Anxiety and AF

[squirrel21]

Since I was diagnosed with AF a week ago my anxiety has it the roof. Any suggestion for alternative therapies - reflexology, Reiki, acupuncture, etc?

[skary]

Hi Squirel

any meditation///yoga very good; listening to calming music...breathing exercises ,,Reiki v good & reflexology. it's so easy for AF to become centre stage in your life but we all have been where you are now.....so take heart........... ( excuse that dreadful pun) it does get better !

hugs

Nikki

[BobD Volunteer]

Hi Sqirrel, this is such a common problem and doctors really don't get it do they? You feel ill and then they tell you it is your heart and don't worry. Who are they kidding?!!! The more you worry the worse it gets so the really important thing is to get as much knowledge about the problem as possible since knowledge is power. If you go on to the main AFA website there are fact sheets about just about everything connected to AF and I really would recommend that you read up as much about this mongrel condition as possible so that YOU understand and can talk on equal or better level with doctors. That way it won't be such a scary thing. It is all too easy to let AF become your whole life so try to adopt the mantra"AF may be in my life but is not all of my life"

All those things you mention will probably help but understanding is the most important thing.

Stay cool

BobD

[squirrel21 in reply to BobD]

Thank you - I have to accept this somehow. Regards Eva

[Vivante in reply to BobD]

I agree, I was not given any info, I was concerned, Thanks to the AFA and the handouts I picked up some years ago, I was able to understand and to do more to help myself. I learned about diet, and all other snippets that helped. You can do it,there are many people out there who can provide support.

Keep going strong.

[Maitha]

I would like to add that my anxiety level increased when I was on Flecainade

If you are already anxious and you add to it AF that will increase it for sure , some medication may help you to pass this stage till you learn how to manage your AF , since I believe that you can with more knowledge

Regards

[mzoren]

I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling very anxious about your Afib. Does it resolve to NSR by itself or are you taking an antiarrhythmic drug?

Mitch

[squirrel21 in reply to mzoren]

Inonlynhad one attacke last week for 12 hours , went back to NSR after cardioversion. I am only on bisoprolol and rivaroxaban. Regards. Eva

[mzoren in reply to squirrel21]

Eva, I know the episodes are unnerving and mine have lasted from less than an hour to about 12 hours. Mine happen mainly at night while I'm in bed and are usually gone when I awake. I've found that light exercise and immersing my face and/or hands and wrists in ice water have caused me to self convert - not always immediately but soon. I'm basically taking the same meds as you, although a different beta-blocker. Have you been checked for sleep apnea? I started using a CPAP machine and also taking magnesium, potassium and taurine at about the same time and the number of afib episodes have been greatly reduced as have the frequency and intensity of palpitations. I'm not sure which has had the larger role. Mitch

[squirrel21 in reply to mzoren]

I have only had one AF episode which needed cardioversion as nothing worked. I think now it is the anxiety which makes me feel quite vulnerable and low. Thanks for ahring your experience with me . Eva

[SRMGrandma Volunteer]

Eva,

Having an episode of AF is very anxiety producing, to be sure. For those of us with paroxysmal AF those hours of waiting to convert are just plain difficult. YES, those relaxation therapies are really helpful. I routinely get acupuncture. Usually about every 3 weeks. My AF has improved in the last year since I have made it a part of my regular routine. I've read other people's experiences of getting acupuncture while in AF and they convert immediately. Mine usually begins at midnight and for some reason I've never called my acupuncturist to see if he could fit me in for a treatment that next day. I think it would be worth a try.

I have also had reiki and that is an extraordinarily relaxing thing to do. The calm that it brings lasts for days. I think learning to meditate and spending time each day doing that is also a huge help.

I hope you will find what works best for you. It's tough not to be sad and angry and anxious during an AF episode, but once it is over I refuse to give AF any more time to impact my life. I just move on and hope the next time is a few months away. Be happy around the AF. Don't let it win.

[squirrel21 in reply to SRMGrandma]

Rather conflicting advice on acupuncture. I fainted at my last one - this was just before I had AF. After reiki I started shaking and more anxious. Regards. Eva

[SRMGrandma Volunteer in reply to squirrel21]

Wow, I am sorry that even Reiki leaves you shaking. You have quite the anxiety issues. I hope your CBT helps with that. What is it that makes you calm? What do you do to relax? I hope you can find some time today to relax in that happy place.

[squirrel21 in reply to SRMGrandma]

Any attempts of relaxation makes me feel more anxious. I resist to take any benzodiazepine, except of sleeping tablet.

[SRMGrandma Volunteer in reply to SRMGrandma]

huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/... An interesting small study on benefits of yoga with A.F.

[squirrel21 in reply to SRMGrandma]

thank you. Interesting. I have singed up for a yoga course locally starting in September.

[MrGed in reply to squirrel21]

breath is say "calm" to yourself, breath out and smile

[squirrel21 in reply to MrGed]

Doing it right now

[MrGed in reply to squirrel21]

ha that's good be your own best friend

Ged

[Vivante in reply to SRMGrandma]

I read the article some time ago. There is a lot more to it than that. Dr.Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy led the researchers from the University of Kansas Medical Centre in Kansas City. The study involved 49 patients who had no physical limitations and no prior experience of yoga. Dr Lakkireddy cautioned that larger studies are needed to bear out the findings of his study and that patients should continue with standard medical therapy. Look on MedlinePlus, it clearly states "yoga is not a cure in itself, it is a good adjunct to what else these patients should be doing". "The effect of yoga seen here wasn't huge, and any possible benefits among heart patients will need to be confirmed-and better explained-in further research.

Comments were also made "to make a formal recommendation for patients with AF to do yoga, just based on this study, seems to be a little premature for me" (Reuters). That info January 30 2013.

Millions of patients with the condition take warfarin every day. I am one of those. I have also know since I have been taking warfarin about the risks of osteoporosis,

There are also risks regarding complementary therapies. The reader should look on the Better Health Channel, Complementary Therapies-safety and legal issues.

Re-Yoga poses, check on yogajournal.com, click on to poses, click onto contraindications, there as a list of medical conditions, information is provided. Let the reader decide what is right for them.

We can only pass on information that may point the way, we can pass on info that is based on research over the years, and our own experience.

Look on the International Health News Database, Warfarin promotes bone fracture.

Look for the Gamma Series, osteoporosis.

[SRMGrandma Volunteer in reply to Vivante]

You are right, yoga is not a cure but definitely a complementary therapy. As for its effectiveness in osteoporosis, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) supports yoga as therapy to improve bone density to decrease fracture risk in their position paper on osteoporosis. Since almost all major medical centers now have the complementary therapy departments working closely with both the cardiac departments and the women's health departments I think patients should feel pretty comfortable that the advice given there is the safest for their condition.

[Vivante]

If you try a yoga class, ensure the teacher is fully conversant with ALL of the COONTRAINDICATIONS. Salutes to the Sun a no-go area. Do not work on any position where the head is lower than the heart. Avoid the standard variation of the Tree. The arms should not be raised above the head and the leg position is not safe. The possibility of damage to the perineal nerve, which is wrapped around the knee may be damaged and you may end up with 'drop foot'. advice provided by Dr Frank Chandra who was the medical advisor for the BWY. Do NOT work on inverts. Stay close to a wall or a chair for support if needed. I am a Yoga Teacher. No to Acupuncture, remember with a warfarin there is the tendency to bleed once the skin is punctured, not good. Be careful with balances, you must ensure you have support near you. Check and double check the teacher must be fully conversant with medical conditions and the effects of the medications. My advice, stick to walking or go swimming. I wish I did.

[SRMGrandma Volunteer in reply to Vivante]

Again, everyone is different. I've had hundreds and hundreds of acupuncture needles in me and one time I had one drop of blood and never so much as a bruise. They are ridiculously thin. The M.D. who does my acupuncture has at least a dozen AF patients who get great relief from it.

Also, having taken yoga classes at the Women's Heart Center at one of the largest University Hospitals in the US, where they specialize in heart rehab, the only people who had to wait a while before raising arms above head were those recovering from open heart surgery. Tree pose is considered one of the heart healthy positions. Of course all of this depends on the persons ability and balance. I would not suggest an 80 year old, who is not agile to try any balance poses without strong support. The following is part of suggested heart rehab from medical center's website. Check it out

"Yoga poses for heart health"

There are several poses that you can use in order to increase the health of your heart, and these poses are designed to help your blood to circulate properly and strengthen the heart muscle. The warrior pose and the triangle pose are designed to promote cardiovascular exercise, and prompt you to breathe strategically and adequately. This helps you to increase your stamina, which gives you more energy to complete your daily activities and allow your heart to pump blood through the body quicker. This will help the body to replenish itself quicker, and can even help you to sleep better. The tree pose, the mountain pose, and the lotus pose not only work to strengthen the heart, but can be used to increase flexibility, which can prevent muscle cramping in the future.

In addition to poses like the mountain pose and the tree pose to help manage and prevent heart disease, doctors have also recommended a healthy diet. Yoga can relieve stress and promote flexibility. The actual improvement of the heart has been proven by many doctors, like Satish Sivasankaran. They have done a study of the benefits of yoga on the heart, and have found that many individuals who practice yoga on a regular basis have had regulated heart beat and circulation. Individuals who may have suffered heart attacks and strokes were able to recover faster by participating in yoga."

[squirrel21 in reply to SRMGrandma]

Thank you. I will check with my cardiologist in 2 weeks time. In the meantime I am seeing CBT therapist. I saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed panic disorder.

[SRMGrandma Volunteer in reply to squirrel21]

So glad you are seeing the therapist. CBT is not a quick fix but it works! Blessings as you work through the struggle of it.

[mumknowsbest Volunteer in reply to SRMGrandma]

I also have had acupuncture for years since I have had af and have never bruised or bled.

[Loquitir]

Has anyone heard of taking Xanax or agomelatine to cope with AF related anxiety? I have been told it's highly effective.