recently my episodes of AF have become more frequent, almost every other day. I am struggling to have to confidence to go out on my own, I would love to just go for a walk, but I dare not in case the demon AF strikes!
anyone got any hints for building the confidence to just do ordinary thing ??
Could you not ask a friend to accompany you a couple of times and then you can see what might happen!
Great- grandma Di
I would go and have a chat with your GP. It would be a good time to go when you're in AF so that the surgery can do an ECG. What dose of Bisoprolol are you on?
Jean
I have aleady done that, they seem to take a very " get used to it" approach
Yes, well they would as they have no idea how much people suffer with AF!
I've had AF for 18 years and only once did it ever strike while I was towards the end of a long walk. I just carried on. Sometimes I think the thud of your feet hitting the ground can put you back into normal rhythm.
Do you have any lady GP's at your practise. I usually find that they are more helpful and sympathetic?
What dose of Bisoprolol are you taking?
Jean
nice answer Jeanjeannie
Anyone would feel that way with daily episodes, so you need more than confidence, you need a better treatment plan 
When I got to your stage I was put on the daily anti-arrhythmic Flecainde and it kept me afib free. Here in the US, only ep's and cardiologists prescribe anti-arrhythmics. If those don't work, then the next step is to get evaluated for an ablation.
Jim
thanks Jim, I am due to see a cardiologist in October, that was the earliest appointment I could get ( and thats private!)
As long as you're going private, you might want to see if you can get in to see an electrophysiologist (ep) instead of a general cardiologist. At least in the US, they are more likely to prescribe the type of anti-arrhythmic medications I mentioned and maybe you can even get to see one sooner
Jim
not as much choice/control over in Ireland, even with private care
Maybe try a cardiologist in a major city, in England it used to be that private appointments were available within 2 weeks. Worth a try as you need to progress matters before October.
Try Jonathan Lyne in the beacon in Dublin. He's excellent. He did my ablation in Dec last year. Nsr since. I was having episodes every three days of approx ten hours with heart rate of 186 ish. If you Google Electrophysiologists there are a good few in Ireland. I was refused an ablation by one in Galway. Lose weight. You also have Stephen Touhy in the bons in limerick. He trained in the Cleveland clinic. Please don't waste your money going to a normal cardiologist you need to see an EP. I'm with Laya btws and they covered the ablation. Best wishes xx
thats useful info, thanks!
Hi, I was only fairly recently diagnosed with AF, the intermittent type which i presume you have. they put me on Bisoprolol, Apixaban, and already on BP meds. At first i was very concerned as taken into hospital, but no one seems overly concerned, my GP (as I am still waiting for Cardio at hospital Appt), told me not to worry and that as long as mainly taking the Apixaban this is something i am going to have to live with and not to worry i may suddenly drop dead with heart attack, in fact he told me the main worry is (if anything) a stroke.
On the Meds I find mine is under control, but at the moment i have a bad chest infection and conjestion which isnt helping my heart rhythm.
I go out daily alone with my dog and dont think about AF, as long as the meds are being taken my advice is dont let it rule your life, but speak to you GP and sure he will reassure you.
Unfortunately The attitude that if you on anticoagulants you are safe is so often the stock answer.The fight for quality of life can be so difficult but is now being recognized more.Our area has being doing research with AF patients and this is quite common.
where do you live?
Leeds
ah, we are in Ireland, I think they are a little behind over here
I was put on Bisoprodol and Xarelto in uhl. I'm nearly 18 months since diagnosis and still waiting for an echo through the public system. I had it done privately at three months. I had an angiogram done a month later privately and a sleep study done in the Galway Clinic by Dr sardar Ali.
No, my Dr has never said safe on anti coagulants, but explained, it could help prevent a major stroke i.e. lessen the effects of a clot forming with the irregular heart beats, and lets face it better to take them than not. To my mind strokes are worse than heart attacks from what i have seen with friends.
Maybe I misunderstood. 2 years ago at the beginning of my fight to get my change in AFib referred I was told "I expect with your comorbities and your age and the fact that you are on anticoagulants the consultant won't see you".I was 72 and quite fit & active.
Wow. That's shocking!
Hope you get better soon - chest infections are horrible. take care.
I soooh know how you feel.Even after a successful ablation it was there.Fortunately I have got past that.Some mornings I just need a walk to get my body working.You really need to find a way if you can.How does an AF episode affect you? Get a walking stick .I would not class myself as needing a stick and trying not to use one as I will come to rely on it.
Start with a walk round the block and extent it after confidence returns a little.I have a collection of walks from 0.8 miles to 2 miles all comparatively flat.Now stretching to short inclines.I am fortunate my husband comes with me but even in AF I built up my confidence.I also knew all the places I could sit if I needed.
Good luck .
I wish mine was controlled by meds, but it isnt. it isnt that I am allowing it to control my life, but I know that sometimes, an episode can make me so lightheaded I can barely make it to the bathroom, so to be caught like that , lets say on a woodland walk, would be fairly difficult to manage even if I had company
Hi
What meds and what is uncontrolled H/R or BP or both.
I have CCB Diltazem AM to control H/R. Pulled it back 105bpm in 2 hrs. Med was reduced to 120mg. It was right.
I hane BB Bisoprolol PM to control BP.
Controlled. 120-123 / 69. and 62-69 H/R Day 47 H/R Night
I am now lengthening my walks. My H/Specialist said I must exert myself at least once day. My road, my driveway do just that.
cheri JOY. 74. (NZ)
What meds are you on, and have you told your GP about the lightheadedness, the only time i personally have got lightheaded was when the bisoprolol prescribed was taking my HR down too low around 40 mark. but in AF i just sit quietly and take a Bisoprosol and within around half an hour my rate has stabilized, it frightening my whole body pounds, but i dont panic, knowing that it is very common and on meds is all we can do. i was taking 1,25 a day Bisoprolol but had to stop as taking HR too low, so now do the PIP method pill in pocket, by my own AF is the paroxysmal (never know the spelling), which is very intermittent, can go months before another attack or get two in the same couple of weeks.
I was like that until recently, having hip replacement seemed to upset the apple cart!
I think it was my hip replacement that triggered my AFib. I had the anterior approach, massive inflammation afterwards.
I had the same approach, found it much better than the other way( previous side done 12 yrs ago) but they gave me really strong anti inflamatorries after and I suspect they may have ben a trigger
We must be twins. I had my other hip done 12 years ago too. Paul McKenna was my surgeon this time and Eric Masterson 12 years ago. I can't take antiinflammatories, they upset my kidneys. So my thigh was huge. But I was forgetting my walking stick at two weeks post surgery and walking without carrying it around at four weeks. Super successful surgery.
Hi I had an ablation in 2021 and have been mostly AF free since then but I also had breast cancer in 2021 and was put on Tamoxifen. General opinion is that the build up of that drug, reducing my oestrogen, is causing palpitations and has set off my AF again. Sometimes it can be every day. I have caught ferries, planes, been in restaurants, out walking my granddaughter and I have fast AF between 130-170 bpm. I saw my EP last week and he said although we are now going to look to control this again (starting with stopping Tamoxifen) that this will not kill me or do any material harm to my heart. So go for your walk if it is not too uncomfortable in the knowledge that it is 1 to you and nil to the beast in the cage and you are going to carry on living your life.
G'day,since realising that you have AF, have you changed your diet in any way? Like, caffeine can trigger AF it seems in some. Licorice may. I mention these two only because apart from having a change in medication, (I changed from 100mg asprin /day to 20mg Rivaroxaban/day and 180 mg diltiazem HCl/day), I changed to decaf coffee, and found that when I overdid the licorice allsorts, my AF seemed to appear.
This may help.
thanks Pedroboy! I have kept a diary to try to identify triggers, the only thing I can really say is that eating late will do it! I dont do caffiene, I only ever have a single drink if I have alcohol, I avoid sugar like the plague ( cant say I eat licorice) and nothing else in my diet stands out apart from stress, but it can occur when I am perfectly relaxed! ,
The cardiologist said to me at the time, because it is paroxismal (can start anytime, and return to normal anytime), that should I get AF, I shouldn't worry about it, but if it's still wonky after 10 or so hours to check into the hospital.Now this is what he told me.
If you're only noticing it because you're checking your pulse all the time, maybe you should relax. Now if the AF is very noticeable, heavy palpitations, dizziness, etc, maybe a word with your doctor might be a good idea.
Maybe a word with your doctor about it when you go for medication renewal wouldn't hurt either.
Im not checking my pulse, I only do that when I am aware of strong symptoms, because I was told to take extra bisop only if my pulse was very rapid, so if Im feeling palpitations and its less that 100 I dont take it. Ive told him about the strong palpitations and lightheadedness, he just said " I know its unpleasant, but nothing will happen as long as you take your anticoagulants"
Try adding coenzyme q10 to help reduce inflammation. Do not take if on warfarin and obviously check with pharmacy. Loads of research on google scholar about AFib and inflammation and q10. Magnesium taurate as well as recommended by Dr Sanjay Gupta London cardiologist.
All of mine occur only when relaxed watching TV suddenly, no triggers at all, my GP told me this is the normal pattern and rarely when walking etc.
Oh no! I wrote a long post to you, but I don’t think I pressed the right thing and it’s not here! I’ll check again later!
In case it’s lost I really sympathise with you and feel you’re not being looked after or listened to properly!
Record your episodes. Get an appointment with an EP . You may then make progress. Good luck.
I really feel for you, AF can be very unpleasant and anxiety provoking - speaking from experience! It's quite possible you're getting caught in a 'feedback loop' of anxiety. Feeling anxious about having an episode can help trigger an episode which then makes you more anxious.
Regardless of whether you have an episode or not, managing anxiety is one of the best things you can do for yourself. There are so many resources available online for help in managing anxiety. One of the best (also from experience) is breathing exercises. We all know to take some deep breaths when feeling stressed or anxious but many people don't know that actually it's the out breath you want to focus on. Sit or lie comfortably and take a slow deep breath through your nose, all the down into your belly. Make your lips into an 'o' if that helps slow you down and breath out through your mouth very slowly, counting up to ten if you can last that long. It gets easier with practise! Even better, make a low hum as you do so - you should be able to feel it in your chest. This is a wonderful exercise to work with the vagal nerve and calm your nervous system. Try doing this exercise several times a day.
Another thing that will help is getting outside for a walk, even if you just walk around your garden (if you have one) or along your street and back again a few times. Staying close to your home at first might help boost your confidence. Would one of those 'shooting stick' things help? A walking stick with a little seat that opens up, so you can sit down for a minute if you feel the need.
You say that you're allowing AF to rule your life at the moment, which I can totally understand, especially as it's escalated since your hip replacement. That's a pretty big operation too, which may well have shaken your confidence too. Small steps (literally and figuratively!) can help start to turn this back around, one day at a time.
Seeing an EP would be a good step in the right direction also. Sounds like you've had some good recommendations. I have the same problem, I can't find a private EP in my area.
Best of luck to you.
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