A Good Day's Night

[BobbyGee]

AFib status: Permanent for at least the past two years. 75 years old. Medication: Apixaban, 5mg Bisoprolol, Amlodipine, 5mg Ramipril, Atorvastatin. No offers by my doctor of a cardioversion or an ablation. I have been fairly stable on those meds since it was confirmed that I had Permanent Afib. I do get light-headed if I stand and walk after sitting for a while. The worst feature of my (medical) life is that at night I nearly always have a disturbed sleep in some way -- waking up, feeling a bit unwell and having to "ride it out" until I fall asleep again if I'm lucky (usually with the help of a talk or lecture on philosophy on YouTube).

I just want to put on record that I spent a day in London yesterday, travelling there by train, to visit an art gallery. I had to do a fair amount of walking, and by the end of the day had clocked up nearly 10,000 steps. That's not a great many but is at least three times my usual daily amount. I had the best sleep I've had for many, many months -- I can't even remember waking up once during the night. Just coincidence? Maybe, but I'll see what more evidence I can find for walking more to improve one's quality of life. Best wishes to all with your measures to cope with or overcome your Afib.

[Hanibal]

Hi,

I'm the same age as yourself and although mine is proximal I share similar night-time experience.

Last week was spent in Norfolk and walking every day chalked up 55,000 steps over the seven days.

I was just remarking to my wife that although in arrhythmia all week, I felt really good and didn't have to think about it. Now we're home I've slipped back into the usual unmotivated self.

So, exercise certainly does have a beneficial affect!

Be well.

[BobbyGee in reply to Hanibal]

Thanks, and good luck with those steps!

[Czech_Mate]

Hi BG

Yes, I very much identify with what you're saying. I'm fairly sure I'm in AFib all the time. I would best describe myself as feeling weak. It's important for me to get up (slowly) and do something, but it's also important to take rests. I have to make myself stop when I've got stuck into something which is just as difficult as getting started. I have my "interval training" method where I do something (at a gentle pottering speed) for 30 minutes then have a strict 15 minute break, I use the alarm on my watch for this and try to be firm with myself about it.

Cheers

C M

[BobbyGee in reply to Czech_Mate]

Many thanks for relating your experience. Most useful to know. Best wishes.

[Ppiman]

There's little to beat walking, I gather and 10k paces per day have been shown to improve cardiac and respiratory health as well as joint and back pain. It's what my wife and I aim for.

Listening to philosophy sounds interesting. It's been a lifelong interest of mine.

Steve

[Hidden]

I'm 67, suffer from paroxysmal AFib and am a long term early waking insomnia sufferer (long preceding the onset of AF). And yes, I absolutely see the difference in how long/well I sleep depending on how much exercise I've had that day. Multiple days a week I go for a longish walk and always sleep better on those nights but a few days ago I joined the gym and after a decent session on the rower, a stairmaster and a good walk at an incline on the treadmill I slept like a baby!

I didn't overdo it because of the AFib (my first ever episode was as a result of over exercising after not exercising at all for 3 weeks) so I took it easy and didn't kill myself. I have an Apple watch that monitors my length and depth of sleep and I can see the direct correlation of how much exercise I had and how well I slept on a daily basis and it's always better after a good walk but after that gym session it was off the scale! Well, off my scale anyway - I actually slept for 7 hrs which is unheard of.

My dad, who just turned 90, goes for a good walk as often as his (very busy) social schedule allows and says he sleeps much better when he's had a walk.

What I would say is, whatever you normally do, add a bit more for a week. Then the week after add a bit more. You will find that your body starts to really want that extra movement and what seemed like a lot at first will start to feel like not much at all! Consistency is the key to building up your stamina. I do believe it's honestly the best single thing you can do for your physical (and mental) health, not just your sleep.

[BobbyGee in reply to Hidden]

Your words reminded me that I had a heart scare a few years before my Afib became apparent, when I cycled in the Western Isles of Scotland and overdid it one day (cycling up hill and down dale for 60-odd miles on a five-gear town bike) when I had to catch a last ferry or be stranded. A day later I was awoken feeling unwell and with a sense that something was wrong with my heart. A doctor came out to me and gave me a portable ECG test that proved "negative". However, I'm convinced I overstretched my heart in that exhausting journey. Thanks for your story and your advice. I will remember your watchword, "consistency"!

[ozziebob]

And it's good to know, for those that can't manage 1000 steps, let alone 10000, that the gentle movement of tai chi gives almost equal benefits for your cardio health. Go figure them apples! 🤔

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

Yes sometimes more effort - which is good for your heart - exertion the Heart Specialist calls it - does the trick for sleeping well.

You don't say that you have CONTROLLED AF and H/R?

I had CCB Calcium Channel Blocker added and reduced Bisoprolol down to 2.5mg.

One of your drugs I am not familiar with.

So 120mg Diltiazem,AM. 2.5 mg Bisoprolol PM. A CCB and BB.

PRADAXA 110mg x twice day.

Apart from thyroxine as Thyroid Cancer and thyroid and 12 lymph nodes removed. Synthroid 125mg.

No ablation due to enlarged V Chamber.

Cheri JOY. 74. (NZ)

[BobbyGee in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49]

Yes, my heart rate is controlled by Bisoprolol but the rhythm is relatively chaotic. The drug you're not familiar with is probably Amlodopine. I forget exactly what it's for, but I think it's to do with blood pressure. I will look into the properties of Diltiazem and Pradaxa. (The latter is a Russian newspaper, isn't it?) Anyway, I'll check out those two drugs with my GP. Many thanks for your information. Peace 'n' love, as Ringo would say.

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to BobbyGee]

Hi

I've looked it up. It is a CCB Calcium Channel Blocker. You are taking a anti-coagulant as yours starts with A .....

So similar to me all your drugs.

But it was interesting that by more exertion you slept well!

I sleep well daily-nightly. More with exertion.

Light-headed means you are having too much .. could be your CCB.

Mine was reduced from 180 1/2 dose to 120mg. Diltiazem a CCB.

cheri JOY