During the last 3 weeks I seem to have developed yet another symptom which took me some time to identify. Having eliminated all my usual triggers I seem to react with AF both to falling and increasing air pressure. The last episode took almost 2 days, was tachycard, pretty unpleasant as I couldn't stand due to lightheadedness and I had to take a small dose of bisoprolol to get rid of it. Literature search showed it's certainly possible though there are no really good data on this in AF.
Did some of you made the same experience and how do you handle it?
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MiniMeGreen
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Very interesting. My short sharp answer is no! I do not connect air pressure (barometric pressure ) with my AF at all (food, yes ) - when I experienced such AF events many years ago.
That said, I suffer from osteoarthritis in many bone joints - knees and shoulders, mainly. Normal barometric pressure at sea level is reckoned to be 1013 mbs. I have a small digital weather station at home and my osteoarthritic pain levels increase beyond belief when there is a weather change ( even if the weather change hasn't actually happened) and specifically when the barometric pressure drops down to say, below, 980 mbs. I am not the only person to report this association.
My own view is that there can be/are possibly many healthcare connections between the state of our body/ symptoms we feel and the natural world. It just suits today's practioners of medical science choose to ignore such possibilities. This would also include electrosensitivity ( a topic that was discussed here by someone in recent weeks ).
As mine is a pain issue I just devour pain killers, a brand which doesn't conflict with my Warfarin.
CoCodomol 30/500 up to 8 per day. (prescription grade only). Apart from that just bog standard heat patches or Voltorol Gel ... the latter very rarely and only when I'm at home. I find the Voltorol, whilst not recommended with Warfarin, is generally too messy and of limited value.
This may sound strange.I have mild Afib and take bisoprolol.
Found the bisiprolol made me fatigued. I was also lightheaded upon rising. Every time.
So I cut it in half (5 to 2.5). Heart rate didnt increase (the reason for the increase to 5).
Felt better. More energy. But lightheadedness remained.
For some reason, tried switching to decaf coffee (coffee once/day) and lightheadedness went away. Now gradually mixing decaf and regular until lightheadedness is acceptable.
Told my cardiologist a month later and he agreed.
This is the only time I have altered a medication without consultation.
I did it because of difficulty seeing my medical people. And I knew exactly what bisoprolol did for me.
Don't advise it. But if you must do it, be very analytical and be sensitive to any change and schedule a meeting with your GP asap.
Taking bisoprolol 5mg once daily long term-since 2012-to combat what is now persistent AF with occasional tachycardia, the latter usually occurring in the early hours of the morning. Find it effective in that it has the requisite calming effect and leaves the AF largely asymptomatic.Just a few times has resulted in mild fatigue but never in lightheadedness. No difference when on flights although recently this has admittedly been restricted to short haul. Also take Apixiban usual dosage -side effects there are more problematic-nausea on an intermittent basis can be -well- nauseating!
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