pesky AF

[Linesteps]

after worrying for ever about going holiday and going into AF nothing at all but as soon as I am back 2 episodes . One I put down to an overnight 9hr plane journey !! Maybe heart just twitched after that journey , luckily I have no symptoms just feel heart jumping , controlled rate less than 90 no medication just Apixaban . It’s like it has to let you know it’s there when you start to relax 😂

[Teresa156]

Hi Linesteps,

Well done for plucking up the courage to go away so far, you did very well and I hope you had a nice time? I hope your episodes haven’t put you off going away again. It’s likely that the overnight journey might have set it off as I don’t suppose you got the rest that you usually do on the journey. It goes off when we least expect it 😳

You are lucky that your rate is fairly low though with no meds as some AF can be quite high, I know mine is.

All the best,

Teresa

[secondtry]

Vagally mediated AF. Best to think ahead as to when you relax after a concerning period and plan something extra so the relax period is slower. I was planning to retire and put my feet up but thankfully God had other ideas as now I am off the career treadmill but have a much more sustainable job for a 70yo, which I believe helps to keep my AF at bay.

[Ppiman]

I get similar on resting but it’s rarely AF, and mostly runs of ectopic beats. They’re just as hard work for me.

I hope you had a lovely and memorable holiday. We do need those! We’re currently in lovely Norfolk for a week, birdwatching, but presently looking out at the rain!

Steve

[Princelover]

Tis pesky indeed! I had a bout just before a flight and was left in the dilemma to fly or not. As the main symptoms of insane HR and loo visiting had thankfully ceased before we boarded I flew anyway. Cardiologist just raised his eyebrows and said drink plenty of water on the flight if that happens again and don’t fly until heart rate is less than 100 but said it’s my call otherwise…..

[fibnum]

After seeing my Afib rate of incidence go from once every couple of months to once a month to every 2 weeks -10 days, I finally got control of the factors which I believe were driving it.

Doing that included:

1. Getting off of most of my blood pressure meds. (I only take 12.5 mg metoprolol twice a day now. I was taking 100 mg metoprolol along with Lisinopril and others.)

2. Losing 30-plus pounds.

3. Avoiding constipation and taking Gas-X and Pepcid and/or Pepto Bismol if needed. ( I got a helpful recommendation of prune juice with a table spoon of chia seeds and flax seed from someone on this site.)

4. Discovering I have Celiac disease and eliminating gluten from my diet. I also eat lighter meals and try not to eat after about 7:30 pm.

5. Eschewing alcohol, carbonated drinks and artificial sweeteners, and limiting caffeine.

6. Avoiding gas-producing vegetables and fruits.

7. Staying hydrated and remembering to take deeper breaths periodically.

8. Avoiding sleep apnea by sleeping with my head and neck elevated with my head turned to the right side.

9. Walking fairly briskly for an hour most days. Light weight lifting (may not be a factor)

10. Thinking positive, with the help of my 12-year-old granddaughter.

I evolved this regimen of behaviors on my own. My heart doctors ignored my concerns about stomach gas, and one EP expressly told me that diet change would not stop the Afib events.

I have not had an Afib event for 4-and-a-half months (knocking on wood or whatever is handy!)

I still need to cut down on sugar and sleep better.

I know everyone is different with regard to the triggers and root causes for their Afib, and I am not trying to sell my experience or play doctor. I do believe that some of the practices I have adopted can be helpful. For me, eliminating the buildup of intestinal gas was especially key. If I do have more Afib, I will try not to get defeatist or down. I will stay the course unless it becomes clear that I need more serious medical intervention.

It is not clear which changes in my behaviors are actually helping avoid Afib, but something is working. I wish all could find the keys to reducing or eliminating Afib from their lives. I am fortunate for now.

Al (fibnum) 78 years old

[sillguy]

don't discount the "when you relax part." in 20+ years of AFib I learned the first year that it almost always backed off when one was engaged and occupied, especially with something pleasant, and as soon as that finished and one did the equivalent of "sitting down," it's back. that first year I went from Calif. to New Zealand to see family -- a 12-hour flight with changes--it stopped while I was there (what a break that was!) and the night before flying home, it was back. It was a real lesson: I did not have to, inevitably, always, be in AFib. At the time ablations were around, but not considered very effective...didn't have my first one (of four, the last just 2 weeks ago) till 2013. Wish they'd had the techniques back then that they have now.