A-Fib at a young age

[jtanner55]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this group. I am 25 years old and was diagnosed with A-Fib when I was 10 years old. I had no previous flutters/issues until I woke up when I was 10 in the middle of the night with my heart beat at 200 and beating irregular. I did not have another episode for another 5 years when I was 15. I have flutters on a daily basis (some days more then others) but they last for a few seconds at most and I go back into normal rhythm. Every 2-3 years I have an episode where I stay in AFib and I am cardioverted. Unlike some I know when I am in it and my heart rate usually jumps to 150-200 and is out of rhythm. I go to the hospital and they cardiovert me as I had an allergic reaction to a drug that they tried to use to chemically convert me when I was younger. In talking with my doctors it does not occur enough to have an ablation at this point and the only medicine I take is a small dosage of blood pressure medicine. I was extremely active through my A-Fib and was able to play college football at the Division-1 collegiate level. I wanted to reach out and see if any others have had similar experiences at such a young age and anything they might do to help control it as well as tips to help control it.

[BobD Volunteer]

As I am sure you will know AF is more likely in the "older person" although young people who indulge in binge drinking often have episodes. I doubt you were binge drinking at age 10!

Being as how I am " an older person" I can't comment too much on your case but for sure some people have found some improvement in quality of life by life style improvements including but not wholly a more plant based diet, reduced stress and obviously no alcohol or caffeine. Again in your case I doubt if these things have contributed and suspect that your AF is almost certainly a genetic weakness or pre-disposition for which you have no answer. You might like to investigate family history to see if any relatives have died early from stroke which is the main risk element for AF. It is worth remembering that until about 2007 the link was not widely recognised and many people just died from stroke without ever being diagnosed with AF. In like vein the "old ladies and their palpitations" were often AF left undiagnosed and blamed on hysteria or panic attacks.

[jtanner55 in reply to BobD]

Thanks for reaching out! I do have a family history as my younger brother and my Mothers brothers all have A-Fib... We did genetic testing but were unable to link it together...

[Catcam35]

Mine all started when I was 24, not quite 10 but still pretty young. Was misdiagnosed at first though. Dismissed as panic attacks

I was just given beta blockers to use as and when needed for years and that worked fine until last year when i turned 40

[Andyt36 in reply to Catcam35]

what happened at 40?