I have occasional asthma,usually triggered by heavy cough/cold for which I take Ventolin and Seretide inhalers. Haven’t needed them since my AF diagnosis in July, but now have my first winter cold. No wheezing yet - but wanted to ask others if Ventolin affects their AF. I’m on Flecainide and Apixaban and AF currently well controlled.
Look forward to your replies
Ventolin (salbutamol) can increase HR if taken in high doses/frequency as far as I'm aware.
My dad is asthmatic and takes it when he has a cold/chest problem. He also has permanent AF and is on warfarin.
Absolutely correct. My daughter has asthma, and last week had a terrible attack. She was taking 10 puffs an hour , her poor little heart was pounding away in the 140s
Poor sausage! Hope she’s feeling better x
She's well on the road to recovery thanks. We got her straight in to see the GP and had a course of steroids and antibiotics. Looks like a chest infection kicked it off this time. She was in hospital for a week at the start of the year with it.
Thought she had grown out of it as she had no asthma from the age of 13 until this year when she turned 15
I now have a inhaler as I have mild COPD and been having a few problems with chest infections and a virus. I also have permanent AF and HF. I have not noticed that the inhaler had caused to much of a problem with my HR but then I do not use it on a regular bases. One tip, I was hospitalised twice in the last 18 months with breathing problems an was on a nebulisor three times a day, this does effect the HR and I felt terrible after them very week and dizzy. I was next to a lady with chronic asthma and she offered me a banana after one session, she had quite a stash of them in her drawer. She told me that the nebulisor (think that is spelt wrong) sucks out the potassium in your body, it certainly made me feel better within ten minutes of eating, So I also kept a good supply after that. It could well be that if you use an inhaler to make sure your potassium levels are also kept high. I have always eaten plenty of them because it is important for AF as well.
Cassie
Many thanks
I have been asthmatic for 44 years and have had AF for over, 20 years. It was paroxysmal for about 17 years but is now permanentl.
I have never noticed any interaction between my asthma inhalers and AF or vice versa, although I was on Flecainide for many years now my AF is permanent
I take only Warfarin.
Thanks Thomas45, still haven’t needed it, but less worried now if I do.
Hi Archie, I take Seretide twice a day, Ventolin when I have cold and I take Edoxaban and Flecainide and haven’t noticed any effect on my AF. Hope this helps, all the best.
Thanks, I’ve now had to start my Seretide & Ventolin and, like you, they don’t seem to have affected the AF. I think we all tend to be worriers on here.
After my colectomy I was suffering horribly from the post operative mucous the tube down the throat provokes. Trying to cough it up was painful and on the third day after the op I used lots of Ventolin to try to thin it. I think that contributed to the attack of afib I had that night. I was also dehydrated due to finding it difficult to drink with the bloating caused by the gases they pump you with for the keyhole surgery. The clinic cardiologist fingered the Ventolin. My own cardiologist seemed to think attacks of afib after major ops were standard!
Poor you to have this operation. Did you mean cholecystectomy as I can’t imagine a colectomy being done via keyhole? In any case, surgery is horrible. I was diagnosed with AF this July, a couple of months after knee replacement surgery.
As for my asthma, I’ve now taken the Ventolin & Seretide with no ill effects.
Thanks for your reply & keep well.
No-a colectomy. The surgeon removed 26 cm of the sigmoid colon. This was for diverticulitis. Here in France you can still get this done as an elective procedure . This means that keyhole surgery is initiated when there is no active infection. If the surgeon finds too much of a " mess" he can then opt for open surgery. I have 3 tiny scars and my previous hysterectomy scar was reopened to facilitate the op. I believe that now in the UK this op is no longer available electively on the NHS for diverticulitis. They wait for you to perforate which then means an emergency open abdomen surgery with far more chance of needing the dreaded "bag" and then further surgery to join up the ends of the colon to get rid of the bag. That is if you don't die first of peritonitis.
I changed from Seretide to Symbicort as Seretide has fluorine in it. I hardly use it. My asthma has ben much improved since I started taking N acetyl cistine.
Wow! Full of admiration for the surgeons skill in being able to do this. I have often heard that the French health care system is second to none. I do hope you are recovering quickly (assuming this was recent). I’m sure you will get over this type of surgery so much faster than for an open surgery.
My chesty cough has gone and I have stopped the inhalers, I know it’s recommended to take regular Seretide, but I find it affects my singing voice.
Best wishes to you
Thank you.I did have an excellent surgeon. The bit he took out was showing signs of infection despite being hospitalised on iv antibiotics six weeks earlier. My gastroenterologist said I would have perforated sooner or later. I have recovered quite well - op was at the end of March- but this op does have repercussions . You ''go" a lot more! The real bummer was getting an attack of afib 3 days after the op. Best wishes.
So how does the winter affect your AF? 
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