It would be interesting (& save the NHS a lot of money) to know from anyone with a similar experience out there if it is relatively common for certain lifestyle actions to stop as well as start an AF episode; maybe this surprising situation is experienced by just those with a sensitive Vagus Nerve?
My experience:
Cold drink - gulping one down started an episode & on a separate later occasion stopped one.
Stress - started one (as it did again revisiting that location) but equally if I relax too much I have to visualise a stressful situation to avoid the risk/terminate an episode e.g. worked a treat in hospital years ago when the doctor said the Flecainide drip wasn't going to stop it & he was going to have 'to shock me' (cardioversion)
Recent posting here (CDreamer): Physical activity can also work both ways for some
Are there any more?
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secondtry
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I think one needs to accept that AF is such a mongrel condition that there really is no commonality about causes or triggers and searching is largely pointless. .
Sorry BobD but I have to disagree with you on this one.
I really respect your knowledge and experience about afib - you certainly have more experience than I do about both things. However triggers can kick it in for some. I do agree though that a 'common cause' will differ for us all. Weight loss / alcohol intake / diet / moderate exercise / lack of sleep all can make (or make) a big difference.
You wrote
"there really is no commonality about causes or triggers and searching is largely pointless"
I agree Googling is unlikely to achieve finding a 'trigger' or 'cause' for your own personal afib. However noting when the attacks come on can be a great help in identifying causes.
I think with some afibbers there could be a common denominator that sets it off. For me travelling and just having a few hours sleep tends to kick it in - maybe it's coincidence. Maybe it's not - who knows.
For sure the is no commonality that applies to all of us. There are individual things we can all do that may help us though.
That said it can just kick in without rhythm or reason - fair enough.
To answer Secondtry's question - CD's said that "physical activity can also work both ways for some". I agree but I do think moderate exercise is good for us afibbers. It can help in many ways - the key word though is MODERATE. If I have the time this weekend I'll look up some medicial journals I found online and post the links.
Its all, about interpretation Paul. I think there is enough knowledge out there regarding the benfits of life style changes for me not to have to bang on about not drinking alcohol and not over exercising ad nauseum. Yes a few people may find consistant triggers for themselves so lucky them but these may not affect others, hence my comments. It can be soul destroying thinking you have found the magic bullet only to find that quite often it is something completely different. As my EP told me back in 2004 "looking for triggers is the way to madness. You have AF so you will get AF."
Thanks everyone for your replies. Apologies, my post wasn't really clear enough. I was really seeking just to collect any more individual lifestyle experiences to help a few rather than seek a commonality to help everyone, as BobD says AF is a mongrel condition. My reasoning being that I for one was most grateful that I knew to try gulping a cold drink to stop my last episode.
We are all different and personally I disagree with Bob's EP and have found looking for triggers the road to sanity (by having some influence over my QOL)) not madness. I fully accept I do not have full control over AF but equally I am very glad I have scaled it down (along with other measures) to virtually zero over the last 6 years, by identifying my personal triggers such as no cold drinks, no late big meals, no over exertion, low gluten, no alcohol, low caffeine, low stress etc etc. I am currently working to reduce my mild sleep apnea.
Nitrites in bacon and sausages, and very salty foods (parma ham) have been triggers for ectopics for me, and I think cheese, which makes my heart thump. Steroid injections in my knees may well have triggered me into persistent AF which lasted till a cardioversion 9 months later. Steroids lower potassium levels, and research has found an association between low potassium and AF.
That's just my probable triggers - as people say, it's very individual. Other than the odd ectopic when I had some of the foods I mentioned, (and I have cut those foods out since) so far, no recurrence since my cardioversion 4 months ago, though i know it's not long in the big scheme of things.
Triggers vary as far as AF is concerned. Mine is caffeinated coffee, at least as far as I know. It all started when I set up a new business back in 1987. I was working all hours, or from 7.30am until gone 1.00am four weeks on end. I started experiencing ‘palpitations’ and just mentioned it to a friend who was a doctor in Canada. He asked how much coffee I was drinking and I told him. It was around 9 mugs a day. He suggested I had possibly become sensitive to caffeine in coffee.
Since then, I have had three ablation procedures, the last one in 2007 and am still on 100mg Flecainide twice a day. I never drink caffeinated coffee and I have not had an AF episode for a long time 🤞.
I have no idea if caffeinated coffee was the trigger. Diet Coke and tea don’t seen to have an effect, although I don’t consume much of either. I am just very grateful that I don’t experience AF attacks any longer.
Triggers are what we all search for. I’m to the point where I think triggers are bogus. I’m tired of living my life focused on Some make believe triggers. If I stay away from getting drunk As a skunk my AF never comes into play. Other than that, I am not a firm believer in triggers. And neither are my Docs.
Booze 🥃 is the only thing I can say with 100% certainty that is a direct link to AF. I think many would agree. Google “Holiday Heart”
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First 'fast AF' episode - at the beach
Back from my check up 😁👍🏼
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AF Triggers and lifestyle
