Hi all, just wanted to ask if there are any tips to help my current situation please. I had a cryoablation September 2018 for irregular heart rhythms which reduced my symptoms greatly. Fast forward to August 2022 and I caught covid, my heart was doing a merry dance for about two weeks.Then November 2022 I had the Pfizer covid booster and again two weeks of misery.
Now it seems my heart is on a knife edge, the slightest bit of stress and the palpitations start and last for days. I'm seeing a cardiologist on the 1st February, currently I'm off sick from work as my sleep is constantly disrupted and feeling rather low.... Just wanted to check is there anything I should be doing on top of taking a daily 5mg of bisoprolol, this was increased from 1.25mg by my GP due to the increasing palpitations ....
Thanks Dave.
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djbgatekeeper
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It is difficult to find solutions to the burden of having regular palpitations.
However your email contains one big clue to the only thing that helps me. You say you get palpitations when you are stressed. The best advice I can give you is to do your utmost to avoid stress.
Trust me I know how difficult this advice is to follow having just spent 3 days in hospital for an unrelated health issue.
Tell all those around you about your problem and ask them to try and help you reduce your stress intake.
Thanks Pete, 99% of stress in my life is work related and I'm off sick with no plans to return until I get to the bottom of the problem. I hope you are feeling better mate 👍
I have been retired for more than 10 years but remember well how stressed my working life was. During many years in Management roles I had 2 significant breakdowns and on the latter one I had to have 5 weeks off on sick leave. Throughout that time I had also to contend with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation which was so hard to control.
Whilst I am now retired my stress now is caused by 2 very sick grandchildren and a solar panel installation that has gone horribly wrong.
I hope you can find a way of coping there is so much pressure on everyone now with unprecedented rising costs of living.
Yes I am feeling better, part of my stay in hospital was caused by very high blood pressure. I was told to avoid stress but as you only too well know it is so much easier said than done.
Hi, Lots of people who have had a cryoablation tend to require a second ablation which is usually an RF ablation. I think it is time you told your Cardio nurse your getting further symptoms and they may put you on the list to have a redo ablation, assuming that is possible. Stress is definitely a trigger for AF but so are lots of other things, it seems to me that AF has broken through again and needs checking out. Perhaps you need meds to keep it in Rythmyn until you have a redo ablation.
Thanks for the reply, what you have mentioned is definitely on my list of things to talk to my cardiologist about when I go, I think a second ablation or additional meds is the key 👍
Agree here,work related stress is awful. Is there anyvway you can see to reduce this? I feel for you as I am.convinced it was a major additional factor for me.
Dave, I know a few people who after having Covid or the recent booster have had issues with their AFIB
After my third booster my heart rate and blood pressure went up and I had palpitations and then after a few days everything went back to normal. . In April my cardiologist will order me the seven day heart monitor. I have had three cardiac ablations. The third one seemed to do the trick
So glad you have your appointment soon and they get to the bottom of the cause of your palpitations.
Regarding sleep, I can sympathize with you. Some nights are better than others.
I had a reaction to the Pfizer vaccines and had terrible palpations (it felt like AF but was ectopics). My EP asked how much magnesium I was taking and when I told him what I took and that I took it in the evening he told me to take some in the morning as well.
I reached out to a wise man who is on the radio and tv here in Australia who is a pharmacist and master herbalist, who has given me great advice in the past, and he recommended Bio Medica Mag Duo (I don't know if it is available in the UK). It is practitioner only medication so was not easy to get initially. I found within a few days of taking it the ectopics settled down significantly. I still get them occasionally but in general I feel great. So, try extra magnesium and see if that helps 😉
how much magnesium are you taking I’ve just got magnesium taurate but my friend thinks I should take more than it says on the bottle as I’m using to help my afib thanks for any reply
I have a 1/2 - 1 scoop (2 -4 g) of the Mag Duo powder each morning mixes in water. One scoop contains 293.2mg of Magnesium Citrate and 44.5mg of Magnesium Glycinate (total Magnesium 337.7mg) and in the evening I take 1 x Nutralife Magnesium sleep capsules L. They contain 200mg of Magnesium as well as passion flower and some other herbs. So around 400 - 500 mg probably.
Yes for magnesium.....I am taking Calms powdered magnesium at night and another thing is to sure you start off sleeping on the right side........after a while one can switch to the left but starting on the right calms the afib........something I learned on line as common knowledge but the cardiologists actually do't seem to know!!!!
My work can also be stressful and it can be a challenge......I sometimes take Awaken the Shen by Jing herbs to calm the system on stress days....Good luck seems you are on the right track
my AF came back after 5 years a few days after Booster! last August. I then had 2 cardioversions one early September and one mid December.
I’m taking Magnesium Taurate in the morning and Magnesium Glycinate before bed as well as Vitamin D3. I’ve just started probiotics as I’ve also read AF can be triggered from by overeating or poor gut health. I’ve picked up these tips from the good people here. I’m pretty much given up alcohol though have the odd sip of wine or zero beer.
Stress is the harder to control so I go for daily 4km brisk level walks hopefully to strengthen my heart and when I’m on my own practice deep controlled breathing through my nose maybe 6 or 7 times in a minute… it helps to slow things down. Things are under control so far. I wish you all the best
Definitely agree work stress is a trigger, I discussed this with my employer who informed me that if I took time off work that they would sack me which really helped my condition. What was the most disappointing thing was that they were a Christian organisation based in Norwich who made it very clear that they were not sympathetic to my health condition
Your explanation sounds similar to what I have had since at least 2020, and I often wonder whether it didn't following my ablation for persistent fast atrial flutter in 2019. I find that I cope with it well enough but only after a fashion as it wears my nerves. Mine has developed several times into spells of mild AF, but not for months now, and is mostly only palpitations (i.e. a mildly racing heart with many ectopic beats). I was told at the time of my tests that I have something called left-bundle branch block (LBBB) and a "wide QRS" at the time, but that these were likely nothing to worry about. My GP tells me that I shouldn't worry about them but that is easier said than done.
In terms of treatment, on mornings when they are troublesome and there's something on, my GP told me to take bisoprolol if I need to. Usually 1.25mg is sufficient to help but it has a long action and I find that the following night my heart rate can be quite low (48-58). I have been told not to worry about this. The cardiologist I saw wondered why I needed the bisoprolol at all as he assured me the problem wasn't going to cause harm.
Thanks for the reply Steve, it's odd when the cardiologist expects you to just tolerate the problem. I had my cryoablation because of excessive palpitations not for AF. It's not so much the physical symptoms but as you mentioned the toll on the mind. I hope you keep well and if you are getting mentally down I'd be pushing for more i.e ablation which really helped me apart from my current situation.Take care 👍
My ablation in 2019 was for flutter but, a week after it, I suffered a severe day of AF, since which it’s only been this “fragile” feeling with mild racing and palpitation. It’s just come on now while bending to empty the washing machine. Some movements seem to bring it on - bending especially.
I don’t think I could have an ablation for it - I think you must have had a specific kind of ectopics from an identifiable area of the atrium for the EP to be able to do that. I don’t suffer with what I’d call proper depression ever (thank goodness), more a kind of “cloud” that last some hours; more often it’s background anxiety - again, I cope with it well enough but it is persistent and has become a part of life.
Try getting down on your knees whilst keeping upper body as straight as possible to fill and empty machine. I try to avoid bending over as I have a problem with my ribs which feels like one rib crosses another and it is agony for bout 30 seconds.
Thanks for that sound advice. I shall try to remember. It’s so easy to forget these things. I’ve long suspected being pushes my stomach northwards against my diaphragm and heart.
Thank you for sharing your recent experiences with the Members of the Forum. Please feel free to contact the Patient Services Team at the AF Association on 01789 867 502, or info@afa.org.uk
I would also recommend registering for 'Living with... AF' online educational presentation referring to all aspects of AF, including how lifestyle and exercise can help manage symptoms. For details on how to register for this free online event, follow the link: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
Dave, if I can give you just two of the things I've found make a big difference: hydration and avoidance of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Drink plenty of plain water every day. In order to do this I have a 500ml cheap springwater bottle to hand which I simply refill from the tap and sip all day. I aim to drink at least 3 of these daily. Many people don't like plain water and drink stuff flavoured with artificial sweeteners - a big mistake for arrythmia sufferers in my opinion. If you don't like it, drink it anyway, regardless of how much coffee or tea or whatever you drink! It's worth it if you find your ectopic burden reduces. If you're not used to hydrating in this way it may well feel at first like you're drinking too much water and it may increase your visits to the toilet, but if you don't already do this please give it a try. Your urine should look like white wine, not Lucozade.
If you have a sweet tooth like me you're gonna find minimising your intake of sweeteners hard, but at least give it a trial period. It is beyond doubt for me, and I know this is the case for many on this forum, that if I indulge in sweet things, especially in the evening, I'm asking for a long session of jazz drumming in my chest later.
I find these are big factors for me as well, to keep palpitations in check, the main problem in sticking with it is a troublesome bladder (especially when travelling or out and about) and chocolate addiction! 😂 - by the way, in case you’re not aware, refilling spring water bottles is not generally recommended, I have bought a relatively cheap - BPA free - 300ml Sistema water bottle to try and keep hydrated.
Thanks Mugsy, my water bottle is filled and ready for the day, and yes I have a sweet tooth so I'll drop any cake, chocolate ect for a couple of weeks..... 🙏 Appreciated I'll report back and let you know how it goes.
One more suggestion- you indicate your palpitations have worsened since the increase of bisoprolol. While this medication is used to control ectopics, it can also worsen them. That was my experience.
Perhaps have that conversation with your doctor to rule this out. Good luck!
I know I will sound like a broken record and I know we are all different but always like to say that after my RF ablation in 2016 I continued to have a lot of daily, bothersome ectopics. Until I was told by my naturopathic chiropractor to try going gluten/wheat free. I had already discovered artificial sweeteners as a cause but thought because I had been tested for celiac that wheat should be no problem for me. However, after eliminating wheat from my diet everything calmed down. I rarely have a hiccup with my heart now and do not take meds for it. I still will get heart trouble with too much alcohol and high stress which I avoid at all costs. To this day, if I accidentally get wheat/gluten I will have terrible trouble for a few hours. I avoid like the plague. In addition, lifelong stomach trouble went away with wheat elimination. Maybe it caused an overload if inflammation that caused much of my trouble.
I agree that deep breathing helps in high stress times.
Thanks for the reply, coincidentally for the past couple of months I have been having 2 Weetabix every morning 🤔 I only have them in winter with warm milk.... I'll give them a miss for a couple of weeks and see what happens. Thanks 🙏
Interesting that hey st arted again after your booster vaccination. I had never had them but within 2 days and a holter monitor I was getting 5000 in 8 hours. They lasted like that for 3 weeks then gradually eased off and stopped. I Only did slow deep breathing but I think they would have stopped anyway. I wasn't aware of them at first; my BP machine alerted me to erratic beats. I just felt washed out but once I knew what they were I was much more aware of them. For me relaxation was key and trying to do things that took my mind off them.
Hi dj, try giving all of your worries and cares to GOD. I too am a very stressful person where it causes my blood pressure to rise over 200 at times and it's only when I realize that HE is in control of everything and surrender what's bothering me to HIM do I began to relax and calm down again. It has helped me tremendously having afib for 30+ year's. Hope this helps and Have a Blessed Day!
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