Hello

[Fun20]

Hi

I just joined this community yesterday. I have recently been diagnosed with AF and would appreciate any advice as I am feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment with the news.

[Finvola]

Hello and welcome to our forum.

Diagnosis of AF is a bit of a jolt and we have all gone through exactly what you are feeling at the moment. It does take time to assimilate but your greatest strengths are knowledge and a good treatment plan.

Knowledge is available from this forum - ask questions and read up on anything which you need to know using the search box at the top right. Someone will have the same symptoms or quetions at some time. The best source of information is the AFA website heartrhythmalliance/afa where there are leaflets and articles on every aspect of AF.

A treatment plan will come from a cardiologist who will assess your heart's condition and offer advice. Most of us have tried to see a heart rhythm specialist known as an electrophysiologist or EP as well.

The main thing to realise is that AF is not life threatening and most of us have reasonably normal lives - with dietary, lifestyle and stressing changes. Those 3 changes have made such a difference to my life and have helped me cope quite well with AF.

Well, that's your homework - read, read and read! Any questions, just ask - someone will be around to help.

[Fun20 in reply to Finvola]

Thank you for the sound advice!

[Buffafly]

Hi, just a little bit of oldtimer advice - to you this is ‘shock and awe’, to many doctors it is in the same class as the common cold and IBS, so you have sometimes got to fight your corner to get a better QOL (quality of life). Best wishes, come here for questions about other members’ experiences and sympathy 💜

[Fun20 in reply to Buffafly]

Thank you for the advice!

[Hidden]

Welcome and commiserations. My advice, as a relative newby, is to see a seriously good cardiologist to really suss out why you have AF and whether an early ablation is the best way to minimise it progressing, or medication. Some GPs are too laid back about referring AF to secondary care but you only have one heart and my local cardiology service take early diagnosis of AF seriously. Good luck!

[momist]

I must echo Finvola 's advice to read as much as you can on here. If you are more of a video person, look up York Cardiology on YouTube, Dr. Sanjay Gupta has some wonderful advice on AF, risk assessment and lots of other heart matters.

The best thing you can do is to regard the diagnosis as "so it's a known problem and I'm not about to die of this thing". I found great comfort in knowing that, and am happy to continue my life doing what I can to live with it until I get an ablation (postponed three times now, twice due to Covid19).

[secondtry]

Well done you have found this site quickly - it provides pretty much all you need to become a proactive part of your medical team, which is essential as although the medics know a lot 1) certain areas they rarely contribute on e.g. diet, Vagus Nerve 2) we are all individuals and therefore different and this is no more true than with AF; this needs to be taken into account when deciding on the best plan for you. Good Luck.

[Slidingdoors99]

Yes! It is a shock I know, but you are in the right place. There are great people here with a wealth of experience and advice. I’m pretty new too (diagnosed on September 22nd)

What meds have they put you on?

[Fun20 in reply to Slidingdoors99]

That have put me on bisoprolol and Furosemide I was diagnosed on 22 September also

[Slidingdoors99 in reply to Fun20]

What a coincidence! Please keep in touch so we can share this journey!

I hope that the meds are making a difference to you?

I’m on diltiazem and apixaban!

[irene75359]

Every time someone who has just been diagnosed finds the forum, my heart goes out to them. When I found out I was utterly distraught and thought my life was coming to its end. Fast forward five years and although my AF burden is very light in comparison to some, I still visit the forum every day to keep up-to-date with treatments, medication and my virtual forum friends! You already have excellent advice to which I would add one thing; don't Google too much. It is bad for the health.

[Finvola in reply to irene75359]

Spot on irene - I was the same.

[Fun20]

Thank you for the words of advice!

[Cha275rL]

I was diagnosed wit AF only 3 months ago, and was worried sick, but the good people on this site told me it wasn’t life threatening, and that took a weight off my mind. I thought it was. I’m luckily (so far), not as bad as some, but I’m sure that knowing it isn’t necessarily going to kill me, helped the anxiety enormously. Good luck.

[Fun20 in reply to Cha275rL]

Thank you for your words of support.

[Globe-J]

Greetings,

As has been said, at least you know - a glass half full, is it not?

Please, do not not take the diagnosis to mean a life sentence. This forum helped me to find a drug-free solution. I have been free of the affliction for over four years, nor am I alone in beating the pest.

Investigate all options, do not give up

J (-:

[Fun20 in reply to Globe-J]

Thank you for the encouragement.