How long have you had Afib and how has it affected your life?

[Vandalbragg]

I’m 32 years old. 11 years into my career. 4 young kids. What do have to look forward to? I’m not despairing or anything. I just like to be prepared for what’s coming. I have PAfib. You are all strong! Oh yea, I’m about 4 months into this journey.

[Hidden]

Hi Vandalbragg,

I have read your previous posts. Given your age and the generally good results from an echocardiogram, I wonder if you are seeing an EP (Electrophysiologist) to establish a treatment plan that takes account of all the options for arrhythmias, including ablation.

We are not medically trained, therefore cannot offer any specific medical advice, but I would urge you consider doing this because taking fairly potent drugs for the next 40 years or more is possibly not the best way forward for you. Hope this helps.......

[Vandalbragg in reply to Hidden]

My intention is to stay on meds for about 10 years until my kids are older and my wife can work before I get an ablation. Just in case something goes wrong.

[Hidden in reply to Vandalbragg]

You have clearly given the issue a lot of thought and of course, I totally respect your position and your responsibilities. All I will say is the general thinking is that ablations tend to more successful for patients if they are performed as near to diagnosis as possible because results can be influenced by the overall condition of the heart which can change over time. However, assuming you have discussed this all with an EP, may l just wish you and your family well.

[UScore in reply to Vandalbragg]

Hi V

I initially thought the same way, I've got a 4 year old and a 2 year old and I decided to postpone ablation until they were older. But after doing more research, and reading this forum, I decided that ablation wasn't as dangerous as I'd assumed. It seems scary - because it's your heart - but it's a pretty common and relatively low risk procedure.

I've hated having the threat of AF hanging over me. I worry about having the kids alone with me when AF kicks in, particularly if I'm a long way from home.

If I'm lucky, and my ablation remains successful I think I'll be more confident to take them camping, or abroad, or just even to take them into town on my own. The opportunity to free myself from AF to do this was too good to turn down. This was probably the biggest factor in my decision to do it.

[rocketritch in reply to Vandalbragg]

I was 23 yo when I first experienced affib. That was 29 years ago and at that time ablations hadnt reached the point of success that they have now. I had my first ablation done in 2009, after living with the monstor for 21 years, and had zero hesitation to have it done. My son was just 7yo at the time. Had my second ablation done just this past January and will have a third done if necessary.

If I was 23 now, knowing what I do, with the advancements in the proceedure I would not hesitate.

[opal11uk]

I am 74 and began with PA/F when 54 and learned to live with it for the most part, had a full time executive job and a home to run, busy busy busy and plenty of stress to go with it. Mine used to start when I was at rest, just to make sure I was sleep deprived, which didn't help and of course all of this exacerbated the condition, so, my advice is find ways to relax if you can, music can be a great help as can exercise and giving yourself some time out from all the stresses of your life, in other words make time for yourself.

[Hidden]

We are all different and AF is notoriously fickle and unpredictable.

My heart first went off the rails about 28 years ago, but it wasn't full blown AF until 2011. I've tended to ignore it and it does not seem to have progressed significantly. I've been able to have a fairly casual approach as AF doesn't hold me back much. I'd feel able to take a couple of children out for a day (or even better an hour or two) whether in AF or NSR.

I felt very fettered by medication - the impact on my life was far worse than AF itself - and regret taking so much. I feel I would be better now than I am had I gone down the ablation route earlier and wish I had not relied on flecainide and let a couple of years slide by before seeing my current EP.

[JoolzC]

Hiya everybody’s journey is different but what is generally agreed is that PAF gets worse over time but also the sooner you have an ablation the better the chance of success. My PAF was diagnosed in May 2015 and the symptoms got worse quite quickly over a 12 month oeriod where they kept upping the drugs which had their own not nice side effects. I postponed my ablation for 6 months as I didn’t feel ready but I found that the PAF was interfering with my life on a continual and unsustainable basis so I had ablation in Aug 2016... wish I’d had it done when they first offered it in Dec 15! As I was fairly new diagnosed and only had PAF they did cryoablation which was quicker and simpler and has been totally successful so far.

Only you can decide on your future treatment plan but you don’t want your PAF to progress or to turn persistent as it will be much more difficult to get rid off. Good luck for the future! 👍🏻

[CDreamer]

It is very individual and variable. I was 57 when diagnosed in 2007, for the first couple of years it had zero impact on my activities apart from the odd day of feeling rough.

2 years later I was had to take early retirement from paid employment because of increase in events & symptoms and had reduced my activities.

By 2013 I was greatly impacted and rather desperate and after attending AFA Patient Day realised I had not had good advice from Cardiology and sought ablation privately in London as there was no NHS facility in the SW.

Ablation itself is not a difficult, dangerous or traumatic experience - recovering afterwards needs some care and planning but nothing out of the ordinary. It is one night in hospital.

I wish I had been offered ablation in the early stages and at your age, knowing what I know now - I wouldn’t even dream of hesitating - especially with a young family. PAF became the slow burn which eroded much of my working life, my physical activities, my social life and family life.

I hated taking medications and suffered side effects.

BUT it is only my experience and it is only you who can decide what is best for you.

Best wishes

[Offcut]

I had a AF for some time and it was in 1992 it was diagnosed. It was even mentioned back then about Ablations but they were very new and had a 85% fail rate things have moved on a great rate and more is know every year on best practice. I do have multi conditions so not just an AF'er I have had 3 ablations and was in and out in no time. I am going to a specialist hospital for a pressure test for Pulmonary Hypertension. My last Ablation I went home the same day.

Be Well

[Plantwords]

I echo the reply of CD Dreamer. I was diagnosed in April 2009 and did not have an ablation until August 2016. I was in my mid-Fifties at the time of diagnosis and wasted over 7 years of my life trying to figure out the triggers and how I could 'cure' myself of this miserable disease. It ruined some of the best years of my life. You are much younger than I was at diagnosis. The only treatment that can give you a better than even chance of recovering decent quality of life at this stage of medical 'technology' is an ablation. So, please consider your options carefully as your disease may not be as limiting as others, but also consider that AF is a progressive disease and also consider the lived experience of others like CD Dreamer and me who have lived through the nightmare and have recovered a better quality of life through ablation and those who went the same route and have a different story to tell and then decide your journey. I don't know how long my ablation will keep the monster away but I try to just live one day at a time and enjoy life.

[yanbart]

Hi. I've had PAF a few years now. I take flecainide tablets every day and generally lead a normal life. I didn't opt for ablation. Not yet anyway. I took up triathlons last ýear and train most days and find it helps me a lot. Good luck with everything. Happy to answer any questions if you have any! Yan

[Neuroticgirl]

I had panic attacks 11 years ago (medically diagnosed by a cardiologist when I was aged 54) which I managed to get on top of pretty much and more or less forget about until they started again a few months ago. Same symptoms as before - no racing pulse, just palps and that awful feeling of dread and panic when you feel your heart/stomach lurch! My GP referred me in Feb 18 to a cardiologist to exclude heart probs just in case - but he said I had PAF! This has completely floored me - I fully expected him to say I was being a hypochondriac and to go away! I’m now finding it really difficult to accept especially as the meds I am on are making me feel dreadful and I’m struggling day to day. I’m now thinking have I really got PAF as the meds aren’t helping? Was it PAF 11 years ago that has just hidden for a while? Or was it panic attacks then and is again now? I’m afraid I’m not at all strong like many in this forum, I think about it all the time and worry that I won’t get my life anywhere near back to normal. I’ve decided to get a second opinion on the PAF diagnosis which if it is positive will force me to accept it. Then to find a treatment which will improve my QOL.

I know I should be more upbeat about this, it’s not a terminal diagnosis after all. So many people on here seem to have got their heads together and are very sensible, giving great advice. I live in hope that I will become one of those!!!

[Mickent]

Hi Vand

I am 65 and have permanent AF, I was diagnosed with AF in 2006 at age 53, I had a cardioversion in 2007 that only worked for a few seconds, since then I have been in permanent AF and have been taking Betablockers, Warfarin, Dilitiazem & Simvastatin. I have never been offered an Ablation.

Over the years the side effects of the medication have caused fatigue, and I have put on around 3.5 stone, I find I have to force myself to do anything as I always feel tired, other than that I have lived a normal (although sedate) life, I worked until 65 (office job) and have never stopped drinking alcohol.

I think if I was offered it when I was 53, I would go for an ablation rather than take medication for all those years with the side effects and weight gain they cause.

I suppose if I lived a perfect lifestyle & didn't drink, exercised and lost about 5 stone I would feel a lot better, but it's easier said than done when you are taking long term medications and you are 65.

Regards

Mike.

[Ianc2 in reply to Mickent]

Hi Mike

I think in your last paragraph you were talking to yourself. It depends on how long you want to live?

[EngMac]

Take a look at kjjan's post 7 days ago called "Afib no cure." In that post is a video on Heart Arrhythmias - the Missed Cause. Take a look at this video and other posts that I have made. If you can find a chiropractor who treats whole health and not just specific issues, ( See Dr. John Bergman's home page for an explanation about various types of chiropractors.) and you can get this person to fix any spine issues you may have, there is a good chance that this will fix your AF. I know of at least three chiropractors who have experience treating AF. Message me and I will tell you their names if you happen to live close to where they practice.

It has been my experience that the nerves in your neck and back tell the heart what to do. Don't expect heart doctors to know the specifics of this. After many adjustments, I can now start and stop extra beats at will and pretty much 100% of the time stop AF from starting or stop it when it does start. I don't take any drugs.

Last week, I showed my EP doctor 30 minutes of recorded charts proving this; and he still did not believe me and did not think studies should be done to see if what I was telling him has merit. He didn't even look at the heart arrhythmia video that I sent to him. The power of peer pressure and a directed education are very controlling. Expecting change is wishful thinking on my part I guess. It will take a rebel doctor to pursue a study, especially since there is no money to be made by big Pharma and heart doctors. Only, possibly billions to be saved by health authorities, but who really cares about that?

To me this is a better option to try than awful drugs and risky operations, which usually have a time limited effect. Chiropractors are really nerve doctors and a non-drug, non-surgery solution might be the best first alternative to investigate.

More food for thought.

[Ianc2]

With 4 kids you must find it very hard to get any time for yourself. So here is a really bonkers solution. Get a nice big dog that requires a good walk twice a day, about a mile or so - no cakes or biscuits except for the dog. If follow the philosophy "I've had a hard day I need a drink" train the dog to bite you as soon as you reach for the bottle. If you reach for spirits - 2 bites.

Watch out for the pill pushers - lots of people your age get 'holiday hearts' caused by over indulgence, usually followed by a swift recovery on resuming a normal lifestyle. I assume you are within your BMI limits, if not the dog will help. Try and get out in the green stuff, get you heart structure checked out and relax if you can

[li17]

Sorry that you got afib at 32 yo. I had my first afib episode 7 months ago when I was 36 yo. I have 3 young kids - 8, 5 & 3 yo.

Afib is affecting my family and my kids greatly! I live everyday in fear and depression. And my family is affected too. I used to be passionate, healthy, creative, kind, patient, full of energy and humor, now I lost them all but anxious. I also lost my job because of taking temp disability for afib. So I'm facing mental, physical and financial problem all in a sudden - over a night to be exact! I so worry about my kids as their nice and lovely daddy now became a dreaded depressed man that doesn't know how to live his life any more.

Not that I didn't try. I've been trying so hard to be positive and think good thoughts and try to live a normal life. Well, sometimes I can get couple hours without thinking about afib too much while playing with the kids. But after that short period of time when I realized afib is still there, I'll get even more depressed. I just had a great 'normal' day in San Diego SeaWorld yesterday with my kids. But after we came home at night, I got even more frustrated because I tried so hard and put in so much effort just to get a day that merely as normal as an easy ordinary day before afib. I really don't know how to live my life and grow with the kids, not to mention I don't dare to touch the list of activities that I planned to do with the kids and how to inspire them. I'm totally lost.

[lakebudd]

The risk involved in an ablation is small. I was in permanent afib for four years before I had my first ablation but chances for long lasting success decrease with each year you wait. Taking meds for 10 years might be more harmful than an ablation. It felt wonderful to be off meds and no afib. Unfortunately, for me the ablation only lasted 2 years and I had a second which also did not last. I went off my meds (propafenone) last month because of side effects and have not gone back into afib. But I was diagnosed with sleep apnea last year an am now using a CPAP machine. Maybe that is keeping me in rhythm since sleep apnea can affect afib. Were you tested for sleep apnea? All in all -- I think ablation offers the best solution, especially since you are young and not in afib that long. Many of us on this site have had several ablations without serious consequences (except it does not always last for some of us). I had no problem with my ablations and was back on my feet within a few days.