About the diagnosis

[millicentbio]

What are the things I should not do or eat? What kind of exercises I need to do? Can drinking of alcohol affect me?

[Rellim296]

Hello millecentbio and welcome!

You'll find all sorts of views here about diet and lifestyle.

AF varies from person to person and what sets some of us off doesn't bother others as much.

What you should not do or eat depends partly on whether you take an anticoagulant or not, but things like binge drinking and anything that asks too much of your heart or your system may lead to trouble. Stimulants like caffeine are unhelpful and we had a post about weight lifting a few days ago for example. Moderately brisk exercise can be good but many people with AF have been endurance sport enthusiasts and the buzz of competition perhaps has a lot to answer for.

The answer to your final question is definitely YES - but some of us regularly drink a little and some never do.

Basically AF is a good reminder to toe the line or pay the price. Live healthily and find what boundaries your AF sets for you.

[Puddychops in reply to Rellim296]

Very sensible answer.

Billy Jean King, the now retired tennis player has AF. It is common in sports peoole as well

I tried to exercise when first diagnosed ( 11 years ago) but had dizzy spells and felt faint as I progressed yet someone on Here yesterday posted about being back at work the day after ablation and going to spinning classes. I am probably a lot older but I am struggling to walk 10 minutes a day slowly without consequences. I used to be so fit and active but this condition has changed my life and really flattened me.

I would say alcohol and caffeine are definitely something to watch carefully.

If you take Warfarin then you need to be careful about vitamin K in dark green leafy vegetables and salad as well as multivitamins because they cancel out the effect of the warfarin

Alcohol makes your blood thinner and although the clinic try to accomodate your diet and life style, you do need to be consistent and not binge and stop etc or your numbers will be all over the place and you will be sitting in Warfarin clinics every week instead of every 9 weeks at best.

Antiobiotcs and all medication including over the counter preparations like cough mixtures need to be checked with the Pharmacist

I have had two occasions when inappropriate antibiotics were prescribed by GPs. The first time I didn't know and wound up with an INR of 6.0 ( my therapeutic range is 2-3)

The next time I checked with the GP who said it's fine and The Pharmacist who said it definitely wasn't!!

You do have to keep an eye on things yourself

[Rellim296 in reply to Puddychops]

Good points, especially re medication - prescription and over the counter - and keeping an eye on things.

And let us mention millicentbio that your dentist should know you have AF and what medication you take.

Dentists seem to fall into four categories:

Clued up, on the ball, well aware that AF is not a big problem but cautious and aware that non adrenalin injections are needed.

Completely ignorant about AF

Confident that they know about 'heart problems' but completely ignorant about AF.

Scared stiff by patients with AF (especially those on an anticoagulant) and seeing it as a much bigger thing than it is

[Puddychops in reply to Rellim296]

I came across a trainee GP who didn't have a clue either a few weeks ago and had never heard of Catheter Ablation. At least she was honest about it. I have less time for GPs who don't know amd don't care