Looking for advice on. Opting with AF

[Mitcham]

I have had AF problems for the last ten years Having three ablutions and two cardio versions. I am currently taking beta blockers, blood thinners , blood pressure tablets and statins

Any idea how I can reduce the AF symptoms and lead a normal life

[Hidden]

Welcome to the forum Mitcham, thanks for the question, as they say, no pressure there then!!

Given your treatment thus far, it’s probably fair to assume you already know a fair bit about the condition so do you have any ideas as to why it’s being difficult to tame the beast? Please bear in mind, I don’t know you from Adam, so it’s quite easy to get the wrong end of the stick. If you have had two cardioversions, is it reasonable to assume you have persistent AF? Is it possible that taking statins and blood pressure medication means that there might be some lifestyle changes which over time, could help to lower your AF burden.

How long is it since you have seen a specialist and what conclusions were made about where you go from here. I know this may not sound like the warmest welcome in the world but we are not medically trained therefore a bit more information may help us to help you........hope to hear more soon...

Dates of your ablations and cardioversions would help too.....

[Mitcham in reply to Hidden]

Flap jack thanks for your response

A little background. I don’t drink or smoke and am not overweight I have always competed at sport and up until the last bout of AF I still trained I do have a stressful job which isn’t trying to reduce

The last consultant I saw was July 2019 when I was discharged

The reason I was give for the AF was my height and that I have consistently trained hard over many years

The ablation sand cardioversions last about two years before af returns

Waiting to see a consultant now

[Hidden in reply to Mitcham]

That’s really helpful Mitcham, daft questions mainly due to your name....were you treated at St George’s Hospital. Absolutely no need to answer unless you want to.

Will get back to you tomorrow, thanks......

[waveylines in reply to Mitcham]

Whilst you wait to see the consultant, have you considered going gluten free? You've probably looked at this already but thought Id mention incase you havent. My P-Afib hasnt gone but it has calmed down a lot since going gluten free which was a surprise as i went gluten free for other reasons. Still on my meds but wondering if I will be able to reduce the dosage.

[Mitcham in reply to waveylines]

Thanks I will give it a try

[waveylines in reply to Mitcham]

It probably sounds nuts going gluten free but my resting heart rate was 130 its now in the top 70s (on same meds). Others have commented gluten free has helped them. No one is suggesting its a cure. Also check your b12.... low b12 causes palpitations. Needs to be over 500. All of this can be adding your situation. Sadly doctors are not trained in vitamins and minerals so scant awareness.

[secondtry in reply to Mitcham]

When going gluten free, re bread I suggest you regard the supermarket alternatives as a temporary measure until you find something without all those 'weird' ingredients. For many years now I have bought from artisanbread-abo.com

[Redders in reply to waveylines]

Could I please ask why you went gluten free as I am thinking about doing this to try and sort my stomach out.

[waveylines in reply to Redders]

I have low B12 levels so have to inject plus , tremors and had multiple digestive issues including nausea and incontinence so decided to try gluten free. It has taken a while but I am much much better.

[Hidden]

That would depend in part on your symptoms if any, when in atrial fibrillation. How long are your episodes if paroxysmal, and what heart rate would be typical?

[Mitcham in reply to Hidden]

Once I go into af it is permenant, symptoms or dizziness, breathlessness and fatigue

Testing heart rate has gone from 61 to 83 and even minor exertion put the heart rate up to 140/ 150

[Hidden in reply to Mitcham]

Have a look at magnesium and coenzyme Q10 supplements. Full hydration at all times, but particularly during AFib can have an impact on fatigue.

Ask your GP to review beta blocker and blood pressure medication and also ask if low potassium could be a problem

If it isn’t already documented that your recent symptoms are due to AFib, ask for an ECG or consider a basic Kardia. Other atrial rhythms can follow multiple ablations.

Since your GP has referred you already, consider a private appointment.

How minor is “minor exertion”?

[The_Lord_is_with_Us]

When you say 'consultant,' I hope that means one of the best EP's in the world. Ablations are routine now ... and lots of doctors perform them who aren't that good, unfortunately.

You've had 3. There should have been some relief.

If you have the resources to get out of the system there .... consult with a world-class EP, so you can finally get the treatment you need.

I just had my 4th ablation. After my 3rd, I had nearly 10 years of no meds and complete normalcy .... until AFIB returned this past AUG.

I'm the same age you are .... have had nearly a dozen cardioversions ... and agressive, progressive AFIB ...... with flutter, which was taken care of during my first ablation. I'm also very active doing long-distance walking and weight training.

I haven't had near the trouble you seem to be having. I can't know for sure .... but it might be the quality of the EP's you've consulted with. They might be adequate .... but you need the best .... then you might get the relief you so desperately deserve. Good Luck!

[TracyAdmin Partner]

Hello Mitcham - please visit our AF Association website to view our Patient Resources - our A F Fact File contains an overview of AF and tips on managing your symptoms heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

[CDreamer]

Unfortunately some people are much more symptomatic when in AF than others. My main factors for reducing symptoms would be lifestyle first and in this order:-

Reduce stresss - your stressful job will be one of the main factors. Learning to manage stress is difficult but do-able with help and strategies. The physical symptoms of stress, produced by the stress hormones are a direct cause of high BP, inflammation = AF symptoms.

health.harvard.edu/staying-...

Sleep - the best and most natural healer and if you aren’t getting 7-8 hours of good quality sleep then do something about it. Have you been tested for sleep apnea? SA is known to be linked to AF. If you have problems sleeping look at this program onboarding.sleepio.com/slee... - the only one science based and with track record.

Nutrition - and I don’t mean just weight. Everyone has slightly different nutritional needs and the only way to really know is by testing. Find a doctor or a very well qualified and experienced nutritionist (very different to dietician) who tests to report on gut health which you may not think has much connection to AF but as both Badger and Wavylines have indicated - it can. Many people on the forum report improvement after either removing or adding in things. Dairy is often a trigger for me, I used to be gluten intolerant but can eat a little bread now as long as I make it myself (so I know exactly what goes into it) and everything is organic. So the first thing is no matter what you do, eat very good quality, preferably organic foods and absolutely nothing processed. Consider the Magnesium & CoQ10 supplementation and have a read of this blog on nutrition.

heartmdinstitute.com/heart-...

Moderate exercise - walk but you can also stress the body with exercise which has exactly the same result as psychological exercise so listen to your symptoms - they are there to alert you so pause and stop if you get breathless. But you would know that if you have trained and competed and therefore should also know that detaining, rest and recovery is as important as the training.

Learn how to breath. Obvious - NO! Most people do not know how to breath well, which is why Yoga and Tai Chi are great, gentle exercise because they focus you on your breath and teach you how to breath. Taping your mouth up at night if you snore helps you to maintain nasal breathing - mouth breathing is not good.

buteykoclinic.com/

Those are my 5 point Lifestyle Factors. It’s hard to get them all right, all of the time and it takes time but they help.

All good pointers to work on whilst waiting for your appointment but also look a meds review because my experience was that I suffered more from the meds than the disease. I coped far better off all of the meds - apart from the anticoagulants of course!

Hope some of that helps.

[Mitcham in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you very informative

[Hidden]

Good morning, some great advice! Just shout if you think we can help you more....

[Mitcham]

Thanks I will I wasn’t treated in St George’s but I lived in Mitcham some years ago

[Hidden in reply to Mitcham]

Morden, but left when I married in 1970!

[Spinners]

I was going to reply, but having read

CDreamers advice, I have little to add.

Certainly stress is a trigger, and it sounds as if you have plenty of that. No longer worrying about the Afib or the side effects of the drugs, but accommodating these by change of lifestyle has reduced the effect of both.

I saw my EP privately the first time. As he explained, the main benefit is the speed of appointmentment and the length of time he was able to give me. I came away feeling totally reassured, having had a very clear explanation of what was happening, using videos and diagrams to help. I could have waited to see him on the NHS, but having opted for this after the first visit, have found that NHS consultations can be stressful in themselves. During Covid he checks up on me every 6 months by telephone conversation. Very relaxed and plenty of time to say anything I want to say.

I am afraid that in the end you need to find your best solution to your afib. It is unrealistic to expect to be exactly the same as you were before it started.

I hope you will get things sorted very soon, and decide on a plan of action that will suit you.

Wishing you a speedy resolution.