what measures should i take when i take paf

[Tomred]

hi im asking for people views and experience on PAF and what they do when they take a bout do you sit still or try some exercise do you take yourself off to A&E or do you just carry on with your day im a 59 year old male with paf which seems to hit me every 3-4 weeks and i take 1.25 mg bisoprolol and 2 by 400mg dronederone[multaq] daily since been on meds most of the time i can carry on as near normal but sometimes it wipes me out with tiredness and fear just when i think im getting on great it hits me out goes the positive thinking. how do you deal with a bout

[CDreamer]

Hi Tomred and welcome.

OK - firstly have you been seen by a specialist cardiologist known as an EP?

Second - are you on anticoagulants?

Thirdly - have you any other conditions?

Fourthly - what do you mean by exercise? Marathon running/cycling/ Iron Man all out stuff or daily walk which mildly raises HR. (Rule of thumb - you should be able to walk/run/cycle/swim & talk. If out of breath - stop. If your HR increases - my limit is 110 nowadays but used to be 120 - then stop and rest and only continue when not breathless)

I think we need more information as everyone’s AF is different and very individual, symptoms differ, experiences differ.

[Tomred in reply to CDreamer]

thanks for your reply by exercise i mean any type of activity at all yes ive seen an ep and he said with my chadsvasc score been 0 that i would be looking at anticoagulants at 65 i dont have other conditions and i do understand we would probably all react differently i have a friend who goes for a run when he takes a bout of af i couldnt even think about doing that

[CDreamer in reply to Tomred]

Very difficult when you are so symptomatic, and I was, so I found if I tried to push through I just made things a whole lot worse & much longer to recover so would sleep it off or listen to audio book - distraction really helped me.

I no longer get anxious or worry about AF - too many episodes over too many years! Things that help:-

Breathing exercises - learn 7:11 breathing - deep breath in for a count of 7 - hold for 2 - slow breath out for 11. If you can’t manage that 5:7 - important bit is to focus on slowing your breath & taking in deep breath so belly moves down & expands on in breath & up & in on out breath.

Mindfulness/meditation

Yoga

Valsalva manoeuvres- various techniques.

Doing anything you really enjoy- play music, read, art etc.

Some people don’t even know they have AF & just can not understand just how disabling it can really be, but remember & remind yourself in the middle of an episode that it’s not life threatening although it can feel as though it may be.

Do keep an eye on your HR & if it’s stays above 120 for more than 24 hours - go see your doctor or go to A&E or ER if US. or if you feel clammy, faint or have chest pain.

Hope that helps.

[Buffafly]

Hi, when I have a bout I do as little as possible, try to relax with something distracting - simple computer game, not too exciting TV - anything to get out of the cycle of your brain thinking you are in danger because your heart is acting as if you are 😰 and try doing controlled breathing if you feel panicky. I don't go to A&E unless I start feeling so breathless or faint I really can't do anything or I have chest pain which is the sign your heart is being overstrained. I don't know what your job is so I don't know if it is possible to carry on while in AF but if it is very stressful then probably not and you might be able to change to a different job sometime.

Hope that helps.

[Thomas45]

My first bout of AF was about 25 years ago. It was a Saturday evening. I came home from a day's work too tired to cook a meal so had a sit down and then the AF started. I thought I was dying. I drifted off to sleep, thinking that was it. Colleagues from work would wonder why I hadn't turned up for work on Monday and by Tuesday they'd be breaking in to find me dead in my chair.

But I woke up about five hours later, feeling fine.

I mentioned the bout to a doctor who told me not to worry about it if it was just once or twice a year. Some years later if was several times a week lasting many hours. I went to see a different doctor who told me to go to A and. E next time it happened.

About three year's ago I stopped having bouts of AF. The Paroxysmal AF has been replaced with permanent AF., 24/7. I can no longer feel my heart beating, which it does at rest between 68 and 110 beats per minute.

What do I do now? I just get on with life Soon , today, I will drive a friend to a town 5 miles away as there's no direct public transport service from my village to that town . I'm now 74. I try not to worry about my heart or anything else. The last time I rode a bike was 12 years ago. It was a police mountain bike in the Dutch city of Utrecht, with their permission.

Where I live now, on the edge of the Pennines is too hilly for cycling, except for younger cyclists.