Ectopics making me so miserable pleas... - Atrial Fibrillati...

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Ectopics making me so miserable please help .

Thompson123 profile image
45 Replies

Hi guys ,

I think Iv posted about ectopics before . I’m so miserable I’m finding them unbearable their completely taking over my life .

I had an ablation 8 weeks ago all went well . For the last month Iv been diagnosed with atrial Bigeminy , I’m not sure what’s worse afib or this .

Sometimes I feel I won’t wake up in the morning.

Please has anyone else got this condition ? How do you cope ? Do you take anything to help ? .

I really wanted to come off all medication after my ablation. It’s looking unlikely now .

I wanted another baby it’s looking unlikely if I can’t settle my heart .

Sorry for long post . I feel deeply upset and I can’t see a way out .

Many thanks Michelle x

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45 Replies

I hit a period of horrible ectopics about 10 days after my ablation, they did reduce eventually, although almost 2 years on, i still have periods of increased activity, last night was one of them.

Have you tried taking a magnesium supplement? I know that this has helped me.

About a year following my ablation my HR became quite low (34 bpm) so I was advised by my GP to stop taking my beta blocker,I believe that this also helped in the reduction of ectopics

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to

Thank you for your reply Mike it’s reassuring to know I’m not the only one .

Thanks for the advice I’m definitely going to try the magnesium .

Glad your feeling better .

benmaise profile image
benmaise in reply to

Can i take Magnesium while taking Warfarin ?

in reply to benmaise

I have no idea, if you have any doubts you should ask a professional

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

Have you tried the slow deep breathing exercise.? Use search box top right and there is much about it there. I went through a period of ectopics every second ,third ,fourth, fifth etc up to eleven and start again. Now THAT was hard to sleep through. Lasted a couple of months but that was before I discovered the beathing.

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to BobD

Hi Bob thank you for your reply deafly gonna take on board your advice .

Sorry you suffered just as bad as I am . Sleeping is definitely difficult with your heart flip-flopping around in the chest every second .

I’m now on a seven day monitor hopefully get some answers

Keep well .

I take Magnesium Taurate and it helped me.....

meadfoot profile image
meadfoot

Ectopics are dreadful, I absolutely hate them and find I have runs of them. I agree they feel beyond horrendous. Have your tried magnesium I hear that helps in some cases. Have a word with your medic. I am sure there will be many people on the forum who can attest to how magnesium has benefited them. If your medic agrees it's worth a try.

Your heart is recovering slowly from being ablated and hopefully over time will settle so you can get on with your live and be able to move forward with having another baby. Best wishes.

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to meadfoot

Thank you for your reply meadfoot .

Lots of people are saying about the magnesium I’m definitely going to try it .

Ectopics are the devils work , it’s reassuring and comforting to talk to somebody that understands .

Sometimes think did I do the right thing havibg the ablation but I guess I’m in the early stages of recovery . Fingers crossed things settle .

Keep well .

pottypete1 profile image
pottypete1

I too have ectopics and find them very intrusive sometimes really making me feel awful.

As BobD says slow deep breathing does help and I have also found that medication and relaxation videos on YouTube help.

Ni easy answer except to say you are not alone.

Pete

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to pottypete1

Thank you for your relpy . Sorry to hear your suffering too . There just awful . I can’t wait to see my consultant in March .

Thanks for the tips and advice.

Finvola profile image
Finvola

Ectopics are dreadful and every other beat is, as you say, as miserable as slow AF. I too have benefitted from breathing exercises when they start and magnesium (citrate) - which I take every afternoon. Mine always like to start late pm when I’m resting. Sometimes mild exertion shifts them but frequent one such as you describe left me really breathless and incapable of even walking up stairs.

I have found that foods can aggravate them - especially sugar in my case. They breed on the anxiety which they cause, so part of the battle is to find something which calms them, count it as a small victory and then work from there.

Interestingly, I was changed from Bisoprolol 1.25mg to Nebivolol 2.5mg nine months ago and the ectopics have been less bothersome since then.

Above all, try to calm your mind and breathing. I hope you can find a way to put the horrible things away. xx

Xerxes8840 profile image
Xerxes8840 in reply to Finvola

Ectopics appear to be a side effect of ablation, which is a dirty little secret the EP’s don’t talk about. I had my second ablation about 3 1/2 mos ago, and had an intense bout in second mo. My docs say that it’s hard to pinpoint them, because although a lot of them originate at pulmonary vein, not all do-and trying to ablate them is like “whack/a-mole”. I’ve found that taurine supplements do help- and there are several small studies that confirm this.

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to Finvola

Hey ,

thank you for your message,

Ectopics are so so awful I was never like this bad until after my ablation. It’s funny I’m the same I have them all throughout the day but come the afternoon pick up another level .

I’m going to go out tomorrow if we are not snowed in and get some magnesium supplements .

My anxiety is definitely on a high so it’s like a vicious circle I suppose .

I know I can stop all these by going back on medication. I’m trying to come off them to have a baby .

Thank you for the tips .

Glad your feeling better . Keep well

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Thompson123

I have found it helpful taking divided ( small) doses of magnesium throughout the day rather than one bigger dose. Magnesium citrate and glycinate are supposed to he absorbed better than magnesium oxide and are not too expensive.

Gwersey profile image
Gwersey

I have ectopics every day and they make my life miserable. I take magnesium but because I take PPIs for GERD and hiatus hernia, the magnesium isn't absorbed but I take it anyway. They are horrible, horrible things!

I hope they ease off for you as you recover from your ablation.

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123

Thank you gwersey , aren’t they the worse feeling ever . When there constant I just wish the day away and want to hid .

Lots of people are saying about the magnesium. Definitely will try .

Are you ectopics constantly?

Wishing you well

Michelle

I’ve been bothered by ectopics and palpitations. I have my appointment at St Barts this afternoon and will be asking the consultant about them. I’ll feed back anything he says.

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to

Please do . Good luck

in reply to Thompson123

Nothing terribly profound to report. He said these were common with AF and said I could switch to flecainide if I wished (I’m taking Sotalol at the moment). This *might* fix the problem. Also said that it was not uncommon to experience these after ablation. If your ablation was only 8 weeks ago, then it’s still too early to judge it to be a success or failure. It takes about 3 months before that judgement can be made. Sorry if this information is not much help!

Bmwpaul1971 profile image
Bmwpaul1971

Hi. I was in exactly the same boat. Debilitating and life was miserable. I was on bisoporolol for them and svt. Made absolutely no difference to the ectopics. Cardiologists switched me to verapamil and over night they completely stopped. And i mean completely. I could have cried i was so happy. However verapamil has otherside effects which i am dealong with but jesus i would not want to go back to that. Magnesium did not work for me as i take ppi for hiatus hernia and i think it was not being absorbed? Keep smiling abd chin up

fairgo45 profile image
fairgo45 in reply to Bmwpaul1971

Verapamil worked for me for 2 years then suddenly stopped I was gutted I thought it was the answer but it causes heart block.

Bmwpaul1971 profile image
Bmwpaul1971 in reply to fairgo45

I dont think it directly causes heart block or they wouldnt prescribe it?

Shcldavies profile image
Shcldavies

I know magnesium does help but you have to take the right magnesium and you have to:

Have enough iron (many don't), potassium (some don't), sodium (most OK), calcium (most OK) and vitamin D (most don't) for the magnesium to work. Also if you take medication like omeprazole it will limit the absorption of the magnesium. Epsom salts (available in Chemists) bath is good, put half a bag (yes half a bag) into a hot bath and relax in it for at least 20 mins, good chance your symptoms will easy for a few hours after.

The magnesium I take is Citrate and Taurate, I have read good things about "Heart Calm" (I will be trying this next) which is basically a combination of only good magnesium and Q10. All these can be had on Amazon, they are difficult to get in local shops/Chemists.

Franny50 profile image
Franny50 in reply to Shcldavies

Epsom salts bathwater is also a good outdoor garden fertilizer. I've used it for years. Makes plants (and owner) happy.

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to Franny50

Thanks for the tip , I’m so glad I found this site

Shcldavies profile image
Shcldavies in reply to Franny50

Did not know that thank you, do you use the water from the bath?

Franny50 profile image
Franny50 in reply to Shcldavies

Yep. Just dip a small pail into used Epsom salt bath water and take it out to pour around plants.

Plants need magnesium to produce chlorophyll.

Shcldavies profile image
Shcldavies in reply to Franny50

Thank you that is well worth trying

Franny50 profile image
Franny50 in reply to Shcldavies

My pleasure. I love gardening and as a welcome side effect it seems to calm me and my heart.

fairgo45 profile image
fairgo45

I have an app called lets meditate which I find helps relax me I play it when I'm doing my hair in the morning I have it on whenever I need to relax

Take magnesium it doesnt interfere with warfarin 300mg daily with food I recommend doctors best from iherb.com gradually increase the dose as they advise

I totally understand what your going through but there is light at the end of the tunnel keep the faith

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to fairgo45

Thank you fairgo45 , I’ll definitely look up that app . Iv brought magnesium today fingers crossed it helps .

Just feels never ending

Best wishes

IndiraK profile image
IndiraK

Magnesium Taurate definitely calmed my ectopics down. Good luck.

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to IndiraK

Thanks for the message, Iv just brought magnesium. I wasn’t sure on the dosage thought start at 100mg

IndiraK profile image
IndiraK in reply to Thompson123

Mine come in 125mg capsules and the instructions say take 1 twice a day and that dosage made a significant difference to me.

Franny50 profile image
Franny50

Potassium is also good for calming ectopics, but can be bad if overdosed. Most folks don't get nearly enough via diet. In the U.S. there is a product called NO SALT salt substitute available in many grocery stores, which is potassium chloride. A few shakes on food throughout the day seems to help me. Probably less than 1/2 tsp. per day.

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to Franny50

Thank you for the message. Oh potassium. I definitely don’t get enough in my diet. I’ll try and increase it thank you for the advice.

Best wishes

katmer59 profile image
katmer59

I had them start up about 3 months out from the ablation. The first bout was so bad that I called my doctor. I noticed that they would tend to show up when I was stressed or excited - like at my son's football games. I think adrenaline was triggering them. Anyway, I am now 7 months out and don't get them very often. When I do, they tend to go away fairly quickly. I think that healing is the key, but also using whatever technique works to calm down. Breathing, relaxing, etc. I really think yours will go away for the most part with time. I hope so anyway!!

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to katmer59

Thank you , the consultants don’t tell you about this after an ablation. They seem to be worse when I’m trying to rest . I have a Kardia all it reads is unclassified . I pray it doesn’t turn into afib . Glad your feeling better best wishes.

katmer59 profile image
katmer59 in reply to Thompson123

I have a Kardia as well and mine always said that there were no abnormalities when I was having ectopic beats. I mean, I could see them on the screen as variations between the beats' spacing but Kardia wasn't concerned. I would say that because Kardia is actually picking up something with yours that this is significant. Hopefully, once you heal it goes away, but yes, definitely keep in close contact with your doctor!

Madscientist16 profile image
Madscientist16

Like others that have posted...I am currently coming off of PPIs (acid reducer) for gastritis, and magnesium supplements were not absorbing in my low acid stomach. My ectopics were crazy and driving me mad. I found the Epsom salts soaks did work for me (I had some around for my garden as well). I also found lotions online that contained magnesium. These were great when I did not have time to soak in the tub.

Brizzy50000 profile image
Brizzy50000

Hi my eptopics have been greatly reduced after taking Magnesium Turate for the last 4 months, I noticed the eptopics more after my ablation last May and they worried me a lot, I watched Dr Sanjay Gupta video's on YouTube concerning eptopics, started taking the Mag/Tur and I hardly notice them now, also I am taking Rivaroaxban anticoagulant

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to Brizzy50000

Thanks for your message it’s so reassuring to hear people stories knowing I’m not alone . Glad your feeling better

Amurray77 profile image
Amurray77

Just came to site for this very reason. I forgot my 500 my magnesium citrate today and just had a run that scared me so much. Thought I was going into AF for sure. Ectopics suck!!!! Stay hydrated, watch the caffeine and try the magnesium.

Thompson123 profile image
Thompson123 in reply to Amurray77

Oh sorry to hear this . Do you take anything else to help with the ectopics ? I’m really hope these magnesium helps me

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