Ectopics while Exercising

[Dogluvr95]

Anyone else notice when they push/pull something that’s when they get ectopics? Whenever I have arm day and workout my arms I get ectopics. Odd. And annoying lol. I wonder why it is

[Rw12]

Yes, it’s happened twice now going from doing cable seated rows to bent over rows in a superset. I had significant ectopics and ended up going into fast afib both times. I had to leave the gym and happily the afib went away within a half hour. I’ve had an ablation just over a year ago so this was disappointing. Usually working out helps get rid of ectopics for me, but not always.

I do suspect that I have an irritable and very sensitive vagus nerve and that certain weight lifting (and other) movements can increase the irritation. I’m learning to be patient but it’s difficult when you’re seeing results in the gym and want to keep it going!

[blulla1]

This may help. This guy is also an athlete and has figured out a dietary protocol which has eliminated both ectopics and afib.

carrafibdietinfo.com/

[seasicksurf]

My AF trigger used to be general thoracic (upper torso) pressure. Straining, bending over, anything that put pressure on the insides of my upper chest. Since I’ve had a successful ablation, these same moves now result in ectopics. I’ve seen a couple videos posted here that show nerve “nests” at the back of the heart that some speculate may be the area of trigger or that speak to the vitality of the vagus nerve, which condition may also be the culprit. In any event, I am now always conscious of strenuous upper body work and seek to breathe without straining at all times when working the upper body. Everyone here reminds everyone how different we all are—but my conscious effort to NOT creat thoracic pressure (exhale! don’t strain!) works for me.

[Dogluvr95 in reply to seasicksurf]

Hm that’s really interesting. When I had SVT, my trigger was always either bending over, breathing in too hard or sneezing. It was only ever stimulated by my vagus nerve, i never had any triggers other than those, so now that I think about it when I do those same things I also get ectopics now after my ablation.

[Bennera513]

I get more ectopics when my heart rate transitions across certain thresholds (i.e., while cycling as I work up through 120 bpm and back down through that range, above and below are fine). Also, certain exercises give me more grief than others. Incline Dumbbell Press is notorious for some reason. Core exercises seem to be okay I suppose due to Valsalva? My EP says continue as if nothing is happening and ignore it unless I feel faint or short of breath. I can usually proceed up until I have more than 10 in a minute or the rate flies up into really high ranges for no discernible reason. Maybe it's important to know which ectopics you are having? PAC's don't seem to have any impact on me, but PVC's would appear to be more hemodynamically disruptive (or at least I can feel them a whole lot more intensely).