Fear of an afib attack

[Arctic2020]

I’m new to paroxysmal afib and am very symptomatic how do I carry on daily with crippling fear of an attack xo

[Finvola]

I do sympathise Arctic as I thought exactly the same after diagnosis. Constant worry about another attack and its embarrassing gastric side effects, worry about the future, how to cope and on and on - especially at 4am.

Coping with a diagnosis of AF comes from several different directions - treatment which alleviates the symptoms, realising that you are coping, putting AF into the background of your life - taking away the control which the condition has over you. None of this happens overnight but I viewed every step forward as a major victory - my first trip out alone to shop was like a major achievement (which it was).

Set yourself small goals - have a mantra - mine is ‘this too shall pass’ and remember that we all once were where you are today and we’ve come through it. Very best wishes.

[Arctic2020 in reply to Finvola]

Thanks xo

[Hidden]

I remember that anxiety/ fear, it took me a good year to kind of get over it and believe a fib wasnt going to kill me. I think it’s the unknown thats the hardest. It took me awhile to be brave and go do things without worrying “ what if”. The longer time between episodes, the easier it gets. Last episode I had , my reaction wasnt fear, it was more annoyance, like unwelcome weekend relatives😂. Time and knowledge will give you power.

[Arctic2020 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks

[Hidden in reply to Arctic2020]

Keep us posted on how it goes for you

[Bagrat]

I am a serial worrier so understand where you are coming from. You've had excellent advice already.

Sometimes it really helps if you can change the way you look at your situation. I'm a very pragmatic soul and was surprised and delighted when I found mindfulness meditation helped me.

There are lots of such things on YouTube but I have found Mark Williams good.

His book below is an 8 week down to earth course and comes with cd or in the Eversions mp3s

Mark Williams and 1 more

Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World (Includes Free CD with Guided Meditations)

[Hanibal]

I've the same condition for 18 months now.

The Consultant and my GP told me that AF will not kill you and they both advised me not to become a "Cardiac Cripple" ~ get on with life.

They were right.

Scary as it is, it will generally come on when you don't expect it and usually when it's not convenient. Last Saturday I was in AF for 8 hours through the night and right up to the turnstile at the football match! Then again during holidays.

I can't ignore it, but I know it will pass. I keep records of the events to help me understand how much of the time I'm actually in AF and I found that knowing frequencies versus time made me realize that I'm in control, not it.

Chin up!

[CDreamer]

If you go to many forum member & look at their 1st post you will see it is often similar to your own.

But in your question lies your answer - it’s the fear which is crippling - not the condition.

Bagrat’s suggestion of finding a way to cope with the anxiety is the key - so you can do it (being anything you want to do) anyway.

Everyone’s AF is different & the most important thing to learn is how to cope with your tolerances. Eg. Exercise is excellent for you, even in AF, but never push yourself. If you used to run, learn to walk. Listen to your body, when you feel tired - rest, but neither let that be an excuse for not doing anything.

It takes a long time to learn your own idiosyncratic AF nature & a year is probably right but what I found is that as soon as I thought I got it taped, it morphed & still takes me by surprise.

But remember - you have lots of support here from people who have also been through what you are now & survived.

13 year survivor with AF (& a few other things). Currently holidaying in Maderia & considering taking the sled ride - because I know it will scare me! But that’s 👍

[Ianc2 in reply to CDreamer]

Good to hear that you are in Madeira. I will be going in July to Funchal - Any words of advice about walking or things worth doing?

[CDreamer in reply to Ianc2]

Lots of interesting walking tours for all levels, but it is rocky. You can look for Lavada walks which follow the water courses - but quite steep so good walking shoes? We are going up the 🚠 to the Botanical gardens & the sled 🛷 ride downntoday🤢. I let you know the fear level this evening.

Lots of history - very beautiful - visit the market to taste exotic fruits such as Delicious fruit. You won’t be bored. Watch out for the cruise ships & try to plan around the days they AREN’T in Funchal.

[Hidden]

Hi I have par afib since 2018 and I was the same could not go out thinking I was going to die but anxiety got the better of me now a year later feel so much better tablets are working so you will get there meditation helps me

[bigbearatthecave]

HI, I am not a Doctor, but when i was first diagnosed with PAFib I dreaded going anywhere which for a Company MD was a disaster. However an Amercian surgeon on a forum said to me - remember it will not kill you just stop thinking about it and get on with life. When you stop listening or feeling for it you will be great - ( unless of course you have a mjor ticker problem causing it ) So switch off the brain and smart watch

[Coco51]

Members above have given you great advice. But it's an awful feeling and it takes time and effort to get through it. We only have one heart and when it bangs around out of our control, then it is such a palpable reminder of our mortality. Even though AF is not life-threatening it takes time to believe that at an emotional level! I do think panic sets in and makes it worse, so as people above have said you will find your own way to deal with that. I became very agoraphobic. For me the answer was finding a brilliant psychotherapist who also practises hypnotherapy. In 8 sessions I learnt self-hypnosis which is like meditation in some ways. I found her very quickly through Anxiety UK which is a charity. anxietyuk.org.uk/

But everybody's answer is different.

You will get there. ❤

[Arctic2020 in reply to Coco51]

Thanks so much

[Ianc2]

Do something positive. Give yourself an MOT. Height, weight, BMI, Blood sugar , waist half your height? Cholesterol levels, blood pressure..

Exercise routines, how much, how often? When do you eat and what do you eat?

I have had an irregular heartbeat for about 20 years. Sometimes it is a complete nuisance and I have to think about how high I go when walking in Austria.

[sfh3l]

Morning Arctic and my sympathies on your recent diagnosis. The first thing to say is that you are in the right place on this forum, as you will find a wealth of support and experience here that will probably short-circuit much of the worry that being alone with this would entail.

I spent most of my 20's worrying that I was going to expire at some point soon and how to cope with the embarrassment, uncertainty and low mood that AF brought with it. 'Support' was non existent from the Health community at that point. It comprised hollow assurances that my episode had been a one-off that would never be repeated (despite my having been symptomatic on and off for a decade by that point, when CV was performed) and meaningless statements about how rare AF was and so on. The internet wasn't an option then either (1990) and so I had a decade in the dark in too many respects.

Information is everything. That is where a group like this is so empowering, as well as the wealth of info that is now out there on the net. Inform yourself as widely as you can, take comfort from the fact that you are not alone and learn about your own AF - what you do that brings it on or exacerbates it, as well as what you can do to moderate it. That is what has got me through my various trials with this bloody condition and continues to do so. At the end of the day there is no getting away from this, so it becomes a question of how you live with it in a manner that doesn't allow it to crowd out everything else in your life. Not easy, but when you compare it to the alternative of a lonely, depressive isolation with doom, it doesn't look so bad

Don't get sad, get even.

[Arctic2020 in reply to sfh3l]

Thanks

[rothwell]

As Hoski calls it below ...please exchange the word "attack" to "episode "...hopefully this will psychologically take away some of your fear.

[Arctic2020 in reply to rothwell]

Thanks

[CDreamer]

PS - July & August can be very hot - last year 35C. This morning 21C at 8 am but hottest has been 27C.

[doodle68]

Hi Arctic what is it you fear about an episode of P-AF.

It can help if you understand that P-AF feeds on the adrenaline release caused by fear and anxiety , it increases an already fast heart rate and it can become a vicious circle so learning to control fear is a useful tool to cope with AF .

Tell yourself the enemy of P-AF is calm ...

I can remember my first episodes of P-AF and the fear as I struggled to fight the breathlessness, body weakness and being unable to control my situation.

I have taken control and although my frequent episodes lasting many hours are inconvenient I am not afraid of them . I achieved this by having a plan of action.

Firstly I learnt breathing and relaxation techniques, I use diaphram breathing the moment an episode starts to help get a good supply of oxygen into my body and to calm myself , I do those jobs I have to do than lay down and use relaxation techniques to divert my attention from the episode with radio/TV or a book. If I am lucky I will fall asleep for a while.

The worst aspect of episodes for me is not knowing whan one will happen and having to cancel commitments when I do .

So stay strong, keep calm and know you can live with AF .

[Arctic2020 in reply to doodle68]

Thanks so much

[Buffafly]

My biggest worries with AF are 1 Possibly having to go to A&E if my HR is too fast as I can't take meds at home (long story) 2 Having to cancel an engagement. I know other people have worse symptoms than I do so I don't expect everybody to feel the same. My symptoms are: Feeling jittery, slight cramping pain in the neck or chest, slight lightheadedness, breathlessness on exertion, upset stomach (the most inconvenient bit). What are yours?

[Arctic2020 in reply to Buffafly]

Syncope nausea weird feeling in my head and neck/jaw unable to ignore and work ER Boxing Day where I started my afib SVT expirations my HR at one point was 285 they we’re going to cardiovert me then I went into sinus rhythm (4 hours later)

[Buffafly in reply to Arctic2020]

😱 Very understandable you're scared of further episodes!

[Hidden]

You might be able to stop your Afib episodes or at least make them less severe. Give this a try 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 (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, Thyroid (sends signals to the heart to increase speed or strength of beat), Adrenal Gland (sends signals to increase heart rate), Sympathetic Nerve (increases heart rate) or Vagus Nerve (decreases heart rate), Hypothalamus Gland or others - 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...

[Hatten28]

Hello, I have had a fib for 20 years, my beta blockers kept it well under control until late last year and three severe episodes in jan this year, one really severe, also had a very bad cold at the same time. For the first time I felt really bad anxiety, my stomach constantly churned, unable to eat or sleep as terrified of it occurring again. Doc said you don’t die of a fib however prescribed Diazepam, I took as least dose as possible and became gradually better , so stopped taking the Diazepam, now I sing in my head if I feel nervous, won’t inflict it on others. Found that keeping busy really helps, stops the brain thinking of what if? Believe me you will feel better soon, the fear will subside.

This forum is really good for helping others, helped me enormously

Good luck keep cheerful