Afib returning.

[swansong75]

Heart rate and bp have now been normal for 24 hours. Hope this is going to last! On 3.75 Bisoporol so does anyone know how likely Afib is to reoccur?

[jeanjeannie50]

Quite often at the start of AF you can go long periods between attacks, like several months or even a year, some never have another one. However, if it progresses the attacks can get more frequent. We all have varying degrees of this condition so one rule really doesn't fit all.

Hope you stay AF free now, a lot of members find pills really help control it.

Best wishes

Jean

[swansong75 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks Jean, fingers crossed!

[malekzade in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Af look likes earthquake; if one occurred you should wait for another one in future. that is terrible...

[BobD Volunteer]

Very is the short answer. AF begets AF so the more you have the more you will get. Beta blockers such as bisoprolol will not stop AF merely slow your heart when it happens.

AF is a really mongrel condition and there is no one size fits all I'm afraid so it is quite important to become an expert on you. . keep notes etc. avoid known triggers and stay well hydrated.

[bennie06 in reply to BobD]

Is your response a medical fact or your personal point of view. Find such a response very negative. As jeanjeannie points out, some people will never have a reoccurrancs so some positivity would not be amiss.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to bennie06]

Honest and practical not negative Bennie. If you are a young person who has an AF event as a result of binge drinking then it may be a one off. For others it may be six months, a year. who knows? But once the heart gets a taste for it then watch out. This is why so many EPs do believe that early intervention by ablation is the best treatment in order to stop it before it becomes too established.

[netie54 in reply to BobD]

From personal experience and information from a highly experienced EP, together with a lot of research I believe Bob you are correct in your post

[BobD Volunteer in reply to netie54]

Well I have been around AF for a VERY long time.Thanks.

[duncanswd in reply to BobD]

I am astonished by this. I find your we are doomed attitude very negative.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to duncanswd]

Maybe Duncan but regulars will know that I have not had AF for ten years since my third ablation so provided that you get the right help things can be better but it can be a VERY long journey. OK I still have other arrhythmias from time to time so we come back to the same page really. Treatment is still relatively new, maybe twenty five years old but there have not been any major breakthroughs in the last ten. Be thankful that treatment is now available as back then you would have been told AF was just one of those things and get used to it!

Again regulars will know that life style changes are THE MOST important considerations if one has AF as these generally have a far greater impact on the condition that many treatments. Sadly obesity and bad diet are endemic in some quarters and the increasing number of younger and middle aged adrenaline junkies is only contributing to the problem .

[Hidden in reply to bennie06]

Hi understand the point you are making bennie and I assure you we all have a positive attitude towards AF otherwise we wouldn't be here, but that said, we have to be honest and realistic too. Swansongs question was short and to the point and almost invited a simple "yes" or "no" answer, which, by the way would be yes!

Courtesy of my local support group, I am fortunate enough to have heard a considerable number of talks given by a number of eminent EP's and Cardiologists as well as other medics who are also very knowledgeable about AF and almost every one of them has said that AF is a progressive condition. They also say that improvements to lifestyle are probably the single most activity a patient can action they can take to significantly slow down, or possibly even put AF into remission.

I think you should also bear in mind that the volunteers here put in a significant amount of their free time helping those in need of help, very often repeating similar answers to similar questions time and time again. I think everyone here, probably without exception is grateful for any and every contribution they make. Without their help over the past 4 years I would have been well and truly up the creek!

[bennie06 in reply to Hidden]

Sorry if i have trampled on any strawberries. Surprised that diverse viewpoints seem to be jumped upon. This is fundamentally a social media platform comprised of people with a common medical affliction.

[Hidden in reply to bennie06]

I too think the forum benefits by sharing constructive diverse viewpoints and I would imagine they are always welcome as long as long as they do not compromise the facts as defined the medical profession.

Us poor mortals are of course, not medically trained, so anything we say is open to criticism but most members accept that we are trying to be helpful and they are just pleased to have some support when they most need it.

It’s always easy to shoot the messenger, but not always easy to come up with the message.......

[GordonS in reply to BobD]

You are quite right Bob, I went to AMRU at local hospital at the advice of GP. HR was 160 they gave me an additional dose of Bisoprolol and sent me home 6 hours later with HR at 85 but still in AF. My normal resting HR is about 50 with 2.5mg

[Hidden]

for me, AF returned anywhere between 1 week and 6 months. Always converted to NSR by cardioversion, twice by shock and several more by drugs.

Now 15 months post ablation and touch wood I have been mostly AF free (I think I may have had one very short incidence in January , but it could have been lots of ectopics when I had flu)

[Finvola]

When my AF first appeared about 10 or 11 years ago, it came very occasionally, then disappeared for about 3 years. I didn’t know it was anything to do with my heart, ignored it and assumed it had ‘got better’.

Once I was diagnosed, I worried and fretted about having these horrible episodes which came every few days until I started Flecainide which stopped them dead. Then I started to worry in case AF returned.

I decided three years ago - my AF will return. And when it does, I will deal with it. Until then, I’m going to live. That decision has taken away some of the fear of this unpredictable misery of a condition.

Lifestyle and dietary changes, de-stressing, relaxation, a good physician and a treatment plan do help - but it takes some time to get to grips with it all.

[Buffafly]

I tend to have AF in 'bursts', so every few days for several weeks and have come to the conclusion that some fairly mild health condition tips me over the edge. So while I'm very thankful to have a break I know now that at some point AF will return unless I go live in a bubble.

[Hidden]

I believe this is the $64,000 question and nobody has the answer. One thing we do know is there are many triggers with more triggers still to be discovered. For me, I was diagnosed with AF in 2011, had a successful cardioversion and remained AF-free for 3 years without cardiac meds or anticoagulants. Then one day it just came back and I progressed quickly to permanent AF. The doctors seemed to think my predominant trigger was too high a dose of levothyroxine. There may have been other contributing triggers but no one will ever know. I was offered a 'pace and ablate' fairly quickly as I had problems with side effects from various rate and rhythm control meds. I agreed quickly to the procedure to get off the meds and stabilize. Fortunately it was the right decision for me. Going into my 8th year I would say my message is once an effective treatment plan was established for me I find I am living a stable, comfortable life with this illness. I agree with what Bob says about earlier intervention being important. I don't think this concept was understood as well when I was first diagnosed as it is now. I guess the answer is we still have a long way to go to find root causes but it's possible for each of us to learn some of our particular triggers and do what we can to minimize them. Something that gives me peace of mind is when I read posts from people who continue to live a longer number of years than me with AF.

[jwsonoma]

I agree with Bob, You need to be aggressive in lifestyle changes and working with your Doc. I was initially put on Bisprolol but thanks to this board found out about and asked to be put on a rhythm control drug (flecainide) . My AFib had progressed from yearly to quarterly but has not occurred for 3 years. I was told getting all excess weight off is huge stress reducers for your heart. Avoid alcohol and anything that has rapid or irregular HR as a side effect like cold meds. Also thanks to this board I always carry a pill in the pocket incase there is a breakthrough. I can hopefully stop it quickly by maxing out on Flecainide..

[Flo2pen in reply to jwsonoma]

Hello i know that everyones body is different but what doses of flecanaid are u guys taking??? I started at 50 mg every 12 hrs. Then increased to 100 mg every 12 hrs within a 3 week period. After 2 ablations (not successful) went up to 150 mg twice daily... this is when my vision started to become affected. Now am on Propaferone 225 mg 3 times a day. I still feel awful. Any thoughts would help ease my mind at this point. Thx

[KMRobbo]

My 3 years of AF suggests it gets worse.

I was paroxismaI had It once. Then a few months later I had it again and the verapamil I was on controlled it and it went away. I then found if I went running on an af attack then the HR overtook the AF and I went NSR. I did this 10 or 11 times. Then the running option stopped working. The AF had progressed to something more permanent . Then I was Put on flecainide and diltiazem which was very intrusive on my life . So i had an ablation . With hindsight I should have tried to have one sooner as having

AF attacks make s it more likely to have other attacks IN My Case.

Cheers

[Vidlufc]

I guess, as many have pointed out swansong, the answer is it depends on you! Each case is unique as are causes which is why definitive advicecannotbe given. I was lucky, I believe I found the cause, gluten intolerence causing distress to my vagus nerve which caused the af. I removed the gluten 3 months ago and have had no repeat. No medication just a varied and healthy diet, probiotics and a lot of fiber, 6 months fag free and caffeine free. I hasten to add this is all my own theory not a medical one so don't follow my lead without speaking to your gp

[Bshersey]

The day after my successful afib ablation, the EP stopped in to see me before I was released. "Remember," he told me. "Afib always comes back." Sort of brought my spirits down.

[Hidden]

Sorry to tell you that although paroxysmal AF may come and go for years invariable it continues to deteriorate into a more permanent state which may not be treatable with ablation,or drugs. That's the bad news. the good news is that there is a fair chance that your AF can be controlled for years (as it was in my case) before any possible deterioration takes place. Whatever, you will need to keep on anti coagulants per NHS advice even when you are in apparent remission.

[GordonS]

I had a PVI ablation 7 years ago after about 3-4 years of worsening symptoms. Worked well until February this year when I started again. Just also happened to have an attack whilst seeing my EP. Was put on the list for another ablation there and then. As has been said AF begets AF. Good luck with your treatment

[jeanjeannie50]

Hang on everyone, hang on! There is hope that AF can just go. Lets not forget my sister who used to get runs of AF, admittedly they were only for 15-30 minutes. She didn't go to the doctor or take any pills and it just went. Does make me wonder a little about mind over matter. My mind just wont do as it's told though!!!

Sometimes this forum reminds me of the story about the horse that cut off it's tail i.e we've all had ablations and its wonderful! Well it's not always wonderful after ablations and I've had three, so there's my pennyworth.

Jean