Being shocked out of AF?: I had an AF... - Atrial Fibrillati...

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Being shocked out of AF?

Dave1961 profile image
15 Replies

I had an AF attack today - first one in 8 weeks which is a long stretch for me.

After about 10 minutes I could feel it was going to balloon into a hospital trip so I took a metoprolol and tried to chill out at work (which was dead as a doornail with only me in the store). I have not really mentioned the AF to my boss as I only work casually (but a lot of hours) and do not want to endanger my position.

ANyway....

I felt the AF subside (but not really stop - I am sure most of you know the feeling) and I had one job to do before he came in which was just rearranging a couple shelves.

While I was doing this shelves fell apart and kind of fell on me. NO damage at all to me or the shelves it was more a shock than anything else.

As soon as it happened I could tell the AF was gone - I assume it was just the shock of the shelves collapsing but wondering if anyone has experienced something similar?

As a side not I KNOW that if I had not been doing up with magnesium over the last couple of months the AF would have escalated quickly - it just had that feeling about it.

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Dave1961
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15 Replies
bridget54 profile image
bridget54

Had a similar experience last year during an AF attack. I was in A&E and after 6hours in fast AF i was told they were going to cardiovert me. This Id never experienced unlike alot of you out there and it scared me sh***less . Within a minute I went back into NSR.

Shocked myself I suppose!

Hope youre ok now.

Dave1961 profile image
Dave1961 in reply tobridget54

I have to admitted I laughed when I read this. You self cardioverted - most people would give anything for that skill :)

in reply tobridget54

The same happened to me in A & E, a Flecainide drip wasn't working, the doc came in and said we will have to shock you....straight back into NSR!

How can we shock ourselves safely to save A & E visits??

kitzabella profile image
kitzabella in reply to

i was literaly shocked by my ICD while in afib.. my ICD does not have the function to detect afib so it was mistakenly treated as VT.. though i got shocked 16 times with 40 jules

Runcrans profile image
Runcrans in reply tobridget54

Hi , this also happend to me twice now they mentioned cardio version to me and I've gon back into rhythm within an hour 😋😋

fallingtopieces profile image
fallingtopieces

It is the shock aspect that does it. Splashing the face or immersing it in icy water is a shock too and that's a known remedy.

Shows that your AF is definitely vagal.

Pat

Dave1961 profile image
Dave1961 in reply tofallingtopieces

Hmmm that makes sense.

bridget54 profile image
bridget54 in reply tofallingtopieces

Wow that makes sense to me too. I had a vaso vagal attack once when I was given Tramadol . That wasnt a nice experience either. Luckily I was in hospital when it happened

eleanor--1941 profile image
eleanor--1941

This has happened several times to me.!

Twice after being admitted to ward,going up in the lift from A&E,the lift jerked,AF gone.

At least 3 times going over speed road bumps,on way to AE,back to normal!!so have a run over the road bumps,or find a jerky lift!!! May save a

Trip to hospital.

Keep well,

Eleanor.

Haha we need to organise a service to scare us to death when we're in AF! :D

cbsrbpm profile image
cbsrbpm

Yep, I could use a shock service at the moment, been in persistent AF for the 2nd time for the past 6 weeks, although hubby creeping up behind and giving me the fright of my life last week didn't work so we won't give him the job!! LOL.

Brenda

heather-7 profile image
heather-7

I wish the shocking would work for me. I've been in Afib twice this past week, once for almost 2 days and the last 1 1/2 days. Went to ER here in states since my daughter called EP when she thought I might be having heart attack. Fortunately not the case. After spending 4 plus hours there they let me go home since my heart rate didn't go above 109. Called EP and he said no cardioversion unless you've been in Afib for 36 to 72 hours. I'm on list for ablation but that won't happen for 2 months

I have an alivecor monitor and used it this morning because I felt so lousy but I' back in Normal rhythm, just exhausted from the bout of Afib.

Heather R

gemini52 profile image
gemini52

Last year whilst on holiday in the USA I had really bad episode of Afib. I stayed in bed for 2 days then I decided to go and sit by the pool. Stepped into the pool submerging myself under the cool water and like magic Afib gone!! Patricia.

teach2learn profile image
teach2learn

I've never had the experience of going back into sinus rhythm after a shock, but when the cardiologist asked if my AF worsened with exercise, I reported that it actually seemed to be relieved by it (at the time I was still having sporadic episodes). He replied that sometimes it helps the heart to be "busy". I've heard that hard intentional coughing can throw it back into rhythm, too, though that never seemed to help me. Once it became persistent AF, however, nothing, including drugs, cardioversion, nor exercise made a difference. Only the catheter ablation worked for me at that point, and that has been a spectacular success!

Runcrans profile image
Runcrans

Hi , the last time I was in af Friday I went in the shower got all lovely and warm then hit the lever to cold I was hoping it would do the trick but no nothing changed I did it a second time but same again nothing , one thing I was wondering was if I went into the sea not in af would that send me into af ? I love to go surfing down Cornwall but been scared to do this as yet just In case , cheers Paul

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