Hi everyone, I thought I'd share my story so far to help anyone who is having a difficult time with similar issues. I'm 36 years old, male, 6ft and 13 stone with a slim and athletic build. I've always enjoyed all sports including cycling and running. I don't smoke but do enjoy a few beers at weekends. So, on the 17th of September I was off work, when I went to bed after a relaxing day I fainted whilst having a wee. When I woke up, my wife told me to get to sleep but I knew straight away my heart rate was fast. I slept and the next morning I still didn't feel right. I tried breathing exercises and a short walk but I couldn't control my heart rate. I was admitted to hospital and they monitored me for five days. I was disappointed to be told I had persistent AF, I didnt know what it was before but I certainly do now. Now I'm taking apaxaban, bisipropol and digoxin and feel Ok. My heart rate still flutters and I feel palpitations occasionally but at least they have slowed me down from the high 184 bpm. I've stopped all caffeine, eat more fruit and have only had a couple of beers at weekends. My echocardiogram was positive as my heart looked normal but I'm now awaiting a cardioversion. I'm not really anxious about having it done but the waiting time for an appointment is particularly frustrating. I pray that I can manage my diet and lifestyle in future but who knows. One thing for me is I'm a very anxious person and worrying about trivial matters does me no good at all. I hope to carry on at work and get back to doing some exercise which I have always loved. Please feel free to share or provide comments as it will help me and others with similar circumstances during this current time. Many thanks.
AF Story: Hi everyone, I thought I'd... - Atrial Fibrillati...
AF Story
Hi Chris, it’s a bit of a bugger when AF pops up and hits you between they eyes, but even more so when you are young. First, some words of assurance, but please bear in mind that like most here, I’m not medically trained. Once your AF is controlled, ie the rate is between normal range and if necessary, you are prescribed an anticoagulant (apixaban), most people go on to lead relatively normal lives and we are told by those who know about these things, it doesn’t shorten life span. I too was diagnosed with persistent AF back in 2014 but then I was 68 but I have had a few ups ‘n downs, but generally it has not adversely affected me. That said, it is a bit of a challenge coming to terms with the condition and establishing a treatment plan which is best for you.
You may not be aware, but extreme sporting activity can be a cause of AF but you are in good company because it’s quite common with fighter pilots too, so whilst cutting down on caffeine, alcohol etc etc is good, you need to find out as much as you can about how your sports activity might be affecting you, and modify accordingly. I know that will be hard.
There is some good news though because you seem to be well on track for establishing a good treatment plan. At the moment there is no cure as such for AF, but there are a range of treatments, either medication based or intervention based that are very good for controlling symptoms. But first, the medics need to know if you can be reverted back into normal sinus rhythm and if so, whether you feel significantly better when in rhythm and that’s where the cardioversion comes in. Later, I will add a link which will explain all this in more detail, but if the CV works, even for a short period ie even minutes, it’s a good indicator that you will be considered suitable for other treatments such as a catheter ablation. In my case, apart from one little blip, my CV lasted over a year..
Take a look at the following link because from there you can access lots of helpful information on lots of things. There’s even a video about CV’s but I promise you, you are unlikely to feel a thing and the procedure only takes minutes but you will be in the day case unit for at least half a day. One very important thing to remember is to ABSOLUTELY NOT MISS YOUR APIXABAN DOSE because if you do, they are unlikely to carry out the procedure. If by any chance you do, do not be tempted to fib about it because the consequences could be very serious for you. Good luck, others will offer lots of helpful advice too.
If cardioversion is successful, even though it may not last, you would probably be a good candidate for ablation which would hopefully bring about lasting NSR.
Not all cardiologists are equal - there are 4 differing specialities.
The specialists for arrythmias are Electrophysiologist who are cardiologists specialising in the electrics of the heart. It really pays to ensure you are referred to an EP, there may be a wait but you are able to be referred to a specialist of your choosing via your GP so I would suggest that you do your research and see who is your nearest specialist.
Electrophysiologists tend to be based in regional Centres of Excellence ie: London, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Plymouth, Exeter, Southampton etc but it will be dependant upon where you live as to how near your Centre will be. For many years I travelled to London - but it was worth it to get the specialist advice.
I am assuming you are in UK?
You will find a lot of information simply by reading the threads on this site. There is a search box which if you put a word in will bring up a list every thread already on the site where a subject has been discussed so I suggest you put in Cardioversion and look through other’s experiences.
Personally, never had one. I went straight to ablation but that was back in 2013/4.
Any queries - don’t hesitate to ask.
Best wishes CD
G'day Chris,Well in different ways I agree with bits and pieces of what Flapjack and CDreamer have said. Now, this is the rub ..... AF is all things to all people but one thing most sufferers agree on it is a pure bloody mongrel condition. There are some basic common denominators with all of us .... but no one size fits all, if you get my drift. So, as you read through posts on here keep that in mind - don't fall into the nightmare of looking for posts with comments that match what you are experiencing .... ain't gonna happen BUT there will be similarities and parallels. 😊
Picking up on some of Flapjacks points I was 65 when it mugged me. I had been bending over low level doing some paper shredding at home. After I'd finished I felt unwell, felt like I was going down with flu. I had a BP monitor at home and decided to check my BP for a bit. In those days my average BP was around 136/80 with a resting HR of high 80's to high 90's. Then my BP started to fall it bottomed out at 76/50 ( and I felt crap) and off to A & E I went where my HR clocked 156 bpm and chaoticly so. AF was the diagnosis, that was in January 2010, nearly 11 years ago. Nowadays my BP is around 130/70 and a HR in the range 63 - 67. The only intervention I have needed is medication and a change of diet. I'm now 76 and still working driving buses and have just reduced my hours from a full blown 42 hour week to 30 with a guaranteed 7 day break twice a month .......... not because of AF ....... because of osteoarthritis in both shoulders !! 😂😂
So, now you have another take on it. I would add that I have had a full blown medical assessment organised by my employer who are quite happy to have me on board, my GP supports me and because I'm an old git DVLA require me to have an optical and general medical each year before they will renew my PCV licence.
May the force be with you.
John
Good morningI would agree that firstly we can only offer individual experiences as each one of us can be quite different. My own permanent case started with a fall and a dislocated hip, after recovery of the dislocation I was playing golf and felt awful, no strength and felt i was going to pass out. So off to the GP who after giving me a BP told me I had an irregular heart beat which was AF, and permanent. Then off to a Cardiologist who performed a Cardioversion which was successful but only lasted 2 or 3 days. So after that it was ablation and after two I am currently in normal sinus rhythm, so far after 10 weeks all ok. I do measure my own BP and heart beat at home which on average is around 140/80 with heart beat in the range of 50 to 60. Probably not necessary but gives me some comfort and indicator of change.
My age is 75 and I do play golf 3 times per week so exercise is not too bad. I am on tablets for AF but hopefully these will cease shortly. They are Bisoprolol 2.5mg and Apixaban both have been ok this last 12 months, but took some time to get use to them. I do take other tablets unrelated to AF.
I agree an Electro Cardiologist is the best route, mine is in Bristol, and brilliant.
She is Dr Ashley Nisbet.
On reflection I am now carrying on with normal activity with no issues. I am not a worry type of person, rather if something is not right try to get it fixed asap.
All the best
Dave
Hi Chris, although I am much older than you (55) I also do lots of sports including spinning and cycling. Diagnosed with persistent AF in April I was unable to do these to the same high intensity when I was in AF and on bisoprolol. I had a cardioversion in August. I am now off bisoprolol and on flecainide and apixaban. Although it was hard at first, since September I have gradually worked back up to the same level of pre AF exercise with daily spinning which takes me to my maximum heart rate with no issues. My cardiologist is very supportive of me continuing to do this and I had all the tests to make sure it was safe. It's early days for me I know compared with a lot of people on here but I wanted to respond because exercise means a high amount to me and I wanted you to know that for me this has got back to normal. I won't know for a while if it's the flecainide that's keeping me in sinus rhythm but the main thing for me is a good quality of life.
Thats great news. I had ablation in May and haven't dared do any thing too hard yet. I haven't got the basic fitness back yet, but I look forward to the day I can do so ejnetrval training,on the bike and running. Thanks for the encouraging post xx
The medics are now starting to admit openly that Lifestyle changes are as important or more than the various treatment options; albeit the latter are still frequently necessary. Bearing this in mind and at your age I would make changes to firstly reduce that anxiety (there are many suggestions on this Forum if you need inspiration) and secondly reduce the exercise to moderation only. nb in case you were wondering it is possible to have a good life without pushing sport performance & it's a whole lot better than AF for life! Good luck.
Thanks you for all the feedback, its certainly a big help reading all the advice and recommendations.
I'll speak with my gp this week regarding the Electrophysiologist referral as other than my scan I have not seen a cardiologist to date. I'm going to call him to chase up my cardioversion appointment. Hopefully there is one present in the north west, I've recently been to Blackburn hospital for my eco scan etc. so may be seen there. I've watched videos of the cv process, I'm not worried about having it done, if it could be tomorrow I would be there at the drop of a hat.
Since my hospital stay I was told not to do any strenuous exercise, other than the local dog walks and short bike rides I've kept very steady and will continue to do so. If my running days are over then so be it but I certainly won't be doing what I used to as my confidence is shot tbh. If I ever had to give up on my fell walks that would be the end but I will do what is necessary to give myself the best possible chance to get back to normal rytham. Daisy, thank you for sharing your experience, you have done amazing by the sounds of things and I'm going to keep your positive thoughts in my mind.
Reducing my anxiety, now here's the job. I've always had trouble with confidence and anxiety. I don't really know what the root cause of my problem is, maybe it's just me. I'd like to think I'm a decent guy but always view my self in the worst way possible, I suppose this is why I have pushed my self so much in my career but it has probably come at a price with the AF condition. I've tried some local councillor sessions for how to 'retrain my brain' in the past but it didn't really work for me long term. I'll have a look for further hints and tips.
Again, many thanks for all the messages so far.
Take a look at Dr John Mandrola, he is, or was an enthusiastic racing cyclist and an EP and has AF so knows a thing or to about combining exercise and AF. He has written a few books, the most popular called the Haywire Heart. He is an American but we won’t hold that against him.....😉😂. Lots on Google.....
It is a good thing that you "I'm going to call him to chase up my cardioversion appointment." I take that to mean you are going to call your GP. Your GP should already have referred you. My calculations show that you are close to three months persistent. The bulk of the damage done to the heart occurs when one becomes persistent. Do remember AF begets AF. The more AF you have the more you will get. To get out of this vicious cycle, try to get your cardioversion as soon as possible to stop the cycle. If you plan to go the ablation route, and you remain persistent, you will need not just one ablation but several.
Hi Chris
I feel for you. I've been in that boat twice before and had to wait for a cardioversion. Then it took a while to feel better afterwards although some people do,feel better instantly. I've been writing about my post ablation recovery on here and that might be useful stuff as I am very sporty.
I'm back to doing what I was before almost. I'm under Papworth and they are delighted that i exercise as a strong heart deals with afib better. You will hear a lot about how exercise can cause afib but it is not widely understood if or how this could happen (and research shows no correlation for women). Seems that MODERATE exercise is good, VIGOROUS exercise is good, but MANY HOURS PER DAY of vigorous exercise CAN cause afib in SOME people. This article sums it up well:
livescience.com/53964-extre...
Hope this helps
Jaja x
Hi Chris,Similar story around ten years ago my journey started. Night out drinking and a few late nights , woke with fast heart rate and not feeling good. Persevered until next day then taken to hospital after visiting the gp . Diagnosed as "holiday heart" after it just settled itself once at hospital, ( most doctors and hospitals I find treat you poorly, and don't understand the condition or its psychological effects) . Happened a few times after always after a drink over the next 12 months, and then diagnosed with paraxosimal afib, put on thinners and flecanide PIP which I used maybe 2-3 times over the following 18 months. The incidents increased over next few years and then two years ago after a stomach bug landed me in hospital and became permanent AF. I too suffered fast and irregular beats, not a pleasant situation. I had an ablation in April 19 and thankfully its worked so far and restored my quality of life. Alcohol was a big trigger for me, 180+bpm most times if I drank, I stopped in total until my op and only have the odd beer even now.
I got some great advice and support from this forum and the members are totally supportive and a deep fairy well of information.
I do wish now I'd had the ablation earlier as most here will tell you that it tends to increase in frequency and duration the longer it persists. Loads of life changes and research is the way forward, and as I got told early days from the lovely people here, try relax, it won't kill you, its just unpleasant and pain in the A for most of it. But we're all here anytine you want to blown off steam or ask anything, or just have some friendly banter.
Ian.
Hi Chris, Five years ago, I was in a similar position to you, although I was much older at 52. I had stopped running as my knees were not overly happy with me, but I kept cycling at club level. I noticed I was getting slower on hills, but everyone was telling me it was my age. Unfortunately, it was paroxysmal AF, which was progressively getting worse. I was diagnosed early in 2016, had one cardioversion and two ablations in 2017 and have had three AF and medication-free years since then. I have not attempted to get back to my previous levels of exercise, as this was probably the cause of my AF, but I have been able to get back to something approaching it. This year, I will have cycled 3000 miles at an average speed only 1mph slower than my pre AF times. I keep my HR down below 160, so I get left behind on hills and won't win any sprints. This outcome is so much better than I expected at the start of AF.
Hi Chris, this used to be in the Sales Manager's Office wall, forget the 'Americanism' but it does make quite interesting points. It can help with how you look at things.
RAINBOW
WHATEVER YOUR MIND CAN CONCEIVE AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE. DREAM GREAT DREAMS AND MAKE THEM COME TRUE. DO IT NOW.
YOU ARE UNIQUE. IN ALL THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD THERE WAS NEVER ANYONE ELSE EXACTLY LIKE YOU, AND IN ALL THE INFINITY TO COME THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU. NEVER AFFIRM SELF-LIMITATIONS. WHAT YOU BELIEVE YOURSELF TO BE, YOU ARE.
TO ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS, YOU MUST NOT ONLY ACT, BUT ALSO DREAM: NOT ONLY PLAN, BUT ALSO BELIEVE. IF YOU HAVE BUILT CASTLES IN THE AIR, YOUR WORK NEED NOT BE LOST, PUT FOUNDATIONS UNDER THEM. YES YOU CAN. BELIEVING IS MAGIC.
YOU CAN ALWAYS BETTER YOUR BEST. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO UNTIL YOU TRY. NOTHING WILL COME OF NOTHING. IF YOU DON'T GO OUT ON A LIMB, YOUR NEVER GOING TO GET THE FRUIT. THERE IS NO FAILURE EXCEPT IN NO LONGER TRYING.
HAZY GOALS PRODUCE HAZY RESULTS. CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR GOALS. WRITE THEM DOWN, MAKE A PLAN FOR ACHIEVING THEM, SET A DEADLINE, VISUALISE THE RESULTS AND GO AFTER THEM. JUST DON'T LOOK BACK UNLESS YOU WANT TO GO THAT WAY.
DEFEAT MAY TEST YOU: IT NEED NOT STOP YOU. IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, TRY ANOTHER WAY. FOR EVERY OBSTACLE THERE IS A SOLUTION. NOTHING IN THE WORLD CAN TAKE THE PLACE OF PERSISTENCE. THE GREATEST MISTAKE IS GIVING UP.
WISHING WILL NOT BRING SUCCESS, BUT PLANNING, PERSISTENCE AND A BURNING DESIRE WILL. THERE IS A GOLD MINE WITHIN YOUR REACH FROM WHICH YOU CAN EXTRACT ALL THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS. SUCCESS IS AN ATTITUDE. GET YOURS RIGHT.
IT IS ASTONISHING HOW SHORT A TIME IT TAKES FOR VERY WONDERFUL THINGS TO HAPPEN.
NOW, SHOW EVERYONE THE COLOURS OF YOUR RAINBOW.
Best wishes
Dave J
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
\"AF Duration? Another big story from 2023\"
My af story so far (scared the life out of me)
AF/VT after Covid - My Story
Is this af or not
AF
AF 
AF?
Live with AF or try to revert
