I have pafib and anxiety not sure if the afib is causing the anxiety or anxiety causing afib? Dr. Recommend Zoloft does anyone take this?

[3040jane]

Is it good or bad?

[Paulbounce]

Afib = anxiety. Anxiety = afib. Try breathing tech's or grounding to come down.

Loloft here.

webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-35/z...

"The risk of QT prolongation may be increased if you have certain medical conditions or are taking other drugs that may cause QT prolongation. Before using sertraline, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the drugs you take and if you have any of the following conditions: certain heart problems.

Never tried it so can't comment - maybe others have.

Cheers Paul

[secondtry]

I would always prefer lifestyle changes to pills unless it is an emergency. I had to start taking Flecainide for AF as it was essential to stop it but since then I have been slowly converting to a much healthier lifestyle. Anxiety is one area that can be combatted in the medium term by changes to daily routines, new hobbies, food and the spiritual side.

[tom0985 in reply to secondtry]

Hi Secondtry, well done - it sounds like you are tackling it well. Are you now off Flecanide and if so have you had an AF since? If so, how do you combat it?

[secondtry in reply to tom0985]

Hi Tom, unfortunately still taking 200mgs (medium dose) of Flecainide for 8 yrs now; just 2 short 20 mins AF episodes in that time. Reluctant to rock the boat, even more so in the Covid era. Would dearly love to come off them but think it would be foolhardy to try it when QOL is so good and not aware of any side effects....yet!!

[tom0985 in reply to secondtry]

2 in 8years! Wow well done you! 👏🏻

[CDreamer]

I’m afraid I’m with Paul & Secondtry - unless it’s an emergency avoid the drugs and look specifically at Anxiety Management Techniques - but don’t try it on your own, get some help.

If you are in the UK (which I suspect you aren’t as you used the brand name rather than the generic Sertraline - is an SSRI). From what I remember it’s not advised unless under specialist supervision. It’s an antidepressant and like all antidepressants can have unpleasant side affects - one of which is that in some people it can increase anxiety or make it very hard to come off because of rebound.

I worked as a Psychotherapist for a number of years and found that it masked many symptoms but didn’t help the underlying issue - that is purely a personal opinion so obviously you must take advice from a practising professional who knows your medical background

I very much like Human Givens Techniques and have known many people who have benefitted from that approach and liked it because it’s short term, not in depth long term therapy’s. I think someone on this forum has used it. MCBT = Mindful Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is another approach which has had great success with health anxiety.

If you want to get first hand experience then I would head over to drugs.com and look at the reviews as many seem to find it helpful but not sure if they already have arrythmias and as Paul mentions, it has been known to cause serious arrythmias so do talk to your Pharmacist about possible interactions before trying.

Hope some of that helps.

[Ppiman]

Anxiety can be a hidden thing in my experience and might well be responsible for far more than people ever realise. Controlling it is difficult but non-drug treatments are always worth trying and persevering with. You don't need a counsellor to learn how to do CBT, for example - a book ca just as easily show you what to do and at a fraction of the cost. The various treatments all seem to have about a 30-40% success rate ("success" meaning of some use!).

SSRI antidepressant drugs are not simple drugs at all and although they can be useful in some people, they can also be deeply problematic. They are handed out like smarties at times, even to young people these days, despite being a known risk in that age group.

Steve

[Sixtychick]

I find hypnotherapy helps my anxiety. I’ve not seen anything much on here, about it. I had a good hypnotherapist, but he moved away from my area and I’ve found an even better one now and she helped a lot, so much so, that I don’t need it now, but I know she’s there if I need her. I found CBT was too slow for me and didn’t really help. Trouble is you always have the worry of AF, in the back of your mind all the time, as you don’t know when it will occur. I also get SVT sometimes, so I have double trouble.

[Snowgirl65]

When I saw my first doctor for a-fib years ago and mentioned to him that I thought anxiety was causing the a-fib, he said it was quite the opposite -- that a-fib was causing my symptoms of anxiety, i.e. feelings of hyperventilation. I didn't believe him, and went with another doctor instead. Years later, I realized he was correct. I've since gone back to that facility (Cleveland Clinic) and gotten my radio-frequency ablation with world-class care.

[3040jane]

Thanks all for your comments. I have done the research and I really hesitate to take it because of the side effects. I do some breathing techniques and to to relax but sometimes it’s hard to.

[djmnet]

My GP encouraged me to take this anti-depressant and I tried it for a month or two. Made zero difference and later found it is contraindicated for use with DOAC. For anxiety, an anti-anxiety medication works best such as ativan, Xanax or diazepam. But the question of the hour is what came first, afib or anxiety -- they're uniquely linked.