Would it be a good idea to create an AF trigger list on this forum where people can list (very briefly eg. perhaps one to three words) what triggers theirs off. Other members could then click on the list if theirs starts the same way and we could have a counter system to see just which are the main triggers.
A bit like this:
EXERCISE:
Running
Lack of doing
Bending
FOOD:
Dairy
Blueberries
Cake
ADDITIVES:
Artificial Sweeteners
Maltodextrin
Colourings
Perhaps we could have a list of what can halt our AF too. What do you think? Please don't shoot me down, though I'm sure there will be those for and against. This is just an idea that's popped into my head when answering a post on here.
Jean
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jeanjeannie50
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I would be interested to see if anyone else has the first reason I will list.
I can't be certain of any of the 'triggers' because they don't always trigger AF so any connection could be purely coincidental and some episodes started when I was standing still or just after getting up in the morning.
Swallowing food
Anxiety
Fear
Coughing
The first ever recognisable episode followed extreme physical activity .
Halting...Not known but staying calm certainly makes me feel less anxious and that has to be good for my body as a whole.
doodle68 very similar to you in that mine has started completely out of the blue e.g. sitting quietly reading or writing . Also stress , good or bad, and overtiredness will maybe start off an episode when either jyst going off to sleep or waking in early hours .
I've never in almost 25 years found a way of halting my attacks. ....just try to relax with deep breathing if possible .
Hi jeanjeannie50 an interesting thread , maybe when we have a number of replies to list a poll could could be added 'What do you think might trigger your AF'...
me too! I feel fit do a lot of strenuous gardening etc and the next day boom! not whilst i'm doing the gardening which is strange its always the day after!
I agree, it is not during. It is after you stop. I came home from work on three different times from a long day, sat down in my chair and was “whew” within 10-15 min there it was! I am like, oh no....because mine does not convert without cardioversion.
Hey Jean, I think that's a brilliant idea! Just sayin' and thinking out loud, is this something moderators need to advise on.
Hi All. I like and support the idea of creating a survey of triggers and cures.
About 6 months ago I went through my notes on about 150 AF episodes I'd had in 7 years. Many of my triggers are on the list mentioned in this thread. In my case eating/digestion was the main trigger, so occurs when my pulse is slowing.
Now I'm trying to counter this by doing the opposite as soon as I get any indication things are not quite right. By this I mean I try to raise my pulse. Simply walking around is working over half the time.
But when I can't avert the episode with a pulse 140-150 bpm, initially I relax for a few hours and do yoga breathing exercises which slows my pulse (I choose in particular slow exercises which use the diaphragm as I think they may massage the stomach). After this period when my pulse gets down consistently below about 110-120 bpm I'll take a walk round the block at about 2 to 3 mph, so not too fast. It's moderately successful in self reverting.
If my AF was triggered by say exercise, I would rest and eat something before the AF takes hold. Haven't actually tried this but next time I will.
I hope people can see the connection I make between the trigger and counter-measure. By stimulating the heart to do the opposite of what it wants. Has anybody else tried this idea?
Yes, that's the idea. However, we mustn't omit the more obscure ones just because we don't suffer from them as lots of others may well do so. Perhaps admin will respond and advise.
Yes, I read AF occurs when Vagal Tone is highest, which is 24-36hrs AFTER a stressful activity, poor sleep or other exceptional issue. I won't bore you with my theory on why this might occur but I think I understand the basis linked to the Parasympathetic nervous system.
Red Wine 🍷 And most alcohol - can tolerate a small beer but no more than 2
Stress/ fatigue / lack of sleep
Chinese food and highly spiced food
Heavy meals / over-eating
Going to bed on full stomach
Cola of any type
Artificial sweetener and colouring
Too much or too little exercise (still experimenting with this one)
To stop an episode-
Standing upright and walking around (rather than lying down)
Yoga breathing exercises
Meditation/ mindful breathing
Eat a banana
If all else fails resort to Flecainide!!
I guess we all develop strategies to try and avoid an AF episode and also to deal with the episodes that break through. It will be interesting to see what people come up with and hopefully some useful tips and strategies to try ourselves.
This is such a powerful and empowering forum, I am so glad I signed up!!
I forgot that one! I was in hospital waiting for an ablation and the lady in the next bed preceed to slap a full pot of Vick vapour rub all over herself . (Why ? ) I quite like the smell but my heart definitely did not. Other strong smells and chemicals have been triggers as well
Yes, I believe reducing gluten by 90% has been a big player in stopping my AF. I think gluten overloads a weak digestive system and if you have vagally mediated AF goes on to trigger it.
Drinking crushed iced drink through a straw (happened once, afib started immediately have never drank crushed ice again!).
My episodes occur randomly averaging about once a month for between 4&9 hrs never in the day apart from the crushed ice.
Haven't found anything to stop them apart from flecainide pip. Walking and moving around the next morning stops it after a while but if I try that in the first hours of an attack it doesn't generally just let it run its course.
Sulfides in any alcohol over 10 ppm ( Cider and Red Wine mainly )
Insecticides
Soya Sauce
Have been very lucky so far, only had one really bad episode which required A&E. Brought on by sleep, a high temperature and dehydration.
The rest of the time if my HR rises significantly during walking I just stand still until it drops again. Unfortunately taking longer now to do this each time.
Hi Hylda, I am 69 years old and last year I had my first AF and required A&E. I took medication but seven months ago I stop taking it because of the side effects and also I want to know the frecuency and intensity but I did not have another one yet,
cross fingers. I swim and walk five times a week without a problem.
Sounds good. I stopped the Bisoprolol and the Felodipine but too scared to give up the Pradaxa. I’m 74 and try and walk 5 miles a day but have asked Father Christmas for an electric bike.
Exertion, dehydration ,eating meals late ,sometimes cheese ,Chinese meals ,overeating, wine anxiety ,they always start in the late afternoon or evening, and now go through the night until about ten am next day,Its good that we can see each others triggers,
I recently had a meeting with my EP and Cardio ( who also happens to be my brother in law), the most interesting issue discussed was that the biggest cause of AFib,according to both specialists was sleep apnoea,followed by excess alcohol consumption, Mild/severe Aortic stenosis and diabetes (Type 2).Most novel way to stop early onset Afib was to dunk your face into a basin of iced water.. Apparently this "remedy" was very much in use many years ago!!
Novel and as has been said here can be effective, I would certainly try it as I know I have felt better before retiring at night to splash my face with very cold water, which I put down to the dive effect/mental/Vagally mediated AF.
How many of us suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, High cholesterol levels, sitting still too long, Lack of regular moderate exercise - a mile a day or 10,000 steps on your fitbit? being overweight? Food intolerance producing bloating eg lactose intolerance?
Jean. Love this idea. Mine was brought on by excertion but not during the activity but 20 to 30 minutes after I stopped. First time I was jogging which was weird because I have been jogging off and on a few weeks before. Just came on out of the blue. I do slow deep breathing to relax but I went to ER and they converted rhythm with medication and the third time I was cardioverted.
Laying on left side at night will instantly trigger (I wondered if those who havie said sleeping triggers, if it was when they turned in their sleep).
After several sleepless nights (which are usually caused by worry, stress, anger, etc)
Fix:
If I cannot clear it in 1 or 2 hours by relaxing, etc
I take an extra Bisoprolol. (My normal morning dose is 2.5 mg.) then rest and sleep. (I used to be on Atenalol, and did the same with that.) It always works within about an hour, evidently it is not a normal cure, but as I am on less than the maximum dose, it is ok.
I didn't know I had AF until a few years ago, and perhaps I am one of the lucky ones in that the only symptom I have when in AF is my pulse is irregular. I am still able to do exercise and lead a normal life. My cycle of AF was one week in AF, one week normal heart beat. I had an ablation 8 weeks ago, and since this I have only been in AF for 8 days.
I have had loads of theories over what causes it and these are some which I know have caused my heart to go out of Rhythm
Alcohol - even one gulp can trigger it, although other days I can have several drinks with no issue
Some spices
very large portions of food
Not drinking enough fluid or water
Lowering of the pulse rate - I am on betablocker and monitor my heart rate with a fitbit. If I have a normal rhythm, my heart rate used to slow on a daily basis. When it reached 51 or 50, it used to trigger AF. Heart rate increased back to 68-70 and could include racing heart rate of 140 for a couple of days, then start levelling out before going into normal rhythm.
Cures
My AF used to disappear on its own after 7 days normal activity. Even a night out with Alcohol, I have woken the next day and my AF has gone
I guess there are still lots of theories on the causes, but touch wood, mine might be on the decrease, now I have had the ablation. I have a holiday coming up which will be a test - I will report back after this
I dont know I only had one AF about a little more than a year ago. Seven month ago i stop the medication only taking blood thinner I am 69 years old. Does any have experience having only one AF?
Can I extend this a bit? I have persistent af, so I just go by an increased 'thumping' ! The two things I've found that cause this are: stress, and more than one small glass of wine.
Coffee and chocolate don't seem to have any noticeable effect - well, not at reasonable quantities anyway. I can't do vigorous exercise as I just become too breathless (I'd love to go jogging again). But as long as I stay stress free and watch the alcohol, I mostly forget I've got af.
Hi Jean , 12 months ago I cut out all toxic foods , I eat only real food now absolutely no processed food and no glyphosate covered veg (all organic ) I can't afford organic meat or chicken but still eat it but seem to be OK with it , I think if you don't make broth with meats and poltry ,only with organic meat and poltry we can avoid all the things like antibiotics and garbage these poor animals are pumped full of ,I will probably be in full af forever for writing to you about this condition , af is mental torture as you well know Jean , as soon as I stopped eating the money changers food for the slave's I got 95% better almost permanent af to no af up till today , I vape now no smoking , I went on big pharmas quickmist to stop vaping 4 weeks ago and started getting af again , full of chemicals ,went back to vaping again and it's gone again , Jean I feel for you and wish you well ,god bless you girl there is peace with our Lord jesus christ our gateway to heaven.
It's good to hear that you have improved your health this way and I certainly agree with organic meat and chicken being so much better for all of us.
AF can certainly be mental torture, but after having had it for 12 years I think I've now got it into my head that it's not going to kill me. Also after 3 ablations and taking Flecainide my attacks are nowhere near as bad and frightening as they used to be. The way our hearts can bounce around in a bad attack - well how can you explain that to anyone? It's something you have to experience to understand. Other people have no idea how bad it is for us mentally!
Yes, we are certainly in the hands of the Lord and we must trust that AF is something he wants us to experience before we meet with him.
Hi Scott, I hear so many people say that they were just sat and under no particular stress when their heart took off racing. I now believe this to be through breathing inefficiently, I think we lapse into very shallow breathing that isn't enough for the heart, almost like a sleep apnoea but while we're awake. As soon as I become aware of my heart beating oddly now, I breathe deeply and it halts an AF attack.
Eating a big meal and then trying to walk anywhere is a sure trigger for me too. Overeating makes you feel sluggish too. I guess it's our body telling us not to eat so much.😒
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an interesting thread , maybe when we have a number of replies to list a poll could could be added 'What do you think might trigger your AF'...
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