I have just been to E.D. again. I’ve had AF FOR 12 years. My rate and rhythm are keeping me awake stressed and fed up. I’ve had a lot of stress this year of people I love dying. I know AF is electrical but can it be stress related. On sertraline again.
E.D sending me to see consultant ... at last for an M O T. I take Sotolol and Dabigatran. Any advice on stress and AF.
THANK YOU.
I totally understand the stress element to AF. I find it very difficult to deal with, but I have been meditating everyday for about 2 years and am finding that it massively helps with anxiety. There are lots of great meditation apps out there eg Calm , Insight timer,Headspace and smiling mind is totally free. You do have to persevere at the start as it takes a good few weeks to start feeling the benefit.
I hope this is helpful. X
Stress and anxiety do make our hearts play up and the pain of losing loved ones is hard to deal with. I have found Mindfulness meditation to be most helpful, helping me to concentrate on the moment and calm my mind and breathing.
FutureLearn run some free online courses through an Australian university and the exercises are simple and some can be done anywhere - eg in a waiting room at the docs or sitting quietly at home.
Stress is self perpetuating and once I had broken the worry cycle, things got much better. Might be worth a try.
Thank you very much. I will check out that one. I had first episode when my first grandchild was born 12 years ago as she stopped breathing. Then my 36 year old son then all my siblings last year and this year. Also a best friend for 53 years. So AF. keeps occurring.
Doctor said do you drink wine. I don’t. So I reckon it must me my mind that’s doing it. So I’m up for anything. 💕 cheers
Just want to agree you concerning anxiety, stress, and more. Mindfulness meditation has been a tremendous help for me. A major help when dealing afib. And I agree with another previous post that it takes some time and practice to get the calming help it can be.
Also recommend meditation. It also sounds like some sort of talking therapy may help you to process the understandable mix of emotions around the amount of loss. I have for many years had regular counselling, which helps me to cope.
I wish you well.
Thank you it’s so hard. But you all say meditation ... I’m going to try I’ve got too. Bless you
Yep. I’ve been through all of that. I had a failed cardio version which made me much more symptomatic than previously. My bisoprolol was gradually increased to 7.5mg and initially I felt a good bit better. However, I stated having strange “attacks” in the night. It turned out the the beta blocker was causing my heart rate to slow dramatically in my sleep. I’d wake up with thumping in my chest as the heart tried to expel the build up of blood pooling in its chambers!! By the time I would get to A&E my own adrenaline would have kicked in and my heart rate would be normal and I would feel much better. No one believed or understood my symptoms until one kind cardiologist decided to keep me in overnight and it all became apparent from the heat monitor! The psychological effects of so many trips to A&E really took its toll on me. I am now off beta-blockers and feeling a good bit better, but the experience of coming off 7.5mg of bisoprolol was horrendous. I am now on sertraline and it has certainly helped. That, combined with the fact that I have an insurance policy through my business that is mostly making up the the days that I am unable to work. I plan to stay on the sertraline for the foreseeable future and then gradually reduce my dose from 200mg to 50-100mg. The mindfulness apps can help too and well as activities that engage the mind fully. Be reassured that your heart may well calm down a little at some point. Mine did eventually. Stay positive.
The exacerbating factors of ED include having a young attractive wife... It is the future for every man eventually, but I had a good run and I got my share, and someone else's share I reckon... The wonderful thing is you can used to anything eventually.....but it's hard at first.. (No pun intended)
The stress from your bereavements is enough to put anyone into AF. I'm sure stress is a factor for you and others have given you good advice.
I'm really sorry to hear what a hard year you've had and hope things start to feel a bit more positive.
Not everyone thinks Afib is electrical, even doctors. (it is electrical - but something in the body is telling the heart to create those electrical circuts). Here is what I found out. Try it and see if it works for you:
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After 9 years of trying different foods and logging EVERYTHING I ate, I found sugar (and to a lesser degree, salt – i.e. dehydration) was triggering my Afib. Doctors don't want to hear this - there is no money in telling patients to eat less sugar. Each person has a different sugar threshold - and it changes as you get older, so you need to count every gram of sugar you eat every day (including natural sugars in fruits, etc.). My tolerance level was 190 grams of sugar per day 8 years ago, 85 grams a year and a half ago, and 60 grams today, so AFIB episodes are more frequent and last longer (this is why all doctors agree that afib gets worse as you get older). If you keep your intake of sugar below your threshold level your AFIB will not happen again (easier said than done of course). It's not the food - it's the sugar (or salt - see below) IN the food that's causing your problems. Try it and you will see - should only take you 1 or 2 months of trial-and-error to find your threshold level. And for the record - ALL sugars are treated the same (honey, refined, agave, natural sugars in fruits, etc.). I successfully triggered AFIB by eating a bunch of plums and peaches one day just to test it out. In addition, I have noticed that moderate exercise (7-mile bike ride or 5-mile hike in the park) often puts my Afib heart back in to normal rhythm a couple hours later. Don’t know why – perhaps you burn off the excess sugars in your blood/muscles or sweat out excess salt?? I also found that strenuous exercise does no good – perhaps you make yourself dehydrated??
I'm pretty sure that Afib is caused by a gland(s) - like the Pancreas - or an organ that, in our old age, is not working well anymore and excess sugar or dehydration is causing them to send mixed signals to the heart - for example telling the heart to beat fast and slow at the same time - which causes it to skip beats, etc. I can't prove that (and neither can my doctors), but I have a very strong suspicion that that is the root cause of our Afib problems. I am working on this with a Nutritionist and hope to get some definitive proof in a few months.
Also, in addition to sugar, if you are dehydrated - this will trigger AFIB as well. It seems (but I have no proof of this) that a little uptick of salt in your blood is being treated the same as an uptick of sugar - both cause AFIB episodes. (I’m not a doctor – it may be the sugar in your muscles/organs and not in your blood, don’t know). In any case you have to keep hydrated, and not eat too much salt. The root problem is that our bodies are not processing sugar/salt properly and no doctor knows why, but the AFIB seems to be a symptom of this and not the primary problem, but medicine is not advanced enough to know the core reason that causes AFIB at this time. You can have a healthy heart and still have Afib – something inside us is triggering it when we eat too much sugar or get (even a little) dehydrated. Find out the core reason for this and you will be a millionaire and make the cover of Time Magazine! Good luck! - Rick Hyer
PS – there is a study backing up this data you can view at:
Cardiab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2840-7-28
Wow. What a great thing to consider. I will look at this and as I like to know what’s what and find out the reason why.
I did for my son and try to find trials for his cancer. I even got my local MP to take a petition to Jeremy Hunt. So thank you for all the info. Amazing and well done.
Hi Jo
Do you know why you have been put on Sotalol and not Flecainide? I started on Sotalol - which is not usual. Which didn't really work. I was switched to Flecainide and Bisoprolol and am much less symptomatic when I have AF episodes now. I also take magnesium and drink herbal tea for sleeping better. I lost my husband in 2014 which was stressful and not helpful for Afib. Time helps things get better. Take care X
Hi. I was put on it 12 years ago and it’s never been changed. Now it’s been increased by doctor I saw at ED I’ve had echo and Holter monitor. Got app in May after app been cancelled. It’s making me tired and brain fogged. So I’m asking if there is another beta blocker I can take with less side effects. I had Flecainide as chemical cardioversion it stopped it in 15 minutes. So yes I’m going to ask. Thank you for your information. X
My son died of a brain tumour in 2012 since then it’s got worse then family and friends life long friends have died sisters brother all last year. So at the moment the head fog is a blessing stops me thinking. But I don’t like it. But the increase in Sotalol has helped.
Sorry to hear about your husband. Life changes big time doesn’t it? My son had only just had his first child when they gave him Three years.
I'm so sorry to hear of the tragedies life has dealt you. A mother never expects to outlive her children.
Beta blockers have made me a little tireder and my mind seems less sharper which I can trace back to when I started them. Soltolol affected me less ( it is also an anti arrhythmia drug as you know).
Frankly with all you have been through brain fog may not totally be due to the meds but stress and sleep deprivation.
I really wish you all the best and send you hugs x
I don’t sleep much. First 4 hours then bits here and there but not much. Bless you thank you for your kind words. Sorry for you too with hubby.
Hi so it does seem Flecainide could work nicely for you. Maybe there is a reason your Dr put you on Sotalol. Do you have Paroxysmal Afib from time to time or is yours persistent ( can be cardioverted) or permanent.?
X
PA it comes and goes for 12 years also got mild pulmonary hypertension thickened mitral valve. Had pericarditis. Not had an episode since November 19.
Sounds like Sotalol works for you then. I have more episodes since I changed to Flec but they are short and asymptomatic. On Sotalol I had episodes every 2 months which lasted between 10:to 14 hours.. And on Flec I don't have ( noticeable) ectopics . On Sotalol I had loads which were very annoying.
Wow funny how we are all different. I had one lasted 30 hours had to go to ED. My heart goes crazy. Fast rate and the rhythm is crazy too. So when you say yours are asymptomatic how does it feel how do you know you are having an episode. ???
Well when I started having Afib I wasn't on medication of course so I had trips to the hospital to be monitored and these episodes lasted at least 24 hours. After I started Sotalol my episodes were between 10 - 14 hours. Now they are maximum 6 but mostly brief runs of a few minutes or seconds with maybe 1 episode a month of 1 -3 hours which converts naturally. I know Afib is progressive but at the moment I can live with it without being stressed. I know am in Afib because something doesn't feel right. It is a very butterfly like feeling. Not heavy thumping. I don't feel breathless or faint. But I think finding this site has helped a lot. I was anxious a few years ago but I'm much more laid back now since I understand it better.
X
Delayed stress response
Will my AF get worse if I don’t take medication.
Possible ablation pending
paroxysmal AF and flying 
