Who else here, with a confirmed diagnosis of AFIB in the last few years, also has RA?

[Bambi65]

I am just now reading that people diagnoses with RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis are 60% more likely to develope Afib... Yet Ive never hear of this before. I was told I had RA in July 2009, then in October 2009 it was gone. Then in the summer of 2013 the RA was back with a vengence, and I began Methotraxate. Just 2 years later, I had my first AFIB attack and it is a monster. Anyone else knew about RA and AFIB conection? Anyone else have RA here?

From the site: the-rheumatologist.org/arti...

Study Shows Rheumatoid Arthritis Linked to Atrial Fibrillation!!!!!!

The findings were presented in May 2011 at the Heart Rhythm Society meeting in San Francisco, Calif. by one of the co-authors of the study, Abhishek Deshmukh, MD, a cardiology fellow at the University of Arkansas. He tells The Rheumatologist that the findings remind rheumatologists and patients with RA to keep watch on any symptoms of atrial fibrillation, such as racing heart and shortness of breath.

“This is an important study because it’s further evidence that these are systemic diseases that also can affect the heart,” comments Davis S. Pisetsky, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and immunology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., and editor of The Rheumatologist.

[Hidden]

I have Psoriatic Arthritis..... used to take Methotrexate but not anymore. Benepali now.

Never heard of a link.... I was diagnosed with arthritis in 2006 and AF in 2018. Quite a gap.

[Bambi65 in reply to Hidden]

did you take to the opportunity to read the entire link I refered to? I was stunned at the results. And this was the firt time I had ever heard of anything like this before.

[Hidden in reply to Bambi65]

I will read it yes!

[CDreamer]

AF or another type of arrythmia is associated with a lot of autoimmune diseases - and the trouble is managing both conditions as the drugs for one are often contraindicated for the other.

‘Linked’ does not mean caused but as both arrythmias & autoimmune stem from autonomic dysfunction ie autoimmune is an overreaction of the immune system, it’s hardly surprising to me. What I hope will happen in medicine, it is starting to, is that more research, more education and more wholistic thinking and practice will result - ie: rather than seeing these as separate diseases, we will be treated as unique beings with complex, interacting systems which are all interlinked.

What is known is that both are caused initially by inflammation a response turned on by a stressor - infection, trauma or chronic stress or even something which happened before birth. When we think about it, the very origin of the word - disease = dis-ease.

I am so relieved that researchers and doctors are now, finally, starting to put this stuff together. What a more interesting question to ask is - now you know about this link - how will you use the information?

Best wishes CD

[Bambi65 in reply to CDreamer]

thanks for your perspective. I agree with the di-ease.

Thinking back to the discovery of ra.... I contracted 5 diseases at one time after a retuirn trip from Mexico in 2019. It landed me in the hospital for a week; they were:

1. Mono

2. Hep A

3. RA

4. Hep E

5. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

They were not diagoned at the same time except for the first 2, when symptoms did not improve, further testing was done and one by one each were diagnosed taking nearly 6 weeks to discover. The rocky mt. spotted fever was contracted after I got home to North Carolina from a tic I pulled off my belly. (I lived in the woods) Needless to say, up to this point I have never been sick.

This was an attack on my body for sure. Took 2 months to get back to where I was health and activity wise. Primary was the Hepatitis, not surprising since I ate all local foods prepared in someones back yard. Unsanitary conditions for sure, but I was not aware of any dangers other than "dont drink the water".

[CDreamer in reply to Bambi65]

I think you have your connections......

[Packit]

I am certain my afib started around the same time as my arthritis, however no medical professional seems to hear me, I am currently so breathless and dizzy I am almost housebound, after nearly a year on bisoprolol then various other tablets I have been told that as my ecg never now shows a problem , hr was 170bpm, to stop all meds and go back to my gp.

[Bambi65 in reply to Packit]

so you never showed Afib on paper?

[Packit]

According to cardiologists I have afib, however bisoprolol nor flecainide seemed to make much difference, had an eco which showed heart in good condition, I still get fast heart rate and have low blood pressure which is worse when I stand, cardiologists last month suggested as tablets aren't helping I stop taking them, I have a further heart and lung test being booked, injection to increase heart rate whilst being tested, not sure i like sound of that but if i can find any answers I would be more than happy.

[Bambi65 in reply to Packit]

do you have a Kardia to check for yourself to see if and when you are in Afib?

[Love100cats]

I was diagnosed with r.a. years ago and have has psoriasis since the age of five. I didn't know of a connection between those two until I was waiting to see a doctor about knee replacement and noticed a poster on the wall about psoriatic arthritis. In 40 years no one had mentioned it. Now I have AFib and it's no surprise that there may be a connection . My arthritis and psoriasis are both worse since I was diagnosed with AFib and I know anxiety plays a role in all three.

[Bambi65 in reply to Love100cats]

now what to do about it? Inflamation of joints. hmmmm

I really hate treating symptoms and not the cause.

[Ianc2]

Inflammation is linked to whole raft of conditions. Can you expand on your comment regarding treating symptoms and not causes?

[Bambi65]

with AFIB, medication is used to treat the symptoms, not the cause of the symptoms. I undersand that there are some "triggers", but they do not always set off the AFIB. Im trying to find the source of my afib and treat that.

[Pam-51]

Very interesting. Was diagnosed with severe RA in 1973 aged 22. Am now 68 and four years ago was diagnosed with A Fib and Flutter. Attacks were at least once a day and had an ablation 3 months later which was very successful and I have been symptom free since. However, my Electrocardiologist maintains me on Flecainide 50 mgs twice daily and apixaban. No one mentioned any link between the two conditions so was really interested to read your post. Many thanks.

Pam

[Bambi65]

Why didnt your doc just put you the meds instead of the ablation?

[Hidden]

sort of, I have Ankylosing Spondylitus my AF was possibly triggered from taking COX2 anti inflamatories for 20 years

[solarjdo69]

RA runs in my family and I have it too. I find that taking the 3 recommended capsules/day of hylauronic acid staves it off and it seems to "go away." I started to have a trigger thumb when I stopped taking the HA formula for about a week. Aches and pains in body, trigger thumb came back. Taking the HA again for about 2-3 days and I'm back to abbey normal. Not 100% RA free, but waayy better! What I take amazon.com/Purity-Products-...

get it direct from Purityproducts.com and they gave me a deal - If I'm on automatic re-order, it's $23.50/bottle.

Side benefits are improved eyesight both near and far. I have progressive eye lenses as I need them for reading too, but since the HA, I can read the smallest print on the medical bottles about 6-8"s away and no longer use glasses to read. If you are a woman it's a 3-fer! Look at the primary active ingredient in expensive skin creams - yep! Hylauronic acid.

I gave it to my wife's father who was complaining of sore joints and unprompted a few months later he said something to the effect "I don't know if it's those pills you gave me, but I can see better."

Once years ago b4 I was on auto-renew I ran out and went to local store to get some HA. Gal there asked me what I felt it did for me. I answered about the joint pain relief and also eyesight improvement. she said she asks everyone and almost all said that they felt their vision had improved.

It's really that good.