Normal Life?

[Firstbusman]

Good Afternoon

I went through two years of having AF periods which (as par for the course) has become continuous since November. However I have no symptoms and continue to live my life normally. I’m an active gardener and as I live by the sea I love walking along the beach. My heart rate averages around 90 to 120 walking and around 70 resting. I’m on Amlodipine 10mg Rivaroxiban 20mg. Bisoprollo 1.25mg and Atorvastatin 20mg. On Thursday I’m due to be fitted with a Holter Monitor. Can you continue to live a normal life in AF without Cardioversion or other treatments if the AF is anti-symptomatic or will it continue to get worse causing problems further down the line.

Best wishes

Stuart

[BobD Volunteer]

Any and all treatment for AF is only ever about quality of life so you really are a lucky one if you are asymptomatic. Provided that rate is well controlled (which yours appears to be) and you are anticoagulated for stroke prevention then normal life can continue happily.

It is of course important to respect the condition and not go running marathons or do anything which exacerbates the situation but many people in permanent AF live long and happy lives.

[Hidden]

I know a good many people (including me) who were first diagnosed with persistent AF who not only didn’t know they had it, they wouldn’t dream of pursuing any form of invasive treatment. Because they haven’t experienced the problems of having episodes and all the difficulties they can create, they often wonder what all the fuss is about. I have absolutely no regrets for pursuing the ablation route for treatment, but I sometimes wonder if I should have accepted AF more readily but I really didn’t fancy a lifetime of potent AF drugs. Your question is really very difficult to answer objectively. In my case, after having a successful Cardioversion which began to falter after a year, like you, I wasn’t sure what to do. My mind was made up when my cardiologist, who not an EP, however he was extremely experienced in AF but not overly pro ablation said, “if I were you, I’d have a Cryoablation”. So I did, and no regrets.

[Desanthony]

I am in permanent AF and am able to live normally - barring Covid restrictions - going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, walking up hill and down dale and back again. My resting heart rate is in mid to high 50’s and I wear a chest strap with watch readout when exercising to make sure I don’t accidentally go over the top and try and keep my heart rate at 120 during exercise though sometimes I do go over. At present I am only on apixaban as I can’t get on with beta blockers, calcium

Channel blockers as they put my resting heart rate down too low at 38 - 45.