Hi, I'm 51 years old, fit, healthy, no high BP, don't smoke, eat mostly a plant based diet and had my first afib episode a month ago. A&E couldn't find a cause and put it down to dehydration and over doing it. They sent me away with no medication. A fews weeks later I started getting migraines with aura. ECG came back satisfactory as did the echocardiogram but they did find a mild leak on my tricuspid valve. Has anyone else afib for no obvious reason in their 50s and leaky valves?
Atrial fibrillation in early 50s for ... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Atrial fibrillation in early 50s for no obvious reason
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Sweet-Potato
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Hi Sweetlptato,
I don’t have leaky valves, but I got Afib at 39 - properly diagnosed in my 50s. Never had high blood pressure , have been a vegetarian/pescatarian for over 30 years, never smoked either. Unfortunately there’s sometimes no reason why we get Afib and we can try and pull our hair out, wondering why it’s happened. My heart structure all perfectly ok.
Have you been particularly stressed perhaps? Even that can trigger it, but like you say, dehydration can also trigger it.
It might be worth talking to your GP about the migraines with aura though? Are they happening without afib? What have they said about them?
I wasn't stressed at the time. The migraine happened after a spin class. I've been doing spin for 15 years, for the last 2 years I've had bad headaches after which I thought we dehydration but now i realise they were migraines. The aura was new. I'm still in shock that this has happened. I'm seeing my GP next week and have been referred to a cardiologist for the leaky valve.
Good luck at the GP - hopefully you’ll get some answers about the migraines. I’m not aware that that is a symptom of Afib, but you never know with it. I would think if it was connected, you’d have an Afib episode at the same time as the migraine? But I’m no expert.
I read about the alcohol in your reply below….unfortunately that can have a hand in it.I no longer drink alcohol as that could be one of my triggers. They sometimes refer to Afib episodes that happen out of the blue on holiday, as ‘holiday heart’ ( you can Google it) I think sometimes they can be one-offs. Exercise can also cause it, a lot of athletes unfortunately get Afib. My last episode occurred because I pushed myself walking briskly for a couple of miles, of all things ( I do walk fast) and didn’t cool down properly….it’s just such a mongrel condition.
I do hope you get some answers. Good luck.
I've decided to give up alcohol, I usually drink so little I don't think I'll miss it much.
I spoke to my GP after it first happened, he said if it was exercise it would stay high when it was spiking in the class so I'm hoping it's not that.
My son was. is not so much now ,a competition white rafter and canoeist, and one of his fellow canoeists who is a cardiologist, diagnosed him with AF when he was 36 - he had an ablation, but no further signs 17 years later - but as it is also familial, my sisters and I all have it, but diagnosed in much later life, it may return when he is older. My cardiologist told me that half of his AF patient are extreme athletes , mostly canoeists !
I think strenuous exercise isn’t as good for us as we may think.? By all means exercise but getting heart rates up to the ceiling regularly can’t be good for you.??
I agree, what is the point of it - most extreme athletes end up with enlarged hearts ! I tend to be on Neil Armstrong's side - when asked if he jogged, he replied 'I think we were only given a certain number of heartbeats per lifetime and I'm not wasting any of mine ' !
I definitely think he’s got a point. And I think it’s true. 👍
Just to add, I've had optical migraines for many years, long before I was diagnosed with AF
I knocked alcohol on the head, it's a demon for afib in most cases as is coffee (oh and watch the chocolate). I drank a lot of wine and convinced this caused my afib in the first place
I was a simular age when I suddenly had Aura or jaeliedescope effect in my eye. My GP said it was a migraine that can occur as your hormobes change. I had it twice.... I think he was right because they stopped.... Just a brief period of time.
Leaky heart valves are different and you need to be seen by Cardiology. As well as the Afib.....they'll probably give you a holster to wear to track your heart for a couple of days or longer.
I am 66 now and had irregular heart beats since my twenties mainly PVC and PAC. I used to drink socially a glass of wine or two per week, in 2003 i had an episode of AF fortunately it stopped on its own within 30 minutes, in 2013 again had one episode of AF which needed hospital treatment, from that day I stopped drinking any liquid with caffeine and alcohol and never had AF again, I have trivial tricuspid and mitral valve regurgitation but not taking anything for it, touch wood, hope we all live a long and healthy life into our 90s.
Sometimes there is a family history, many high achieving athletes get Afib so that is sometimes a cause but sometimes nothing at all. It is the nature of the beast.
It’s definitely a weird animal is afib.? Absolutely anyone can get it, sometimes with no identifiable cause.!!!
I was diagnosed 4 years ago aged 48. I'm a fit healthy male, 5'8", 69 kg (11 stone). No family history that I know of, although my maternal grandfather died of a stroke at age of 62, back in 1974. Maybe that was caused by AFIB, I don't think they diagnosed it back then.Never smoked, sometimes I have a couple glasses of wine on a Saturday night.
My job can have its stressful moments, and leading up to my first episode I was overdoing it at work.
I've had a few years now to come to terms with it, not really worried about it now. Medication keeps me in normal rhythm (had an ablation last September, on waiting list for a touch up ablation).
You've come to the right place, great support here, and plenty to read. Ask lots of questions.
Take care. Blake
Hi KiwiBlakeMy job can be stressful but my busy time ended in July and the afib was September.
I did wonder if it could be alcohol related. I don't usually drink much but had been socialising a lot and had just been on a two week holiday with friends. The leaky valve is freaking me out as well but apparently thats nothing to be concerned about.
I'm scared to exercise in case I trigger afib or migraine auras. 😫
I don't know if a single stress event causes AFib. More likely long term low stress slowly causes it. Many people recommend things like yoga, meditation, mindfulness. Modern life can have it's ups and downs. We all need to take a break from time to time and enjoy the simple things in life. I now have an attitude of don't let the silly little things get to you. Look at the bigger picture and look after number one (yourself). Spend more time with the loved ones in your life.I've become a lot more philosophical as I get older.
Cheers Blake
What is afib in scared to get it, get ectopics atm
I think there is a section on here which explains what it is. My heart was missing beats and my resting heart rate was up to 165 bpm.
Alcohol is known to be a heart stimulant. Probably best avoided altogether.
You will know a difference as it feels like bongos in your chest. Different to ectopics although my ep said if you get ectopics you normally get af. Meant to reply contra 21
You get sf of you get rctopics??????
Both
That cant be right if you have ectopics you will get after.. that's terrifying
The ep said often so dont worry.Ive had ectopics since an operation in 1986 when i had a central line put in too far and it went into my heart so this is the cause of mine and i suspect af
Funnily enough my ectopics give me more anxiety than a Afib episode.!! I hate ectopics.😡
What's afib t's feell like, ectopics are hell on earth
Different people suffer different symptoms with AFIB but my episodes are Noticeable in the chest but only like a butterfly trying to escape out of paper bag.???
But everyone of my ectopics are a thud that I definitely notice and aware of.!! after a week it starts messing with my head.? If a surgeon told me he could cure the ectopics by removing one of my arms then I’d say when can you book me in.???
Everyone has ectopics. The population who have never had AFib or other heart issues dont notice them! They are not so heart sensitive. 4 months Post ablation I had a few months of very high ectopics. . Then I decided they really were not doing me harm or preventing me doing anything so decided to ignore them. (I was back running 6 miles by this time and getting my fitness back) . After several more months I mostly succeeded in this , and maybe not stressing about them helped: - worrying releases andrenaline, adrenaline stimulates the heart, excess worrying causes palpitations and paplitations ARE ectopic beats! Its a vicious circle!
However Ectopics are quite different to AFib!
They are merely extra beats not via sinus node ( in case of PACs).
AFib is chaos.
I still get ectopics 5 years later!
I OCCASIONALLY notice them, usually when lying quietly in bed.
They are also more noticable if I get an infection like flu. I assume the virus upsets the body.
Not medically trained - just what I lived.
Hi. Sweet-potato. I think that most Afibbers are unable to identify the exact causation for their condition. The literature often refers to a substrate of causative factors. I think that it can be more helpful to try to identify those factors which appear to induce an Afib attack. Hopefully if you can reduce/avoid the occurance of these factors/triggers you may be able to bring down your AF burden. Together with pertinent medical treatment this is likely to improve your prognosis. I do not think that anybody uses the word cure but many people are able to stay Afib free for many years.As for the leaky valve I guess that it is a matter of degree. My understanding is that a substantial proportion of adults have a degree of minor leakage.Recently I had an EKG which indicated trace regurgitation of the tricuspid valve. I was informed that this was common and nothing to be concerned about.
A difficult time for you at the moment and I do wish you luck on your journey. You will find good support on this site.
Regards
Thank you. Thats a good way to look at it, to avoid the triggers!
This site has already made me feel better. No longer feel alone!
Hi, when you mentioned ‘spin class’ I did a little ‘aha’ because the exercise that was good for you at 35 may be a bit too much at 50 with a leaky valve. Also you don’t say whether you are male or female but if female your age could be a factor. You don’t need to give up exercise but maybe experiment to find what max HR is too high.
I'm female. I asked the gp if it could have been spin but he didn't think so. But at that point I wasn't getting migraine with aura. I agree that it might be too much for me now but I really enjoy it ☹️
I'm very much in the same boat as you - just a few years ahead. Minor leaky valve, AFib that gradually got worse until I had an ablation 4 months ago. The ablation has now mostly fixed the issue and I'm back to where I was in my early 50's.
I think a mistake I may have made (but who can really tell?) - is not to adjust my excercise routine when I first had a few minor Afib episodes. I was in denial and just kept going hell-for-leather.
Looking back I should have stopped going all out all the time when running, doing spin classes etc.
BUT - I think it's a mistake not to carry on doing the exercise that you love - just adapt and make sure you don't go into max heart rate territory too often - if at all - until you can regulary do classes without problems.
Given my time again, I would tone it right down and then very gradually build up. It's what I did after my ablation and 4 months later I'm back to 70 - 80% of where I was in my early 50's and very happy about that.
Good luck, Sweet-Potato, hopefully you can keep the beast at bay. There are treatments available if it gets worse but, in my experience, you need to hassle your GP to make sure they take it seriously and keep it monitored.
That's interesting, although the doc said I can still do spin I wondered if my heart rate going up to 170 in the class was ok, plus, I really push myself and I'm always exhausted, light headed and have soaking wet hair (which is long) when I'm finished, l look live I've been swimming not spinning. I think I'll swap to the rowing machine and go steady on there for a bit. I also do weight lifting but my heart rate doesn't go much over 100bpm. Did the mild leaky valve cause you any issue's?
my cardiologist mentioned, as an aside in effect, that she didn’t think my hr should go over 120. As a runner 120 was my recovery baseline! And hr was regularly 160 during running. So that stopped the running. But I have managed to adapt. My exercise is some cycling and hiking. And I do push it a bit at times. Habits are hard to eliminate.
By the way, Mark Spitz - Olympic 7x gold medalist from 1972- has af but Joss Naylor- extreme fell runner- does not. Genetics?
I still go to spin class but I don't let the instructor push me too much. I used to go over 170bpm but once it gets to 150bpm I back right off and then keep it at about 130bpm.I'm also on the rower, doing a steady 5k at about 120 to 130bpm. Would like to have a blast at 2k one day but will have to see about that.
Haven't really noticed a specific problem with the leaky valve
I also do weights and that always triggered AF before my ablation but not now.
Generally, I take things more steady these days and feel better for it. The other advantage is that I can do something every day, rather than having to spend a day or two recovering from a too hard session.
Hi, I have had paroxysmal afib now for 3 years and learned a lot (I am a real researcher). I think you are overdoing the exercise, as you say you push yourself to exhaustion with soaking wet hair, this can fire it off however fit you are. Mine can start after too much walking and that's not at a particularly fast rate. My recommendation is to slow it down a bit, but I'm not a medic, just my opinion
Leaky valve ?- cardiologist and GP said slight valve leakage very common in over 50's and not a significant health issue
Its difficult to pinpoint cause in many instances. I suffered a lot of stress, but I was also a runner, mainly 5-10K runs non stop a few times per week...I have a feeling because I was so active ( ie, trying to keep fit!!! ) that it was contributory to my now long standing Afib. No one mentioned this though. I am mainly asymptomatic which the nurse said was because I was so fit before it started. My echo is not 100%, I have a mild degree of EF dysfunction, but again this is normal if you are in Afib as cardiac output is reduced anyway. I am 68 here in the UK
I wondered if it was because I'm quite fit and that's why I only got a feeling of pressure in my head and felt slight dizzy. No shortness of breath. How do you manage stress?
I manage stress with difficulty. I am paranoid about my pulse rate and EF being effected by my Afib. Try to do meditation. I was on anti anxiety meds but managed with the Drs help to wean myself off them as I want to minimise tablet consumption. They did help, but I am off them now. If you need some medication to help do see your Dr, don't suffer in silence...All the best
Just about everyone will have some minor valve regurgitation by the age of 50 and it won’t cause any problems for them. It’s probably just an incidental finding with no significance. Often there is no obvious reason why someone develops AF. I also started having migraine with visual aura during perimenopause. They settle down but I can sometimes have episodes of them after having none for maybe as long as a year. They are scary when they first happen, but when they begin I know they will pass within 20-30 minutes. I don’t take anything for them. They will resolve and I’ll just carry on as normal. I don’t think they are connected to AF in my case.
I was in my mid 40's when I started with Afib. Out of the blue. No cause. I was fit and active and a good weight. I had no vices. But my dad had it from his 40's onwards and so did his brother and sister one one of my cousins at least. It can be hereditary and that must be it in my case. Double whammy, I got Afib from dad and hypothyroidism from mum's side.
My heart structure was fine at the time. I had probably had it a lot longer and not realised. I used to get what I thought was palpitations and sometimes panic attacks. They were probably Afib.
Not worth worrying about why you have it. It's just one of those things.
You sound very healthy generally, maybe (if you had them) it was the C-jabs. More information from a bunch of highly reputable doctors worldwide.
Mine the same as fssimmer, I ran 5-10k few times a week and also cycled, my consultant has said that it could have been a factor in me being diagnosed with AFib at 50. Life long vegetarian, I don’t smoke or drink.
Apparently long term endurance athletes are very prone to afib (not that I’m in this group at all 🤣)
I have had an ablation and have been told if I go back to running and cycling I will bring the AFib back quicker so it’s walking now for me unfortunately 🙁
I was a runner like you 4 to 6 miles twice a week, 30 miles push bike on a Saturday morning. Then got AFib.
I was asymptomatic I could not tell I was in AFIB . I only found out as one run I had a slight fluttery feeling very near the end of the run and saw a spike in my HR on my Garmin ( chest belt) trace. A mystery . 3 months later I had a long day at work, not actually stressful but got home late after 20:30, ate my tea and was looking at personal emails when I got the fluttery feeling again for a few seconds. Out of curiosity I put on my garmin which charged from the computer and although the feeling had gone I was doing 165 bpm. It lasted all night . No symptoms . In the morning called 111 who sent an ambulance. The Afib stopped another 24 hours later in hospital.
3 months later.I then had another episode hospital 2 nights 165bpm stopped 1 hour before a planned cardioversion. Then a month after that a third. I did not want to waste all weekend in hospital! .
When I ran I did not warm up I just started slowly and my HR rose gradually got to 165 ish and then slowed down to150. So I wondered what would happen if i went for a run with the Afib.
What happened was my hr went very high for less than a mile then dropped to 150. I stopped and my HR reduced - I was no longer in Afib. (I carried on the run)
I did this for the next 9 or 10 attacks. unfortunately that trick stopped working. The AFIB had progressed.
I should point out my cardiologist was always supportive of the excercise. He eventually became my EP and performed an abablation. I have not had afib since. ( 8 .75 YEARS AGO) .
I did restart running and carried on the same regime but put a HR limit on myself.
I dont run so much these days owing to bad knees.
The point is just because you run/ excercise and have AFib does NOT mean the AFib was caused by the excercise!
I never found any triggers - I stopped alcohol, caffeine, eating late and still got afib. Randomly
I know many people do get afib from those but not me.
I suspect long term work stress over 5 years , and a mother with dementia , whilst having 2 kids to bring up possibly had more to do with it, but when I developed I was swapped jobs 2.5 years earlier. and the mother was sorted out, but probably the excess worry / adrenaline over the years was contributing. But I cant ever confirm that.
I also avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible but again cant say they caused anything either
Best wishes
I agree with the stress, I do believe this was a contributing factor. I’m in a stressful job and have young children and the first afib episode was after a particularly bad day, I came home, sat down for my dinner and it started, I ended up in A&E and it stopped 12 hours later after a cardioversion. Although in the same job I try not to stress out too much now.
Maybe I’ll speak to my consultant again about starting running again slowly, I do miss it 🙁
Hi there I'm 48 now but have had AF since late 20s. Like you I don't eat meat. Exercise regularly but not excessively. Non smoker. Not overweight Etc Blood pressure low normal. So, no known cause but I do have family history of cardiomyopathy (not immediate family).
Some people can trace obvious underlying issues and/ or triggers, but not everyone. Alcohol is a very common trigger for many, as is dehydration. Obviously related. So it seems useful to look at those, as you are doing. I tend to think of it as extra burdens on the heart. So if you have a cold or something and you do an exercise class or go for a run with a hangover or after poor sleep or forget to drink water during a busy, stressful day these factors can interplay, creating extra burden. But it can also be pretty random in my experience.
A journal can help as long as you don't get obsessive about it because anxiety is one of the things that can trigger too.
Hope that's helpful. 🌸
Sweet-Potato
I had my first Afib episode when I was 38 years old in 1993. Don't smoke or drink. At that time, the doctor in the emergency room put me on a short supply of Cardizem. And that was all until I had another episode 6 years later at 44 years old in 1999. At that time I was under a lot of stress because my wife was diagnosed with cancer and this time a cardiologist put me on a regimen of Toprol XL, a beta blocker, Lipitor for cholesterol, and eventually Flecainide and Warfarin.
I had a catheter ablation for the Afib in 2011 at age 56. Since that ablation, I have not been in Afib but recently started having ectopic beats (PACs and PVCs) frequently. I am now on Flecainide and Carvedilol, a beta blocker. This regimen is working great to keep my heart in NSR without ectopics. I'm now age 68 and hoping things keep going well with my heart rhythm.
Like many health issues, I believe genetics plays an important role in the reason why we are prone to certain diseases. My grandmother on my father's side had what I now believe was Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT). At that time over 30 years ago they did not do ablations. So she suffered with it most of her life until she passed away at age 87 from a massive stroke.
I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and my cardiologist told me to make sure I wear my CPAP machine when I sleep. Apparently sleep apnea can be a contributing factor in causing Afib.
With respect to the aura in your vision associated with migraine, in my case with flashing colored lights, my eye doctor told me those are called Scintillating scotoma. They seem to also be triggered by stress. They usually only last about 30 minutes.
Just keep in mind you can live a good life with Afib. It doesn't have to get you down. Wish you all the best.
Mark
I had a similar experience with seeing flashing lights on and on after exercise or just moving my head quickly.. i found it very scary. I suggest stopping the spin classes for a few weeks to see if there is any improvement. I have learned to accept my afib and accept that I can't do the same exercise I did.
I would like to add that you are not alone in this and if there's anything you need to ask please do x
The leaky valve might be no more than a sign that you were having AF and an accompanying high heart rate. I had that when I had atrial flutter. Mine resolved after treatment and I suspect yours will be normal when the AF isn't happening. If the leaky valve is caused by other reasons, then this can stress the heart and lead to ectopic beats or AF.
If I were you, it might be worthwhile asking for an echocardiogram to look more closely at the valve and your general heart output. Overall, however, I doubt very much that you will be anything other than fine. Even if the AF returns, although it can feel as if disaster is around the corner, it isn't. That's an effect caused by the natural anxiety caused whenever our heart rhythm is disturbed.
The root cause of AF is often not determined (or, from what I have read, even understood), but there are a series of health states that regularly accompany it, such as leaky valves, enlarged atrium or heart, high BP, diabetes, sleep apnoea, being overweight, being tall (yes - that's me), a family history arrhythmias, excessive exercise, and having a personal history of ectopic beats. Persistent dehydration is unlikely but a drop in electrolyte levels from sweating heavily can lower blood pressure and that can cause arrhythmias.
It seems that once the faulty conduction channels that lead to the hyperactivity in the left atrium that is AF are in place, that these don't always return to normal, meaning future AF is a possibility (it's often said that "AF begets AF"). However, I have read that an enlarged heart (from being overweight, for example, or from a faulty valve) can return to near normal in size when the weight is lost, or the valve repaired, and the heart cells, which had become previously stretched and mis-conductive, then conduct normally.
Steve
'Being tall'...I've wondered about that, further for blood to go ?! I'm 5'10", how does height affect AF?
I’ve only recently discovered what I’ve long suspected, that some of my ills are owing to my being over 6 feet. Apparently, the heart resizes to suit the body height and girth. I gather the heart cells don’t change in number only shape and if “stretched” become more prone to misconducting as happens in arrhythmia. That’s also why being overweight can bring on AF and losing weight can reduce it (although I think once mis-conduction occurs, it always remains a future possibility).
Steve
I remember reading something about basketball players being prone to AF & the article suggesting height may be a factor. Being 5’ 11’’ (female), I needless to say found this interesting.
I started AF when I was 56. A few bouts then it went constant after 6 months. When I finally got to see an EP cardiologist a year later (UK NHS) I asked what caused it. He said you have no usual associated reasons (I was normal weight, normal BP and non diabetic, normal blood panel) He said "it's called 'Lone AF"
He then said 'are you ex-military ?'
I said 'yes; 23years'
He then said 'Well it's probably a history of hard exercise and too much alcohol and coffee"
I said "That's probably it then !"
Don't know if you are female but got AF diagnosed in late 50's my symptoms were pain in the back (in the lungs) and a lot of unexpected breathlessness when walking uphill. Asked for lung check at GP because of possible asbestos contamination . They did ECG and heart was running at 120+ . Medication didn't sort things out an ablation did. Quite a few heart issues seem to turn up at the menopause
Hi, have you been checked for sleep apnea, it can be a major contributor to AF
I have a doctors appointment on Wednesday to ask them to check me for sleep apnea. My fitbit keeps showing a few high levels of oxygen saturation in blood which can be linked to sleep apnea. It doesn't happen every night though.
Welcome to the LAF Club!
I was also diagnosed at 50. Although in retrospect I probably had intimations of lone AF for years before. It is surely not coincidental though that I was diagnosed in the Gulf.
I took long walks in high/humid temperatures (dehydration and low electrolytes), had previously done a lot of running by way of exercise (starting in relatively late life), and was under a lot of stress (living out of a suitcase away from family, and setting up a business either side of the GFC).
I have been all around the houses since my diagnosis (including four electrocardioversions and an ablation in 2014). And the main problem to my mind is that the medical profession often do not get the 'lone' part. There is a real danger of calling down on yourself some industrial strength solutions for types of AF whose causes are not so mercurial as our 'idiopathic' sort. Every A&E operative knows AF is a 'medical emergency'.
But people do not die of AF. They die of heart failure and stroke. So, one should attend sensibly to these and be alert to the notoriously degenerative nature of the condition, without getting too morose about it and reaching for heavy-duty solutions before (or instead of) making lifestyle changes.
I see AF as a symptom, a warning alarm. It makes no sense to deal with the underlying 'fire' just by knocking off the alarm.
A good place to start is with Hans Larsen's own quest to get to the bottom of his lone AF: research.afibbers.org/cardi.... He subsequently wrote a book about it: amazon.co.uk/Lone-Atrial-Fi....
A key observation though is that an EP can induce AF in anyone. They often have to, in order to eliminate it e.g. by ablation.
And the thing about AF sufferers is that we just have a lower threshold for AF inducement than most. We need to attend to upping our bulwarks against kicking it off.
My latest area of personal exploration is mitochondria and the Adrenal/thyroid connection.
But it is ultimately all joined up. And the 10th cranial ('Vagus') nerve plays a big part in tying up the bundle.
I am a vagal, lone Affiber - as are many. It's not exercise per se that necessarily sets me off. It's stopping: resting, lying back, straining, and eating (or rather over-eating - particularly too late).
I am minded that there is a gastric reflux link (the LA, as every EP knows, is barely 3mm from your oesophagus) and quite possibly a tie to silent laryngopharyngeal reflux (whereby pepsin is aspirated in aerosol into the upper airways). Sleep apnoea is a well-known causative agent in AF.
So, lots of bases to explore, and elementary supplementation/hydration/diet regimes and disciplines to attend to. It is a kind of life-changing diagnosis. But not entirely in bad ways.
I also had mild tricuspid leakage, but this is generally set aside as of no consequence. As with a lot of these things, they are 'features' not 'faults', let alone smoking guns.
One thing that is a smoking gun, however, which does not seem to have got much play here, is left atrial enlargement. If you have been consistently pushing yourself in any exercise, as I did, you could well contribute to LA dilatation. And that will sustain AF. You do not have to be an Olympic athlete either.
It is also fairly elementary to point out that the pulmonary 'vein' is the only one that carries oxygenated blood - to the heart, directly from the lungs. And that means two things: the left atrium will be under free-radical bombardment from highly reactive oxygen species (ROS), and it will also be under a great deal of sheer mechanical pressure.
Your detox systems need to be tip-top to combat ROS and deal with other xenobiotics and toxins. If you have any liver (Cytochrome 450) impairment, like Gilbert's Syndrome (hyperbilirubinaemia) you will need to supplement to boost your most potent antioxidant Glutathione.
If there is some underlying 'substrate' in terms of genetic e.g. mitochondrial predisposition then this may contribute to sustaining AF once it starts. I am always alert to any greater disposition to pathology among men, because men are a mitochondial dead-end (we get it all from our mum), consequently there is no Darwinian check on male mitochondrial pathology.
Lots to read up about. But among women, I would be very inclined to do a test of thyroid status privately e.g. via bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk....
I say privately because your GP will likely not have a clue. See our sister thyroid site on this topic and for excellent knowledge and interpretation of your results.
Thyroid readings do not just need to be 'in range' they need to be optimal. T3 is the only active thyroid hormone. And most GPs will not even measure it! QED. There is a plague of underdiagnosed thyroid dysfunction thanks to perfunctory analysis of test results. Time was, if you had elevated cholesterol, hypothyroid would be suspected. Now you will have to fight off a whac-a-mole statin scrip.
But before even ensuring that your thyroid function is optimal (T4 and freeT3 in upper third of the range, and TSH below 1.0) you need to make sure that e.g. your folate, iron, and B12 are high-range, and antibodies not too elevated. Also that your adrenal condition is good - check your temperature several times a day throughout a week. Does it typically vary by much more than say 0.5 of a degree during the day? If so, you may benefit from adrenal cortex extract, like Adrenavive II.
Sorry for the download. I hope it is food for thought anyway.
Hi Teafee. An interesting response with lots of detail. You clearly have a high degree of self agency and take primary responsibility for your own health. I think this is quite rare.Regards
Thanks, TeaFree, for the many illuminating details and some great advice here. I, too, am a vagally-mediated lone afibber, and yes, "resting, lying back... and overeating" are 3 definite triggers; and I suspect I have sub-clinical low thyroid, but cannot get an MD to take that seriously. (My sister has a goiter... & surely thyroid issues have a genetic basis, also) My AF episodes are mild w/ normal HR (flec stops them in 3 hrs) but are happening every 1 - 4 wks. I do not want an ablation--it's shooting the messenger. I have ulcerative colitis history & a recent recurrence, so the whole inflammatory set-up needs addressing now that I'm off steroids & 5ASA. I am trying to find a practitioner that could partner w/ me in some trial-and-error lifestyle, thyroid, supplement & food explorations, but no luck so far in Cincinnati area. My cardiologists are Harvard-trained & I'm sure they're excellent technicians but clearly MIA on the dietary/lifestyle/body mechanics interventions. Life goes on, and hope springs eternal! Thanks again. Cheers, Diane S.
Hi Sweet-Potato
I was finally diagnosed with AFIB in my 60's but I know that I had it in my 40's. I am now 72. Went to hospital a few times in my early years but nothing was ever found even though I knew something was not right. You've had some great advice so far. The people on this site are just great and full of information. There is nothing like advice and opinions from people who have so much experience with this mongrel condition.
Wow, lots of good comments.
I am 56 diagnosed with AF in April. Also lone AF with slight valve leakage. Oh, and mild sleep Apnea.
I know my first AF was in 2019, I put it down to not drinking enough water, drinking too much caffeine, and a ton of walking in hot/humid.
I cut out caffeine and went on Diltiazem, also lost 17 lbs. and my AF has increased from once every 3-4 months to once a month.
I now wonder if its Salt related. I started drinking Poweraides, as I would work in the heat and sweat through 3 shirts, figured I needed to replace my electrolytes. Poweraides have 600 mg of salt in them, I am now starting to connect that and heavy salty meals to my AF, I love Parmesan. But who knows.
My anxiety is finally flattening out a little and I am schedule for a Wolf Mini Maze in August. Good luck on your Journey.
How did you know you had sleep apnea? I'm seeing my doc next week coz my fitbit keeps recording high levels of oxygen saturation during the night. My heart rate doesn't usually spike but it did a few nights ago at the same time my oxygen saturation levels were high.
I know I snore, my wife told the doctor there was an occasion where she thought I stopped breathing. I als have known I have a deviated septum.
I did a sleep study that said I had 5 events, apparently below 4 is considered mild
The ent thinks that surgery for the deviated septum will correct the sleep apnea. Surgery on that next Friday. Yay…
I don't snore but I breath heavy at times. My husband said there are times when he thinks I'm not breathing and nudges me. I don't think i start gasping for breath which I've read is a symptom. Hope your surgery goes well.
As others have pointed out, extreme athletes are more susceptible to developing AF. But, Mr. Gupta (York Cardiology) points to a study that shows that interval training at 75 - 80% of max heart rate reduces afib burden. What I take from that is that moderate exercise is good for us, but people who drive their HR to the max on a regular basis are asking for trouble.
youtube.com/watch?v=X-hH3Nm...
Thats interesting. When I do a spin class I always go to my max heart rate. Time to change my exercise routine!
Everything TeaFree said above. Also, it's not "even stress causes it" as someone else wrote -- stress *does* cause it, years of it building up (not just recent to your first incident). I started with it at age 48 and am sitting here 71 looking at my 4th ablation. Don't delay dealing with it once it's upon you -- I did that, and it was a mistake. Best to all who are stuck with AF.
Hormones. You’re in the target gender and age range.
My first episode at 52, although I suspect I had it for a bit before that. I also developed migraine with aura a few years before, but thankfully I've only had 3 or 4 in 20 years. I think I have 2 specific triggers, stress and food. Stress like the airline losing your luggage/running through airports/missing connections etc, ie sudden events out of your control - I now try to minimise those events by going to holiday destinations at least a day before, arriving in plenty of time at airports etc, but of course that doesn't always help, so I do a lot of travel research beforehand, eg which airlines operate out of that airport, local hotels etc. This keeps me a lot calmer when something goes awry, and I am proactive in sorting out a solution for myself - I'm also prepared to spend money to do that. That has made a big difference to avoiding a stress afib episode, as we travel abroad at least 6 times a year.
The food trigger is a biggie for me. I never eat late, and try to avoid certain things. High fat content stuff like macaroni cheese/cheese on toast, rich gravy - as soon as I go to bed I'm aware of a potential episode brewing. On a food-related episode, my afib is signalled by enormous burping - I never normally do that, I can't even make myself burp usually. If I'm going away, or have an event the next day, I'm careful.
I didn't drink alcohol or caffeine for a few years. On holiday for the last couple of years I've had a cocktail every evening and no episodes thereafter. However, I cannot drink wine at all, the acidity brings on terrible indigestion immediately I swallow it, so not risking that with my digestion link. I drink the odd real coffee, and regular tea daily, so I don't think caffeine is a culprit for me.
It just goes to show that this is a mongrel condition, I think it has many tentacles, and no two people experience afib the same/have the same reactions to the possible triggers, and how they "experience" an episode. It still amazes me that many people are asymptomatic with afib, when mine is very noticeable, to say the least!
I'm also convinced there's a genetic element, both my brother and late grandmother have/had it. But not my sister, who has smoked like a chimney for 60 plus years, never done a moment of exercise in her life, drinks like a fish, eats anything she fancies....🤷🏼♀️
Finding this forum will be the best thing you've ever done to help you manage both practically, and more importantly, emotionally, with living a normal, full and happy afib life. Knowing you're not alone, the wealth of knowledge and experience right here is a boon to us all.
Hi there, I am older but also developed afib with no underlying heart problems, my cardiologist called it 'lone af' more common than we think. I developed it at 62. The condition can be hereditary though so check your family. My mum has it but with no symptoms. My brother also has it and didn't realise until unfortunately he had a stroke in January. Interestingly he also has aura migraines.
I was diagnosed at the ED with aflutter/afib with no underlying heart condition too. A week later I had an ocular aura without migraine. I've had them before but only one every 4 years or so. I wondered if there was a connection between the two. Mentioned it to my ophthalmologist but she wasn't concerned and same with cardiologist. There is still medical studies going on about some cases of afib and ocular aura (without migraine) and potential for future stroke. Though research still ongoing. Thankfully I'm already taking a blood thinner because of my aflutter/afib.
That's what worries me coz I'm currently not on any medication. I've mentioned the migraine with aura to my doctor and said I was worried about a stroke but she just referred me to cardiology but it could take ages to get an appointment with an NHS cardiologist. Seeing my GP again on Wednesday so I'll mention medication again.
The best thing I ever did in my afib life was to pay for a private appointment with an Electrophysiologist. Cardiologists are the plumbers, EPs are the sparks. As afib is an electrical problem, that's who you need. Look online for EPs in your area, you don't even need a GP referral. Last time I saw mine I think it was around £250, best money I've ever spent. Time to answer all your questions, reassure you, prescribe as needed. The average GP knows next to nothing about afib, it gets barely a mention at medical school. It gave me, amongst many other things, a sense of not being abandoned by "the system" - I suffered unnecessary anxiety and felt powerless for years. A 45 minute chat with an expert, a joint decision to go down the medication route, a prescription letter in my hand, being told to contact/see him any time in future, it was like being reborn. You really have to be your own advocate with this condition, learn as much as you can, and get back the feeling of being in control. Good luck for the future.
The studies say having an ocular aura is a risk factor for stroke but it does not guarantee that a person will have a stroke due to the condition. Risk factor also means there are other things going on to have it develop. The studies mention the participants were older, some were smokers, coronary artery disease which means further comorbidities and that increased their risk. Your lifestyle sounds very healthy which eliminates a lot of risks. Also blood thinners carry risks. But it's a risk/benefit and right now it's weighing more on benefit for me. I was put on this medication only after many medical tests and after that a conversation between the cardiologist and myself about the risks/benefits. I'm over 65 and your age is 51 which is also a benefit for you and and not a risk factor.
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