Does hormone replacement therapy help avoid a fib? I have paroxysmal afib starting oct 2020 have been Ecv x3 and converted 4 x since

[Spud12345]

Hormone replacement therapy

[BobD Volunteer]

If you think it will maybe it will (the mind is very powerful) but I can think of no logical reason why it would.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to BobD]

Very true Bob, it took me years to realise how great the link was between mind and AF.

[jeanjeannie50]

What makes you think HRT may help? Has it helped you, or are you asking in case it has helped someone else?

[Spud12345 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Asking to see if anyone has tried it. I am going on a plant based hrt which my practitioner says will help

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Spud12345]

That sounds interesting, please let us know how you get on if it helps your AF.

[Spud12345 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Will do. I think there are many little things that set it off and I’m trying to correct them with pray, chiropractic, vitamins, hydration, magnesium,exercise …

[GrannyE in reply to Spud12345]

I dont think HRT (oestrogen) affects the A/F either way. Not having it can put you at more risk of brittle bone. I have had it for 38 years since radical hysterectomy but then not having a womb etc means I cannot get cancer ‘down there’. It suits me and my GP is on board with it.

[Auriculaire in reply to Spud12345]

If the plant in question is soy then it might not. Soy can have deleterious effects on the thyroid and a dodgy thyroid can make afib worse whether it provokes hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism

[BobD Volunteer]

Plant based diet will help for sure. Plenty of data on that.

[opal11uk]

I took HRT throughout my early years of P/A/F but when it caused me to have a stroke my cardio told me to stop taking them because at that time there had been no studies on HRT after someone had been taking them for 10 years, I did as I was told. I was 54.

[GrannyE in reply to opal11uk]

How can you be sure it was the HRT that caused your stroke? It might have happened anyway. There were a lot of scare stories re HRT a while back but most of them have proved false.

[opal11uk in reply to GrannyE]

It had nothing to do with the HRT it was the Atrial Fibrillation that caused a stroke however the cardio advised no more HRT after that and I really didn't investigate the reason why but it didn't cause the stroke however, 8 years later I got breast cancer and there is talk around HRT and breast cancer but who really knows what taking any drug does to our bodies. I have been on anticoagulants for 20 plus years now and my teeth are beginning to break and fall out and I am blaming this on the anticoags but I dont really know the reason why, I have always taken care of my teeth but yet to find out why this is happening now.

[GrannyE in reply to opal11uk]

is there a link between anticoagulants and teeth? If it takes over 20 years to take effect I can live with that. I am sure I won't be around that long. If you find an answer I am sure many of us would be interested.I know that with HRT you have to examine breasts regularly.

As one gets older one collects 'issues'. On the other hand I don't like the alternative.

[opal11uk in reply to GrannyE]

😊 Its a good job we dont know whats in store for us and as the saying goes, 'keep taking the tablets' lol

[Elli86]

Hi spud.

I had some pretty bad fatigue issues and problems taking forever to recover from injuries. I used to do kickboxing and was very fit and then just out of the blue this started happening 😫.

I also had one bought of AF, which I had no idea was af and due to my fitness level I thought there’s no way there’s anything wrong with my heart so just cracked on. The af seemed to drag on forever but for what ever reason it just stopped on its own and I thought I’d seen the end of it.

Anyway months later I went to see a specialist to see if my issues could be hormone related. Although my testosterone levels came back ok he said I could go on a trial anyway as some people can struggle even with “ok” levels.

Boy do I wish I hadn’t bothered! After my 3rd injection, I was having one a week, my AF came back with a vengeance and hasn’t gone since 😫 who’s to say the testosterone was the cause, it could just be a massive coincidence. But I’m under the impression that it just sent my ticker over the edge.

Just my story. No telling if you’d have the same problem. Hope it helps your decision either way 👍

[Cha275rL]

I was on HRT for fifteen years, until I was 60, and wasn’t diagnosed with AF till 2020. I know I had it a good few years before it was actually found. Now 76, so I’ll never know if the HRT prevented it or not. Hm! Never thought about that before.

[Cha275rL]

Ps Wasn’t plant based tho, so maybe doesn’t count.

[Spud12345]

The hrt I am taking is compounded in the apothecary pharmacy and does not have any soy residual it is low dose and good for the heart and brain and mood balancing anti anxiety. My provider gets referrals from a cardiologist We did lab tests and a follow up which identified that I need t3 thyroid also not seen by my regular physician. I’m nervous but excited. I am doing everything to beat the paroxysmal afib. Also seeing a wonderful chiropractor monthly to correct a twist in my cervical thoracic t4 area which could potentiate cardiac accelerator fibers.

[Goldfish7]

I think Dr Sanjay Gupta - yorkcardiologist on youtube discusses this. I dont think anything is cut and dried but it appears that menopause and perimenopause appear to be times when women start getting AF. There is some correlation not necessrily causative as very little research has been carried out which isnt suprising as involving women in any heart related research seems to have been a "no, no' for decades. So HRT may be an interesting option and its effects not necessarily all in womens heads.