Yesterday to celebrate my daughters 50th birthday, my son in law chartered a beautiful boat for the afternoon - 3hrs. It was wonderful and from the time we left the harbour the four of us were plied with nice things to eat and wine. Now I'd already had a drink before boarding the boat and my wine consumption that afternoon was probably a whole bottle. Never since having AF have I ever drank more than one or two small glasses, but we all had such a good laugh.
You can probably guess that my heart took off in slightly high rate AF, but I ignored it really well. My sister and I caught the bus back to our town (usually I drive) then had to walk about three quarters of a mile up-hill to our homes, would have got a taxi but none at the rank. When home all I could feel was my heart hammering (you may be murmuring - serves you right). I Googled 'what foods can decrease heart rate' and was surprised to find a lot of things:
Potassium can help regulate your heart rate and can reduce the effect that sodium has on your blood pressure. Foods like bananas, melons, oranges, apricots, avocados, dairy, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tuna, salmon, beans, nuts, and seeds have lots of potassium.
I ate a banana then wondered if I could take a beta blocker Metoprolol after all the alcohol, ummed and ahed, then took a quarter of one.
At 2am I was still wide awake and the strong beats of my heart were stressing me - yes I was fanatically measuring them! Next I wondered if I should take a sleeping tablet, or would I die through the combination of alcohol, pills and not waking up if my heart rate became worse. I took just half of one and have woken this morning feeling fine and not aware of heart thumping at all.
Lesson learnt, but was it honestly worth it. I know I shouldn't say this but, yes it was!
Jean
It's odd but a lot of answers I gave to posts have disappeared. Hope you all managed to read them before they went. I replied to everyone.
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True words, nugger. I've just been looking at the website for the boat, and they do overnight stays in a choice of harbours - have 6 berths. Not too bad a price if 6 share the cost, bit obsessed with it now, but it will wear off.
I think I may have felt a bit cross with anyone else on this forum who had drank alcohol excessively, but I've survived to tell the tale.
Plenty of water Jeanjeanie 💗 I do have wine but not every night and limit to large glass. If we drink wine you have to drink equal quantities of water.
Water is necessary when drinking alcohol, and in general lol. I don’t drink a whole lot of booze , but I always have a fresh 1L bottle on my night stand.
See jean you enjoyed it that much that you are already lookin to your next excursion lol a few make me feel the same, a good reminder to enjoy life.
The good news she won’t be 50 again! We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t do daft things occasionally, the positives are that you have now had it confirmed that two glasses are OK but a bottle is a no no. 🍾🍷🍾
Honestly, the wine tasted so good and I have an idea that may happen as we grow older. It was such a wonderful day. Think I've been too much of a goody goody with regards to alcohol, but my daughter lives about 9 miles away and I usually drive there so can't drink.
Don't think it's a question of being Goody Two shoes Jean. You weigh up how bad the attack was vs the pleasure and make your own informed decision. If I thought I'd be a right as rain as you sound like you was after your sleep, I'd probably try a beer. But the last two attempts at drinking only really moderate amounts, left me in A&E and permanent AFib. I've been in NSR for 2 months now courtesy of Amiodarone and an Ablation and although I'm gagging for a pint of bitter once my blanking period is over and I'm off Amiodarone, I'm petrified it might put me straight back in. And I mean gagging. But the thought of being back in PAFib again outweighs the beer. At the moment!
Absolutely agree, you have to enjoy yourself sometimes! I often think that would be the silver lining of being in permanent AF. What’s the point of abstaining if you are in AF anyway?!
I am usually obsessively good about alcohol but the odd glass has never made any difference so why not enjoy it on the odd occasion?
A test we do when taking Warfarin tablets to check our blood clotting levels are ok.
The international normalised ratio (INR) blood test tells you how long it takes for your blood to clot. A test called the prothrombin time (PT) actually measures how quickly your blood clots. The PT results can be expressed as an INR to standardise the results.
Alcohol kicks me straight into AF so have learned to live without it 😩but I am intrigued by a home INR test is this new ? When I was last on Warfarin it entailed a hospital trip
The INR machine I have is a CoaguChek XS. They have been around for quite a few years now, much the same piece of equipment as used at a doctors surgery. Google and you will find, they used to cost around £300. Guess like everything else they've gone up now.
Aw Jean, it's so easy to do. You were surrounded by your family on a very special occasion in a beautiful situation - that's more important than the after effects.
I hope your heart gets over its wobbly and you'll look back on the day with fond memories. xx
Excellent ! that's what I like to read !! I'm NOT joking. 😱😱😂😂😂😂 I must have picked up more boozing habits when I lived in Australia then I realised ..... amazingly boozing is one concession I've never made to either AF or Coumadin. And actually all drinks including ice cold and caffeine and ice cream have never created a problem. Food certainly has though. Mind you my GP always takes the opportunity to caution me on my boozing, then I make some smart assed comment and she rolls her lovely sky blue eyes and throws her hands up in the air. She is clearly not accustomed to dealing with Aussies.
Hi, Ben. we have to maintain our humor or this will certainly have us all nuts. As many on this forum has already stated, moderation. I had a Moscow mule at my son's house, went into full blown AF. come to find out the mixer had chemicals in it. Everyone insists it was the 1 shot of vodka it was not. It was the cheap a** mixture he buys. Next time I was there he gave me a shot of excellent bourbon, no mixer, no AF. that is my story and I am sticking to it.
Yes, I'm usually sat there looking all prissy. It was such a lovely memorable day. We sat on the top of the boat and had to climb down ladder like steps to get to the toilet. It's a wonder none of us fell down them.
I agree with you re: being the ‘outsider’ at times!! AF is ‘mean’ and it’s like a little devil on your shoulder laughing and curtailing our pleasure in life, so good on you Jean for shoving it off and enjoying yourself, glad you had a great day with your family partying 🍷🥂🎉🍺, keep it up well not every day of course 🤣🤣🤣
It's a slippery slope, for me, I really feel it if I drink alcohol and can't sleep, probably from the guilt, so at worst, i'll cheat with an alcohol free beer. After an hour or so, I've forgotten all about wanting a drink, but that's my lot. I try not to undo all the effort that I've put in, obviously it's not for me to speak about anybody else.
I'd have been throwing stones if anyone else on here had drank so much and then had high and low fluctuating AF. Well I've learned a lesson now. Having an alcoholic drink before getting on the boat and then a bottle of red wine was fun and I got away with it, but was stressed when I got home. So if I have fun like that again, I now know what will happen.
blame it on the nitrates in the wine, not the wine. I can only drink wine from Europe or Australia or Africa, nothing from California too many pesticides from California wines plus it's made differently in CA, they use different yeast which allows for higher alcohol content. do you remember what wine you had?
No, only that it was a Merlot. I should have looked closer. My son-in-law may know. I'll ask him as he was drinking the same wine, may have been from two different areas of course.
Renowned for sulphides - it's made using a different process to most other wines (according to our local Master of Wine). My husband's skin goes blotchy if he drinks it!
I’m so glad you had such a good time! So lovely to let your hair down with everyone for once. It’s hard to always have to miss out on that isn’t it?
I agree with dedeottie that I’d always thought the silver lining of being in permanent AF would be that I could drink some alcohol again!! And maybe even caffeine! But I can quite see that these can have an effect on the rate and strength of the beat still… what a shame! Personally I’d think that it was the uphill walk that tipped it over the edge, not the bottle of wine 😁
Thanks for the info about foods helping to regulate /slow the heartbeat- very interesting.
This is not connected to your situation, as I know you said you do drink a little wine without a problem. - But due to risk of triggering PAF with RVR, like a lot of people I haven’t touched any since AF diagnosis, and I’ve been wondering if we would do better to have a little (for some of us very little, much less than a glass) of wine intermittently, rather than be off it totally? Does being off it totally mean that the tiniest bit has more of an effect?
For instance, I have to avoid a lot of foods due to allergies and intolerance, and one thing I’ve learnt is that if it’s just a sensitivity or intolerance, it’s best to keep having a little of it in your diet now and then, otherwise you can react worse to it if/when you do. (Just a thought - you can see I’m holding out hope in my quest to be able to enjoy some wine without triggering AF!!)
Sadly, my heart has usually kicked off if I have any alcohol. Not touched any for years now, apart from a very small glass of wine each Christmas. I now have to drive to my daughters about 9 miles on Christmas Day, used to go there Christmas Eve and stay until Boxing Day, but my sister has moved to the same small town as me and I now have to take her to my daughters too and she has cats she has to go home and take care of, so I cant stay now - she can drive, but doesn't.
I try to avoid certain foods too, mainly any that contain artificial additives, especially sweeteners. I could also have eaten things yesterday on the boat that contained those.
I think your idea of little and more often drinking wine could be a good idea, but I have seen recently that saying a small amount of wine daily is good for us has now been proved false. All the joy is being knocked out of our lives isn't it! I can't help but say I think this world is sadly going backwards now rather then forwards what with cutbacks everywhere. Do you remember the days when we just turned up at the doctors surgery for an appointment and just sat and waited for our turn?
I'm just going to have a little nap as only had 5 hours sleep last night.
Oh sorry I’ve mis-remembered, in my imagination you could have an occasional glass without trouble- what a shame I’m wrong there!
Hmm yes I agree about all the joy being knocked out! And cutbacks losing us so many of the securities we could rely on, like waiting to see a doctor. I used to be a medical receptionist (a very nice one, for the record!) and we never turned people away during surgery time. If they felt they needed to see a doctor (no questions asked!) they could wait. We would always say: “if you don’t mind the wait”… and “sorry about the wait, the doctor is very busy ” etc. These days I wait significantly longer on the phone - listening to tinny music - just to try to get through to my surgery!! Jx
I'm in the life is too short camp, so enjoy it whilst you can! I also went to a family celebration that started at 12 noon on Saturday, and also drank a bit more than I would normally. I'm lucky in that it didn't seem to affect me, I can see I had a slightly elevated HR overnight but no AF so I count myself very lucky!
I'm also of the opinion that you can forever worry about triggers, one of my last episodes of AF was after a week of nothing alcoholic or anything with caffeine in it, and then after a bike ride 2 weeks ago my heart went into AF near the end - one coffee and a sandwich later it was fine!
You'll never know if it was the wine, the excitement of the day, the walk up the hill or a combination that caused the AF. Did you take any ECGs at all?
You're right I'll never really know what caused my heart thumping. Yes, we certainly have to live for today and I'm glad that I did. I'm pleased to hear that you had a nice time at your family celebration too.
No I didn't take any ECG's, not into doing that, I'm bit of a worrier if my heart kicks off (hasn't done for years, until yesterday) and that would make the situation worse. Have been signed off by my EP and cardiologist.
I'm in a position where I used to think that and to some extent still do but I take less risks. I went from persistent AF to normal sinus rhythm for a couple of months and was elated. I wasn't offered any thinners at the time despite having high BP. Unfortunately, without any warning at all, I had a stroke that paralysed me down half of my side. Not being able to suddenly eat or physically do the things I used to be able to do was the most frightening thing I've ever had, not for me, but for my family and how they would manage. Life is short, but it can be lengthened through risk mitigation. I'm blessed to have had a full recovery. but is still always at the back of my mind. it was a wakeup call for sure.
That must have been a dreadful shock for you, as it's something we all fear. So glad you made a successful recovery. Since being diagnosed with AF 18 years ago, I very rarely have alcohol now. The boat my son chartered was expensive and I'm one of those people who feel they have to get value for money. I just couldn't be the party pooper when we were being served wine all the time (was all in the cost).
Thank you Jean and you don't have to justify yourself at all, to anyone. The temporary paralysis was a shock but in some ways the stroke itself wasn't. I don't think the GPs ever really took the seriously enough, or that's how it's come across so far. I was considered too young (49) to be recommended for thinners initially, even though hey would have likely prevented he stroke from happening in the first place. Anyway, A few lifestyle changes and feel much better, keep on enjoying life, I've certainly been provided with a second chance that many unfortunately don't get.
Dear Jean, what a fabulous post to read! Our daughter was 50 a few months back and sometimes celebration and life just have to take over! It was lovely to hear about your day out, somehow made all the more special by the cost you paid later! Glad you’re better now.
Being at the comparatively early stages of AF I am still doing what I’m told. I’m quite good at that sometimes. There is a novelty to be had in the new brands of alcohol free wine and decaffeinated beverages which has not quite worn off but I think is wearing a bit thin! Friends and family treat my strict adherence to all things healthy with a mix of respect and pity. So thank goodness there are role models like yourself Jean who can break away, go wild, live life for today and nearly, but not quite, treat the whole thing as a cautionary tale! Take care xxx
Thank you for your lovely reply. Yes I was ultra cautious at the start of my AF attacks, it appears there's a route we all tend to follow. I'm at the blow it all stage now and get on with living. I'm convinced that the more we fret about attacks the worse they become. In fact 'll stick my neck out and say I know worry makes them worse.
Hi Jean, you’re right with the fact that worry/stress/anxiety makes it worse. Yesterday I was sat watching England v Nigeria in the women’s World Cup football. I used to play football in a team, in my youth. So I was okay until it went to penalties! Couldn’t watch!! My stress was out of control and I was pacing up and down and my heart was flipping and flopping all over the place🤣🤣🤣 I kept telling myself to ‘stop being an idiot’ I had to go upstairs and read my daughter’s text messages as we were chatting to each other, football ⚽️⚽️ ugh!! So I apologised to my little heart ❤️❤️ for upsetting it!! 😂😂
These things are sent to try us aren't they. I don't watch anything on tv these days that cause stress. No violent or distressing films. Even an episode of Casualty stressed me a few weeks ago, though I do watch that when I can.
It was a wonderful day and one that I will always remember.
Yes, it was suggested last week that I give up Bisoprolol as those pills were making my legs ache from the knee down. As soon as I stopped them the problem went. I'm now back on a PIP dose of Metoprolol that I've been ok with for many years before being changed to Bisoprolol last October. Must do a post about that.
That’s interesting Jean. I’ve just made an appointment with my doctor (earliest appointment available 16th September 🤷♀️), due to legs aching from the knees down to my ankles. It’s been painful for several weeks now. I am on Bisoprolol, but I’ve been on it for 12 years. I wonder if that’s the culprit. Btw. Loved this post. We’ve all done it; over-embibed on a special occasion. But it did sound like a fabulous day out which you will talk about for a long time to come 🙂.
I think I've read on this forum about other people having the leg ache. I'd been taking bisoprolol for 10 months and it had only gone to the aching feeling for perhaps the last month or two. I wonder if the pills are being made differently in some way, it may be new fillers. That's a long time to wait to see a doctor, surely that's not to see a GP?
… and we both live in Devon I believe Jean. The different levels of service from practice to practice in the same region - even within the same town - is crazy.
I take Diltiazem short acting - 30 mg "ass needed" but pretty much daily - I am up to 1/2 pill in the am, full one at 4 pm and 1/2 at bedtime..just to keep my HR normal.. ...I'm one of those "drug sensitive" individuals who could not tolerate anything that ended with "olol" ...made me feel dead, like an elephant on my chest.
I think that without Diltiazem, I would react to alcohol.
Perhaps I missed something in your post, but I was asking because I wondered why you didn't take something when your heart started to act up on the boat?
It's all a mystery to me...how I react...but the 4 pm pill will allow me to walk the dog and have a glass of wine if I want, without symptoms...so far; only tried this week as am in 6th week starting today ...
I didn't want to take a pill while consuming alcohol and it would have put a damper on the day for everyone.
I think it may take a little time for your body to adjust itself to the Diltiazem. Hopefully some members here that take that drug will respond to you.
being on a boat, or a plane has always been one of my fears (I get it!) since I had to be taken off a plane once with a HR of 237...one of my first AF episodes in 2016...
Good breathing exercises helps me, in slowly through the nose, short hold, then breath out slowly through the mouth with pursed lips. Helps to bring BP down too.
Yes, I have a good one for bringing BP down, take a big breath in and then huff out as quickly as you can through your mouth.
It's my belief that some of us become so engrossed in something that we forget to breathe correctly and then AF strikes. People often say they were just sat watching their t.v. or sat at PC and AF kicked off for no reason. Tight waistbands, slouching etc could be the cause too.
All’s well that ends well and you had a fantastic day, good result I would say. Perhaps not do it regularly though just to be on the safe side. Glad you had a fantastic day.
I don't think there's much chance of me doing it regularly meadfoot as I'm usually driving. During these long summer days and lighter evenings it's possible to use the bus more.
After the trip we sat around the harbour, the others all had more alcohol, but goody two shoes here had a mug of tea and listened to a group playing, it finished the day off perfectly. When we went to the toilets there was a group sat at a table outside the front and I said to Rachel, "It looks like Rod Stewart". When we went back to the others we were telling them about that person and the bartender heard us and told us that it was a man who performs a tribute to Rod Stewart show.
Oh Jean. Thanks for sharing that. It does us so good sometimes to fight back with this monster and say b…… r it, life is too short. What a great time you had with your daughter. You must have been encouraged that your heart behaved itself and settled down eventually and proved that there’s life in the old dog yet. Bravo 👏
Thank you Rubie (I'm guessing that's your dogs name). 😂
Yes, I must admit I'm quite pleased with myself for not mentioning it yesterday. That night however anxiety took over, it was a lesson to me to be more understanding of forum members here and their attacks. I'd not had one for many years.
I'm still a firm believer that the more you ignore an AF attack (as best you can). The quicker it will go. Have had a quiet day here at home today, not been out. My heart feels calm and peaceful now.
l agree with you that if you ignore an AF attack it goes quicker. It certainly has with me. It can take a lot of time and practice to do that because AF goes hand in hand with anxiety. In some strange way you learn to live with it. It scared the hell out of me when l was first diagnosed. Yes, my dog’s name was Rubie. He was a boy. The colour he was of the breed (red) was called Ruby so being a boy l changed it. It was also our Ruby wedding anniversary so was appropriate. I am on my own now and have a Dachshund. 🥰
I don't know, all in all I like a peaceful life and with my heart playing up, well I don't want to go back to that again. Will see how I get on. Tonight my heart rate is going too high when I move around.
Think it has, but not sure if rate is to high when I'm moving around. The situation is made worse because I also stopped taking Bisoprolol a few days ago on the instructions of a nurse practitioner at my docs surgery. That drug was making the bottom half of my legs really ache. I told her I was in constant AF and she said take Metoprolol if rate was high.
I’m sorry to hear about how the bisop was affecting you - and I was hoping you’d found the perfect drug at last. The fact you came off it could definitely have contributed to the high heart rate, but hopefully it’ll settle soon.
It’s all a bit if a lottery it seems, finding the right medication. All of them seem to have strange/bad effects.
Sometimes it is not what might seem the obvious. I was due to go out and meet friends and my Afib kicked off about an hour beforehand, anyway 3 pints of beer later and my HR was ticking over quite nicely. On the other hand I'm finding that foods laced with Gluten are a sure fire way of having a visit from Afib, so I'm thinking whether any accompanying cucumber sandwiches/cocktail sausages or some delightful dessert pastries might have been the real culprit.
Thank you Jim. It's a bit much when you find yourself with your youngest daughter getting to age 50! It seems like only a short while ago it was me having a 50th celebration.
Oh Jean, I get it! So difficult at times to heed the advice given. I’ve been there a few times wondering if I should take my Metoprolol or sleeping aid.
Happy to hear that you had a wonderful time at your daughter’s birthday celebration, and agree, it was worth it. My daughter, unfortunately just celebrated her 40th (August 5th) in bed wiith Covid. Not so much fun.
How much Metoprolol do you take? I lived after taking a quarter of a tablet, but my heart rate which was going up and down did go down to low 50's then, might even have been down to the 40's I can't remember!
I’m now taking, 25 mg in am and 12.5 (cut in half) mg in pm. (Doctor had me on 25 am 25 pm). Also taking Eliquis 5mg twice a day. Ablation is on the horizon but health care pretty abysmal after Covid. (which I think I now have!) Testing again this am.
Wondering is it’s ok to take acetaminophen and other drug (Paxlovid) with my other BP meds? My research for the day. :/
I'd ask your pharmacist if you can take those drugs together, here in the UK they tend to know more about drug interactions than GP's. Our health care here is not so good either since Covid. I can't help but wonder why that is. Everyone appears to have become lazy - I know I have.
Glad you had such a great day and all was well by the next day. Though I can imagine the middle of the night worries. Maybe a little bit of wine more often to see if you tolerate it in smaller doses. Sounds like the day was definitely worth it!!
What a lovely celebration for a special occasion!! I'm in the camp of life's too short and it would've been a shame if you hadn't carried on enjoying that lovely wine!! The boat sounds fab....I can get away with a good sized g&t and there are so many lovely ones out there these days..... However last night I threw a glass of white wine spritzer in as well. I was with my brother.... We were out celebrating his house renovation completion and my full retirement. Yay!! He lives four hours drive from me so don't see each other often so am staying for a few days and doing the round of catching up with all my relies. . I don't drink alcohol much, never have but sometimes the situation merits it. Who knows whether it was the wine or the excitement or the long walk up a hill (that definately triggers mine) after a lovely day out or fatigue. But the main thing is you had a fab. time and now have a memorable occasion you won't forget.
I've also found recently after being strictly caffeine free since diagnosis that I can get away with a little caffeine with no effect. Yay!!
Good for you, Jean. I have started having the odd regular coffee, instead of decaf. Doesn't seem to have made any impact so far, fingers crossed. I don't like bananas, I have a small glass of coconut water every day, which has a good hit of potassium. I'm pretty convinced a lack of potassium is a factor (one of many) in the whole AF mystery.
Well I've eaten bananas for most of my adult life and I still had AF. Though I've been worry free from uncontrolled AF for almost 4 years. Am now in low grade AF constantly at 60-90bpm which is far better than PAF.
Thank you Nan. It will be a day I'll always remember, the boat was so posh and beautiful. I sat there thinking could I afford one if I sold my house. They are so expensive, I live on the coast in Devon.
Sounds like you had fun Jean. And sounds like a very special occasion.I think red wine is probably right up there for AF triggers so fair play, you really went to the extreme! 😆
I've been AF free for 10 weeks now...First time in 19 years... so avoiding all alcohol but very tempted by a beer.
Hope you get some rest today and things settle back down, and hope you're not hard on yourself. 🌸
Very interesting. In the the earlier part of the year I was drinking a fair bit socially with my other half. One night I had palpitations and was sure it was the alcohol. I abstained completely for a few weeks and now have only occasional small amounts. I have not had any palpitations since and as I now associate the feeling of intoxication with palpitations am strongly deterred from increasing my consumption.
we all react differently to alcohol and each individual’s reaction will also vary based on food consumption, hydration, hours slept, natural tolerance, etc. I usually only have a single beer for special occasions, however, Sunday night we celebrated three birthdays, one of which was my own, and because I was in the right mood I decided to cut loose a little. I had 4 beers and two ciders. Now, I’m sure that wouldn’t do much to the typical drinker but it threw me for a loop! I kept waiting for afib to kick in and nada. There have been other times I’ve had 1 or 2 bears and had the same experience you did with my heart going crazy. All depends I guess but I don’t think you made the wrong choice! Enjoy yourself some!
Isn't that strange how you got away without AF, glad to hear you had fun. I did too and will remember that posh boat trip for ever. There was only 4 of us plus a man serving us constant wine, nibbles, then strawberries with meringue and cream, and cake also his mate steering the boat. We were up on top so didn't really see much of them apart from the food and wine bringing which was quite a lot. The weather was perfect too.
Sometimes we have to live life and hang the consequences. Balance and moderation in all things, some people’s classing of risk is another persons dull day. Otherwise nobody would ever undertake any dangerous sports, drink alcohol, eat strange foods. Life would be very dull without a bit of risk. Saying that whenever I over indulge, I do regret it for a few minutes. Glad you had a lovely day, it was my sons 40th, so a weekend of pizza, bbq and too much fizz. 😂
One of the difficult things is that we are all surrounded with people who say: 'Have another little drink, it won't do you any harm', when we know perfectly well it WILL. But every social occasion is a trial and every person who tops up your glass might be sentencing us to at least a few hours of suffering and at worst a serious heart event, or even a stroke.
Those who have never suffered from AF seem to think it is a bit comical ('the dicky ticker' joke) or that the victim is something of a hypochondriac, but we all really need to educate our friends and relations, not just ourselves.
Very pleased you have come through the ordeal successfully in the end. But don't do it again! 😂
I agree with you totally Oscar. I didn't want to be the party pooper or the hypochondriac. Re other people, some have never been ill in their lives and will never understand how AF makes us feel.
Glad you've stabilised now and that you had such a lovely time. If it's any consolation- my heart goes into tachycardia and I feel faint every time we go to our annual Christmas Dinner with my husband's old opera group friends. I never drink. It’s the food, excitement and chatting while eating I think. Literally only happens there... and I'm always OK after a rest. Makes one feel such a lightweight though 😀
You've been my guru with your excellent advice on diet, vitamins, coconut water so it’s been interesting to read you are sometimes infallible as I did the same thing recently. Daughter was involved too, home for the weekend and we were invited to next door neighbour's party. Too many glasses of prosecco involved. Had to smile at you only getting 5 hours sleep. I'm feeling pretty good this morning after achieving 5 hours sleep. It's usually much less.
Thank you for your kind words Liz. The experience of having a fast heart rate again reminded me how scary it is. We all have lessons to learn in life and that certainly was one for me.
I have found a way not to have to abstain, fellow AF-ers. Here in England, at least, most of our supermarkets sell 0% or .05% wines in Savignon Blanc, Merlot and Rose. I pour 600 ml of one of those in the measuring jug and top it up with 400 ml of the real wine. I can easily have a couple of glasses of "Racquet's Mix", which I have written on the bottle, at home or I take it with me if I am having dinner at someone else's home. I bring mine and I bring a regular bottle for the host. I get to join in without bad consequences. You might struggle to find these low or no alcohol wines in the USA. I couldn't find it last time I went back to the States. Bubbly champagne no alcohol is also easily purchasable. Cheers!
sounds great Jean - good for you - we have to have a life after all - glad you’re not suffering too much as a result - have to say I do now also struggle next day but sometimes it just has to be done - YOLO!!
Well Jean, you really ‘pushed the boat out’ 😂 didn’t you - sounds like you were being like the young ones - drink, walking home tipsy, doing drugs & feeling worse from a good party! Glad you had such a great time & you’re ok. Maybe take the potassium foods with you if there’s a next time! You party animal 😆 xx
Good for you! Quality of Life is so important! I am especially impressed by your return trip - did you have to tackle all those steps to get home? Gold star for you 👍⭐️. Most people are frightened of setting off an Afib episode but since you are in it permanently and are a very experienced Afibber you know how to handle a rapid heartbeat situation ( that is temporary) with a little extra medication .X
Thank you. It certainly reminded me how scary episodes of high rate AF are. So people who mention them on this forum will get a higher degree of sympathy now.
Glad you had such a great day. As others have said life is for living and I often feel that some of the advice we get on avoiding afib by giving up the food/ drink pleasures in life borders on the puritanical .Your heart might have played up but you can congratulate yourself on having a liver in good nick! If I had drank even half that I would have felt like death warmed up for the whole of the following day.I refuse to give up my small glass of wine with my evening meal (a sherry glass). When we go on holiday we eat like the French with 2 meals a day instead of a sandwich lunch and I find that a restaurant 12.5 cl glass of wine with each meal is too much now and is more likely to kick off my afib in the evening. So we order one glass in the evening for my husband and I have a few sips.
When I was first put on Bisoprolol 5mg I had terrible pains in my legs as well as feeling like a zombie. They diminished with a cut in the dose.
That's interesting re your experience with Bisoprolol making your legs ache. I was on the lowest dose of 1.25mg a day and still they ached when I sat still or went to bed. It had started to wake me about 5am in the morning. As soon as I stopped them the aching went almost immediately.
I'm glad you've found a solution for your AF with regards to alcohol.
Sometimes you just have to give in and suffer the effects! I did wonder if I'd get away with it as haven't had a high heart rate for almost 4 years. The drink and food was all in the cost of the trip, so we had to get our money's worth.
I'm so pleased to hear that you recovered well from your episode of AF. But was even happier to hear that you had a fantastic day to remember with your family. I haven't touched a drop of alcohol in 7 years and my son is always saying I'm a party pooper and 1 wouldn't hurt me. I wish I had your bravery but it is very true that life is for living, so good for you! 👍
Other people have no idea how AF can cause such fear in us. We'd love to drink alcohol and get in the party mood. There's also wondering how pills we take will react to it.
I haven't drank so much for absolutely years and I've had AF for 18 of them.
It was such a lovely day and one I'll remember for the rest of my life. It was such a posh boat, I felt like a millionaire, but it will be back to me driving or the local ferries now.
Hi Like you I’ve hardly drunk more than the one occasional glass for 2 years. Hasn’t made any difference to my AF but have lost a lot of weight! Gradually easing myself back into moderate social drinking as I’m really thinking life is too short and that I’m not going to shorten it by responsible drinking! I’m sure my AF is triggered by eating a large meal and is something to do with the vagus nerve. Hey ho and on we go .
We'll never know for sure what the cause of AF is, but I think mine is through artificial additives in food and drink. Yes, big meals and then walking used to set mine off too.
Glad to hear that you had a good night out and escaped any consequences.
I'm unsure how I am at the moment as was taken off of bisoprolol last week as it was making the lower part of my legs really ache. Not taking any beta blocker right now, but have Metoprolol if AF kicks off fast.
When I have slipped into Afib without any known triggers, I figure “to hell with it” and have a glass of wine. If I’m going to go into the beast without any trigger, then I’m going to go ahead and enjoy what I’ve been denying myself.
I don't blame you. I was once in horrible AF, had been for many days, and went to a friends for pre Christmas drinks. Kept being given small glasses of wine and was eating some Doritos. Another neighbour said to me I was looking well and at that moment I realised my heart was back in normal rhythm. So maybe what causes AF can also cure it. Who knows, or was it the salt in the Doritos?
When my Cardiologist first told me I could no longer drink alcohol, because of my medication I was quite upset. I enjoyed a few glasses of wine every night with and after dinner. Now that had to stop. Eventually I found non alcoholic Beer that tastes pretty good. Alas I still miss a good glass of wine. I experimented a few times, having maybe half a glass. Each time, I felt as if I would pass out. So I finally gave up. Trust me, I would do the same as you, if I had been in your position. We only live once, we might as well enjoy ourselves! Glad you survived!
You certainly have a fan club here, Jean, judging by the "likes" including mine. Yes, sometimes breaking our health rules are worth it and I'm glad it was for you. Unfortunately, I had to quit alcohol completely as it was a major trigger for me. I'm glad you had such a nice time!
Low Sodium V8 is also good and loaded with potassium. I wonder if taking the metoprolol ahead of time would have kept your rate down and prevented the AF...Glad you had a great time in any event because we need to live our lives too.
Thank you for your wise words Bob. I just wonder how the pills I take would react to alcohol and wonder if they become more intense in doing what they're meant too.
wow that is a lot of posts! I couldn’t take time to read them all. I have been following you for years and I had to look twice to see that it was you! My youngest turned 59 this year- in winter. Out on a boat- it is so much fun, glad all is normal now, take care
My youngest a daughter turned 50 not 59 and we had a surprise party at a restaurant. I drink Ginger Beer. I like when places offer alternatives as I don’t do caffeine in soda.
Lol - at least you had a good time. I have two pints every afternoon and half a bottle of white. At weekends sometimes I will have a bottle of wine over the course of an eve.
But it’s fun! Considering my day consists of pain meds at 05.00 am for my knee which is bone on bone then 10.00 my bisoprolol
Then on Mondays I add methotrexate and once a fortnight- an Amgevita injection
So ! Make the most of life. Enjoy every day and grab every opportunity.
Been there, done that jean and not isolated instance's such as yours was but nearly every day, too much to eat, eat the wrong things basically doing what I know I shouldn't. Sometimes I get away with it but most times I suffer the consequences, which are afib and upset stomach and remorse. I think it's in all of us to be like this once in a while. Glad you're feeling OK now though. Have a Great Day
Mine really was an isolated instance, usually have no more than a glass of wine. I'd been fairly well for almost 4 years and forgot I couldn't drink like a normal person. Thank you for your kind words.
I love you Jean; how to go gal. It was the walk up the hill that probably got you, not the good day you had. I try to be careful too but sometimes it's difficult and if I'm already physically tired or carrying some previous day's stress and a little dehydrated (yah gotta drink water too) I too get into trouble. The it's time for my 200 mg. flacainide or a 3rd 100 mg will always do the trick but I'm usually wiped out for the next day.
I'm just telling you this because occasionally it happens and I don't at all mean to be cavelier about my heart but yah gotta live too and it's easy to get out ahead of yourself when you're having fun. God Bless You, David
Thank you for your kind words David. Yes, you're certainly right, fancy me acting like a normal person and thinking I could drink loads of alcohol! You would think I'd know better. I've still felt tired today, that's 2 days that have been wasted. It was worth it though!
Exactly! It happens every so often so don't beat on yourself. And those 1 or 2 after days are the price we pay. Myself at 79 it now takes 36 hours of downtime time after the howling time to get back to normal provided all continues to go well with the flacainide.
Anyway, keep truckin, keep walkin, keep positive and don't pass up on any invites; life's too short. Bye for now Jeanne DR
Smiling as I write...I understand. BTW (by the way) my cardiologist said yoga and deep breathing helps HR but not BP. Also my cardiologist and I are having my potassium checked because I now take Losartan Potassium (100 mg/pm ) which can raise potassium levels too high. I take in the pm because of a report of less heart events if take then rather than am. It's possible I may have to decrease my bananas and potatoes...and all the foods you listed. We will see. Another BTW: Often I will put sparkly water in a favorite, large wine glass. Sometimes add a twist of lemon.Just the wine glass itself is festive to me.
I don't want to be the downer, but remember: the only reason you can now say it was worth it is because you recovered okay. If you had gone into a more threatening heart crisis, you would not feel it was worth it. My way of saying "stay the course" and have fun without the alcohol.
Be careful of loading up on potassium, since our BP meds can cause a build up of excess potassium. Good hydration and deep breathing should have helped.
So glad you are ok it would be awful to put a damper on such a brilliant and fun day. How did you manage to walk3/4 a mile uphill ? I admire your talent.😉😉we all need days like that. Thanks for sharing such a heart warming story. Here's to many more.😄
Thank you for your kind words. I don't know why but I'm feeling seriously drained of energy. I'm telling myself it's still the after effects of too much alcohol in a body not used to it. I've also stopped taking Bisoprolol (was making my legs ache when ever I sat or went to bed) and gone back to a small dose of Metoprolol. It's a shame as I felt really well otherwise on Bisoprolol. As soon as I stopped it the ache went almost right away.
I eat a banana each day for my potassium, also supplement with magnesium, taurine, vitamin D3 and K2. Used to take zinc, but have replaced that with pumpkin and chia seeds in my home made muesli. xx
I really hope that you will feel better as each day passes and like someone else has said, my goodness me, there’s nothing wrong in ‘letting your hair down’ sometimes!!
An interesting fact! Alcohol doesn’t have a negative affect on me - for some reason.
I think we communicated many years ago when I first became a member of this sit but I have had no more episodes of fib till this past weekend.
my cardio has given me 200mg of amiodarone to take but only one tablet three days a week to stop the fib coming back before I see a rythmologue. He's also given me apixaban to take morning and evening. I have a brain cavernoma so he hesitated to give me an anticoagulant.
He wants me to have an ablation ....
It was nice to see you still posting and feeling well👍
Lucky you going so long without any AF but what a nuisance that it's now back?
Yes, I'm still on the good old faithful Warfarin and Metoprolol.
It must have been difficult for you to decide whether taking apixaban was the right thing to do alongside your brain cavernoma. Bless you, life gives us so much worry doesn't it especially when we have AF.
I don't like to hear of you taking amiodarone, but there are times when we just have to do as we're told and hope for the best. Have you any idea how long you'll have to wait for your ablation?
Jeanjeannie, I haven’t as yet read any other answers to this post but I’m guessing a fair few will read like mine. Life is for living. To laugh & have fun with family & friends. What’s the point otherwise? We’re all going to shuffle off this mortal coil eventually with nothing but our memories. Maybe not every day, but now and again we should all live a little.
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Jx 
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