I have always been terrified by an attack or waiting for one. They gradually increased to the point that I had cryoablation last September. That helped in that they are more mild and less common. Lately they have been increasing in frequency so I am having a cardioversion on 4/25. So I am continuing to live in fear waiting for an attack and when they happen am pretty much emotionally paralyzed. I have tried cbh and am on amiodorone 200mg/d and metoprolol ex100mg.
I’m very interested in hearing how others have coped and tips or suggestions on how I can cope better. Thank you!
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Geeps527
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Hello Geeps, it’s very common to hear that the anxiety and fear of not knowing what might happen can cause patients more grief than dealing with the symptoms AF cause. I’m not medically trained and I’m not sure what cbh is although Google suggests it might be something to do with hypnotism. If we go back to the basics, it is generally accepted that provided AF is reasonably well controlled and anticoagulants are taken if prescribed and required in line with recommendations indicated by the CHADsVASC score, then AF is unlikely to shorten life and if we are all honest, that is the issue which concerns most patients the most. It’s good that you responded well to the Cryoablation initially, but what is often not understood is that if the four pulmonary veins are not all regular in shape, it’s possible that the expanding balloon which is used to freeze and scar the tissue around the veins might miss bits which allow rogue electrical impulses which cause AF to start to fire off. If this is the case, it’s quite normal to have a second RF (radio frequency) ablation which is often fairly quick to “touch up” and treat the missed bits. Although age should not be a problem, the thought of facing another procedure can be concerning. Amiodarone is a very effective rhythm drug so hopefully the CV will get you back in rhythm and that your medical team closely your progress. This probably will not reduce your anxiety levels but knowing that your situation is not unique and that others manage to cope might help. I’m sure others here will offer suggestions which will help you, good luck with the CV……..
I'm slightly confused here I confess. You say that you are frightened of having an attack (I call them events) yet you are waiting for a cardioversion (DCCV) which suggests that you are in AF now so what is to fear? If you are in NSR (normal) then no need for a DCCV. The only thing to fear is fear itself.
sorry I should have said I'm not in sinus rhythm but an atrial tachycardia at 90-100 bpm alternating with a fib at about 100-110. I don't feel the atrial tach so the problem is the a fib which is very symptomatic.
Probably the most relief from anxiety I get is through 'changing the agenda'. I do this through my interest in medical matters, Nature & prayer.
ie my interest in what causes AF (and answering Qs here) rather than focussing on my specific personal AF, secondly a walk in a good area for Nature brings a different perspective and lastly Let Go Let God. All I accept particularly personal reasons but that is the only response I can give 🤔.
When you are symptomatic it is very disturbing. I'm a bit like SecondTry in this- that I get informed about the thing that I fear. One thing I found out is that the heart has its own internal neural network- a bit like the gut brain. So, it's not just the physical discomfort we feel with AF it's a neural disturbance too - messages from the heart to brain that 'all is not well'. Patterns of fear set themselves up and are hard to break. What helps me?
Walking in nature,
Doing the garden (anything you can manage)
Doing things I love - I'm still working and mostly enjoy that but perhaps you have an interest that absorbs you?
Connecting with other people - just a casual conversation can lift our spirits
I do also use breathing techniques to calm me mentally and physically
My AF us very irregular buti have ectopic beats all the time these days. Luckily not often with a high heart rate but I have to say that anxiety is a way of life at times. You have my sympathies.
Hi Geeps527 . I had bouts of tachycardia (normally around 140bpm) mixed with AF for nine months or so after my cryoablation in June 2020. I've been fine now since mid April last year, apart from very brief runs of tachy or AF which are too short for me to catch with my Kardia. I no longer carry the Kardia on my phone (my latest phone doesn't work with it), and I have to switch on my tablet to try and do a scan. The problem has gone before the tablet even boots. These bouts are not really symptomatic, just a slightly strange feeling coming over me and I can generally ignore them. Last September I wore a Holter monitor fot a week, and caught nothing.
I'd not be too worried if I were you. You are still in the 'repair and get used to' stage from the damage they did to your heart, and everyone seems to take a different time and have different responses to this period. The "3 months blanking" period is a general average, I think, and shouldn't be taken too literally.
Hi, I can understand your worry. I found that Metoprolol 50mg twice daily Eliquis twice daily and 50mg Flecainide in an evening has kept AF away for the last two years.
I had an ablation 10 years ago when AF was frequent but after settling on this medication I feel good. I am female 82yrs of age,. Keeping fit, eating well, and keeping my weight at 55kg, as well as getting a good nights sleep, all helps. I wish you well, we are all different in how we react to medication.
My own journey with the beast has covered ten years with various drug combinations, many cardioversions, cryoballoon and three rf ablations. I’m now recovering from a fourth aggressive rf ablation from an “ace” young ElectroPhysiologist (EP) in a practice with four top notch EPs.
Find an outfit you trust implicitly and rely on their expertise rather than anecdotal “in my experience” opinions like mine!
Be patient with yourself and remember that resolving the problem is entirely a quality of life decision rather than life or death (despite feeling really crummy!).
Above all, breathe deeply and trust the experts. Find a great EP.
You can get help for the emotional impact of living with a chronic condition. You might want to contact your GP who may refer you to a social prescriber to let you know what help is available that might be suitable for you. In some areas you can self refer to talking therapies via your local mental health services. Many of these counselling type services are done via telephone these days. It’s not unusual to feel anxious as a consequence of developing a cardiac condition. It’s perfectly understandable and quite normal, all things considered. It’s an additional burden to live with and often quite stressful in itself. Don’t suffer in silence. Ask for help. It’s there if you need it.
Hello Geeps527; I am 77 years young and I've had afib for 35+ years and I can relate to how you feel. At first I lived in the ER because I was so scared of one thing, dying. The Dr's. understood this and helped me tremendously by assuring it is not a fatal condition and there is plenty of hope of living for the most part a normal life. This all helped me very much but when I gave it to GOD and started praying the anxiety, fear, and constant worry went away and I began living an almost normal life. Now when my heart rate shoots up to 165+ and BP is 147/125 I now can calm myself by praying and HR drops as well as BP. This is how I have coped with afib all these years and I'm still here, thanks to only one thing. I will be Praying for you, have a Blessed day!
By now you must realize by now that afib does what it wants when it wants to. Unless you have seriously debilitating attacks what is it that makes you so afraid? Have you spoken to your doctor about this? I don’t know where you are, but we have some of the best doctors and hospitals in the US. I have had anything about the same amount of time as you. I got a pacemaker a month ago. Please calm down as we are our worst enemies. It is not unusual to end up trying different meds. I had prolonged tachycardia that caused heart failure. I also have a typical flutter. Meds kept being rejected by my body. I am still here 😊
Hi Geeps, For the "anxiety" portion of our AF journey, I have found a simple tool seems to be very effective for many people, including me. It is called "tapping" or EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). It sends a calming signal to the amygdala in the brain, and breaks the "anxiety" brain pattern. It might seem too "woo-woo" or out there, but it is based on turning off the "fight or flight" response by stimulating the acupuncture meridians. You can try it out here or google it to learn the simple pattern, which you can then use it any time. Here is Nick Ortner walking you through an anti-anxiety session: bing.com/videos/search?q=ni...
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