Went back to work this week after 14/15 weeks off. Only working till 12/1 but struggling with fatigue already. Not horrendous by any stretch but it’s not great either. My chest is already starting to tighten up, having to take more deliberate breaths and my heart feels like it’s on the edge.
Just curious how many of you guys feel like fatigue/tiredness is a trigger for you? I do feel like whenever I don’t get enough sleep 😴 my ticker will feel wobbly the following day as well.
Be interested to hear what you guys have to say about this and your own experiences.
Thanks 👍
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Elli86
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You have a chronic condition, fatigue is part of it and rest and recuperation is far too underrated. We were never designed to work 10-12 hours a day with poor nutrition and little rest and 40+ physiologically, our body is much slower at repair and replacement. Period. Add in medication which slow your heart and block ion channels..........
Fatigue is your body sending a message - don’t do as much.
Thanks for input dreamer. Everything you said makes sense. Problem is I’m 34, my diet is just about as good as it gets, hydrated to the gills as well, I’ve been resting for the last 15 weeks and I’ve never worked 12 hours in my life 🤣🤣 currently I’m starting work between 8&9 and finishing between 12&1
I saw a private EP (dr boon) a few months back and he said 100% go for the ablation. Booked me in with st barts and I was supposed to be going for a consult in April but that’s now been put back till June due to covid 😩 gutted! I WAS having what I thought was success with bisop so was thinking I might put it off for a while and see how I get on but if the fatigue at work continues then I’m gonna have to go for it either way I think. Many success stories I’m hearing about are nudging me that way anyway to be fair. Ian being one of them
Yes I’ve tried flec mats. Wasn’t too bad when using as pip. Still very tired but only for 2 days while taking. When I started taking everyday it absolutely destroyed me. Would never take it again unless pip and even then It would be last resort. Did not agree with me at all to be honest
Yeah I’m on bisop now and I’m not exactly dancing on the ceiling 🕺🏼 to be honest but it’s not even comparable to how I felt on flec. Can’t wait to hopefully get off drugs all together 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I lasted 2 days on Flec as my heart went crackers on it. On Amiodarone now awaiting ablation but have had an 8 month spell off meds during the past 5 years, which was bliss 😊. Best of luck.
Yeah same with me. Flec made everything crackers for me. Lasted 8 weeks and well and truly had enough with everything so went back onto bisop. How old are you ducky if you don’t mind me asking?
Oh right ok. They’re only just putting you in for an ablation though? Or was it your choice to stay on meds? How did you go 8 months without meds out of interest? Lifestyle change and supplements?
Bit of a long winded tale, so I've cut and pasted this from another post I answered on. Had to wait 5 months for Ist cardioversion which lasted 4 days and then had to wait for another 4 months for 2nd one and put on Amiodarone. I was then put on the ablation list. I did get offered one after another 6 months but then I had some kidney issues so wasn't able to have it at that point. So, I was supposed to be put further down the list until the kidney issue resolved but unfortunately, I was actually removed from the list completely, in error. By that point, I had lost 4 stone and had been fairly well after being on Amiodarone, so EP decided, with my agreement, to stop the Amiodarone and see if I stayed in NSR (he didnt want me on Amiodarone too long due to my age) I did stay in NSR for 8 fab months without meds, then back into AF last June after a spin on my exercise bike. He immediately put me back on the list, I had cardioversion number 3 in August, and I'm still waiting now, part Covid and part long list I guess. I have been very symptomatic since December so they were supposed to be expediting the procedure but then, an increase in Covid admissions put paid to that. I have a check up appointment in a couple of weeks so I will be chasing it then ........... if you managed to get to then end of that, well done and remember, you did ask 😁😁😁.
🤣🤣 i did manage and thanks for the info. I was booked in for a consultation for an ablation at st barts next week which they cancelled and rebooked for June. I’ve just received a letter from my gp saying they’ve been informed that st barts have cancelled it all together and have given no reason why. All my gp saying they can do is re refer me so I e now got to start all over again. Gutted and very p****d off! To say the least 👎
That's appalling. If possible, I would contact their cardiology department and ask for an explanation. Hopefully, your letters had the name of a consultant on them. If so, ring and ask to speak to their secretary. I have learned to make a bit of a nuisance of myself as no ones health issues are of as much importance to you than your own. My consultant's secretary and I are one first name terms now and I have her direct line number. I don't find the GPs at my surgery particularly proactive so I take the bull by the horns myself now. Had to ring her today as I've started getting puffy feet and ankles in last couple of days so waiting for them to get back to me.......... and they know I will chase if they don't. Hope you can get an explanation.😊
Phoned the number on the letter and they told me it was cancelled. Then phoned st barts direct but couldn’t get through, just went through to answer phone so I left a message. I’ll keep phoning every day till someone answers. Bloody ridiculous that they can cancel and not even say why. Especially after already rescheduling once. My gp are bloody useless but on this occasion it’s not really their fault. They said all they can do is re refer me! Not happy
Once they realise you are not going to let it go, hopefully they will respond. If not, mentioning on the message that you're happy to take it up with the Chief Exec may help.😁.
Yeah that’s a good shout p. I’ve tried ringing no one answers as yet but left a message. I’ll keep phoning everyday till they answer though. Can’t just cancel like that and not even say why
You need to know. Could be an EP has left /become ill and they can’t replace him so have had to cancel his list . Could be anything . Persistence pays off
Yeah that’s a good shout. They should be telling the gp the reason behind it though. All it said was that the referral is no longer needed? Doesn’t make sense. I’m thinking it might be a mistake or the backlog is just too much and I’m not considered high risk due to my age
If it was needed originally and you haven’t improved I suspect it’s a standard reply that doesn’t show them badly in their statistics. As in the government under the loathsome Jeremy Hunt put in all sorts of metrics with penalties for breaching waiting times etc . Not needed looks better than cannot fulfil but this is mere speculation on my part . Hopefully you will get some answers and your place in the queue reinstated. Please let us know
Hey Elli... sorry to hear of your dilemma matey. I bet if your first name was Prince and your surname was Phil, there wouldn’t have been a cancellation. Chin up and keep smiling.
Hello stew! Well as you know mate my first and only name was prince but I’ve now changed it to a symbol....... still didn’t get me on the operating table though 😩
Tiredness, fatigue or over exertion always set me back before the ablation Elli. Hearts not functioning as it should when you've got AF or flutter so anxiety and fatigue are it's effects. I used to feel like walking through deep mud when I suffered it.
Being young it's especially a hammer blow, I felt old before my years, and after a couple of years trying to keep a lid on it had enough and went for ablation after a lot of research and advice.
Now it's sorted after my ablation, I'm brand new again, good aerobic fitness now, and can mountain bike, walk, bit of weight training now and a couple of bag sessions 🥊 is possible, no heavyweight contender anymore, but can make the bag look like a snowflake 😂.
If it's affecting you like that you know you got to look into it , it's by far best thing I've ever done, and all the "life changes" , clean diet etc help, but all the "clean living" and herbal ideas and feng shui and other stuff isn't going to change anything for most long term , I know, I tried them all.
My QOL in the last two years since the Op is phenomenal, back to life and happy again .
Sleep is paramount though , Peony has a fantastic book to read which I've ordered, which also points to the fact that if your in NSR after ablation then the heart can be retrained as such to stay that way, the same way that afib does the opposite creating rogue pathways , makes sense to me .
Your an ideal candidate for ablation as i was being diagnosed young in my forties , age on your side and new procedures being even more effective, it's a no brainer imo, worth putting the gloves on for mate 🤷♂️😉
Honestly, need give it a year before your feeling the full benefit .Tried to go too quick at first but that didn't end well with a setback. Now two years later, afib free and decent fitness for my age, and obviously your never going to regain your youthful fitness level, but il take this anyday over the time I used to spend suffering AF and avoiding things I loved to do.
No magic cure but a massive change from where I was 2 years ago.
Did about two month at home, then eased back into it, but run my own business so was a little easier for me, had a good manager keeping the ship straight for me. But being a control freak didn't help with the relax and heal routine 😂
IanGreat story so positive. Could you give me some advice.
I am 62 . Paf 2 years. Had a cryo ablation 9 months ago. No paf but still not fully recovered. I had Covid last March and the ablation in June.
Now getting a few ectopics most days and always anxious that Afib will come back.
Covid left me with headaches, tinnitus and chest congestion.
I lost 3 stone to help myself eat well and now don’t drink.
You mentioned a long recovery time. Can you give me some history and perhaps reassurance.
I am in a mad world at the moment where I am thinking that if it comes back maybe permanent is the route to go down? Some people say it’s easier to live with.
Anyone out there agree that paf to permanent is easier to live with.
Hi Rod, don't get too disheartened early days yet . I had my ablation on April 19 I think it was, was recovering well the odd flutter etc nothing major , had a bad cold just before a weeks break July that year and didn't feel good but went abroad anyway, big mistake. I was actually in flutter at a constant 140bpm, didn't feel well while abroad got took to A@E, an experience I won't forget in a hurry, and a cardioversion done. Went back to normal thankfully and in NSR . Since then been fine and took it much steadier that first year after that was doing too much basically , literally don't run before you can walk . Noticed a big change after twelve moths or so post ablation, everything seemed to settle down and apart from the odd kick, which my EP says we all have! Just don't take notice of our hearts that much until you've suffered AF and become oversensitive to your heart rate and rythm.
After loads of good advice from some lovely people here and reading up much more on diet and exercise and relaxation techniques i seem to have found a balance. I've changed my lifestyle, mainly less stress, and kept my daily fitness up, walking, mountain biking and swimming (when we could).
The main issue I think you have I've found is the "what if" syndrome we all carry after heart issues , I've got some good friends I chat with regularly on here, they all say the same. After our time with Af we tend to become worriers, even when it's a success, what if... It comes back? ... You go into afib get stuck somewhere and feel stupid? ... You don't get enough sleep?... The list of wheat ifs and self imposed stress is endless. You need find ways of detaching, easier said than done, mine is the beach, walking, headphones in, biking, you have to find your escape from reality.
Ive got the tinnutus, again, it's annoying, but you can ignore it, take the good days with bad, dont let things wind you up, avoid people and situations that you know do,thats a big help.
I just count myself lucky, I was in a bad place with AF, depressed even though I didn't know it, and generally just stopped living and having fun for fear of going into AF. I couldn't accept being in permanent AF which for me came after years of paroxysmal. The ablation isn't a magic pill, but it's next best thing.
Give yourself time, walk, do things you couldn't, try to improve with little steps as you've been through the mill, we all with afib have, as Bob says it's a mongrel condition, just don't let it win. It's a big game, treat it that way, helps me think that way . Give yourself a bit more time Rod, anytime you want a chat just pm me, happily help anyway I can, try some magnesium if you already don't take it, settles the heart a lot, and anxiety , works wonders.
As far as time goes I’ve got enough of it to get a solid 8 hours in. I seem to keep waking up the through the night at the minute though which definitely isn’t helping. Think it might be the tight chest and fluttering that’s causing it
I would add inflammation to your list. I’ve stopped the rest for years and have never been overweight. Tiredness is a dead cert for me and stress as well. Although meditation helps massively with the latter. Unfortunately there are just certain scenarios where stress just cannot be avoided. Like sitting in traffic with numpty london drivers for example 🤦♂️🤣
I’ve heard of the book and know the author. Haven’t read the book as yet though. I completely understand the subject matter and practice it myself however being in that state of mind permanently is virtually impossible and throughout the day you will be distracted and carried away by thought and inevitably end up stressed because of it. That is until you catch yourself being distracted and come back to reality
Think I was thinking of a different book/author. Just had a read up on him and he seems a bit too spiritual/religious for my liking. Over all his description of consciousness seems accurate but not sure I could listen to all the metaphysical/spiritual convo that goes with it. Sam Harris book waking up is more my style of listening.
My hairdressers wife is 48 . Her mum and gran both had AFand she has had it for a bit. She has recently had an ablation, in fact she had to go in twice her BP dropped and they halted it . Went back in and had another go and spoke to hairdresser a couple of days ago and he said she is absolutely fine . The age you are has to be a massive plus when it comes to making a recovery
Yeah it seems that way p. I’m reading the book you recommended to Ian and they say the same in that. Great book to be fair. 2 hours of it left. Once I’ve read it all I’m gonna go back through and get “religious” as the docs put it 🤣 really makes sense what they say. I’m already doing some of it just need to sort my exercise out 😩 sleep could be better as well and stress. Gonna get on the old bio markers and get myself off these poxy meds 💪💪💪
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