AF and sleep aponea

[Elaine1951]

My cardiologist believes there is a link with AF and sleep aponea and she is suggesting a test. What are the experiences and views of others. I'm doubtful that I gave SA. This site is brilliant by the way.

[BobD Volunteer]

Your cardiologist is right but not everybody who has AF has SA.

[Elaine1951]

It's v helpful thank you as I had read a great deal about magnesium and sleep problems before having the ghastly af symptoms I completely agree with your views on interaction of factors. We luckily eat hone grown veg all year and no processed foods ever. I'm a keen yoga practitioner and myvwotk as s child and family psychotherapist means I'm acutely aware of stress factors. I find it depressing that u ferrying causes are not explored before medication is prescribed. This site is v helpful. Once again thank you

[PeterWh]

I have learnt over the last 16 months just how sophisticated and interrelated and interdependent the human body is and how we are all so different physically, mentally and how foods, drinks, medicines, procedures and operations affect us so differently.

However another key aspect that must not be overlooked is that we are living so much longer than our predecessors did, as little as 50 years ago. I think average age at death has increased by over 30 years in the last 100. Therefore many more afflictions are coming to the fore. Also many people who died from their first heart attack would survive now. One of those was my grandfather who had a heart attack at 75 less than 40 years ago. GP said no point taking him to hospital as ride might kill him. If he survives 24 hours we'll see about sending him to hospital. He had a second one that killed him less than 24 hours after the first. Can you imagine that being acceptable today? Let alone the medical advances would have given him a very good chance of living quite a few more years.

[Hidden]

In the early stages of AF I thought this was an issue and a machine on me overnight evidently confirmed it wasn't.

The two issues of AF and SA are I suspect very inter-related because of anxiety. If I was you I would start asap on more relaxation exercises....Mindfulness, Qigong, Yoga, rural walks and prayer etc. and see if things improve.

[dianef2303]

My daughter of 26 has aortic stenosis since birth and had an AF episode for which she was hospitaised last year. She had been undergoing tests for a lung problem when the hospital also diagnosed sleep apnoea. Her cardiologist said there is a link between the two in her case, she has had a CPAP machine since September and her AF has not resurfaced since been on the machine. She says she also feels much better on the machine and if she is away from home and cannot use it for a day or two she can certainly feel the change.

[Elaine1951 in reply to dianef2303]

very helpful, I wish you and your daughter well. E

[teach2learn]

I don't know about apnea, but for sure I often wake in the night "all aflutter", usually if I'm sleeping on my left side. As soon as I wake up thoroughly and change position, it corrects and goes back to nhr. This, in spite of nightly dose of flecainide, which I have noticed is often overridden by stressful events while awake, as well. Touchy little thing, isn't it?!

[Elaine1951 in reply to teach2learn]

indeed

[Hidden]

Elaine1951, A good percentage of my Fast A/F have started early hours in the morning.. suspected that I had Sleep Apnea? Appointments made for a distant Hospital, but they cancelled the clinic twice. This was a year ago ... I then concentrated in getting the A/F sorted first.

My new Pacemaker has recorded my breathing , sleep pattern etc. - and a readout has given me a comprehensive set of data of this. Given this to my GP , who in turn , has requested a Sleep Apnea Clinic appointment

Hopefully, the recorded Apnea and recorded Fast A/F will correlate?

I believe there is a positive link?

[Elaine1951 in reply to Hidden]

very helpful , good luck! E

[Timmo50]

My ep has also suggested a link between af and sleep apnoea, so I was recently tested and found to have very mild apnoea. The nurse that I spoke to suggested that with my levels I wouldn't normally be offered the cpap machine but he thought I was being offered it because of my AF. Well I picked the machine up on Saturday hoping that this could be an end to my AF woes but as with my four ablations I was sadly mistaken. I found it completely unwearable and woke up feeling as if I was drowning!!!

As with all treatments it could work for you and I wish you well, but my AF is exacerbated by tiredness and I was not going to get any sleep wearing that bloody mask.

Good luck

[Elaine1951 in reply to Timmo50]

I can imagine and I'm not looking forward to the test at all. I believe my AF exacerbated or brought on by poor sleep. In my car it's improved a great deal ie the sleep and af since I stopped drinking alcohol. I was a half bottle of wine with meal person everyday. The change is v positive. Good wishes

[Timmo50]

The actual test is nothing to be concerned about, you just wear a monitor on your finger and set a tape recorder going in the bedroom.