Exercising on Amiodarone (and in Afib)

[Jonathan_C]

Hi - as the last throw of the dice I am taking Amiodarone (Arycor) until I get a cardioversion in January (will be my 7th on top of two ablations).

So I am in a-fib - am trying to build my strength again - I do push ups, sit ups and other resistance training and alternate that with step ups on the garden furniture and kicking the box bag. These are things I can do in bursts, which makes the effects of afib manageable.

I manage to do the workout fine, but feel way more exhausted and worn out after a session than I expect to - is this the afib or the Amiodarone?

[CDreamer]

Very difficult to say but my husband of 88 does similar and has been on Amiodarone for 3 years now - he is mostly in NSR as the cardioversion didn’t work for him but the Amiodarone did - and doesn’t seem to suffer symptoms from drugs. Just as a direct comparison - I would imagine if you are in persistent AF that it is the AF.

Still worth doing the exercises though but just take your time, rest and recover when you feel breathless - you should be able to talk at the same time - and perhaps do slightly less? It’s very easy to continue to exercise at the same rate as you were used to doing - your heart in AFib won’t like that as it won’t able to sustain the oxygen requirement of your muscles = fatigue. Pacing is everything.

[Paulbounce in reply to CDreamer]

CD wrote

"Pacing is everything"

+1

Paul

[Wonkyheart]

It will be the afib making you exhausted, that's what it does.

But keep going! It's vital as excercise is critical in maintaining good general heath, which in turn eases the burden of afib AND it has been shown that excercise directly improves afib per se. Its hard but persevere. Ignore all the lazy types that use afib as their excuse to give up and take on learned helplessness.

Stay strong.

[Jonathan_C]

Thanks. I should have added that I am 47, I am in reasonable shape, and have mitral and aortic stenosis - which are the most likely causes of the a-fib.

I do listen to my heart (I have no choice when exercising), and as per Wonkyheart, I think exercise can lessen the burden of afib. Of course this needs to be managed sensibly.

👍

[Hidden in reply to Jonathan_C]

Is there any evidence that exercise lessens AF burden directly, in the absence of obesity or hypertension? Notwithstanding, it can be very enjoyable and relieve stress.

[Jonathan_C in reply to Hidden]

I am interested to hear what "AF burden" means to different people as I am sure there are many different experiences of it.

My AF burden is that my "maximum" heart rate is quite low and when I reach it I get breathless. So if I do something when I need my HR to accelerate rapidly I get breathless very quickly (e.g. chasing the dog in the garden), it takes marginally longer to reach that point if I run but I can keep below the max HR for long enough to get a work out doing intervals of resistance/strength building exercises.

And I am finding that building strength increases my max HR, especially for certain activities - so I am able to go for more strenuous or faster walks and hikes for instance ... I haven't quite built up the strength to be able to jog, and am not expecting too!

Besides that burden, I feel my heart pounding every now and then when not doing anything - but as I know its afib, i wouldn't call it a burden.

[Hidden in reply to Jonathan_C]

Interesting insights. Thank you.I think of AF burden as the percentage time spent in AF over a given period. As this increases, as is probable, so does the amount of atrial fibrosis which is a strong predictor of persistent AF.

I’m afraid that strenuous exercise over long periods will promote atrial fibrosis.

Perhaps better to enjoy exercise at a modest pace? You’ll probably live longer….

[Jonathan_C in reply to Hidden]

I wore a holter for a few days a few weeks ago and the report back was that I "was in afib the whole time". So if I understand your definition correctly, my af burden is 100%.

I have discussed exercise with EP and he recommends keep going. But I suspect most people on this thread over estimate how much I am exerting myself. By interval training I mean doing intervals of 20 step ups on a table that is 45cm high, then i RECOVER and go again. Some times the recovery takes 20 seconds, sometimes i need a minute, sometimes i need to stop at 17 step ups, other intervals i feel i can go on more (all within the same workout). This I understand is normal with afib - the electrics have become chaotic so the hearts response to exertion will also be chaotic.

When I do leg work my goal is to feel my legs ache and do a certain NUMBER of intervals - which on one day can take half the time needed on another day. But I am finding as I get stronger I can go faster.

I think my exercise is at a modest pace, even if i have created the impression it isn't.

[TM93]

I used to go into Afib every time I exercised (weights and cardio) but when I started to pace myself and allowing my heart rate to go down in between exercises I stopped having episodes. My workouts were generally at least an hour long. I also became less fatigued afterwards. I am 74 and still exercising.

[Pommylump]

My Guess is the Afib, I'm more a fan of a long less intense exercise than short bursts of higher intensity, either way your body needs exercise.

[BlueINR]

What is your heart rate? If HR is over 100 I don't think exercise is not a good idea.

[Jonathan_C in reply to BlueINR]

When you are in a-fib I think HR is an unreliable measure - a rate of 100bpm is not a good benchmark to work from. We are all different.