Are there any warning signs or symptoms that an episode of AF is likely to happen or about to start with those diagnosed with PAF?
If so, is there anything that can be done to prevent it?
Hope these are not daft questions.
Any warning signs/symptoms that an ep... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Any warning signs/symptoms that an episode of PAF is about to start?
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Frustrated12
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It has been 18+ months since my last a fib episode. Usually I feel tired for no reason, then I feel my jaw and neck ache then when it kicks in, feels like my heart is doing cart wheels in my chest. I try and relax, cough a few times, do deep controlled breathing and stay hydrated. I try to stay as calm as I can. There have been a couple times I felt like it was starting and after a few hard coughs it went away, but that doesnt happen often enough.
Frustrated12 in reply to
Thank you.
There is no such thing as a daft question.....if there was, I would have been thrown out ages ago!
I was diagnosed with persistent AF so had no experience of PAF. However, after CV’s and 2 ablations, there have been a number of times when I have experienced episodes, all of which were stopped quickly using Flecainide as a PiP. It’s difficult to explain it with words, but I almost always was aware that an episode was going to occur. It was generally when I was feeling particularly stressed or anxious about something which 9 times out of 10, turned out to be unimportant, but as the symptoms increased, the inevitability increased with it. My legs would begin to feel heavy and a bit shaky, my breathing would become more difficult and my upper body more jittery. As mentioned, I knew a PiP was likely to help pretty quickly so I didn’t really try anything else. Of course, we are all different, but hope this helps......
Frustrated12 in reply to
Thank you. Opening sentence made me smile!
I think everyone experiences AF differently but commonly heard people say:- A sense of pending doom, anxiety for no reason, fast HR, slow HR, adrenaline rush feeling, bubble feeling in chest/stomach, excessive burping/indigestion to name a few.
Deep slow breathing - anything that promotes relaxation sometimes works, vasovagal manoeuvres.
Thank you. Much appreciated all three replies.
To add to CDreamer’s reply, I will also have palpitations.
I agree with CD. That’s how I usually feel before an episode.
Yes I always have symptoms that forewarn AF. I have had 2 ablations, the 1st lasted 6 yrs. , the 2nd has lasted 3 yrs. and going. I n the fall I started having symptoms again and mentioned it to my EP. He said many people experience this he put me on drug therapy and scheduled me for another ablation in the spring. So far the drug is working and if it continues to I will cancel the spring appointment. This is strictly to control symptoms , mine make me so uncomfortable, anxious . I get light headed, extremely tired, palpations, and a heaviness in my chest. I drink iced water and cough which helps.Mostly I try to stay calm. I think it takes a lot of self control to live with this condition. Pam
Thank you. Much appreciated.
Hiya,
Anything from feeling as if I was about to go down with flu .... to palpitations ..... to digestive issues, most particularly massive and painful bloating .... the latter for me was the humdinger of all time. Sleeping on my left side, that's a tricky one.
Not much really to do to prevent it .... for me take ongoing care of my diet so as to avoid bloating .... not much I have found possible with the other stuff, just let it happen and go with the flow.
John
Usually, I find that there is a marked increase in the number of ectopics for an hour or so beforehand. When these are picked up early, it is *sometimes* possible to head off the PAF by taking an extra Sotalol or perhaps walking briskly. I would also avoid eating anything. I think this will be different for different people however.
Hi there
Definitely extreme tiredness the day before and feeling anxious/restless for no reason.
Reading all your comments on this is encouraging to say the least, as I too have thought it a daft question and always wonder if what I feel at the 'beginning' is in fact real. I usually start with a big 'jump' of heartbeat like you just got a big fright...then the bag of worms start their wriggling. I'm told my breathing changes by other folks who see me when it starts then like others my first 'remedy' is the breathing...in for 5 then slow out for 7. This does work for me, usually but after 2/3 hours I have to take an extra Flecainide though I know for me that takes a good hour or so to kick in.
stay well all,
Blue x
Dropped beats for a few hours before it starts. Then often gets going after a meal. Bloating is the most consistent feature in my episodes. I think Pepcid and magnesium and potassium help me, but not everyone can take them depending on what meds they are on.
No symptoms , but chest infection makes it more likely
I sometimes get a day feeling extremely well, with loads of energy, and I buzz around doing everything I can -then that night it will strike!
If I may Echo, what others have said, there are no daft questions here.
Some of my first symptom are yawning. Im not tired at all, just couldnt stop yawning. Another first is a few random extra beats, two or three together then back to regular. Then there is Putting my head down lower than my heart, when I am pulling weeds from the yard or picking up stuff from the floor. A few times in the last year it just goes from normal 58 HR right into 180 HR, without warning, Im so use to this, when I do go into AFIB, I do my best to ignore it and just keep going on with whatever I am doing. Majority of the time I can just push through it and ignore it. Very few times it will knock me on my butt, and thats usually when im over 180 and tired.
I haven't found anything that really stops it or prevents it (and Ive tried alot), some things will slow the frequency down for me; getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, eating very small meals etc.
If I was coming down with an illness it would sometimes make it more likely for PAF to strike. I had no really noticeable tell tale signs before, although sometimes I would feel very cold, tired or stressed. I never managed to avoid it - I guess if lifestyle allows it the best strategy would be to remain as relaxed, sleep rich, moderately exercised and healthily fed as possible, but I'm guessing this may not stop all attacks.
P.S. not daft questions more a daft condition that appears so variable and unpredictable - if it was less destructive of your lifestyle it would be laughable!!
Yes I am the same as jeanjeanie, feel really upbeat and happy, everything alright with the world, then between 1-2am I wake up with the dreaded AF, up and down to the loo all night, then cramp in my legs starts. This all goes to show AF is so different for everyone!!!!!
I'm just the same. It always seems to strike when I'm feeling upbeat, which makes it extra hateful!
Like others I usually have an increased frequency of ectopics immediately before an episode. Then it feels like a run of ectopics turn into AF.
Thanks for this great question. I've wondered this too and how I wish I could stave them off.
For me, stress is the main factor - it's family illness I can't control.
Mine often strike when I roll over in bed at night so I roll over slowly.
Also, I often feel like my heart is working harder when I get out of bed, like it's threatening. So I try to move slowly and carefully.
Then after I've had one I feel like the pressure is for a while, until it builds up again.
I have them once a month on average.
BIG thank you everyone. It’s wonderful to see so many people trying to help.
I usually get a feeling of "anxiousness" about 5 or 10 minutes before my afib kicks in. But by that time there is no stopping it. I suspect whatever organ/gland that is misbehaving and sending false signals to the heart is also making me feel (falsely) anxious, as I am never anxious about anything - pretty laid back. In any case, here is some data that I have accumulated over the years that might help 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 (afternoon) 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:
https//cardiab.biomedcentral.com/a...
Frustrated12 in reply to
Most interesting. Thanks and Best wishes.
nikonBlue in reply to
wow, really interesting to read. I often think that sugar has a lot to do with my AF. I'll start a food diary methinks and log anything that seems to entice an episode, especially sugar when I've been a bit suss about that for some time. Thanks for sharing that!
stay well,
Blue x
Just reading about others symptons makes me feel as though it might start! Yes all these things happen to me too so I better close! Hate this condition😠😠
For me I tend to be exhausted the day before, that has always been my biggest indicator. Like falling asleep sitting up exhausted with no real reason to be.
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