Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation.

[jalba]

It all sounds very much like the symptoms, trouble I have to put up with!!!
It is nice that others have the same, as its such a strange condition, and do feel as though knowbody could possibly understand, even the docs dont seem to understand.
Theres an interesting website, www.afibbers.org, theres extensive research on this site about lone a.f, also some positive research by a canadian cardiologist whos sais lone a.f is in almost all cases caused by nutritional diffieciencies. And can be corrected by increasing intake on certain vits, supplements.
so going to try this at first along with taking omega 3, 6, and 9 oils. The herb Hawthorn is also good for arrythmias like this.
Have any of you noticed the symptoms you get are partly caused by maybe poor breathing habits (shallow breathing), or and poor posture( compression in the chest)?????????????

Rich,

I know about the afibbers site. It is good for LAF.

I think you can become more aware of your breathing and take over control from the autonomic system. However, I believe that it is best to relax and forget your breathing, and let the autonomic system do its stuff, otherwise you may end up with a panic attack or flutter or whatever.

I don't think that breathing or posture is the root cause of AF.

I do find however, that when I bend down to tie my shoes, I get a different feeling from before my AF episode.

Thankfully, I appear to be doing well at the moment, with virtually no arrhythmia or whatever. Hopefully, my new supplements regime, and exercise etc, is paying off.

[warby]

I went back to the gym over the weekend, haven't been for over 4 weeks. I was very, very anxious checking my pulse all the time convincing myself that I was going in to AF. Fortunately I didn't and have been OK. Going again tonight and still panicing about it. The worse thing for me at present is just waiting for another AF and panicing on how I will cope with it, and what if I'm a distance from home.

I'ts taken over my life and I keep obsessing on what may set off my AF i.e. will it be exercise, bending over or just in my sleep like my first episode. Due to this I've stopped all alcohol and caffeine.

Due to this I'm always very much in tune with any sensations in my chest area, which results in me checking my pulse.

[jalba]

I went back to the gym over the weekend, haven't been for over 4 weeks. I was very, very anxious checking my pulse all the time convincing myself that I was going in to AF. Fortunately I didn't and have been OK. Going again tonight and still panicing about it. The worse thing for me at present is just waiting for another AF and panicing on how I will cope with it, and what if I'm a distance from home.

I'ts taken over my life and I keep obsessing on what may set off my AF i.e. will it be exercise, bending over or just in my sleep like my first episode. Due to this I've stopped all alcohol and caffeine.

Due to this I'm always very much in tune with any sensations in my chest area, which results in me checking my pulse.

Hello Warby,

I know exactly what you are going through. I too have become a frequent pulse and blood pressure checker, and chest flutter monitor.

Similarly I have cut out alcohol and caffeine, although I never really drank much of both. I have even reduced the strength of my tea, and cut right down on sweets.

I am drinking more water, and taking certain supplements, as well as trying to exercise daily.

Now that I have done all these things I feel considerably less anxious, so I am able to relax more. I feel more in control. However, if I was to have another AF this could dent my confidence.

My exercise regime comprises a brisk walk in the park for 30 mins each day, where I raise my pulse to over 100 bpm. I am endeavoring to remodel the electrical impulses to return to a normal firing mode, and hope that this consistent approach will achieve that.

I am also considering buying a treadmill, because I read of one guy who goes on the treadmill when he has an AF, and raises his heart rate for 20 minutes. This gets him back into NSR. It may not work for everyone, but I am willing to give it a try.

I see my GP this afternoon and will try and coax him into arranging blood tests for my thyroid and adrenal glands, just in case they are out of whack.

I see a cardiac specialist for the first time in just over a week. It has been a long wait. I hope that an echo cardiogram etc will find no structural problems, as I am determined to beat this affliction.

Try and relax and take all the steps you can to regain control. This problem aint gonna kill you!

[warby]

Thanks for the reassurance. Thinking on things I do not feel as bad as I did a couple of weeks ago, so hopefully things will improve. I know what you mean about another AF denting your confidence, that how I feel.

I was going to the gym 5 days a week and mean to get back to that. I have a training partner who is understanding which will help.

Hope you get your echo cardiogram and lets us know how you get on. I am seeing my GP this wednesday.

Keith

[warby]

Hi Guys

Went to visit my GP the other day, he had prescribed my citalopram 20mgs which seem to have been helping a little bit and he has increased these to 40mgs. We went through an action plan for my AF which is nothing at the mo a part from flecainide in my pocket if I have another AF. If I do and the Tablet works I then make a next day appointment to see him.

See him again in 4 weeks.

[Rich101]

Hi, yeah the pill in the pocket approach, is what the doctor has given me. Thankfully I havent had to you it yet, and has been over 6 months since he prescribed them to me. Ive had a couple of close encounters where my heart had a few eptopic beats, or started beating quite fast, but it didnt convert to a.f ( thank god), I look at the pills as reassurance, but it still worries me if im out somewhere and the symptoms come on as I have not tried them yet.
What I did notice today whilst working tho, was taking a tree down, and had to use alot of force, so h the heart naturally started beating faster and harder, this in turn made me very aware of my heart, and became anxious, and thought my heart was gona go into a.f, but it didnt as I just stopped briefly what i was doing.

[warby]

Sounds very much like me I become anxious thinking that I'm going to go into AF if I do some thinks that make my heart rate increase. I also feel the same way about the pill in the pocket if I'm travelling away from home or a distance away. Makes me very anxious and very aware of possible AF.

[jazzmowsky]

Hi to all,


Joined this forum today. I had a lone AF episode two and a half weeks ago and was treated with digoxin and heparin and a night in hospital. I have almost continual bigeminy which I take sotalol for and find next to impossible to live with, this AF happened whilst out shopping and was different enough to send me to hospital. I had chest pain and heart totally out of rhythm but not rapid, at worst 93 BPM. I converted overnight and was sent away even without being prescribed blood thinner ( although I do take a 75mg aspirin myself every day ). Told to just get on and cope, no echo required I am told, and the bigeminy is purely ectopics. This weekend is hell on earth with arrhythmia and I have been on the verge of ringing paramedics all day. My bigeminy settles if I sit down, but my fear is am I in AF with all the flip-flopping and beat bang that is going on in my chest ? Does AF spontaneously cease when you sit down ? I am also interested in the pill in the pocket approach --- my cardio at a local supposed centre of heart excellence just sent me away to continue with the sotalol. The side effects are horrible and my dose isn't high enough to have arrhythmic action ( I take 80mg x2 a day ). I am truly and utterly at my wits end. Could you give me some idea as to how I know I am in afib, as when I had my episode my heart felt slow now fast and I had angina apparently, but I am so confused overall. All this feels dangerous, but no-one I have seen seems to take my symptoms too seriously. Please help if you can. Thanks.

Julie in Leicester.

[warby]

Hi Juile and welcome to the forum.

I'm no expert and new to AF myself. Having only one episode up to date, but I will try and answer some of yoour concerns.

AF is seemingly the commonest form of arrythmia and is not ment to be life threatening although you have an increase risk of clots, stroke etc, whilst in AF for more that a few days. Hence taking asprin. They will only prescribe this usually if you are over 60 or have an at risk condition i.e. Diabetes (which I have, but is very well controlled).

AF can be very funny in the sense that it can start and stop at anytime sometimes there is something that sets it off like physical activity, bending over etc but I think that most of the time lone AF can just start on its own with no apparent cause. Mine started in my sleep at 3.30 in the morning. I think you would notice the difference lots of people get a funny feeling in their chest some dizziness, tiredness/fatigue and sometime breathlessness and the need to pee more.

If I were you I would visit your GP and demand further tests eg 24 hour ECG and possible echo. The pill in the pocket is a reassurance although I have yet to try it if I have another episode.

My pulse has been slower since my episode of AF sometimes only in its fifties. it's been approx 3 months since my AF.

I must say that this condition is a nightmare at times as it inceases my anxiety no end so I know how you are feeling, but you are not alone. Tell us how you get on.

Keith.

[jalba]

Hello Julie,

Keith has given you good advice with which I would concur.

I am in much the same position as you are and have gone through a very similar hospital/GP experience.

I believe the medical response in this country can sometimes be third rate. IMO it is not good enough to simply treat the symptom(s), an attempt to investigate the cause should also be undertaken.

An echo cardiogram is a must, along with other heart assessments in order to determine whether you have a structural heart condition. Google the possible causes of AF and you can see what should be investigated. I also believe that blood tests should be undertaken, particularly thyroid function. The adrenal glands should also be checked out.

In our society, unless you have power, celebrity, status or money you do not often get the full range of investigation or treatment within the NHS. Unlike our former leader TB for example, when a top cardiac specialist was taken across London on the back of a motorbike, when he had his arrhythmia. TB jumped the queue and was initially given electro cardioversion then an ablation when that was unsuccessful. All free on our glorious NHS. He no longer has to worry about a stroke or heart attack, like many of us.

Look at digoxin and AF. There are recommendations not to use digoxin with certain types of AF. Check out the other drugs you are on or have been offered. Some of them can promote arrhythmias.

IMO for AF you require both an anticoagulant and anti thrombotic. IMO aspirin is insufficient as it is an anticoagulant and prevents clotting in the circulatory system. With AF, clots are formed in the heart due to the ponding back of blood when the atria don't contract properly. IMO aspirin does not deal adequately with this and an anti thrombotic is also required.

Do not become too alarmed as a result of your AF as there are many AF sufferers who are now in their 80s, having had AF for decades. There is also research that indicates that Lone A Fibbers can live longer than the general population. This is possibly due to The A Fibber modifying their diet and lifestyle etc.

The main thing that you have to worry about are clots, and thus stroke or heart attack. So you should and can take all the precautions to ensure that this does not happen. Personally I have introduced exercise, tweaked my diet, and am more inclined towards the use of vitamins and supplements rather than being purely reliant on medication.

As to how you determine when you are in A F, you would probably need specialised equipment to determine this. If you wanted to go down this road there are A F monitors available to the general public, but at quite a cost. Ebay has second hand ECG machines for sale, but again at a cost.

However, I am not a medical person and would advocate that you do your research and find what works for you. This is not a recommendation that you follow any of the foregoing.

Good Luck