Hi. I am a newby to this so please bear with me as I haven’t got used to technical terms etc yet. I was diagnosed with ventricular ectopics 9 years ago which to be fair hasn’t really given me any problems. Suddenly a couple of months ago I had an episode of AF and although only lasting a few minutes, freaked me out. Went to A&E but nothing found and sent home. Had another episode a few weeks ago again only lasting a few minutes. Had a Holter which confirmed a few very short episodes which I didn’t even notice. GP and consultant have said no medications as it’s ‘minor’ and at 60 years old, and no other conditions, have a low chance of clots. I have bradycardia to 53 resting.
It’s great to read how positive everyone is, and has already lifted my spirits as since being diagnosed I have felt as though ‘it’s all over’ for me.
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Keswickman
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Thanks for sending the link through baba. I’ll have a good read. Best wishes
Welcome to the forum Keswickman, lots of folk here will be happy to help by offering advice based on their own experience and from information gleaned from a variety of different sources. However, it’s important to remember that the vast majority of members are not medically trained so cannot offer direct advice on treatments or medications but it doesn’t prevent anyone from sharing how they cope with the condition.
From what you have said, it sounds as though your “burden of AF” is quite low but that shouldn’t stop you from finding out as much as you can about AF can be treated and things you can do now to minimise the risk of that burden increasing. AF can be a very complex, often referred to as a mongrel condition because it can affect people in so many different ways. It’s often difficult to establish what might have caused it to develop. There may be hereditary reasons, or other medical issues such as thyroid function, high blood pressures, diabetes and life style issues such as alcohol, dietary and excess weight which if addressed, can make a significant difference in controlling symptoms. Being a goody two shoes, when diagnosed back in 2014, I had none of these issues and I was therefore diagnosed with lone persistent AF which meant I was in AF 24/7 and was treated accordingly. At the moment I am AF free but I’ve been around long enough to know that this can change at anytime.
The good news is that your medics feel that given you low burden, there is currently no reason to take medication and that you monitor progress. Very often AF is associated with a rapid heart rate which is why beta blockers or similar medications are used to slow heart rate and, if necessary, reduce blood pressure. Many are wary of suggesting the use of monitors as these can easily become obsessive but if you ever feel the need, something like the Kardia mobile monitor could be useful because it produces reports which are recognised by Cardiologists/EP’s (Electrophysiologists who are cardiologists who specialise in arrhythmias.
The important thing for you to remember is that provided your current condition remains stable, AF should not adversely affect you. AF does increase the risk of stroke as you probably know but this is dependent upon what is known as CHADsVASC (worth Googling) but provided you don’t have any other relevant health conditions, you should have at least another 5 years before you may need to consider anticoagulation to help reduce this risk.
Read through the all the information available on the link you have already received, although much of the content may not apply to you at the moment, it’s all useful stuff…….hope this helps.
Thank you for your really detailed response. Obviously I do hope that I remain a low risk for stroke and the AF doesn’t progress but it’s great to hear that even if it does, it’s not the beginning of the end as people on here have shown in such a positive way.
Many thanks for your upiifting response. Best wishes.
Your doctors have the wisdom to leave you alone for now. This is called "Watchful Waiting".
My first afib episode was 45 years ago and I watchfully waited for 40 years without any afib drugs or procedures. My burden was always very low, like yours is now.
Five years ago, things changed and that's when I joined this forum. Only in the last couple of years did I go on the afib drugs and finally have an ablation.
As to what to do now, lifestyle optimization is the best preventative with the only side effects being a healthier you. That includes keeping your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol under control. It also includes a regular and intelligent exercise program as well as stress reduction techniques. Sleep apnea is also a major cause of afib, so a sleep study is sometimes advised.
Thanks Jim. It’s really reassuring hearing someone like yourself respond. I always thought, as everyone does, they are invincible and then something like this happens. I’ve always kept reasonably fit and now spend 4 hours a day out walking the Lakeland fells.
I really appreciate you taking the time to reply and I hope everything is well with you.
It’s a frightening/ worrying time when you’re first diagnosed? I was a mental wreck for ages thinking life was over and when am i guna drop dead etc.? Learn as much as you can about the condition, causes, treatments, and how the heart works etc, it will hopefully help you understand things better and make things less worrying for you. Things will get better. It’s certainly not the end because you’ve got afib.
Thanks Ron. You’re right about feeling a wreck. It’s irrational looking at the some of the posts on here but it’s one of those moments that will linger. I appreciate you taking the time to read my first post and replying. Best wishes. Nick
You are in a good position having found this Forum early.
My first reaction is great you have time to improve your lifestyle choices and hopefully continue to keep AF at bay.
My personal theory is that AF is not caused by a single issue (the exception being extreme athletes and probably one or two more that don't come to mind) but an accumulation. So read up big time here using the Search box, make changes to stop AF with the bonus of reducing other later life chronic diseases.
Thanks secondtry. I’ll certainly read up on some the literature that’s available. Thanks for taking the time to reply; it’s all helpful to understand what’s happening.
I add to what others are saying, do everything you can to stop this awful condition progressing. I wish I could go back as clearly my excessive wine drinking was probably the cause of my PAF (or at least that's what I was told). I had af diagnosed 3 years ago after drinking a large wine very quickly on a hot summer day....I ended up in resus!! The rest is history! I gave up all alcohol immediately and caffeine, wished I had never smoked. My EP told me that eventually my episodes will become more frequent and last onger, I didn't believe him but he was right. He explained afib is like a 'jack in the box' you put the lid on it and it pops out again, the more you put the lid on the more it pops out. Look after yourself and stay with us ♥️
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