Just had to laugh the other night when I had an afib episode- early morning, usual unpleasantness, some heart and arm pain, wild heart rhythm for about an hour. Suddenly I sneezed and was back into normal rhythm! Anyone for snuff?! Unfortunately it was the usual post-episode lethargy, so went from sneezing to snoozing!
However, start my amiodarone today and hopefully it's effects are NOT to be sneezed at!
I have had so many funny things put me back into NSR - the shock of running into a pothole was probably the most peculiar - the car came off a lot worse than I did!
Amiodarone was the only thing that worked for my husband, certainly the affects are no laughing or sneezing matter but ensure you are well monitored and you have regular blood tests etc. My husband has been very lucky as he now keeps saying how much better he now feels and his AF burden has reduced from 100% down to 3% with an EF from 35% up now to 55%. Hope you have similar results.
PS - He has had several failed cardio versions prior to the Amiodarone, he has been on it since Feb 2019.
This happened to me to once... I did an almighty sneeze then realised I was back in NSR. With the next AF episodes, i was like a maniac trying to to fake big sneezes, sniffing chilli pepper etc! Unfortunately never managed to replicate the first experience :o(
I have had these things bring me back into NSR - The bed head suddenly lowered, moving in a jerk to the right or left, vomiting, going to the loo, having my blood pressure taken, coughing or laughing historically, etc But try as I might they never seem to work second time around!! 😀
Yes Polly, I've had that experience also, took 6 strong blasts to put me back into NSR. Just put it on the list of the 'magic' sandwich, 4-7-8 breathing, light exercise, cold shower etc. that MAY do the job.
It's in the reverse category of things that start an AF episode like bending over, hiccups, a small belch, hot shower, ice cream tight clothing around the waist and the list goes on.
Keep the pepper pot handy. Good luck.
Hi everybody. I can teach you guys how to make yourself sneeze if you would like to try this. I have an auto-immune lung disease, and I used to feel like I had a tight band around my chest. But found that if I sneeze 2-3 times a day it seems to like open up the lungs or something, and now I do not have that tightness anymore. Women know that you will sometimes sneeze when plucking eyebrow hairs. The whole area around the eyebrows and nose is very sensitive. Start feeling around there with your little fingernail. It may take a while to find it, but pressing or tickling the right spot will cause an instant sneeze. My best spots are my right eyebrow (the left one not so much), and also on the very rim of my nose about halfway up. When I press my nail into the rim it causes an instant sneeze. You may have to feel all around that area, but eventually you'll find a spot that will work for you. I alternate my spots because I don't don't want any one of them to become de-sensitized and stop working. I never feel my afib episodes, but if I did, this would be the first thing I try.
Well if sneezing dosent work, I found this article . (Have posted this before bit it's worth repeating)
Clinical Medicine Insights: Case Reports 2010:3 51
Instantly converting Atrial Fibrillation into sinus Rhythm by a Digital Rectal exam on a 29-year-Old Male
Cheng-Huai Ruan New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens/Weil Cornell Medical College Affiliated Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Flushing, NY, UsA. Corresponding author email: chr9062@nyp.org
Abstract: Vagal maneuvers cause increase in vagal tone, which has been shown to slow many types supraventricular tachycardia, such as atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the conversion of AF to sinus rhythm is usually not associated with vagal manuvers. Thus, AF is classically treated with medication and electrical cardioversion. Here, we present a 29-year-old male with no cardiovascular history and a low atherosclerotic risk profile who developed AF which converted into sinus rhythm immediately after a digital rectal exam. The patient remained asymptomatic after a 3-month follow-up. This implies that the digital rectal exam can be considered as an
additional attempt to convert AF to sinus rhythm in AF patients.
I am totally the reverse of that. I was having a colonoscopy and watching it on the screen and then glanced at the monitor with my vital statistics and saw that my BP had dropped to 40/29 and heart rate to 30bpm. I thought who is going to do something about this as it was difficult to speak with oxygen mask on when suddenly the nurse noticed it. Panic in the room. Discharge notes said :
Discharge notes say:
“Gellofusion was administered and .1ml of atropine given. Anaesthetist was called who then administered 1L of Hartman’s solution, an extra 3 mls of atropine and 20 mg of Boscopon .
Patient much improved and monitored in his room for rest of day”
I said that it was vagus nerve stimulation that had caused it they said that it might have been dehydration.
This was on a Friday in a private hospital. On the Monday I phoned cardiology at the local hospital and was told to come in to see the registrar. I had hoped for a quick cardioversion but he just put me on the usual waiting list.
I was back in NSR for about fifteen months until I had a DRE done by the urology nurse. Again I felt my BP drop but not so dramatically and the erratic heart beat start. When at a later appointment I mentioned this to the urologist he said that he had heard of it happening but had not have it happened to a patient.
That was over four years ago and I'm now in permanent AF.
When I questioning why I had not been offered another cardioversion after two previous ones had lasted over a year until those incidents. I was told that the echo had shown that my right atrium size showed it as unlikely that the cardioversion would be successful. It can be either atrium that is the culprit. However if they first do a cryoablation it might change the size of the right atrium and they can then do a cardioversion.
Last conversation with the EP went... as you are 84 and have a walking problem why do you want to be in NSR anyway ? Realism or ageism ?
Hahahaha. This thread is the AF equivalent of finding the 'G' spot....now we're older and intent on finding the 'S' spot!!!!
:o)
And as for the rectal exam scenario...well... male anatomy is rather different, with the prostate and all that... and I don't really want to put myself forward for 'further research' to see if this works for us ladies haha :o)
i hear that the prostrate is the G spot for men.... So I got to thinking..... LOL
nope, that didnt get me out of afib either. Damn
It once did with me
But couldn't repeat the success.
Polly159, the responses to your question about sneezing back into sinus rhythm have been, interesting, informative to say the least , and have given me a laugh as well.
What a great group of people on this forum!
Back in normal sinus rhythm
Flecainide- Time to work? Sinus rhythm!
Heart Rhythm query…
Getting back in rhythm 
Back in sinus rhythm
