My DIY Cardioversion

[AFCyclist]

I have had AF for 8 years and had 2 cardioversions and then a cryoablation a year ago. Since then things have settled down a bit, I think due to the bisoprolol as well as the cryoablation. I am also on Losartan and warfarin. I still occasionally get a bout of AF but the cure for me is to get on my bike and cycle up a hill. This puts me back in NSR. This has worked every time on 6 occasions this year. I now feel much more relaxed that I have a self help way of getting back to NSR rather than having to involve the hospital.

[jeanjeannie50]

That sounds an easy and natural way to get back into sinus rhythm! How long is the hill you cycle up. Must get my bike serviced (been saying that for the last three years). May even look online and do it myself. Thanks for the tip.

Jean

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

PS - I do have a little niggling worry that the stress of cycling up hills may over tax the heart when it's in AF. A cycling friend belonged to a club and one day while out on a run one of the members raced up a hill ahead of the others. When they got to the top they found him dead! Just sticks in my head! Mind you we all have choices to make in life over what we do and don't do.

[AFCyclist in reply to jeanjeannie50]

The last time it was a hill nearby and only took 5mins. Other times it can be up to 30 mins or even an hour if I am cycling on the flat before I get to a reasonable hill. Overdoing it on the bike can also be an AF trigger for me so I wear a heart rate monitor.

[paulh1 in reply to AFCyclist]

Oh yeah!!!! I can attest

to that

[Hidden]

Great that this works for you. Now I'm wondering if I should get my exercise bike out of the garage and turn the resistance up high and try that when I go into one of my persistent episodes.....worth a try I guess. I rather suspect that it may put my heart rate even higher though as it can reach over 240 bpm

Sandra

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Hidden]

Sandra, I had a large, heavy exercise bike in my house for about 7 years. On the rare occasions I got onto it (like once every 3 months) I told myself I mustn't over do it and that's all I did for the time I had it = used it perhaps 4 times a year. I gave it away a few weeks ago and love having the extra space in the room where I kept it. I did try to see if it would stop my AF, but would feel too ill and scared when I tried. Better to use that though than finding yourself half way up a hill with a real bike and unable to go any further.

Jean

[Hidden in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Actually Jean I would be a liability on the roads on a bike these days so it's out of the question! I'll give the exercise bike a try. I must admit that toddler toys are now occupying the previous bike area....

Sandra

[AFCyclist in reply to Hidden]

I wear a heart rate monitor. When in AF I am typically 80bpm which goes up to about 160bpm going up hill. I do not like it going any higher. Fast ventricles are not good. When no AF my resting heart rate is around 60 and when out cycling I aim to keep it below 120bpm. Sometimes reaches 130.

[Hidden in reply to AFCyclist]

You're obviously very fit. I used to be ( sigh.....) before all this AF business started 24 + years ago and frightened the life out of me !

My resting rate is usually 70 ish but I do get a very fast ventricular response when I first slip into AF. Nevertheless I will get the bike out.....it has a heart rate monitor.

Sandra

[1Jerbear in reply to Hidden]

Beware of heart rate monitors on equipment .I'm not saying yours is not correct but I have found that when I wear my finger monitor for heart rate it is never even close to the machine i'm on . At the gym on a tread mill as well as my own Nordic track . Just saying the medical ones for the finger are most accurate .I have checked mine with my nurses and it's been right on.

[patton in reply to Hidden]

Sandra...Never tried the 'bike cure' but I did have persistent af back in 2004(still have intermittent af) and my rate at one point was 246 bpm.....beat you by 6 haha!Not a 'record' I am really happy with.May get the bike out and dust it off.....then again...

Michael

[Mercurius]

I have this experince too. But for me the road biking is enough. My numbers are similar to AFCyclist numbers. I'm 67. My resting heart rate is 50-60 bpm. My "resting" afib heart rate is 65-70. My highest heart that corresponds to my age is ~150 bpm. I usually prefer cycling at 80 bpm, that after 15 min heating up goes up to 100-110 bpm. With afib my heart rate starts at 95-100 bpm and very soon goes up to 120-150. In my case it is enough for the selfcardioversion. Typically I'm cycling 3-4 occasions per week. The length of one session is ~25 km. It requires 2 hours. If I have afib, usually after 20-40 cycling it is terminated.

These heart rate figures are very low, typical to former athletes (I was waterpolo player). In the medical literature this type of afib is called vagal type or Coumel type atrial fibrillation. In the literature only two case study is published on selfconversion by exercise, but on various patient list far more is reported as patient experience.

All the best my friend

Mercurius

[AFCyclist]

Snap! I am 68. Interesting to hear your comments. An arrhythmia nurse referred to it as an anti tachy cardia response.

[AFCyclist]

If I overdo it on the bike it can prompt AF the following day, hence I try to keep my heart rate down.

[Mejulie69 in reply to AFCyclist]

AFCyclist, what do you define as "overdoing" it? Is there a certain HR that you know will trigger you the next day? I, too, have been finding that cycling triggers me. Not every time, but all I can say is that every AF attack I have had, has either been on a ride, immediately after a ride or the day after a ride. On Tuesday I did a gentle 30 minute cycle (av HR 103, but did touch 146 briefly). 30 mins after stopping I was having an attack. Totally gutted that such an easy ride is triggering me.

[AFCyclist]

A tough 4 hour ride where I am trying to keep up with younger club members and pushing above 120bpm will trigger AF the next day. I avoid hard climbs eg Alps or Pyrenees. Having said that I will be doing Ventoux later this year but quite slowly and with about 10 stops to keep heart rate below 120bpm. We are all different. I think working to a maximum heart rate is a good idea. I go for flatter steady rides now and avoid very hilly ones.

[AFCyclist in reply to AFCyclist]

I also think my beta blocker, bisoprolol, has helped calm things down.

[Maggimunro]

Hi there, I found walking, especially uphill, was a cure for my SVT but not for my AF. In fact it was difficult to do anything when in AF.

We are all different I suppose.

[pilgarlick]

I discovered a DIY method quite by chance. I was in Australia and had just started fibrillating as we arrived at a beach where I wanted to surf. Not wanting to be thwarted, I waded in slowly into the very cold water and was pleased to find that, at about chest level, I was back in sinus rhythm. I thought that it might have been a coincidence, but it's worked twice more in similar circumstances in the UK. Why it doesn't work similarly in a cold shower is a disappointment and, like most things with AF, a bit of a mystery. I have heard tales of a farmer putting himself back into sinus rhythm by grabbing the electric fence protecting his sheep, but that might just be apocryphal.

[Kresta in reply to pilgarlick]

Recently an old farmer in New Zealand got sick of waiting at the hospital to be cardioverted. He got quite argumentative with the staff there and was asked to leave, which he did. He went back to his farm and grabbed an electric fence and went back into nsr. Of course it was on the news, with cardiologists telling people not to try this. Grumpy old bugger was quite pleased with himself. 😀

[AFCyclist in reply to Kresta]

There is no way that I would try this. We should leave it to the professionals. Likewise the cold water treatment. If you have a heart condition you need to be careful in very cold or very hot water.

[jondeanp in reply to Kresta]

I got tutted at last year as i was trying to grab an electric fence to put myself in rhythm

I must say i couldn't bring myself to do it, although when i was a kid we would always touch the electric fences for a dare

[KathFrances]

You're so lucky - if I so much as walk too fast or bend over too quickly, it sets off my AF.

[momist]

Thinking about this, exercise as a self cardioversion. I wonder if this is a combination of things: Doing something that feels 'normal' and pleasurable (without stress), plus doing something that has a regular 'beat' to it such as cycling or walking. The normal cycling pace is usually somewhere around 60 bpm, and so is walking . . . ?

If so, then suddenly taking up walking or cycling is not going to help immediately.

[Upsky]

Its interesting to read as I've always run up and down the stairs, finding that upping my rate normally knocked out the AF rate ( anything from 140- 280, never constant totally fluctuating.

My resting rate for 10 years was 120 after ablation, I was slim fit and always well, now with drug induced 70bpm I am constantly breathless and shattered 🤔

[Hidden]

Wish I could cycle up hill walk would be nice ha ha. Have you asked anyone re the merits of this approach?

[Izzle]

I was out on my electric bike a month ago and went into AF after just 4 kms. I decided to ride back but at a reduced HR of 120-130 by increasing the power assistance from the battery and slowing down. Thought I was doing it reasonably OK.

I've had 5 AF's since then with an average gap of 7 days. I looked back at the previous 5 AF's and the gap was 14 days. I'm now not sure if my return ride was a good idea after all.

So be extra careful if you try the DIY recovery.

I've been a 'lone' affibber for over 20 years and have sympathetic and para-sympathetic triggers, so exercise and digestion are both problematic, but I don't intend to give up either.

[AFCyclist in reply to Izzle]

When I had a 3 month period of persistent AF a couple of years ago I continued to ride my bike and asked 4 consultants including those at the AFA Conference that year if I was doing the right thing. Their responses can be summarized as "exercise is good for you but do not overdo it". One said it was good to exercise an AF heart.

[1Jerbear in reply to AFCyclist]

My heart specialist told me today ,after my cardioversion did not work I had no restrictions .My nurse told me do things in moderation. So far I have had 3 cardio versions ,1 cry oblation and one more cardioversion. Amioderone never worked . I will be seeing him in the future as to what's next . I Dred another ablation. I am on Eliquis for A.F. another blood thinner for new stents I just had implanted. If I look at myself the wrong way I bruise LOL.

[jerseygirl49]

Hello, I am new to this group - I joined as my hubby as AF - diagnosed about 5 years ago - has been in AF since early March and all the drugs have not helped or put him back to normal. He is now waiting for a cardioversion. Prior to March he went for nearly 2 years without any AF and was only taking Pradaxa twice a day. He has always tried to keep himself fit - was running on treadmill at gym twice a week for 30 minutes and rowing machine for 4000 metres. He used to be able to kick his heart back into normal with a good workout but it doesnt seem to work anymore. However, he is adamant that he needs to keep doing that run twice a week to keep his heart normal. We went on a weeks holiday to Lanzarote at the end of Feb and although we did lots of long walks, he did not go to the gym and do the 30 minute running and then he goes into AF about 4 days after we returned home. The time before in December 2014 was terrifying - we were in Florida on holiday and again although lots of walking, we had not joined the gym like we usually did and he had a bad AF attack. After taking amiodarone and bisoprolol for 4 months, and doing some tough up and down hill works (Dorset coastal path) - it clicked back after one of these steep hill walks. We have tried the walks again this time to get his back to normal but it has not happened. He can only run for 4-5 minutes now and is getting really fed up although he can still do the rowing.

I worry that he is doing his heart more harm than good with trying to exercise too much at the moment so it has been very helpful for me to read all these comments on here. thank you for posting them. My hubby is 71.

Best wishes to you all - thanks again.

[AFCyclist in reply to jerseygirl49]

Prior to my ablation cycling did not always work. Sometimes it got me back to NSR but other times it did not. It was not a guarantee. Since the ablation it has worked every time. Not sure why. Might also be related to taking bisoprolol. I think if you keep fit and healthy you are better able to handle periods of AF and it does not affect you so much.

[1Jerbear in reply to jerseygirl49]

Jerseygirl, I am 72 be 73 in March . After they first found out I was A-fib I was 69 yrs. old , they did a cardioversion .That lasted for 3 years . Then I had two more cardioversions about a year apart . I eventually went back to A-Fib . A month ago I had the new version of Ablation where they freeze parts of the heart .Before I left the hospital the next day I went back into A-fib . Today I had my 4th.cardioversion and this did not work this time . Today the doctor told me they will schedule an office visit to determine what to do next ,maybe another ablation only like the original type where they scar parts of the heart . My point is sometimes no matter what we do the body will react the way it wants to. We are all different . Today I asked my heart doctor , any restrictions ? He said no . So I am going to try going on the tread mill to get as much weight off as possible and I know that wont hurt anything . One time my friend axed his heart doctor why his heart was bad ,after all he said he used to be a runner and rode a bicycle (MOUNTAIN BIKE) up and down hills , he was very fit indeed . His doctor told him his heart problems are hereditary .So what do we do? Worry wont fix it . I guess we have to try to think positive, if that's possible and just think there are people much worst than we are . I know ,easier said than done at times . I wish you and hubby well.

[jerseygirl49]

thank you AFCyclist - we are hoping the cardioversion is going to help him but no date yet fixed for the appointment.