hi everyone,
I am just joining your community struggling with a fib and flutter for last ten months,
Biggest issues being anxiety,difficulty with exercise due to drug side effects and also still
Fighting the “ why me” attitude.
3 years ago I was standing with my daughter at Everest base camp and get myself to accept that these trips might not happen again.
Would like to share and see how you are all dealing with this
Jerry
Yes initially anxiety is a big problem. And also it makes afib worse But being on this site has gave me great knowledge thus improving my anxiety.
Welcome to the forum Jerry.The way I lift my spirits is to think of all the far worse things I could have had, cancer, motor neurone, Parkinson's. I have all of my limbs and can see and hear. Would you swop with these people? Also AF is unlikely to kill me.
You have a good chance that you'll feel better with the right meds.
Jean
Merry Christmas Jean ............. totally endorse what you say, just done my road trip to west Surrey to see my brother in law ......... he has vascular dementia, well advanced, bed ridden, carers coming to attend him at home ........ has no recognition of anyone per se ...... my poor sister 😪😪😪😪
John
Life can be so cruel at times. xxx
Hi
Welcome. I see a few similarities and subtle differences between you and me. I am also 67, but I'm a UK exile living in the Czech Republic. I was finding my way into retirement, still cycling and long-distance walking (I'd started walking around the border of this country) when I got diagnosed with an irregular heart beat and a PM was whipped into me to cope with some very slow / missed beats and put on beta blockers (Betaloc - Metoprololi Succinas), anti-coagulant (Eliquis - Apixaban) and now for higher BP (Tezeo - Telmisartanum). Psychologically I have the "Why me?" syndrome and it's tended to get mixed in with looking for a new identity in retirement, now I'm having to re-adjust my whole outlook on life. It's all rather challenging; decisions on when I should be exercising, working or resting, how much I should be doing of each and how hard to push myself are all different now. My body seems to react differently when I want to walk or cycle uphill. I get weirdly uncomfortably out of breath and light-headed, but the heart rate doesn't seem to want to go up enough to cope with the heavier workload as it did before.
I get confused as to what is really wrong, so I find it difficult to explain to other people what is wrong. I don't think it's very serious, but I'm not sure that it will improve, but steadily get worse. My elder brother (10 years older) had something similar which started around 2010, he had a stroke in 2019 and died in 2020 so I wonder if I'm following in his shoes.
I'm sure the best thing is just to rise to the challenge and get on with life, enjoy every little gem around me (there are many if I care to notice them). I also get a buzz out of being useful so that's the second thing I try and concentrate on. It is certainly not useful being negative all the time, but this forum is a useful place to share our feelings.
I hope that you manage to re-adjust in ways that are right for you. We can still be useful in other ways and use and develop other talents that we have but have been under used or neglected in the past.
Best of luck and vesele vanoce.
Thank you all for your responses and Czechmate,it is almost spooky since I have almost identical experiences while trying to exercise. It is so hard to know if it is just side effects of meds ,your anxiety or your heart in troubles.
Should one try harder,take it easy,which one? I used to get “high” getting to my maximum while exercising or mountaineering ,just about to retire next year and hiking the Europe is my lifelong dream.
Hopefully I get to find my balance ,get less anxious and and less driven to my self pity,besides, I have my wife of 42 years from Prague next to me who always tried to tell me that I do not rest enough, I guess I need to realize she might be right.
Again ,merry Christmas to you all and best of health and courage tackling af
In the year of 2023
Jerry
As others have said, it’s hard to get used to this. The meds, the not feeling like yourself, etc. Keep communicating with your doctors, try to find meds that don’t make you feel awful. I once told my EP “this med makes me feel miserable”. He said “miserable is not a option, let’s fix this”. Bless him!
And like Jean said, I try to remind myself that there’s more debilitating conditions that I’m grateful not to have.
Impressed at the Everest Base Camp expedition! What an amazing adventure. I’m sure there are adventures ahead for you!
It takes a while to adjust. Initially it feels like life as you know it is over. And some aspects of it for sure will be different. A lot of it is about attitude, rebalancing and management of your new condition. If you have the determination to make it to Everest base camp you have strength and resilience already. These attributes can be rechanneled to make the lifestyle changes that can help you in this next phase of your life.
Have you read The AFib Cure by Dr John Day? I'd start there to get useful information re physical health markers. For anxiety - which affects many of us - there's a book by Judson Brewer called Unwinding Anxiety that I and others have used. It explains how our brain triggers anxiety and how to combat it. And you'll still be able to enjoy outdoors and to take exercise. You may just do it differently. Lots of options. Think about that, not what you cannot do, but all the things you can.
The anxiety will wax and wane and often growl fearsomely. It';s awful. Those who can conquer it are luckier than they can ever know. Reassurance is the key and that can only come from a doctor and their technology!
Steve
I think the two biggest things to accept are the 'cure' takes very likely years and your lifestyle will need to change.
The good news is, if you are willing and persistent, life can become very good again.
My experience: 8 yrs ago on diagnosis was high anxiety/borderliner depression and inability to do anything more than a short walk (a few hundred metres) on the level without the feeling I would go back into AF. The last 5 years taking 200mgs Flecainide and after many lifestyle changes, I can honestly say no AF, loads of energy to do almost anything and very happy!
So stick at it and learn as much as possible here and elsewhere 🤞🙏😁
If meds are not getting you out of afib, I have to wonder why a cardioversion was not done. I've never been able to get out of afib with meds, and have always had a cardioversion. 17 times in the past 2 years.
Thankfully, EP did a pace and ablate in Nov, and all seems to be going well. Anxiety could be contributing to your afib; however, if you're still in it, it would be a good idea to get out of it ASAP. Do call your cardiologist about it.
I am quite taken aback by all the responses and I thank you all for your words,feel better already and last sentence from Singwell reply rings so true.
Just of note, I am after 2 ablations,first might have been ,let’s say,not the best,and had quite few cardioversions,last was planned few weeks ago,but first time in my journey I converted chemically with Sotalol and diltiazem,which I am taking now,in sinus still,but side effects quite tough,Hard to get going and do activities,but it seems last few days it is getting much better.
❤️😊🤞jerryczech
76 years old with A F
apixaban and hematuria 
shortness of breath
3% Afib burden and proposed medication
