After first episode of afib

[T_costa]

Hi all,

I've read on this site that the first afib episode can be the worst, and that subsequent episodes aren't as bad. Do people mean that the physical symptoms aren't as intense or that emotionally it's easier to handle? Both?

Thanks

Tomas

[pottypete1]

Some do some don't. However for many it just goes on and on.

There is really no answer to your question as we are all so different.

Pete

[SRMGrandma Volunteer]

I think that the first episode, when one get diagnosed is certainly a big emotional jolt, when it comes out of the blue. But in many people's experiences, the episodes may tend to get longer or more difficult as time passes. There are so many variables....what meds work, what symptoms you have, that I think it is impossible to generalize that subsequent episodes are not as bad. Some episodes seem easy and pass quickly, and another episode may really interfere with your plans and cause you to feel like you've been hit by a bus! I think the most important thing is to notice if you have any triggers that are particular to you, to make sure you have an EP managing your AFib, and to learn as much as you can about it so that you can make informed choices about how to proceed. Lifestyle changes, medications, and deciding about an ablation are all in the mix. Some people have one episode and don't have another for years, others begin to have them frequently. Sorry if that is too long an answer but everyone is different in his/her experiences! Wishing you an easy time of it!

[Finvola]

Hi Tomas - I never found it to be so. Some episodes were worse than others - from a breathless nuisance to full-on gasping and lying waiting for normality.

I suspect heart rate was a factor for me - and being unable to breathe properly seemed worse at high heart rates.

Incidentally, I always feel that my worst episode was the one which led to diagnosis of AF, six years after the first one. So, perhaps there is a strong psychological aspect to the whole thing.

[checkmypulse]

In my case the AF events got worse especially after Ablation 1 when it returned with a vengeance.

[opal11uk]

Thinking back 20 years the first episode is frightening, you don't know what is happening and the mind races as does the heart and some people don't get another for ages, my next one was a year later and I ended up in casualty and that was the start of investigation/diagnosis and acceptance that I had a heart condition. I then learned to try and control my emotions, to breathe deeply and evenly to try getting my heart under control and from then on just learned to live with it and do research on the condition and so on. My episodes were predominately at night or when I was at rest after a hard day at work, it was if my heart had worked itself too hard during the day and just went out of sync in the evening/night and of course next day I would be exhausted. I had a very demanding job working in the leisure industry and with 140 staff, my cardio said that it was the stress of it all which exacerbated my condition and in the year 2000 I was forced to retire at 56 when I had an A/F induced stroke. So, lifestyle is definitely a factor with A/F, if you can lead a stress free life it would certainly help lol

[UScore]

My first episode was pretty much exactly the same as the second, which was 10 months later. Started late at night, didn't know what was going on, went to a@e in the morning, cardioverted without medical assistance.

The only difference was the second time I got the af caught on ecg and so was diagnosed. The first time they sent me home and said it was probably ectopics.

The third, and most recent, was a month after the 2nd and was also late at night. All 3 have felt physically the same, but this was the one I found most emotionally disturbing, as I began to realise it was a real problem.

[KelliDoug]

That's not the way it worked for me. My P-AF was diagnosed when in pre-op for an elective surgery. My heart rate doesn't usually go over 140 BPM, so my symptoms are milder. My episodes are random, sometimes being only 45 mins to almost a full day. I've gone days without having them to having 2-3 episodes of AF in one day. Purely random for me. I did have a bit of sadness at the beginning, but learning all I can has made the anxiety and sadness resolve quite a bit. Wishing you a continual NSR!

[Coco51]

Sorry to say that the AF hasn't got easier it has got worse because the episodes have got longer and closer together. But when the episodes go on for days or even weeks, I get more used to it. The beta blockers and flecainide then kick in and the intensity of the episode can be relieved. When the episode starts is the worst time.