After being on Flecainide for 13 years and my AF well controlled I had to come off the drug in March. I have abstained from Alcohol for around 4 months to reduce potential triggers. My efforts have been to no avail and I’m now in permanent AF and tolerating it quite well with my bpm around 70-100 it’s actually better than flipping in and out.
My question is has anyone who is in AF had a few beers and how has it effected their symptoms and is it better to remain teetotal
hi. I am in prrmanent a fib and also have cardiomyopthy . I drink very little alcohol maybe two measures at weekend nights but not every weekend. I have not found any adverse effects but really don't consume much. Xx
Thanks for the reply
I would be similar just a couple of cans of Guinness
However you won’t believe this after a month in AF I flipped back into Sinus after having a HIT workout on my exercise bike this morning. I’d pushed myself a little more than normal as I’ve been getting more adventurous
Because you returned to sinus, because you were not in constant AF for more than a year, and because you and your health care professional had not come to the decision that there was no more than could be done for you, the term you want to use is persistent.
Everyone's different I guess. I'm 24/7 AF and tee-total. Having the occasional drink for me, however small, would be worse that drinking regularly, because I can no longer tolerate any alcohol at all.
Thanks for the reply
In what way do you not tolerate alcohol?
Even a tiny amount, maybe just a mouthful of wine, would make me tiddly. And my heart would race a bit later on. Done it once thinking I was drinking alcohol-free wine. I love my alcohol-free wine, but I did wonder why it tasted especially good 😀.
When I drank regularly, one large glass of wine would have no effect on me, I was used to it.
Yeh I think a couple of cans of Guinness will put me in bed
Hi, the best option is to keep away from the alcohol, but I've never had any adverse effects or a trigger from a "few beers" hic!
Thanks for the reply
Was going to have a couple of Guinness next weekend but flipped back into Sinus today after 4 weeks longest I’ve been in AF so might stay on the wagon for now
Alcohol and A/F are not good bedfellows so I leave it alone
Moderate drinking (1 or 2 small drinks a day) are fine and if anything seem to have a positive effect, just don't overdo it.
Thanks Mark will try a couple and see how it goes but back in Sinus now after 4 weeks in AF so will keep on the wagon for now
I think you’re AF will be classed as persistent if it has reverted to NSR.
When I was in an AF persistent episode lasting months I avoided alcohol initially due to being on warfarin.
On subsequent episodes where I had been changed to Rivoroxaban I did drink alcohol and was able to tolerate it.
Are you on an anticoagulant?
Yeh I’m on Apixiban that’s interesting can’t wait to go back into AF ha will have few Guinness then
Seriously when I sent the post I was in AF and thought it was going to be permanent as it was the longest episode I’ve had longest before that had been around 40 hours
I enjoy a few beers and talking rubbish with friends and I don’t want AF to get in the way.
I did lapse into AF after drinking beer but that was the 2nd night of the Munich Oktoberfest, so serves me right.
Under normal circumstances the beer doesn’t appear to cause me any troubles. I do ensure to keep hydrated especially the morning after or on hot days using electrolyte tablets. I also keep topped up with magnesium taurate.
Really miss the social side having a few beers like yourself over the years have kept myself hydrated I’m not sure how old you are but as I’ve got older my alcohol threshold is much less
I'm in persistent afib -- much better than going in and out. Since I don't have an issue with something "triggering" my afib, I don't have any issues with having a couple of drinks. When I was paroxsysmal, alcohol never seemed to "trigger" an episode. I actually much prefer persistent afib -- much easier to tolerate and I've been able to let go of constantly checking my pulse or using my Kardia.
I transitioned to persistent AF about 2 years ago. I no longer check my pulse either. I've never had a QofL issue with my AF, so I didn't experience any qualitative changes save an end to my preoccupation with my pulse. Your comment made me realize that fact has actually had a positive impact on the one QofA issue AF impacted: ongoing low level anxiety. TY for that insight.
This last episode has given me an enlightened perspective and to stop stressing over the triggers
Passing the one year mark in persistent is called long-standing persistent. Because you have been persistent for two years, does your health care professional consider your condition permanent, especially since you are indicating that you are not continuing treatment?
My cardiologist considers me in permanent AF. I take one 25mg atenolol for rate control and 5mg eliquis twice daily.
I feel much the same you kind of get wrapped up in what triggers your AF and avoiding or looking for solutions. My last protracted episode I seemed to tolerate it better as it went on and the HR controlled. So much more relaxed about everything now used to be on my mind when I went bed as most episodes happened when asleep
Have you gone beyond a year, in which case you would be in long-standing persistent?
No, 8 months so far. But frankly I don't even know it's there.
I am curious to know whether you have been advised to live in AF? You are four months to long standing and beyond that is permanent.
It was my choice to try and live with AF or take Amiodarone and stay in Sinus until an Ablation became available. It was a QOL issue and I had mixed feelings about Amiodarone.
As I tolerated AF reasonably well I was even contemplating not having another Ablation. After having a phone Consultation with a heart specialist this week an Ablation can make you even less symptomatic should you return to AF so I’m still going for it
I conclude that you have already had one ablation. In my case even when I took Amiodarone I still had AF bouts, so it did not keep me in sinus. Your heart specialist is really with it with his advice. It took three ablations for me to get to 15 months sinus. I wish you the best to stay in sinus after your next ablation.
Actually, my EP agrees since my persistent does not affect my quality of life; persistent with a resting heart rate of 85-95 (sometimes just over 100) is tolerable and he recommends against ablation under these circumstances. Plenty of people on this forum have been persistent for years.
Interesting. I take it that it was your choice with your EP agreeing. Yes. People do live in persistent when the term becomes permanent if it is for years, some by choice and some by the medical system that allowed them to get to the persistent stage. In my case, if I had not had an ablation at the 6 month stage, I never would have been able to return to sinus. I would take it that it is a choice made by the older population as opposed to the younger.
Actually, it was the other way around; my EP, when I asked recently about ablation, asked why I'd want to undertake the risk if my quality of life was not affected in my persistent state and my heart is otherwise healthy. Knowing the relatively low rate of success and reading on this forum about the number of people who end up having multiple ablations, I'm not interested. The drugs prescribed early on were simply nasty, and did more to impact my quality of life than the afib itself. I now just take a low dose of diltiazem and life goes on.
My BPM is similar to yours as and I’m also exercising ok but would be a little dubious about say Cycling up steepish hills but would be easier to fit an electric motor on my bike than having an Ablation ha.
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