Does anyone know, whether from personal experience or otherwise, if it is possible to have one episode of AF and nothing further please ? Or does a single diagnosed episode mean that one is considered as having AF with all its implications.
I realise that it is possible and indeed very likely to be unaware of episodes but I'm assuming in this instance that this is not the case.
Sandra
Sandra I suspect that with alcohol induced events in younger people it is possible to have one event and never have another if binge drinking was stopped and the circumstances never repeated. We all know that AF is progressive so my guess is once is happen stance. twice coincidence and three or more you are well on your way.
Thanks Bob. This particular episode is thought to have been alcohol induced and your reply makes sense !
I have had just two af attacks. December 2015 and Jan 2016. Nothing since. The attacks were grim and the first took me to a and e. I saw a v good cardiologist. Had anti coagulants but am off them now. I take magnesium and Hawthorne like clockwork. I would never under estimate the impact of af. There is huge wisdom on this site. It's v v supportive and helpful
I also listen to my body with v great care
I had one initial afib event Jan 2016 followed by a second a month later that went unrecorded,,,,,the first put me in the hospital for 5 days to be investigated and meds started,,,I Have since developed ectopics that can be bothersome but have never had another afib that I know of,,,I take warfarin and metropolol and see an EP every 4 months,,,,I too seem to be afib free for now,,,,,I try to appreciate each day as it comes and have managed to lessen my initial anxiety which was overwhelming those first months,,,,I am 70 and hoping I NEVER experience afib again,,,,not likely But I can hope!!!
Thank you for your reply. Have you any idea what started your first attack..in hindsight ?
My initial enquiry does not relate to myself....I'm an AF patient of 24+ years .....been there, done that, got the t shirts and the ablations!
Sandra
I have always thought extreme anxiety to be responsible for my initial afib,,,,the day it happened I had a sense of doom and felt horrible,,,could not figure what was so wrong with me,,,thought I would die that day,,, had been having continued concerns over a family member who is a drug addict,,,I went for help after to help control my anxieties without using any medications,,,,mindfulness training and biofeedback helped immensely,,,,,
Yes, anxiety plays a big part. Glad you have been able to seek help and that it has helped so much.....good to hear !
Best wishes
Sandra
I had one episode about 10 years ago caused by drinking too much caffeine and having sugar. After that no other episodes until recently. They usually happen about 3-4 times a year. Seem to be caused by some triggers you may read about...caffeine, dehydration, alcohol, cold beverages, taking too many vitamins at once and triggering an episode. It seems like from what I read and have had Drs tell me that it typically gets worse.
Thank you. The time lag between your initial and subsequent episodes is interesting as it's quite lengthy.
Yes! Wild that it took so long. It was probably more like 7-8 years before I started having the next episodes because I have had lone AF now for about 2 years. Also, there is a chance I have had electrical issues for awhile as I vaguely remember having rapid weird heart beats that last about 1-2 seconds (like a rapid thumping of my heart) for years. They are so random and irregular, but when I wore a heart monitor almost 3 years ago, they caught one 3 second AF incident. A few months later is when I had my first real episode that lasted about 45 minutes.
I have only had one episode so far in Feb 2015. I thought it was caused by caffeine ( I cant take caffeine in drinks - causes tachycardia) but because I am Female, over 65 and a bit hypertensive, my score is 3 ;(( , so have to take anticoagulants. I wrote to Sanja Gupta and he suggested a Reveal device which is implanted to pick up silent AF because I just never have any symptoms. And to read a study done on lone AF called TRENDS (mediscape.com) which I havent done yet. Am going to see another EP to find out the story.
Difficult isn't it - one doesnt want a stroke or a bleed!
Thank you expences . I shall look at the TRENDS study
Sandra
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