Hello everyone! I'm a new AFIB sufferer, and I thought I'd post here just to feel a little more like I'm not alone.
I'm a 30 year old obese non smoker, no drugs, very occasional light drinking, and I have AFIB now. Two days ago I felt off, and I noticed that my heart rhythm wasn't right. I've had lifelong PVC problems, but I knew something was wrong when hours passed and it only got worse. By the time I was on my way to the ER, I felt short of breath and my heart was having a fit, as in tachycardic and interrupting itself and not able to get a full beat off. I was confirmed to have AFIB when I finally got to the ER. They watched me until I went back into normal sinus rhythm, sent me home after telling me to get in with my cardiologist, and I thought that'd be the end of it. However, all day after I was sorely uncomfortable, with constant heart skipping every few seconds. I tried to rest, but then I woke up out of dead sleep with my heart racing and skipping so fast that I couldn't even feel for it. I felt like I was falling off a cliff, and it was worse than ever. Went to the doctor again, and they said I was dehydrated and that could be aggravating it, gave me an IV, and sent me home.
I thought they'd give me some kind of drug, or do a cardioversion or SOMETHING. I really felt like I was about to die both times I was in the hospital, and even now I want to cry knowing that I now live with this at a young age and will deal with it forever. I might have to be on blood thinners forever, and that idea is so daunting. Even now when I lie down, I can feel my heart skipping or speeding up, and that makes restful sleep impossible. I don't know what to do. Isn't AFIB something that just lasts a few minutes or hours? I feel like I keep constantly getting bouts of it now, and I don't want to keep having to go to the ER. Called cardiology, and I can't get in for 3 weeks. I have to deal with this for three more weeks? I don't know if I can. If someone knows what it's like to be in my shoes, please reply! Doctor said I've probably had it since I was a teen and that it just wasn't caught until now, which in retrospect makes sense given what I've experienced in the past. It's never been this bad though. Thanks for reading.
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LemonBear
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I've had AF for 15 years and the best advice I can give you is to cut out all foods containing artificial sweeteners and additives, try a more plant based diet. You will be surprised at the difference it will make to your AF. Keep well hydrated with water, not fizzy drinks.
The more anxious we are about AF, the worse it becomes , so do something to take your mind off it when you can. Watch TV, read a book or talk to friends. Also be aware of holding tension in your heart and let that area relax by doing some slow deep breathing.
Losing weight should also help reduce your symptoms, but I guess you know that.
A lot of members on this forum, swear that supplementing with magnesium has reduced their symptoms.
To save time I would call an Electrophysiologist who specializes in the treatment of afib and other arrythmias. If the system in your country prevents you from doing this, make sure the cardiologist refers you to an Electrophysiologist.You certainly need to be on medication that will hopefully control your problem. Another option that may be quicker would be to see if you can get an appointment with the local GP who should be able to help.
Try putting an extra pillow under your head when you lie down and two more on the left side to prevent you turning that way. Totally agree with jeanjeannie on lifestyle changes and if you can pay privately see a cardiologist and EP promptly thus reducing anxiety. You have youth on your side so in a years time with a big effort your Quality of Life is likely to be much better.
According to my Cardiologist getting your BMI down so you have no belly fat is crutial to long term management. Alcohol was another big factor. So is stress and there are a bunch of "triggers". I got my BMI down to 21 afrom 25 and pretty much stopped drinking. My Doc said I may never have another A Fib event. Its been + 3 years. So far so good. Going 100% plant based helped me a lot in weight management.AFib is progressive and can cause dibilutating strokes. There are Q&A stroke risk tests like CHADS that Drs use to determine if you should be on anticoagulants. The tests are available online and have evolved: mdcalc.com/cha2ds2-vasc-sco...
This board has a lot of valuable information and every one on it started out scared just like you. Myself included. The more you learn the more you can participate in your treatment.
Try not to worry and with some life style changes hopefully you will get ontop this. Cheers
Professor Sanders, from Australia, has reported about extremely positive results regarding AF, when the patients lose their weight. So, here already is something you can undertake, to improve your health situation! I know that it is easier said than done, but being only 30, you must find the power to fight!
I too have a young friend who was recently diagnosed and is finding it difficult to come to terms with. You will get used to it, I promise, and because you're young your heart should actually be pretty resilient. Remember, there are little old ladies skipping around with this issue, so it's not an automatic death sentence, not at all. Stress can be a major contributor - it is for me - and at the moment you're probably really stressed. You may well find that when you calm down a bit, your heart calms right down. Just having it jump around a bit won't harm you, even if it feels like a bag of frogs wrestling. Just take it easy, read up as much as you can on AF, and remember that you can always come here for support and to ask questions.
Lis
in reply to
I’m one of the little old ladies! Not quite skipping around, but life’s good! 👍
That is tough and as someone just over a year in I totally empathise with your feelings of fear - it IS a scary condition. As people have said - lifestyle changes can really improve things. I was a stress bunny, workaholic and also drank more than I should have. I've worked hard over the last 9 months to change that - the plant based diet really helps and you will lose weight automatically if you go for that, without being hungry. Avoid convenience foods and processed foods is my advice - they are low on nutrients and high in 'bad fats', added sugar and overly high salt content. You will start to feel better in yourself too, which is half the battle even if you still get the episodes. Keep posting - there's always someone here to listen
Just in case the word plant based put fear into your soul...I eat meat or fish 3 times a week. Chicken or beef usually band salmon or sea bass. If you live in the UK head out to Aldi or Lidle - you'd be surprised what you can get without breaking the bank.
Hi LemonBear, I wrote a reply to you yesterday but it disappeared! You have had lots of good advice but mostly for the long term so I’ll have another go.The first thing to say is that AF won’t kill you. I am a skippy old lady who has had it for at least 20 years. But I do recognise the fearful feelings so here is a bit of advice on coping with it. Try to breathe deeply and slowly with a pause after in and after out - the out breath is very important. This is to get out of the panic spiral. Rest partly sitting up particularly as you are obese to try to keep pressure off your heart - experiment to find a comfortable position. Focus on something interesting and soothing instead of your heart wobbles. Move about slowly. Don’t eat big meals or drink large drinks, especially alcohol.
The hospital must have thought you were basically OK as they didn’t treat you. You can’t safely have a cardioversion unless you have been anticoagulated for long enough. You shouldn’t need to be on an anticoagulant (blood thinner) permanently unless you have other conditions such as high BP or diabetes, so the sooner you start that diet the better!
You don’t need to go to the ER unless you have chest discomfort with sweating, nausea and breathlessness/fainting.
Best wishes, hope that helps, do tell us how you are getting on 💜
I agree with all the advice re lifestyle changes and losing weight - hard I know but you would see enormous benefits. I am surprised that there was no mention of medical intervention, either rate control drugs or rhythm control. Which country are you based in? In UK they normally try a beta blocker first and then a rhythm control drug. Ablation is also a great option. So don’t despair there are treatments. First, ask to be referred to an electrophysiologist (EP) who will go through all the options with you. I had an ablation in 2013 and am still free of af. You are young so it could be a good option for you. Learn all you can, adopt the lifestyle changes and you can manage this condition. Good luck 🍀
Of course it's frightening when you are first told - welcome to the afib rollercoaster ! OK here goes some postive stuff.
First off you are young - treatment for afib is improving year by year. Also you are lucky as you know you have afib - many don't and are walking about as a ticking time bomb. There are treatments to greatly help - maybe a CV / meds / ablation plus more to come by the time you hit mid 30's. Let's wait and see
You wrote
"Called cardiology, and I can't get in for 3 weeks. I have to deal with this for three more weeks? I don't know if I can"
You'll deal with it and come out a stronger person. I'll wager you do. This is easy for me to say but afib won't be half as bad as you think - I promise you that. Been there / done it / got the tee shirt.
Now I'm a right wuss (when I was told I had afib did I panic !) and fully understand where you are coming from. However you are seeing a cardio after Christmas and will be offered treatment plans I'm sure. They really can help as well - honest I'm not just saying that.
No need to tell you about the weight loss. Make a small start now and it will benefit your health in the long term - turn this negative in to a postive.
You are young and will get through this - you'll see.
You also wrote
"Went to the doctor again, and they said I was dehydrated and that could be aggravating it"
For sure - try and drink plenty of water. It's important to stay hydrated.
And
"Even now when I lie down, I can feel my heart skipping or speeding up, and that makes restful sleep impossible"
Try the correct breathing technics. Have a Google and check out grounding for panic too - it can really help.
You'll get through it. You are young / know you have afib / seeing a cardio / will benefit from treatments both present and future.
You said too
" I'd post here just to feel a little more like I'm not alone"
Nah - you are not alone. Forum members have all been though it. It must have been (from memory) around 3 years ago since I found out I had it. Is it a fraction as bad as I thought it would be ??
No way at all.
I can look back now and say that hand on heart (pun intended) I think you will too. You'll see it through sweetheart - it won't be a fraction as bad as you think it is now. Bet you I'm right On a scale of 1 to 10 my worry factor was a 10 when first told - three years later I'm on a 1 or 2.
Like you, I first had an episode of AF when I was about 30 (I think it was back in 1980). I'd no idea what it was, but it really, really panicked me. I thought I was likely to die. It took ages to be seen at A&E, and by the time I was, it had returned to normal rhythm, although I was still scared stiff! For several years, I had very occasional episodes - which again scared the hell out of me - usually when I was very tired and stressed, but also I found that a lot of alcohol was a definite trigger. It was a long time before I got a proper diagnosis, and the only treatment I got was advice to take "junior" aspirin tablets. I gradually learned that these episodes were not going to kill me, and although they pretty much knocked me out for the best part of a day, when I went back to normal rhythm I felt quite well again. I lost weight, took up running and cycling and became very fit - but I still got occasional episodes of arrythmia (again, usually triggered by tiredness, stress or alcohol). However, I was able to lead a normal, very active life (mountain climbing, SCUBA diving, fell running etc). So, don't despair! I'm now 69, and unfortunately last year my arrythmia became persistent, but only because of stress - a lot of very bad family issues & a forced move of house. If I'd been aware of this site & all the good advice on here, then I believe I might have avoided this happening - I wasn't aware of persistent AF at all then, and I now know that I pushed myself way, way too hard for someone nearly 70 with a history of arrythmia. But, as per the advice above, try to identify triggers and avoid them if possible: try to lose weight & live as healthy a lifestyle as you can. I was able to lead a fulfilling, active life for decades after my first episodes, even though at first I thought I was going to die!
What wonderful reply’s ... I was scared too and I am glad that a friend directed me to this site ❤️
I went through something very similar in that I received a new diagnosis at the end of October (I'm 45). I have no other preexisting conditions. My anxiety went through the roof and I was wondering if I was going to make it until 50. I'm mostly over it now after doing a ton of research and speaking with a couple EP's. Your primary focus at this point should be to set a BMI goal and adjust your diet and exercise accordingly. This will pay much bigger dividends than any medication or treatment. I know that is easier said than done but after my diagnosis I completely changed my diet and exercise routine. All of this was tough at first but I have lost a bunch of weight since (I was not obese but on the high end of the normal BMI range) and now have much healthier habits.
I had an isolated episode of PAF when I was 39, but then had only a handful of episodes until two years ago when I was 63. So its not inevitable that this will continue for you indefinitely. In your position I would want to have a good discussion with an EP to find out why he thinks you have this, and what he thinks the trajectory might be. Studies show that losing weight (10lbs is the recommended figure) can reduce the burden of AF for some people, so I would prioritise that. It would also be a good idea in case they decide you need an ablation-some hospitals won’t consider you if you are greatly overweight. I would have thought, other things being equal, that an ablation would a good chance of success given that you are only 30. In short, I think you should acquire as much information as you can, and focus on lifestyle changes pending a plan of action being agreed with an EP.
Try to mix controlling your diet with getting some sustained exercise. Change the fuel you take into your body by dumping anything containing refined white flour (wholemeal is good) and don't eat or drink anything containing sugar..
Take up walking to get started - for about an hour a day so you can actively burn fat and help your weight to go. Stop treating your body like a delicate flower to be pampered and pleased. Start pushing it a bit and your life will change . Get active and join the game of staying alive. There is great world out there and you only get one chance to enjoy it.
Large meals, fatty foods, high sugar foods, alcohol and of course caffeine are all going to cause you problems I'd bet. Time to get healthy my friend, I went through what you are going through...and now years later in many ways I'm healthier than I've ever been, and MUCH less afib/arrhythmia problems. I know it's tough, but you CAN do it and it's worth it. Good luck!
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Thanks for reading.
Stress and afib episodes 
Just diagnosed with afib 
Diagnosed afib at 27. Feel hopeless.
Newly diagnosed. Is this normal?
