First episode of AFIB that was constant. It was 20 hours before I was cardioverted.

[Edstiffler13]

I’m not really new to the feeling of an arrhythmia. 3 years ago after a neck surgery I was setting on my couch recovering and went into AFLUTTER/SVT. Luckily my mom was around and I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance immediately! They gave me adenosine and I think ephedrine to try and slow my HR down. I was 289 BPM when I arrived at hospital. I was immediately cardioverted and returned to normal sinus rhythm. I was 35 at the time so they kept me 3 days and ran every test on me and said I was perfect health and good to go. It shouldn’t happen again. So for the next few years I had little bouts of what “ I thought” was afib not they went away by the time I could get on an ekg at the hospital. So I wore a holster monitor for a few days at work and finally caught some irregularities but nothing for sure. My EP decided he wanted to do an ablation for AFIB and AFLUTTER because he said AFLUTTER and SVT was the dangerous 1 to go into. SOOO I had the ablation and he could only get me to go into AFLUTTER and SVT. So he ablated all of that! BUT he couldn’t get me to go into AFIB during ablation so he could do nothing for me at the time because he couldn’t see anything to ablate. FAST FORWARD to now!! I have not had a single arrhythmia since surgery until 2 nights ago. I went into AFIB at 7pm and it hit HARD! 160 bpm nonstop for 22 hours. I went straight to ER and they tried IV meds to convert me but they did nothing. So they put me on a drip of Diltizem I think it’s called until the EP could get to hospital the next day. So this is my first experience of actual AFIB!! I’m exhausted lol. I feel like I ran a MARATHON but I wasn’t trained! I don’t have much anxiety because this wasn’t my first time with arrhythmia and the first time was much closer to death! Anyways now I have Flecanide for PIP if it happens again. I think I triggered it by drinking to much last weekend. I hope I can go a few more years without AFIB but I’m sure it can happen at anytime. Why they waited so long to cardiovert me I have no clue! I was wondering what the chances of me having another episode anytime soon? Time will hell I guess 🤷🏼‍♂️

[Cangelo629]

Drinking is not going to help your situation its obvious and very common that alcohol can affect the heart's rhythm. I know I have issue if I drink or eat to much so I have that to consider if I want to take a chance of going into Afib.

[BobD Volunteer]

I think life style changes are what will be important to you. Cutting out alcohol is obvious and depending on your body mass index (BMI) , weight loss. A BMI of 25 or lower is pretty important with AF. Go to AF Association website and read all you can. Knowledge is power. AF is generally considered a progressisve condition so the more you do now to avoid future events will only be good for you long term.

[Edstiffler13 in reply to BobD]

Thanks. Yeah I quit drinking a while back. And I started having a couple of beers here and there. And last weekend I messed up and actually got “buzzed” and then 2 days later I’m in AFIB and in the hospital. If I don’t drink my heart was fine for 3 years.