New Afib

[Wannna40]

I was just diagnosed with A fib no fun i know my meat eating habbits caused it I guarantee that. I am now on Metroplol and Eliquis very expensive out of pockets. Jsut wonder how long they will put me on and if ppl ever get fully cured from Afib

[Hidden]

Sorry you are joining the a fib club. Ive been a member 41/2 yr. Happily a fib hasnt appeared for over 2 yr. They say it can always come back so cure isnt a word I hear in reference to a fib. The metoprolol was given to you to slow your heart rate. It is an old drug and relatively inexpensive. The Eliquis is crazy expensive as you know. It is among 3 “ newer” anticoagulants and they are all expensive. Drug companies here in the US have patents on drugs they discover for 17 yr so pricing is high. Interestingly after the patents run out, other companies make the generics way cheaper. But that doesnt help you. If you have no medication insurance, often the drug companies have programs you might qualify for to get them at a big discount. Your doctor can help you with that. You will probably be on the meds indefinitely as the Eliquis prevents you from having a stroke caused by our friend a fib.

Welcome to this forum. People here are very knowledgable and helpful. They get how you feel. A fib is scary at first but over time you will learn to deal with it, manage it and not fear it. Ask any questions you have.

[Wannna40 in reply to Hidden]

Did u say indefinitely oh my😳. I better do everything possible to loose those excessive weight and cut out all fat and gluten. Thank you for the info

[Hidden in reply to Wannna40]

Check with your doctor. Normally they use a scoring system to determine who needs anticoagulation. Normally if you score 2 or more, you get anti coagulated. I am over 65, female and have high blood pressure so that puts me at a 3.

CHA₂DS₂-VASc Score for Atrial Fibrillation Stroke Risk

Calculates stroke risk for patients

Age

<650

65-74+1

≥75+2

Sex

Female+1

Male0

CHF history

No0

Yes+1

Hypertension history

No0

Yes+1

Stroke/TIA/thromboembolism history

No0

Yes+2

Vascular disease history (prior MI, peripheral artery disease, or aortic plaque)

No0

Yes+1

Diabetes history

No0

Yes+1

[Wannna40 in reply to Hidden]

Ok I'm only 43 so I HV to really work on my self thank you very much you've been so helpful

[CDreamer]

Hi,

I’m in the UK, as are a large proportion of this forum so you will notice different names and almost no talk of insurance companies as very few of us have medical insurance as we have a very different healthcare system where we pay a flat rate for any prescribed drug and if over 65 or with a chronic condition don’t pay anything. I suspect this may be a factor in how we view medications such as Apixaban (generic name of Elquis), we alway know and use the generic name so you will notice that difference.

There is plenty of evidence that the most important factor of having AF is the risk of stroke, which is why anticoagulants are prescribed as a prophylactic. Your health style choices will increase that risk so if you can, and we are here for support, please do take yourself in hand and change to a predominately plant based diet, cut out all sugar, sugary drinks, candy and lower your carbohydrates, especially bread, biscuits & cake. Change to healthy fats - olive oil, nuts, oily fish, avocados etc. Walk as much and as often as you can, build up gradually - you don’t need to go to the gym and pump iron - even as little as 2 x 15 minute walks at a brisk pace will be sufficient to help your heart health.

People who have been successful at doing this have reported their AF reduced or stopped (called the AF burden) without further treatments so this is now considered first line approach treatment.

This may be the wake up call you have needed as you are a young man with many active years ahead of you if you are able to do this.

Few links for you which you may find useful:-

heartrhythmalliance.org/afa/us

heartmdinstitute.com/diet-n...

And HU has a Healthy Eating forum which quite a few of our members post to and you will find a lot of help and support for your change of Lifestyle.

Common triggers for AF episodes:- Sugar, alcohol, posture, certain food types (individual), stress - a huge trigger, coffee so avoid if you can.

Keeping a food/symptom diary may help identify any particular triggers - my big one was moving after eating and certainly eating on the go. Better not to eat anything if you can’t sit down at a table and take your time. Eating on the couch with poor posture is one of the worst things you can do - said from experience! If only my father could hear me saying THAT now! Don’t you hate it when your parents are proved to be correct!

Any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

[tunybgur in reply to CDreamer]

Yes, please take note about the triggers, avoid these and you may find your AF just goes away.

Being overweight is one, stress is certainly a very common trigger, also just drink decaffeinated drinks.

A couple of other triggers that I have come across are cold and flu remedies which contain phenylephrine hydrochloride, unfortunately this includes many of the most effective ones, Lemsip, Boots cold and flu remedy, etc, just check the labels. Another for me at least is liquorice, which I love(d).

Good luck.

[Nugger in reply to CDreamer]

Free prescriptions for over 60 in England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland are free at all ages, don’t understand why us in England have always had a copay ?

Eliquis costs the NHS $70 for a months supply, in the US $500 a month, go figure!

[CDreamer in reply to Nugger]

All different countries with devolved governments - bit like your difference in State and Federal.

Don’t know anyone who understands the intricacies, the differences and the inequalities of different regions of the UK when it comes to the NHS.

[BRHow]

I am in the USA. I have great insurance. Even with that I paid 30.00 a month in the beginning. Then I signed up for the Xarelto plan Jansseen (Pharma co.) offers. I think I now pay 10.00 a mo for 30 tabs.

[Conno40]

Hi there, I have been diagnosed with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation over 25 years ago. I still have it and really does not bother me that much. I am a keen skier, I play badminton and squash and walk or hike most days. I don’t really drink alcohol only on occasions but what helps me is water. I take magnesium every day with other supplements. I eat a banana which has potassium for breakfast. I do indulge in eating chocolate which i shouldn’t but I do and it really does not affect me.

When I know AF is coming on, I immediately burp and that keeps it away. Works for me every time!!

Watch your food intake because if you get bloated, it irritates the vagus nearby and can trigger AF. Take anti acids as GERD can trigger it as well.

Even though I have had AF for a long time, I will be going in for an ablation this year. This I know will give me the quality of life I want or have been yearning for. Ablations are much better as this treatment has been around for over 20 years.

If you want to talk to me I am always available for a chat.

[Wannna40 in reply to Conno40]

Wow so with all the exercise you still kinda have episodes so then I really have to watch my diets. I think you can indulge in chocolate cos it doesn't have enough caffeine to jack up your episodes thank you for your info

[CDreamer in reply to Wannna40]

You can have 2-3 small squares of DARK chocolate per day. Must be at least 80% cocoa butter and not have the word ‘emulsified’ on the packet. The only 2 popular brands of chocolate in the UK that are in supermarkets that meet that spec are Lindt & Green & Black.

Chocolate in it’s purest form is an anti-inflammatory but sugar of any form causes inflammation so the sugar rather than the caffeine (as long as it’s in moderation) which will do the damage over time.

[Hidden]

I am not sure what you mean by your meat eating habits. For years I followed the high carb, low fat, low red meat diet prescribed by my cardiologist. My A Fib attacks were very frequent.

When I went on a low carb, no sugar, higher fat diet, that includes a whole lot more meat and butter than before, my A Fib episodes came to a screeching halt.

Mainstream medicine is slowly coming around to the fact that we were sold a bill of goods by deceptive research by guys like Ancel Keys and by the industries that produce commercially produced oils. Inflammation is the problem! Eating organic produce, berries, grass fed meat, butter and cheese and organic, free range poultry and eggs I am healthier than ever. Do some research. The profile on grass fed meats and butter is very different from that commercially produced by putting animals on the feedlot diet and quickly fattening them up.

A good place to start would be to read The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz. It documents how we got into this mess. It reads like a detective novel, but is sourced out the wazoo.

[CDreamer in reply to Hidden]

Completely agree.