Hi,
I took my last dose of Bisoprosol yesterday morning at the advice of my cardiologist ahead of my (4th) ablation this coming Thursday. Unfortunately, in addition to Afib, my heart is racing now that the beta blockers are leaving my system.
Any tips to bring down naturally as breathing doesn’t work, not drinking caffeine anyway and I can’t face this for next few days as I’ve so much work to do.
Thanks!
Here are all the tips for stopping AF that I’ve collected from this forum over the years:
I am a therapist in private practice for over 20yrs.One of my therapies is yoga based. Having quite an accurate knowledge of anatomy, neurology and physiology also having PAF I have found this technique helps me immensely when my heart is fluttering like crazy. Make yourself comfortable either on a bed or lying on the floor, position a pillow under you head, Raise your left arm in an extension position as if you are doing the backward crawl. Stretch as much as you can and imagine that it is stretching your heart muscle...I bend my arm and position my hand under my head palm upwards.. Stay in that position for as long as you can or until the fluttering subsides...At the same time I think of something pleasant. It does not matter what you think about as long as it is a pleasant thought for you. This stops my heart jumping about almost instantly....I also place my right hand over my heart area...Don't panic and just keep calm thinking pleasant thoughts....I do hope this helps you. Kind Regards. C
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As someone else who finds yoga breathing and some positions helpful, I would love to try (xxxx) suggestion, but lying down flat tends to make things worse for me. My most helpful position, taught me by a lovely yoga teacher, is based on a yoga forward bend. I sit up with my legs outstretched in front of me and a pillow under my knees, and then bend forward from the hips not the waist, with my arms relaxed but outstretched towards my ankles, and breath deeply and slowly. It's not so good on a full stomach and is more comfortable with your knees slightly apart, and I guess you have to be a bit flexible to find it comfortable, but it has proved to be a great help.
I agree with (xxxx) that staying calm and focusing on something pleasant is a must, and I've even fallen asleep like this as most of my episodes occur at night. All the best Liz
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Finally, like AV nodal re-entry, some people have recurrent rapid rhythms that are infrequent and easy to self-control by using various methods to increase neural slowing to the AV node (so-called, "vagal manoeuvres"). Using these manoeuvres, one can sometimes stop the arrhythmia. These manoeuvres include:
Bearing down forcefully like you're having a bowel movement for 5-10 seconds, then slowly exhaling in the neck while lying down for approximately 5 seconds
Placing very cold (soaked in ICE water) cloth on the face abruptly.
Coughing forcefully
Rubbing the carotid artery (only one side at a time, never both)
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There's a yoga breathing exercise that has worked for me before. Lie on your back, bend your knees up so they are above your hips and your lower legs are at 90 degrees. Take a breath in for a count of 4 then breathe out for a count of at least 8. As you breathe out, bring your knees into your chest so you curl into a ball. When you think you've got all the air out of your lungs, try and breathe out more! Breathe in again for 4 and release your legs out to the starting position. Repeat several times. It helps to reset the diaphragm and focus should be on a good long out-breath.
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So, after discovering that making myself sneeze stops Afib. I have discovered another novel way to stop an attack. It involves drinking a litre bottle of water while holding my nose. It's especially effective if I experience almost panic as I can't get a breath. I don't always finish the bottle but find that's not always necessary to gain the desired effect. Works especially well if I catch an attack early. Kenny
Please let me know if any of these procedures work.
Jean
Jeanjeannie50 - thank you so much for this. I'm going to try each one and report back 
Sounds like you're in fast atrial fibrillation right now? I would call the office of whoever is doing the ablation today and make sure they understand exactly what is going on. Sometimes the instructions are boiler plate, so may or may not apply to you. In any event, you seem in some distress and this has to be addressed. Make sure you at least talk to the ep nurse.
Jim
Why 4th ablation?
Ablation No 1 in Nov 21 didn't work. Went back in to get the bits they missed for ablation no 2 in March 22. Developed Atrial Flutter after this, put me on Flecanide which sent my heart into a tailspin so quickly came off after a week and had ablation No 3 in June 22. Had a cardiac arrest in Crete in Jul 22 - it's suspected due to Flecanide prolonging my QT interval. Came home from Greece and had an ICD fitted with pacing lead. AF came back so tried me on Quinidine - this initially worked but was prolonging my QT interval like Flecanide so halved the dosage but was no longer working. Decided on 4th ablation to go into every chamber of the heart and see where the fault lies.....
What a story! You poor thing. That sounds like several nightmares rolling into one mega horror story. I was so sorry to read about all this and 🙏 that you get the treatment that will really help you for a very long time. 😊
Thank you
Hi - very best of luck 🤞
What was your experience like in Crete and whereabouts on the island were you. I had a HA a year ago and am on the road to finally getting a referral to a Cardiologist for PAF And have a future plan involving Crete so am interested to hear your experience if you’re happy to give it
Hi there,
I was about 10 minutes from Chania and nearest hospital was a private one called Iasis who were happy for me to fly home with a doctor to attend my usual hospital but my travel insurers thought it was too risky and wanted more testing before agreeing to fly me home. The insurers wanted to transfer me to the other side of the island to the Heraklion Centre of Excellence but they agreed with the Iasis Hospital that testing could take months and I was better off flying home with a doctor. Instead I was flown by air ambulance to the Greek mainland to a hospital called Mediteranneo Hospital for more testing before being flown back to UK by air ambulance directly to Liverpool Heart and Chest. I don't know if either of these hospitals are in your plan but can say that both were spotlessly clean and ran like clockwork - I felt in very safe hands and I would imagine Heraklion to be the same. The only downside I felt was that you don't get that "bedside manner" that I experience in the UK. I feel bad saying that but it's just not the same aside from the odd few who were very warm in the end including an ICU nurse who came to my room on the last day in Crete to say goodbye.
Are you moving to Crete? I love that place and definitely want to retire there one day.....
God you had an eventful “holiday” and hope you’re doing well now. Ahhh Crete!! Yeah love it as well- everything about it so it’s currently top of my list (with Cyprus another close) - not quite there yet but next 2 or 3 years and that’s the plan / really don’t enjoy UK winters any more - my kids hopefully will all be sorted by then so when they want to come home they’ll just have to catch a flight instead of a train (or come with me which would be very nice). Determined to have a bit of life I want before becoming a grass-eater 🤞
4th Ablation sounds quite scary to me. Am just learning about it. Has discovering the reasons of your symptoms and treating the cause(s) not worked?I thought at one stage I might need ablation and took magnesium citrate and occasionally Butin supplements and heart started behaving itself!
Dr Sanjay Gupta's (A Cardiology in York) videos and on his web site, really help me understand what was going on, alternatives and how to manage naturally where possible.
youtube.com/live/3VOq9BL7Y1...
He has many more about post ablation too.
Wishing you all the best! God Bless.
I find 5ml of d-ribose with a small pinch of electrolytes just before bedtime helps to calm my heart down a treat.
Thank you - will look into this also
beta blockers 
Beta Blockers?
Beta Blockers
beta blockers
