I had a first episode of AF and went to A&E then GP then on Azidem (dit...) for ten days. Rang GP after the ten days when The AF had been gone for a week and asked to come off Azidem as it was making me very slow and hard to move around. GP said to wait for cardiology appointment as they may want to do an ablation. I repeated that symptoms had gone. She said okay have an ECG at the surgery then and we’ll discuss. The ECG was normal and the GP sent a message saying it’s fine to just stop the Azidem. I have been fine since and can go for gentle walks with ease. No AF. Am just tired from slower heart rate and am trying to take things easy as I do feel I have been working too hard so when I got ill in December with bad virus I was more vulnerable.
What do others think of my plan to be improve my sleep, be less stressed, rest more, lose weight and exercise regularly (not dramatically)? I’m 62 and feel I want to wind down but no chance of stopping work for several years yet.
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FiveMilesSouth
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I think you need to go see the cardiology appointment, have a full work up and to discuss with them. If your HR is low there maybe a reason for that so it needs investigating.
AF often comes and goes called Paroxysmal AF or PAF so if you have one episode, you will likely have another.
I would suggest you visit the AFA website for information on AF - it’s causes, iptreatment options etc.
In the meantime Lifestyle option such as stress management, weight control, good quality sleep and moderate exercise and healthy eating plan will all improve your general health and well-being which in turn will lessen the chances of another and subsequent episodes of AF or other Arrythmia.
Yes BobD. Im grateful for the encouragement to find out more.
Hello FMS, as you probably know, we are not medically trained therefore we can only express opinions based on our experiences and our understanding of what we have heard from those who are experts in their field. Many members say that they have had their first episode but also add that it’s possible that they have experienced AF before. Whilst it’s often difficult to determine what causes AF, the issues you raise regarding losing weight, exercise, dealing with stress and improving sleep can make a significant difference. If appropriate, reducing alcohol, caffeine and anything else you can do to improve lifestyle will help reduce AF from recurring. This is important because AF is known to be a progressive condition and you may have heard the term AF begets AF so minimising the risk of further episodes has to be good.
Although most Electrophysiologist’s (Cardiologist’s who specialise in arrhythmias) tend to recommend early intervention by having an ablation, I think most people would say that it is perhaps too early after just one known episode. There are some risks associated with having an ablation and my personal view that it would be better to focus on lifestyle improvements first, particularly if you are healthy in every other respect.
The other thing to monitor is your blood pressure which if high, will have a major impact on AF. Hope this help.....
Hallo Flapjack. I am inclined to focus on lifestyle. There is a lot I can do on that. I didn’t know AF can make for more AF. I have had a few episodes before but nothing like this one which went on for hours. Three or four previous episodes which have involved very fast regular bursts of about 130 I reckon for between 20 secs to a few mintutes over the last couple of years. I didn’t feel unwell during them. I did report them to GP and had a 24 ECG which I knew wouldn’t find anything as it was a freak event.
Dr Rupy Aujla is a young UK doctor who himself was diagnosed with AF and was getting himself into the best shape possible for his ablation but he never ended up having it. I listen to his podcasts and I’ve seen other interviews where he has been the guest telling his story.
I tried to have a look,got onto where the podcast button is but couldnt seem to see it! Saw some on diet that looked interesting! Any ideas how I went wrong?! Thanks in advance x
Not really. I just tried the link and it seemed okay. What sort of phone do you have? You should be able to go to whatever podcast app is on there and search for The Doctor’s Kitchen.
If you have an iPhone here’s the link to the first episode:
I love The Doctor’s Kitchen - that Book is ALWAYS open on my kitchen counter. Check out his Facebook Page as well as he often does Hangouts where he cooks live - some great ideas!
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