I had a first last night. First of all, after having had a meal I was in the process of trying to extract a bit of meat from between my teeth with a tooth pick when I had that 'eptopic' feeling in my chest again. This time it felt persistent and I felt like AF had got me again because it was going on for about 15 seconds. I reverted to my deep breathing, and for the 1st time for me, I went back into NSR. However, I still felt vulnerable and so continued my deep breathing. My question is, I was shivering for quite a while and eventually went to bed where after about half an hour I felt warm again and things returned to normal. It's the first time I've experienced shivering while fighting off a possible AF episode while in a various precarious NSR. Is this something anybody else has experienced?
Shivering: I had a first last night... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Shivering
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Hi Alan ! Yes, I quite often get shivery and cold at the onset of an attack, usually when my rate is about to go very high. It's good that you were able to stop yours with deep breathing.
Keep well
Sandra
I shivered in AF but also when I've had runs of tachycardia and assumed it was more to do with lowered blood pressure - particularly during AF when my BP went very low. For me, there is also an anxiety factor as I shivered during some scary nosebleeds too.
Well done with the breathing - it's great that you could break into the ectopics before AF triggered. Such a simple but effective technique - perhaps it would be an idea to have a link to it pinned to help others with ectopics?
I think I may have actually gone into AF but came out just a quickly. Either that or it was a very long run of ectopics. I'm not sure I'd know the difference. I will check my BP next time that happens. I must admit to not understanding what is happening physiologically. By breathing properly I managed to maintain a normal rhythm and my pulse was steady (not quick), yet I was shivering (why the low BP if I'm not in AF) and it was a good hour before I felt normal again even though my pulse seemed steady throughout.
Blood pressure can drop if you don't have enough fluids. Drinking water usually brings it up again. Being dehydrated can also trigger an attack of AF.
I have low BP anyway, high for me is anything over 100/60, I always have had low BP but in an AF episode my BP would become unreadable by my BP machine. In hospital I was told it would regularly go so low they would keep shaking me awake to check I was still alive! 70/30 was not unusual.
Even when in NSR my 'norm' would be 85/50. Since my ablation my BP is consistent and steadily 100-105/60-65. I feel so much better! For sure fluids, or lack of, can cause this but my drop in BP happened even on a saline drip.
I always wondered if sometimes a sudden drop in my BP triggered. The one thing Bisoprolol did do was steady my BP, it doesn't just lower it.
Feeling shaky, shivery and cold was usually a first symptom of impending AF epsidode.
Well done with the breathing! I think that is amazing.