Posture and Flutters

[Padayn01]

Happy New Year everyone, just wanted to ask does any one out there that suffers from AF have any flutters due to posture position i.e leaning back on chair bending forward or lying down, i seem to suffer from this a lot and its driving me crazy as when i lean back i cant lean back for to long or i get a flutter or if i sit up for to long i will get a flutter its so annoying and just don't know what causing it or how to make it better

[Ianp66]

Happy new year Pad, before the ablation I was guaranteed to have something start if I laid flat during the night , even now I sleep with 3 pillows raised never flat . And for some reason lying on my left side could near always initiate something.

A heavy meal also could trigger me, so little and often with food was good for me and still is .

I think a lot of my flutters and afib were vagal linked, and losing a bit weight, watching what food I eat, stop alcohol etc, and improving my fitness helped me no end.

Magnesium for me was a massive help in calming misbehaving beats, and I put Epsom salts (magnesium again) in every bath, and I still take one capsule every night now post ablation , and can tell the difference with the inner calm it seems to offer if a nighttime dose is missed.

I'm still guilty of listening and being over sensitive to my heart, I think all of us with afib or who suffered Tachycardia with it in particular become acutely aware of our heartbeat and a little oversensitive to things we didn't notice prior to this worrying and life changing thing we all suffer with, it's hard but relax and it probably will ease it .

[Padayn01 in reply to Ianp66]

Happy New Year to you gov'nor also hope all is well, yeah your right its bloody horrible when these flutters set off, since i've spoken to you back in September i started taken Magnesium once a day since than also take Epsom Salt baths once or twice a week started taking this Fish Oil supplement that contains EPA and DHA as i heard it was good, only been starting to take one tablet a day since NYE and all going well until today as the flutters have been quite bad, quite bad since a long time so don't know if that contributed to it. Just so exhausting all this AF stuff and trying to get it right, how are you now Pal? seems like to got a good formula going in controlling this AF Beast, good to hear from you pal

[Ianp66 in reply to Padayn01]

All good thanks mate. Been nothing in months apart from odd little flutter for seconds if that when overtired, lack of sleep, and even got through a recent flu bug (man type) 😂, virtually unscathed . Touch wood it stays that way. I'm keeping on track with diet changes and exercise and it's paying off so far, it's a bloody juggling act like you say and sometimes no rhyme or reason for attacks or flutter, just faulty wiring, we need a good sparky sort out the job.

[Padayn01 in reply to Ianp66]

😂😂😂 sparky that made me laugh mate I’m glad it’s going well mate you deserve it pal, stay in touch 👍🏼

[Gowers in reply to Ianp66]

So agree with everything you have said - especially being over sensitive to dealing with af.

[Ianp66 in reply to Gowers]

Definitely in my case Gowers I'm guilty of being oversensitive , I do know I over analyse things with my ocd , and the psychological effects of afib are as damaging as the physical attributes, yet it still can put me off guard at times when I least expect it .

Luckily we have an excellent forum here to empathise and understand each others concerns and genuine anxiety, which most people can't and don't understand, for instance when something such as a simple skipped beat or slightly racing heart for whatever simple reason triggers the fight or flight response, then it's a battle to stay calm.

Thankfully we have a great bunch of people here who genuinely understand the ups and downs we all manage on a daily basis, and I think it helps that we can all talk and not feel isolated which then in itself continues the circle of anxiety.

[creschendo in reply to Ianp66]

Hi Ian

The impact of sleeping / laying on your left side is pretty well known & widely discussed. e.g. this article afibbers.org/forum/read.php...

In the early stages of my AF I also needed one of those V shaped pillows, couldn't lay flat and during some phases I could barely sleep at all - had to sit bolt upright. I also found that slouching on the couch was no good - had to sit on a kitchen chair to watch TV.

Looking back I think this extreme sensitivity to posture must have reduced as my fitness improved, certainly it was long gone by the time I had my ablation.

I guess the main point is - no, you are not making this up, there are scientific explanations for the left side / right side thing and (in my opinion) by extension to any other posture which impacts the physical pressure on your heart.

Take care

[Ianp66 in reply to creschendo]

Totally agree, interesting reading so many similar experiences , and since my ablation and now being much fitter a peaceful left sided sleep is lovely.

[Padayn01 in reply to Ianp66]

Need to raise my exercise levels but I’m just so scared of setting off my heart, need to sort out my anxiety levels

[Ianp66 in reply to Padayn01]

I know exactly how your feeling mate, but take it easy, just set small goals, and walking is the best I found at first steady away , probably find a bit exercise helps with anxiety as well, as my little nephew told me it releases endolphins 🐬 😂

[Padayn01 in reply to Ianp66]

Brilliant 😂

[Padayn01 in reply to creschendo]

How did it get better for you?

[Padayn01 in reply to creschendo]

Just saw fitness improved it for you how long ago you had your abalation?

[creschendo in reply to Padayn01]

Hi Paday - just over a year. No AF episodes since.

Also, I'd like to endorse what Ianp66 says about exercise. When AF first hit (4 years ago) I started out walking about one km and then catching the bus back. Graduated to walking there and back, then further, then eventually further still. I would stop whenever I wanted, I had no pace that I needed to set, no time that I needed to meet, plenty of water and I went early in the day to avoid too much sun.

If asked to describe my early exercise regime I would say, it's not really walking, it's strolling

Start wherever you are comfortable and build at a pace that suits you.

All the best

[Padayn01 in reply to creschendo]

Brilliant thank you

[grussell49 in reply to Ianp66]

I could write the same story

Thanks for sharing

[Breezera]

Hi Padayn - Happy New Year to you too.

Prior to my PVI cryoablation (Aug. 2018) a-fib would sometimes initiate due to posture position (e.g. bending forward, leaning to my left while seated, etc.). Since having my PVI ablation I have thankfully been completely a-fib free.

It is my belief that posture position can change/influence the relative position/location of the pulmonary veins (PVs) with respect to their attachment to the left atrium. It is my understanding the main trigger for fib in the majority of paroxysmal a-fib sufferers is "misbehaving" PVs. How and why misbehaving PVs can affect the functioning of the upper chambers of the heart is a topic unto itself!

To gain some insight I recommend doing some online research (as I did) into the physical characteristics of the pulmonary veins where they attach to the heart. Cardiac-type tissue can extend well into the PVs, and this is where rogue electrical signals can be generated and influence the left atrium.

Hope this helps!

Best wishes,

Richard

[Padayn01 in reply to Breezera]

Richard fantastic thanks very much for this it’s just when I sit back for long or lie on my side I get these skipped beats horrible, so happy for you mate that the abalation worked happy new year to you also 👍🏼

[FiveMilesSouth in reply to Breezera]

Thanks for this thread all. I have noticed that my AFib can be triggered by sitting upright after sitting bent over for a while.

So when I straighten up to resume a healthy posture, it can trigger a brief episode of 5 - 10 seconds of palpitations. This last time it went on for a week.

After a few days I had a video call with my osteopath who showed me some exercises to do. It went that night. I think correcting the posture helped.

Is there are research into the relationship between posture, blood flow and AFib?

[Padayn01 in reply to FiveMilesSouth]

Do you think I should see an osteopath for better posture?