Hi guys ......
Many people on here write saying they are in permeant afib ..what is permanent afib ? If you have all the symptoms of afib how do you manage to live normally? I have intermitant afib and struggle daily trying to get through ....please explain ....
Simple. When your bdy is in permanent AF it adapts. It is the swings from NSR to AF and back all the time which are the problem.
The panic that ensues when you go into AF creates all sorts of problems unless we can relax and accept things which few can especially in the early days and weeks of having AF.
If you read all the posts you will see lots of people who only find they have AF by accident or during routine medical tests because apart from perhaps some shortness of breath (SOB) they are asymptomatic.
For these people so long as the rate is well controlled and they are anticoagulated to reduce stroke risk life is normal and good. Remember that thirty years ago AF was considered a normal function of aging.
I have always found that staying busy and distracted is the best solution, the only caveat being that any chest pain, fainting or dizziness needs to be investsigated.
To my mind permanent AF is when your heart is constantly in AF, as mine is.
The first thing to understand is that people all experience AF attacks differently, as they can present in a mild or ranging up to severe form. The people with the mild ones can say, oh I just carry on as normal, or I run up a hill and it stops. I'm sure they see others who get more severe ones as making a fuss over nothing. AF is only as bad as we personally experience it at it's worst. The most severe cases often end up being admitted to hospital, they feel dreadful, keep going in and out of conscious, feel faint, dizzy, and breathless. Attacks can last for seconds, minutes hours, days, weeks , or months.
So you will get varying responses to your question, depending on how forum members personally experience their attacks.
I've had three ablations and numerous cardioversions and am now in constant AF. Once your heart gets used to being this way it adjusts and from my experience I would say it's the best thing that's happened to me AF wise. No longer do I get those awful PAF attacks that leave you scared and drained of energy for days. I may tire a little quicker, on exertion, than other people and I've learnt not to eat lunch and then attempt to walk too far. It appears that my body can't digest food and allow me to have energy as well. So I no longer eat large meals, especially at lunch time and am better for doing that. My pulse ranges between 60-100 at rest.
So to answer your question in a straight way, for me life is easier - just about normal, now that I'm in AF all the time.
Jean
I have read you posts for many years and your experience with the Monster Afib has been similar to mine. I am in permanent afib now and life seems very normal. May we live a long episode free. life
I tried to stop taking my Flecainide and Metoprolol recently, but started feeling really aware of a fast heart rate. It wore me out, so back on those pills now. Good to hear you are doing so well.
I empathise with everything @jeanjeannie50 says, and would add that I am now so used to being in permanent AF that when I had a few hours of “normality” after my third and last cardioversion I was in absolute heaven. I had totally forgotten how good it felt to have no AF.
Hello Suntanann, Our Members (BobD and JeanJeannie50) have given you some excellent advice, which is the main aim of the Forum , a great place to share experiences with others. Should you wish to find out more about the different types of AF that are most common, then please contact the Patient Services Team at A F Association heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
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