Hi, I’m 63 years old, fairly active through tennis, cycling & walking & have had AF for 10 years.
Until recently been doing well with medication, but now in last 4 months, slip into AF every 10 days or so and bouts can last over a week. Tendency is to go into AF overnight.
On Carvidolol, Apixaban & Flecinide (max dose).
Can’t do tennis when I’m in AF or easily walk / cycle on any hills when in AF, so pretty frustrating!!
On waiting list for ablation (waiting list 1 year in this area).
Does anyone have any tips to get back to NSR? Breathing techniques/ exercise / sleep etc….
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Long, Slow, Deep breaths - as described by people such as James Nestor - good place to start - drchatterjee.com/5-breathin...
More likely to prevent episode than put you into NSR.
Research Modified Vasovagal manoeuvres. YouTube has some - some of which have worked for me - some of the time. The elevating legs worked but that’s because I had very low BP.
Divers response - plunge face into very cold water - never worked for me.
Blowing into syringe with plunger removed.
Other accidental conversion - hit a pothole at 30 MPH - yes it did actually happen though not intentionally.
EFT or Tapping.
Nothing worked consistently mind you haven’t repeated the pothole incident!
My AF is somewhat similar in duration to yours. When it starts I use slow belly breathing to reduce my pulse below 100.
Each day I try to do about 30 minutes basic yoga again concentrating on belly breathing. I also like to incorporate about another 30 minutes other exercise into my day, this to include a short period requiring extra effort. This has worked for me to restore normal rhythm on many occasions but not every time.
You might feel you cannot do that much but recognising we are all different, please try exercise of some description. I really have found it helpful.
I remember drinking bottled ice cold water straight from the fridge whilst in afib and it did knock me back into NSR straight away. But it didn’t work every time unfortunately.!! Just a thought👍
Rather than just looking to convert back to NSR you might look at how to manage and even prevent AF happening.
You might be interested in the book The AFib Cure which looks at all types of ways to manage AF (and the word should be manage not Cure as in my opinion there is no cure and the book makes it clear there isn’t a magic treatment which works for all).
Look at all the Lifestyle measures such as managing stress - physical as well as psychological because too much exercise = stress = inflammation = AF. Many elite athletes find they develop AF, especially as they get older. You will see a lot of posts from cyclists especially and the book The Haywire Heart - link to his website presenting some useful thoughts to bear in mind
Sleep is definitely something to look at, sleep apnea was one of my triggers and after treatment my nocturnal AF stopped - unfortunately daytime episodes weren’t as easy to stop.
Breathing - James Nestor’s book breath explains why. Most of us need to learn how to breath because we think we do - but we don’t. The reason so many AFer’s find that Yoga and Mindfullness and Meditation SO helpful is that it teaches breath work.
Then diet, then moderate - emphasis on moderate exercise. No exercise is bad but so is too much for AF - very hard to adapt to when you have been very active and participated in sports.
I have converted to NSR using an ice cold drink and on another occasion relaxing listening to a steady heartbeat on YouTube. I would look at the many lifestyle changes suggested here including taking (after checking with your medics) Magnesium Taurate and 200 mgs CoQ10. Try nasal strips to improve any sleep apnea tendencies, reduce exercise level in the day and spend an hour before bedtime relaxing with Mindfulness, Yoga and if religious prayer.
When trying any product the supplier is equally important. I have used Breathright for several years without problem. Hope it works for you. You may then go onto taping your mouth; I use a thumbnail piece of Myotape across the middle of the lips. Evidently the latter increases the input of Nitric oxide, which is helpful - sorry can't remember the science behind that.
I am 72 and a keen cyclist. Whilst overdoing it on the bike can put me in AF, when at rest in the evening, I have found that cycling can also convert me back to NSR. Cycling up a hill the next morning or strongly for 15 mins works nearly every time. At least 25 times over the past 5 years. An electric bike helps me not get into the problem in the first place.
So much good advice here. I was replying to a post yesterday mentioning stress. Stress I feel is a major contributor. I was opining that for me times I need to be mindful was when the Lifeboat pager goes off. Blow me no sooner had I finished writing pager, it went off. Had me pedaling furiously to reach the station as a boat was on fire. Whilst I am now far to old to to go out on the boat as a launch authority I am still very much involved.I manage the stressful situations by finding a quiet space and doing the breathing exercises already mentioned by others.
I also do accupressure. Massaging locations on the vagus nerve. Inside your ear and behind the ear.
I also massage Shen men (spirit gate). Found palm facing you, crease on wrist below little finger, look for the hollow. Great Abyss lung channel 9 base of thumb palm facing almost opposite side to shen men. I write the names as you can Google to find exact location. Then massage the end of your little finger. In fact massage all the fingers. The little finger in Chinese medicine relates to heart.
Whether it's the act of massage the belief, or, it actually works, to my mind is unimportant. The process for me calms me down clears my mind. Along with breathing already mentioned works for me. Worth a go.
I agree. I have acupuncture weekly with those same areas you mention. My acupuncturist has taught me how to bleed my baby finger and to put sea bands on the wrist area you mention to try to convert. It does work. I am a total fan of Chinese Medicine. It has saved my life regarding managing my AF
I have read about pricking little finger to reduce BP. Have never tried it. Does it work for AFib. My most days regime consist of Tai Chi exercises and Chi Gong breathing exercises. I add EFT tapping which are on the Chakra points, with a few additions of my own. A few stretching and balancing. To end 6 Hand Chi Gong meditation, to centre and slow thinking. Sort of mindfulness. Glad it helps you as well.
Yes bleeding the baby finger helps me along with acupressure on the wrist crease point. Bleeding baby finger requires 4 pricks on top of finger and squeezing blood as many times as necessary wiping with an alcoholPad til it stops bleeding. It gets the blood moving when it is stuck.
I suffered with Afib and Afib Flutter since January 2021 for 24/7. I had a Cardioversion in March that lasted only 11 days. I started the Supplements below after doing extensive research. It took 7 1/2 weeks to get back into NSR. There are not enough trials with Supplements for Doctors to recommend so doctors follow Pharmaceutical recommendations. Since you need to be concerned long term, this may be worth a try.
This natural supplement way worked for me although my problem with Afib may have been from high BP, age, or a mineral deficiency since I did not fall into the other causes like Thyroid issues, dehydration, smoking, lung disease etc. All my testing on heart was normal.
Please note that it takes 8 weeks to show benefits!
Magnesium Taurate/Glycinate
Co-Q10/L-Carnitine
Wild Alaskan Fish Oil
Hawthorn Berry
Vitamin C and D
You can read "Natural" Supplements For a Healthy Heart by Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD and Dr. Frank Shallenberger in "REAL CURES" Newsletter from Second Opinion.
Good points Dee. See my regime posted above. As far as supplements I take magnesium every other day (no idea why not daily) just hope my diet adds the rest. I have slightly raised BP and had to go back to GP for series of measurements. Before I went ,for a week or so drank a lot more water and took Hawthorn. Managed to sneak under the radar. I don't want any more tablets to take. Might go back on Hawthorn as you are the only other person I have noticed to write about it. . I do believe you can make Hawthorne Tincture yourself, from the berries and leaves. Do you have any knowledge of it?
I just read your post above. Thank you for the natural alternative ways to reduce stress. Yes, I have knowledge of Hawthorn tincture, but since a simple supplement works for me, I take it with other supplements. The tiny red berries from the Hawthorn Shrub has been used in traditional medicine since ancient times. It reduces tachycardias and palpitations and prevents premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). It has a normalizing effect upon the heartbeat.
I believe in natural medicine and so I believe this Hawthorn Berry and Magnesium contributed to my NSR.
A question and a suggestion: Where do you live as such it takes a year to get an ablation? My suggestion is to find a REALLY GOOD acupuncturist (Do your homework) . I was on Amiodarone, a really mean drug that helped with keeping my heart in rhythm but raised heck with the rest of my body. My age is 78 , male. Also had severe pain with PVCS. After one month of acupuncture the pain stopped, off Amiodarone and doing normal ranch work (throwing bales of hay, chopping winter fire wood etc,). Feeling so much better. Oh, by the way I live in north east Idaho and had my ablation in Missoula Montana at the St. Pats cardio center within one month of the physician’s decision/ok. Good Luck.
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