I know this can be very frightening for you. It’s isolating by nature and can be scary, especially at first. But here is one good thing I’ve learned from reading posts on here-and remember we don’t give medical advice and are not doctors : people don’t really die from just A-Fib. Isn’t that a relief to hear? You have already done a great job by trying to stay calm. Continue that. Some people say avoid sleeping on the left side, but I am not sure if it matters-but some say that laying on left side kicks up their A-Fib. Hopefully you are on an anti-coagulation medication. Waiting a month can increase anxiety- it’s a long time to wait.
I think it would be good to go to emergency. But I am not the calmest person on most things. Your daughter will get back to sleep if you go, and you will get the help and assurance you need. Since this is new, it never hurts to get checked out.
I’m sorry that you are experiencing this. People say ablations work-so you may only have to endure a short while if you are offered one.
Hi . Am still awake. Think it’s anxiety and fear now more than anything.
The middle of the night is a lonely place!
Thank you for your advice. Don’t really want to call anyone. Don’t want to go to hospital and waste peoples time for nothing. It’s good to know we don’t die from A fib.
Think I’ll make a docs appointment tomorrow and tell him what’s happening and ask his advice.
Hope your heart beat has calmed down now. It is very frightening & lonely coping in the night but you are doing the right thing by keeping as calm as possible. I always find I need to sit up supported by pillows, deep breathing, concentrating on nice thoughts & trying not to panic. Easier said than done I know especially when it’s early days coping with AF. Good idea to chat to your GP - anything to help your confidence in coping with this problem.
It really is awful and especially so in the middle of the night. See your doctor today and get some support. You did really well trying to keep calm in the face of alarming symptoms. Things will improve once you have been seen by a specialist and a treatment plan initiated. We are all with you and have experienced what you are going through and we are all still here to tell the story so that's good news all round, you will be too. Keep your chin up things will improve.
Hi. Thanks to everyone for their support and advice. Have had such a bad night but feel better now. Have had no sleep. Rang my daughter at 7 and she has just come round and told me off for not ringing her before now!
Am going to ring doctors for appointment.
that was the worst episode i have ever had. Had fluttering before but that was a full on attack.
i would have coped better if it had happened during the day but I got such a shock being woken by it .
it's so good to know there are nice people in this forum who give good advice.
You will never be alone with AF from now on as we are all here to support you in any way we can and understand just how your attacks feel. As my heart bounced around in my chest at night I used to think I would surely die, but 13 years later I'm still here. It is a very lonely condition unless you are fortunate enough to have found this site and luckily you have.
Some things that have helped people reduce or keep away their attacks are: losing weight, eating a healthier more plant based diet, avoiding artificial additives and alcohol, taking magnesium citrate or taurate, slow deep breathing and getting more exercise.
The more anxious we become about AF the more that will feed an attack and keep it going.
It’s awful to have your heart go awry in the middle of the night - it always feels much more scary than during the day. I’ve been wakened by ectopics and tachycardia in the past and found that propping up on an extra pillow and doing slow, deep breathing helped.
If you had an episode of AF, lying on your right side and slow breathing may help. The problem is to keep calm when your mind tells you to worry and wonder about what to do. I find it helps to tell myself over and over ‘this too shall pass’ while breathing and calming myself. The rule seems to be if you have chest pain and/or very rapid pulse to seek help. Your GP is the best one to advise, although mine said to go to A&E if my heartrate was over 100 for more than an hour - would have lived there for 8 months 😀
It does get a bit easier (if that’s the right word) as we get to know our symptoms and how they affect us. I hope you are feeling better this morning, having come through it safely. xx
Hi everyone. Feel better now but very tired. Have made appointment to see doctor at 11.00 for advice.
Hate going to the doctors. Feel as if I’ve never been away lately.
Thank you jean and finvola for your good advice. Tried meditating during the night but was too stressed by my heart. Think I got into a vicious circle of AFib and anxiety.
I’m very new to this and it really has frightened me.
It was the worse attack I’ve ever had last night both in intensity and duration.
I know what everyone is saying is true and I’m sure eventually it’ll become “oh it’s flipping AFib again”. Roll on that day!
Am overwhelmed by the kind replies I have had for my plea for help!
Thank you all for being here from the bottom of my dodgy ticker!
Hi I'm on 2.5 Bisoprolol and Apixaban Waiting to go to clinic appointment in July First diagnosed in may with AF It's not a nice feeling when the palpitations start and you feel scared and alone I have found this place so friendly and people are always here for you . I have waited 12 weeks for my appointment If you are worried ring 111 and they will talk to you and someone will ring you back If they think you need to go to A and E they will advise and it keeps 999 service free.Never worry about asking on here we help each other as best we can .Deep breathing can help control the breaths Watch for triggers like food or drinks you may have Hope this helps a little There are far more experienced people than me on here who can help calm the worries for you
Hi Purpletara I think Af seems more scary at night particularly when you live alone. I had a bad 'night episode' of P-AF which woke me 2 weeks ago.
I had only been asleep an hour when I was woken by tremendous thudding and a need to spend a penny (which happens a lot during episodes) I could swear the bed shook.
I used to be really scared to try to go to sleep during episode , now I don't bother, I turn on the world service on the radio very softly so hearing it requires concentration and I do my slow steady breathing. I actually managed to go back to sleep twice and the episode had gone by 6 so only 5 hours in length which is good for me .
We are all different in our AF journey and I have discussed at the arrhythmia clinic when getting help is right for me and that is if I am experiencing chest pain, if I feel faint, if an episode lasts longer than 24 hours.
I can cope better in the peace of my home rather than laying for many hours on a trolly in my dreadful local A&E . All they can do if I do go is to monitor me and try to convert me back to NSR if an episode goes on for too long, I think my body will know if I reach that point and I will wait at home till it does. I am not suggesting anyone should do the same as me, others have additional health conditions and It is best to discuss your particular situation with a doctor to get advice about what is best for you.
If you do live alone it is a good idea to arrange beforehand to alert someone like a family member if you are having a bad episode, I usually text my son and he texts back to check on me periodically.
When you are new to frequent episodes of P-AF it can be quite overwhelming but you do get used to it in time and life goes on
I know that scary feeling very well as I was in a similar state on more than one occasion. I take extra Bisoprolol in the morning and at night; now I feel really well. No more fast heart beats, etc, it ticks away nicely at 50 beats to the minute. Loosing some weight helps, and just to finish, you can drink as much coffee as you like, with no fibrillations.
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I think Af seems more scary at night particularly when you live alone. I had a bad 'night episode' of P-AF which woke me 2 weeks ago.
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