Increase of AFIB events recently?

[Gloucswan]

Hi,

Just doing a bit of a straw pole as i was wondering if anybody else has had more afib epsiodes in the last week or two than they have had in the last 12 months or so?

I felt a bit under the weather last week (headache, but no cough or temperature) and i noticed i was getting more short runs of it in the day time eg. when bending over, sitting down in the evening and having dinner late. This week i have felt fine apart form having full on runs of AFIB (approx 6-9 hours). These have mainly occurred on going to bed, during the night or first thing on rising.

Has any one else experienced an increase? Any suggestions why? I am assuming that either i had some sort of virus last week and it has inflamed/irritated my heart and i am still having the after effects of it even though i feel well or my AFIB has suddenly got a lot worse!!

Just for info i am P-Afib and iam on Nebivolol(5mg)

Thanks

[Kaz747]

My AFib has been fine but I’ve had 3 or 4 episodes of atrial tachycardia over the past week- probably stress related (Having to cancel a big trip and international party 10 years in the planning and losing my job - not a great week).

[Hidden]

I wonder if it’s anything to do with the fact that most of us are scared sh**less about what might happen over the coming months.....just a thought!

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

Works for me John.

[Gloucswan in reply to Hidden]

Could be FlapJack. I don't feel overly anxious about everything at the moment, however you never know what you subconcious is doing!

[soupersue]

Blood pressure up and many more small Afib attacks. I know its what is happening that is causing it and have talked to my GP who has prescribed anti anxiety pills.

Was going to ask members if anyone takes Sertraline as well as Verapramil and Warfarin?

[doodle68]

Hi

Gloucswan I empathise . has anything changed in your life?

After 3 years of stable P-AF, in December after a year of episodes happening every couple of months they suddenly started happening every 10 days.

I was so disappointed, I have done everything I can with regard to lifestyle changes to delay the progression losing weight/perfect diet/no alchohol/avoid stress/increase exercise but progressing it is. I comfort myself with the though that without these measures AF may have progressed faster and I am now pretty fit in spite of being 71/P-AF/asthma and bronchitis.

If I am ill in any way it often coincides with an episode. I have bronchitis at the moment and keep getting little runs of P--AF which I am managing to head off with breathing excercises

I am on Nebivolol and Apixaban, the episodes last about 8-10 hours and are symptomatic. I was about to go to clinic to try a prescription of Flecainide but that is out of the window for now with the clinic closed due to virus.

For now I will take my usuall measures during episodes and carry on...

I hope you can sort yours out soon .

[Gloucswan in reply to doodle68]

Hi doodle68,

Sorry to hear yours is progressing. I am similar to you in that i have made lifestyles changes to try and make a differnec but over the last couple of weeks it has got worse. So i am coming the conclusion that it is either anxiety related/illness/AF progression. Just trying to bottom it out

In answer to your first question nothing has really changed recently that i thought would be a trigger.

What breathing technique due follow? I just do controlled belly breathing and that seems to stop any vagal AF. If i have about of 'normal' AF then deep breathing doesn't really help.

Thanks

[doodle68 in reply to Gloucswan]

Hi GS it sounds as though you are doing all the right things too, Yes I use Diaphragmatic/'belly' breathing and even if it doesn't stop an episode I believe it takes my attention, help me to sleep through part of an episode, helps to get a good supply of oxygenated blood around my body, reduces anxiety and decrease HR and BP so all in all very usefull even if it did take me a while to grasp something which is like rubbing my tummy while patting my head .

I changed nothing, it just happened and I am so disappointed . But I am not daunted , I am a stubborn 'I will do it if it kills me kind of person ' and will live with it and enjoy good days . I have totaly discounted an ablation it is not for me but I would try cardio version if an episode goes on too long.

Stay well

[Auriculaire in reply to doodle68]

I have had weedy lungs since childhood -family trait and growing up in cotton mill country did not help. Every winter I would get a cough with my first cold and cough through till April. My teachers used to shout at me - it obviously did not occur to them that I was not coughing for pleasure! At 31 I developed asthma as a result of a series of desensitising injections against cat fur and pollen ( sneezing and runny nose ) . I dreaded getting colds as they always went on my chest. In 1999 I ended up having to be put on a nebuliser after a partlcular bad cold / flu. I was diagnosed with a vit d deficiency in 2007. Since this has been corrected I have been much better. Not only do I catch far less colds they affect my chest far less too. My asthma is better even in autumn (allergic to mold spores). If I do get any hint of chestiness I double up on n acetyl cysteine that I take a small dose of every day. This is a phlegm fluidifier .

[doodle68 in reply to Auriculaire]

Hi Aut I will do some reserch into AC thank you.

Similar history in some ways, my Mother died when I was a baby (my brother came home from school to find her dead and the baby ...me crying) and I was sent to live with an Aunt who hadn't quite grasped that Drs were free to consult so when I caught whooping cough and became very ill only 'homely remedies' were used. Consequently my lungs became weak and suceptable to bronchitis most winters. I was only diagnosed with chronic bronchitis and late onset asthma in my 50s.

I wonder if all this has been a factor in my developing AF.

It may have been you who recommended 'loading' VitD3 when I mentioned I has been diagosed with a deficiency. I can't believe the difference from this time last year when I could hardly walk and getting up the stairs or out of a chair a difficult process. My legs and lower back pain are a %100 better so if it was you many thanks

[Auriculaire in reply to doodle68]

It probably was. My deficiency was discovered when I had pain in my left thigh so bad I could barely walk. The problem had been gradually getting worse over months. We went on an Arctic circle cruise in the September and when we came back I felt so generally unwell ( not like I'd had a holiday at all!) I finally saw my GP and he ordered a test. Rock bottom ( by standards here) despite my spending lots of time outside and living in a sunny place. I was covering up too much skin (fair and easily burnt) to get any real amount when gardening and eating lots oily fish wasn't doing the business. He gave me a loading dose of 600,000iu and within 4 days the pain in my leg was gone. Since then I have stopped the loading doses and gone onto daily drops as this gives a more consistent level. The loading ampoules were wearing off after a couple of months. I keep my levels high. There is an interesting web site called vit d wiki which has lots of links to vit d studies. It is interesting that the leading scientists in vit d research have quite different views on the amounts of vit d that are necessary for overall good health than most public health bodies and personally take very high doses in winter . There is even a doctor in South America who is using enormous doses to treat MS. As for the NAC this was recommended by my local pharmacy the last time I had a cold and cough (March 2016). It worked so well I did a bit of research on it and found it was an immune stimulator too. The downside for us is that it has some "blood thinning" properties but I have not yet found out if this is anti coagulant or anti aggregant. Anyway I am taking the risk and usually take the lowest dose. Taking magnesium is a good idea with vit d according to some researchers but there is no consensus. I take magnesium taurate anyway.

[doodle68 in reply to Auriculaire]

''I take magnesium taurate anyway.''

So do I

[Cookie24 in reply to Auriculaire]

What dose of n acetyl cysteine?

[Auriculaire in reply to Cookie24]

I take 600mg a day. I 'm not sure the tablets come in smaller doses. There are 1000mg tablets that I have broke in half but I prefer capsules and the ones I get are 600mg.

[excop999]

Well glad to know I am not alone, had 3 episodes in last week which each time the bisoprolrol 2.5 mg worked wonders and returned to NSR within 4 hours. Had a period of only 1 episode prior to that in 3 months. For me direction correlation with the COVID stuff and my anxiety levels. Always get the bloating in the stomach, random ectopics and then in the night the fun begins. . Was diagnosed after Influenza A in January 2019 so avoiding this COVID like the plague. . Keep safe people, keep the anxiety levels low. Watch some happy TV or at night get the relaxing music on..

[7164 in reply to excop999]

Always in the night!! Scared to go to bed’n

[excop999]

I meant had AFIB diagnosis as a result of FLu A.

[Sixtychick]

It’s definitely stress. Shopping is making me anxious and stressed at the moment. It’s horrendous, try to go at night to avoid crowds and there’s hardly anything left so you have to go round several shops, therefore putting yourself at more risk. Just wish panic buying would stop, so everyone gets a chance to get their shopping. If you order on line they don’t have the stuff or you have to wait a long time for delivery. Keep well folks.

[Auriculaire]

My afib has been behaving but I too have had a mild headache for about 10 days plus some tenderness in the neck glands. The occasional ectopic but nothing worse. I think probably I've got a virus of some sort or am fighting one off.

[Bambi65]

I have had none for the last 4 days! As of the first of the month I was in AFIB 11 out of 17 days. I dont take any meds besides anticoagulant. The last few days has been quiet, peaceful, but Ive been sleeping alot also. Guess Im catching up on missed sleep. Feels great not to have any AFIB.!

[Tapanac]

I have too, but I put it down to being anxious for the family and this wretched Coronavirus. Going stir crazy already. Feel better soon

[7164]

Yep me too. I have had a flu type illness for three weeks. Worst sore throat I ever had, eyes stuck together, weak and so tired. This has coincided with my symptomatic paf making life miserable. Add in the Coronavirus anxiety and a hospitalisation due to adverse reaction to my first try of flecainide. So not good.

Tried the Headspace site for the anxiety but can’t get it to work.

Any other good meditation site with Vagal breathing tips??

Rod