the episodes seem less freaquent in the summer, maybe because I have a physical job in the winter months.
Have you been diagnosed the same??? have you made any progress if so.
Have you been diagnosed the same.

[jalba]

Hello Rich,

I was diagnosed with PAF about 3 weeks ago, by a general A&E consultant.

Basically I was discharged after an overnight stay and told to take beta blockers and aspirin. I refused warfarin. My extremely irregular heart rate was still reaching 120 - 140 when I was discharged!

It is only through persistence that I will be seeing a cardiac specialist in about 4 weeks time. Hopefully I will get all the appropriate tests to determine if there are structural problems. I have not been impressed with how my situation has been dealt with so far either by GP or hospital consultant.

I am not in A F at the moment, and have a normal heart rate. I weaned myself off the beta blockers. I am taking 75 mgs of aspirin and 1gm of vitamin C daily.

I still get a 2-3 second flutter most days, but thankfully it hasn't progressed.

Like you say it does feel uncomfortable when bending over. Curiously some of the flutters seem to happen when I urinate.

I also notice that I seem to burp a lot more, and I have a funny intermittent faint fizzing just at the base of my left rib cage. The burping and fizzing seemed to coincide with the onset of the A F, so I wonder if there is some digestive component to it!

I have been far too sedentary for a number of years, so I am now walking briskly for 30 mins, 5 days a week. This gets my heart rate up to about 100 bpm. I am trying to re-educate my heart to fire off the correct electrical impulses under exercise.

[Rich101]

Intresting, as when I am exerting myself, particularly at work, I do tend to burp more, and go to the toilet alot more often.
The digestion aspect may be worth looking into, I also often compression in the chest, a short while after eating, and can sometimes feel palpitations comming, at this point I normally slow down, and doesent always turn to a.f.

eptopic beats did show up on 24 hour ecg, but doc was happy these were normal. Just the a.f that I have got to beat.

The doc has given me 75mg of asprin a day to take, and polypronanlol 40mg, to take if the a.f comes on, since being prescribed these I havent had an episode, ( 2 months ago),
I do however get real bad palpitations, the day after I had a good few beers. So gona cut down on any big nights out I think.
Im also gona try some higher intensity exercise, to get the heart beating fast, and being in control!!!

[Rich101]

I am also gona up the intake of vit c, and apparently omega oils 3, 6, and 9 are good for treating mild arrythmias. I will post a reply tomorrow eve, thanks

[jalba]

"The digestion aspect may be worth looking into, I also often compression in the chest, a short while after eating, and can sometimes feel palpitations coming, at this point I normally slow down, and doesn't always turn to a.f."

Your comment above is exactly what I experienced this morning after breakfast.

I felt this compression and thought something was about to happen. I then had three flutters in rapid succession. After a few burps (pardon the expression) it all settled down again.

I would imagine the gas in beer would not help.

I forgot to mention that I am also taking fish oils capsules, but apparently you cannot get the right amount from capsules, so will be changing to a good quality fish oil once the capsules are finished.

I am stepping up my Vit C gradually to 2gms per day. This is current advice on dose, as well as the Vit C pills containing bioflavonoids.

I am also considering other supplements, as I prefer this to prescribed medication, if possible.

The other thing I am going to look at regarding digestion, is the influence of the vagal nerve on A F. If you Google this, some interesting research comes up.

[Rich101]

Yeah I have had a brief look at Vagal nerve a.f, from what I can gather, the info I have found is pretty much spot on to what I have, theres a good website from 'hans Larsen', not sure on correct spelling. Which goes into a bit of detail on this subject.
It seems any vascular movement, ie, bending down , can either start or stop this type of a.f. But nonetheless, there has to be something which caused it in the first place, and still causing it now.

[jalba]

Hello Rich,

Just a few questions about your experiences.

How long do you take the polypronanlol for, when you have the onset of AF? Incidentally is polypronanlol the correct spelling as I could not find it online? Did you mean propafenone?

How long do your AF attacks usually last for, and is the AF constant when you have it?

What does your heart rate go up to?

What do your palpitations feel like? Is it missed beats, extra beats, rapid beats only, or what?

How often do you have palpitations? When did you last have them? How long do they usually last for?

I am interested to make comparisons with my experiences.

Yesterday I had a greater problem with gas and belching, and that feeling of pressure in the chest, and as though something is going to happen.

This morning before I got out of bed, I had a longer period of intermittent arrhythmia which lasted about 20 minutes. Then most of the morning I have been experiencing numerous flutters, or ectopics if that is what they are. I haven't timed the interval.

This is the worst I have been since the AF stopped and I came off the beta blockers. I just hope I am not about to go back into AF again.

[warby]

Hi all

I as diagnosed with PAF in March 09 after waking up at 3am bursting for a pee and had a funny flutter in my chest. Went to A&E they gave me a chest x-ray, ECG and blood tests and sent me to Medical assessment. I saw a doctor about 9.30am by that time I had converted back to normal so I was discharged. Later had a 24 hour ecg and echo Had some ectopics on my ECG but otherwise normal and some slight thickening in the heart on the echo, but told that was normal being male and 48. I am now on asprin and have flecainide to take if I have another attack (called the pill in the pocket).

Must say I'm very, very anxious and stressed since developing AF just wondering when my next attack will be. I'm having some of the symptoms you have mentioned i.e. gas, wind, pressure in the chest and that something is going to happen maybe by heart burst into AF, its stopping me from doing a lot of stuff I was doing before it and not wanting to go to far from home or go to the gym, which I did very morning at 6am before work.

I think some of the symptoms must be linked with the anxiety and panic I now seem to have.

Its nice to know that there are other suffers out there.

Keith

[Rich101]

Hi jalba, I was prescribed propanalol, (beta blocker), around 6 months ago, this is not a daily medicine, and only have to take it if I have an a-fib attack - as of yet I havent had to take one, I must admit Im a little reluctant to, unless I get a really bad episode.But I suppose they are there for pice of mind.

All my a.f attacks have varied slightly, my first was around 5 years ago, whilst I was out drinking, to be fair I had too much alcohol that day, and walked down the stairs to the toilets and bam, that was the start of it. That first episode stopped itself within around 10 mins. I didnt go to the docs about this!!!! Next one happened around 2 months later, again when I went out to have a few beers. Same happened, and I put it down to excess alcohol. ! was around 19 then, and didnt worry!!!!! sometimes wish I still had that philosophy now!!! cos I worry far to much now.
Then went around a year with no attacks.( cant remember how good that felt)
Then the next episode was the worst yet, I was playing golf in a county league, and right at the end of the game after winning, walked off the last green, and my heart skipped a few beats, and then converted into this chaotic rythem. It literally knocked me for six. Had to sit down immediately, massive shortness of breath, dizzy, no energy, and struggled to talk it took so much out of me. I called ambulance, and got taken into hospital, which they then ran all the tests,ecg,echocardiogram, chest x-ray, I satayed overnight.It took around 4 hours for my heart to go back to sinus rythem.
Initially my heart rate was over 200bpm, then after around half an hour went down a bit. I think in hospital they gave me a beta blocker and asprin. This scared the living **** out of me, and from then on have had bouts ranging between 1 - 4 a year.
I do get alot of eptopic beats, this has been picked up on a 24 hour ecg, but assured by the doc these were harmless. I call these palpitations, they feel uncomfortable, and make me almost stop in my tracks, maybe last 2 secs then back to normal.(hopefully),thing is I get anxious about theses, as its a similar feeling just before I have gone into a-fib in the past.This just makes matters worst I think.I get alot more palpitations if the following happen, but does not happen all the time -, night after drinking, bending or crouching down,constant exercising( more noticably imm after exercise finished), going to toilet sometimes, nervous or anxios situations. I also get them on a full belly, (maybe after a large meal.)
My a.f is classed as lone a.f, as Im not perm in a.f, but comes and goes as it likes if you were, - to my annoyance.
I wouldnt class myself as being an un-healthy person, I went through a bad spell in my late teens, early twenties, binge drinking, smoking, late nights, no sleep, little exercise. But now I'm 25, dont smoke, dont drink a great deal, 11 stone, have a very active job, I eat okat too.
Thats the thing,I really wana just find a cure to this a.f and put a stop to it, as it affects my everyday life now, not directly, but the nerves, anxiety of it comming are enough to drive me round the bend. Its affected my career, got into police force, passed all tests including fitness,started the job, -0 had a couple of episodes shortly after, and just felt as though it would be immpossible to carry on this role, with a condition like this. Could put a host of people in danger including myself.
What have you're experiences been. Do you notice any triggers? nice to have somebody in a similar boat, as familly are supportive, but they just dont know what its like!!