since lockdown and having the regular booster Covid vaccinations my atrial fibrillation has increased dramatically over the last 6 months since the two boosters one in April this year and further one in October this year since then I’ve been getting them at least 2 to 3 times a week prior to that, it was once every 2 to 3 months I have seen my cardio electro physician, and he has put me on the waiting list for a cyroballoon ablation
I would be interested to know if anyone else’s episodes of increased since the COVID vaccinations
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This quote below is from WHO website, the same organisation that said it was 'Safe & effective' which we now know were all lies. There are plenty of articles about it.
Sorry to hear you are in that situation but there are ways to detox, you just have to dig deeper.
All the best and you will overcome.
"While vaccines have not been linked to heart rhythm disorders, the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines in 2020 showed a significant association with atrial fibrillation. This study showed an unprecedented detrimental effect of COVID-19 vaccines on atrial fibrillation and warrants the need to take that into consideration when prescribing COVID-19 vaccines."
I found it just by Googling part of the first sentence in double quotes (looks for exactly those words) e.g. "While vaccines have not been linked to heart rhythm disorders". Try doing that and you should end up with the same article on the National Library of Medicine
I see that it is a Poster presentation, following a study of VAERs data. Similar to the yellow card system. So not a full paper, and no connection to WHO.
That’s not to say that the connection might not be there, but I suspect that further research would be needed to prove a definitive link. Also taking into account the increased prevalence of devices such as the Apple Watch detecting arrhythmias over the same time period.
I guess that time, and further more exhaustive studies, will tell.
I can't say the Covid vaccine affected my afib, but I will tell you that I went into afib when I eventually came down with Covid. Regardless, there are worse things than afib and a bad case of Covid is one of them. Something to keep in mind when you read all the stories about the bad side effects of the vaccine. Those side effects often pales compared to the bad effects of Covid and not to mention Long Covid.
No but they do usually prevent them from being bad bouts of Covid. I had Covid early this year and I have honestly had worse colds but my niece and nephew had Covid before the vaccines at ages 23 and 25 and were very ill and hopspitalised for a week each - both you and healthy with no heart or respiratory disease. My niece had just had her first little boy and was so worried she was going to die and not live to see him grow up. Thankfully now she has two lovely little boys but still has bad after effects from covid and she is a fit and healthy young person. I am pleased that I had my vaccinations and had the first couple when still in NSR from a cardioversion and did not go into AF after them, However, it seems that some unlucky people do but don't think there is any way of knowing if they will affect you or not.
You are comparing apples with oranges. The original Wuhan strain of covid and the alpha variant which were around before the vaccines arrived were much more severe than the Omicron variant you caught early this year. If your niece and nephew had caught that they would probably have been no worse off than if they had caught a bad cold .
I’ve had no vaccines this year but I did come down with Covid and that made aggravated my AF after having had no AF episodes for a long time. It can be a progression condition, and this was the case pre-pandemic and long before anyone had ever heard of Covid. In my experience, viral illnesses can provoke AF, ectopics and other arrhythmias like SVT. I’m not denying your experience, as both vaccines and infections will cause an inflammatory response from the immune system which is completely normal, but can trigger AF and arrhythmias in susceptible people.
No effects I am aware of and I monitor BP carefully. Had all, including the last in US. Also had shingles and pneumonia and flu shots. Hubby didn't have shingles shot and has a long term neuropathy from a bout.
PS - had COVID 3 times, last known September this year, very mild - heachache for 2-3 days and feeling ‘off’, no AF but after jab - 3 weeks of feeling very ill with multiple AF episodes.
I don’t know if anyone is reading about the new respiratory outbreak in China? Nothing to do with SARS infection, it’s a well known bacterial pneumonia which is normally fairly innocuous but this outbreak affects predominantly children which is thought to have come about because of the long and intense lockdowns in China so no natural immunity developed. I’ve had pneumonia 3 times and EVERY time I get an increase in AF episodes.
Back towards the first Christmas of Covid in 2020 and afterwards a pediatric nurse friend of ours noticed that there were a lot of children coming in with respiratory infections and pneumonia which the hospital had not seen before and they put that down to the fact that with the childre spending so much time in lockdown that once they were allowed to mix a little again they caught these infections. Have you had the pneumonia vaccine CD? My wife has it every so often even though it is supposed to be a one off vaccine because of her respiratory problems her consultant is prepared to give it to her about once every 5 years - I think they test her sometimes before they give her the vaccine.
Pretty much what has happened. My great grand-daughter has had huge problems as she was born just as Lockdown happened, Mum ill after birth and absolutely no mixing with other family members for the first 12months. Family thought she might have permanent deficits but she is starting to catch up, just much slower to walk, talk and very hesitant with people. The generation born in Lockdown face a lot of problems.
Yes, had the pneumonia jab 3 years ago. Didn’t stop me getting the pneumonia twice maybe not as badly as the first time which took months to recover from.
Actually I had pneumonia after I had the vaccination too. Didn't even know I had it just a chesty cough and felt miserable. I was away on a canal boat holiday at the time and it was only when I came home and saw the Doc that we realised I had had pneumponia. So yes it probably was a milder case. Thank goodness for that!
I'm sorry to hear, but the same thing happened to me. I'd had an ablation only a few months before my two Pfizers. I had such a good result from my ablation and was devastated when I developed shortness of breath immediately after my second shot. A few months later my AF returned with a vengeance. I've had another ablation since and I'm doing well. My cardiologist agreed I should not have any more shots and gave me a deferral.
I got Omicron after my Pfizers and lost my smell and taste, but although I tested twice I was never positive.
I had no adverse reaction to the Covid vaccine but I did get a bout of AF after the flu vaccine. My cardiologist suggested that it could have been the inflammatory response that provoked it. As others on here have said not as bad a dying from Covid which is what the vaccine protects you from. In the end you have to balance the risks for yourself. I will have a flu vaccine next year but will take if very easy after, which I didn’t this year.
Interesting- I also didn't do well after one of the other vaccines. I had the pneumonia this year and felt quite off for 5 days. Fortunately it's a one off.
Secondly, reports on this wonderful forum of side effects was the sole reason I did not have the C-jab. Big belated thank you to all those who posted then!
Lastly, I understand the level of side effects (particularly on the heart) is way beyond historically acceptable levels for vaccines and more issues still emerging. So for me, I am sticking with no jabs and looking with a much more critical eye on any future ones eg flu etc
My current focus is on reading to try and identify a reliable safe way to remove the harmful aspects from the body, as soon as it hopefully becomes available, to inform family members and myself, as shedding from my wife may have occurred even though I haven't had the jab. PLEASE NOTE I will of course be checking any treatments with my trusted medic first before proceeding.
No treatments with a sustained track record yet but have attached some info for those interested in reading more.
Thanks for posting. We don’t know nearly enough about the transmission process or the detrimental long term affects or strict and extensive lockdowns. Thank goodness for doctors prepared to speak out.
I’m sticking with my VitD oral spray, Zinc supplement and Resveratrol regime which seems to work for me. There was a pneumonia outbreak in our village which neither Hubble or I succumbed to. As you know I am a great believer in good nutrition.
I take Flecainide regularly which has virtually put an end to AF episodes but when I must have been infected with covid it did bring on an episode ended in a few hours with an extra Flecainide 100 mg taken as a PIP. I didn’t have a temperature or any other real symptoms but tested positive after our daughter who we’d seen the previous day let us know she had tested positive. The vaccine had no nasty effects at all and presumably prevented the slight infection getting any worse! How different we all are!
How long have you been taking Flecainide? At what strength? I have been taking Flecainide for a month now (100 mg 2 times a day) and I worry that it will quit working. Although I have had two small episodes of about one minute long since I have been taking it.
Hi, I’ve been on Flecainide for 4.5 yrs (50mg - am & 100mg - pm). I had one sustained epiosode in 2020 (auto sync to NSR in a few hours) but have been ‘free’ now for 3.5+ years now. I use a combination of self awareness and tech (Kardiamobile) to monitor myself and believe I am correct. Ok, there are some ectopics and the odd run of tachycardia - literally 5/6 beats; which are quick but even with a strong pulse force - I don’t think it’s Afib. My cardiologist is more concerned about sustained episodes.
I generally keep my self very fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle but do wonder if there will be any medication break-out. I try not to think about it a lot , just accepting that the going is good at moment, do the things I want to do and just cross the next bridge if it comes to that.
My next review is Feb 24, one of the topics up for discussion is moving from daily medication to see if I can maintain NSR without it (PiP only). The agreement was see, if I can maintain my high fitness level with no episodes for the next 12 months, which I’ve done and then some. There will be a lot to think about but I will probably post about it, in case others are interested. Watch this space, regards.
Thank you very much for your reply and information. I am wanting to get a monitor, perhaps a "Kardia", but I don't know very much about it. What are your recommendations? I live in the United States. I have lost 25 pounds in the last two months, in the hopes that it will help my situation. I am 61. Thanks again.
I am in the UK. The Kardia is the only device I’ve used and had experience of. I’d never heard of it until it was recommended to me by my cardiologist for self monitoring.
It’s easy to use and I have usually found the determination of Kardiamobile (I have a 6L) to be accurate where Afib is concerned. That said, my episodes have been very distinct too - high, irregular HR with RVR causing the familiar chest flutterings and trembling; no other symptoms. I really don’t need a Kardia reading to know I am having an episode tbh.
As I mentioned, I haven’t had an episode for a number of years now. However, I still use the Kardiamobile occasionally as control, just to check, especially if I feel any different. Experience has led me to be confident in the device.
For context, I’m 57 and male. My introduction to Afib was a heart attack caused by the arrhythmia. Prior to it, I was fit and healthy and since that point, I done everything I can do to maintain it.
Thank you again for your response. I am also male. You sound as though you have been successful in your response to Afib. My first episode came out of the blue and came when I was cutting weeds in our field. I felt like I was in good shape before this happened. Pardon me if I keep asking questions, but do you have any recommendations about diet, supplements and lifestyle modications? I get the impression that most of the folks on this site come from the UK, Australia, Canada or New Zealand. Maybe I am wrong. Thanks again.
Diet - I generally had a good diet before but since I had the heart attack, I am more fastidious. I try to keep to a balanced diet - fruit, veg, chicken, etc and limit red and processed meat, keep salt intake low. I still have some treats, like sugar and alcohol now and again.
With respect to Afib, I don’t appear to have an obvious trigger. However it does have a vagal tone (late night - rest and digest cycle). As a consequence of this, I don’t eat late or eat a large portion (bloated feeling).
Supplement - I don’t take supplements. If I did, I’d ask a pharmacist about any interactions with my prescribed medication.
Lifestyle - Again pre heart attack I was very active. Post heart attack, I am on a mission. I do feel exercise has been key to my heart recovery and stabilisation of my Afib. I run 6km 2-3 times a week in a gym plus strength training on other days. I also do a lot of climbing and cycling.
Diet and exercise also good for keeping weight down. I am a big guy (6ft 4) and keep my weight within BMI. I know that’s not perfect measurement system but it’s a guideline.
As you will see from this forum, Afib affects us all in different ways. It’s just a case of working out, what is a good solution for your situation.
I can’t remember exactly as I first took it as a PIP then 50mg twice daily and only 2 short episodes since on 100mg twice daily, once when I’d forgotten the morning pill and the other time as I wrote above. I’ve just been to a funeral where after the service an old friend had a go on my Kardia and I was able to send him a copy of the weird reading he got so he could take it up with his doctor. I must have been taking the current dose of Flecainide for about 2 years or a little more. Good luck with finding what works for you as we are all so different.
Good morning. If you don't mind, I have some other questions. As I mentioned, I have been on Flecinaide for about 5 weeks. I have had several episodes of several hours duration in the last several days where my pulse goes up to, say, 150, and then back down to normal. And I have had several arrythmias that I caught on my "traditional" BP machine that maybe lasted a minute or so. My machine does not say what kind of arrythmia. I have left a message yesterday with my cardiologist, but no answer yet. Are these incidents "normal" with Flecinaide? Or should Flecinaide stop ALL arrythmias, etc? Also, should my heart be checked periodically while on Flecinaide? I am thinking of getting another cardiologist as mine is not very talkative! Also, he says that I do not need yet to be on anti-coagulants. Thanks again for your thoughts.
You really need to consult an EP cardiologist as they are concerned with the electrical functions of the heart rather than the structural problems. When I was first prescribed Flecainide by an EP as a PIP he told me to take one of my 1.25 mg Bisoprolol if my heart rate was over 140 twenty minutes later all monitored with my Kardia which I use with the smart phone which he also introduced me too as I’d only had a very basic phone before!! He added that AF was only a serious problem with regard to strokes if the episode was with a very rapid heart rate for a long time - like 12 or so hours which I have never experienced.
Thanks again. I appreciate your help. I take 50 mg of Toprol once a day. (I'm never sure that we all use the same terms/words!). I will check into the EP business and see what is available in our area. How often now does your heart rate get that high?
Also, do you think my taking 30 mg of Lisinopril once a day may be influential with the heart rate/arrythmia? My neighbor, who is a heart patient thinks maybe so. His cardiologist took him of lisinopril.
no affect from having vaccinations on my afib. Everybody’s immune reaction differs- in fact , I found mine differed with each vaccination and the last one in October was very mild. As others have said, all respiratory illnesses can cause occurrences of afib or cause development of af. You have to decide your own individual risk not be influenced by the stories of others.
I think it's been reported by quite a few here. In my case - and I've had 5 altogether now - it didn't affect my heart or trigger AF. I will say though that when I went for my last one (November this year) I read the leaflet very carefully before agreeing. I had the Modena. I can't quote exactly as I've now thrown it away, but it clearly stated that some people get an increased HR response and/or pericarditis. This apparently doesn't happen right away but within a few weeks. The leaflet stated this was mostly in the case of young males. I chose to go again this year because I work with singers and had some in person events. Otherwise I don't think I'd have bothered.
I had Covid for the first time in October and then later that month, I had the vaccine. I then had an Afib episode, exactly two weeks after the vaccine, which was highly unusual for me, as I’d not expected one for at least 6 months, as I get them very infrequently.
I can’t say if it was the vaccine, or the covid, as I also started getting frequent ectopics straight after covid, which I’d never had before, which have only just started to improve. When I had covid, my HR went to over 100 the first night, despite taking another Bisoprolol. Covid for me, was pretty awful, I have to add….not a mild cold for me sadly, like others can experience. I had 24 hr severe sickness which totally caught me off guard and I couldn’t even keep water down. The constant vomiting, I know, must have also aggravated my heart. It seems the particular strain we have this winter can indeed cause this.
I had a flu jab about a month ago and I’ve had nothing since. I’ve had these every year for the past ten years and I’ve never experienced anything afterwards.
I would however have to seriously consider whether to have a further covid vaccine after I have an ablation next year, but I also know that having covid can be equally unsettling on the heart.
Hopefully by next autumn there will be a great deal more research evidence that will help us make this decision. The pharmacist who gave me the covid jab said it was too early to identify significant correlations, but just reading down the responses here does make you wonder!
No, in fact the reverse. I think it's in the nature of arrhythmias to wax and wane. That's my experience, anyway, and my son's colleague is the same.
In the UK, in one study I found, AF was reported in 14.4/100000 mRNA vaccinations but, of course, no one can know how many of these arrhythmias would have happened anyway. Also, arrhythmias following covid infection itself are common, so that would be a confounding factor, too.
Overall, it seems that the mRNA vaccines do cause a very small number of people to experience transitory heart inflammation and that it is likely this that can precipitate arrhythmias in a proportion - but the numbers are relatively tiny and, compared with the heart inflammation covid itself can cause, still well worth risking. It seems that after the second and especially the third booster the incidence is at its highest.
I couldn't find any evidence, study or recent advice from the WHO so a link to that would be really useful if you have it.
Interestingly the cause of severe covid (i.e. needing hospitalisation and extra oxygen support) is thought to be related to those individuals who have a larger amount of a particular cell-coating enzyme called ACE2, and the mRNA vaccine itself might be affecting that same subgroup as the disease would. Typically these are people with respiratory illnesses or allergies, high BP, diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses or simply being overweight.
I had a tough decision this autumn on both flu and covid jabs. I had initial symptoms of AF before it was diagnosed last Sept/Oct. And to this day am unsure if the vaccines taken together had an impact on the degree and nature of the condition which turned persistent and symptoms increased over the course of a few months.
In the end I had the Covid vaccination this autumn a couple of weeks before recent ablation and this appears to have been successful. I had the flu vax last week and found this a more scary decision as more (NSR) to lose!
I do believe the Covid vaccination has saved many lives and therefore deeply respect the scientists who rushed to get something out there. The “herd immunity “ theory proved quite quickly to be killing people off in droves. But of course there wasn’t time to fully check the vaccine for safety and like my EP said there was inevitably shrapnel. I understand people’s anger but don’t think we should politicise these issues born of good intention and the need to control pandemics. To say the WHO “lied” is to play into the kind of conspiracy theories that currently polarise rather than identify the best way forward in planning for future pandemics.
I've stopped having Covid boosters as I always go into AF within a fortnight of having one. I know a few people who only got AF after having a Covid jab.
Hello,Not sure if this helps but in March I had open heart surgery out of the blue to replace Aortic valve and repair the Mitral valve. Whilst I cannot prove or disprove this I think the Covid vaccine was implicated. Hence this year I am not having it especially as I am in AF. Roger
my AF over the last 30 years was brought on by too much drinking then exercising the next morning. This would happen about 6 times during that period. Whilst not alcohol I had the Covid booster and the next morning I went into AF during my reformer Pilates class. The previous episode was almost 5 years before. Just speculation I guess
I have only had one covid jab - the Janssen in 2021 but have seen an uptick in my frequency of afib events since then. What very few people are aware of is that the generation of spike protein that the vaccination provokes does not stop in some people after a day or so as we were told when the vaccines were first rolled out. It is very much an individual matter and some people go on generating spike protein for weeks and even months. This has been found through autopsy. What is more Pfizer knew about this. They knew from their clinical trials that some people were continuing to generate spike protein for two months because they were asked about this by the EMA when they submitted the documentation for the emergency authorisation. As they only had 2/3 months worth of data they could not know whether this might continue longer for some individuals and they definitely did not know ( and still don't) how to turn the mechanism off.
I had the first two jabs, never again. I felt so awful for months. I bluntly asked my cardiologist what her opinion was and she said they had been inundated with AF issues since the jabbing started.
I got covid anyway, as I reckon 95% of adults have done, and I’ll never know if the jab stopped covid from being worse but it was 2 weeks of hell anyway.
Personally, I think that the anti coagulation we are taking was a big positive for AF sufferers who got covid. But I’m not medically trained, just medically challenged.
From one “not medically trained, just medically challenged” person to another - Your theory regarding anticoagulants and covid kind of makes sense given the association of blood clotting and organ damage with covid….
When we finally understand that all our body systems work together, that is when I started to understand that injection of a foreign substance into our bodies, may work in the short term but what is happening in the long term? I fully believe we fall victim to the propaganda of Big Pharma and healthcare as it has become. In any of visits to a regular doctor or heart specialist of any kind, do they ask what is your diet like. That information only comes from certain drs that have had their own issues or reached an epiphany. Here in the we have an abundance of junk food.
Funny that eh? Some people have had no covid jabs and never got covid and some people have had a few covid jabs and still got covid. This world is upside down.
I got something in 2021 that made me lose smell & taste for a period. I guess it was covid, but I can’t be sure cos I’ve never done a covid test either 😉
I felt a bit ropey for 24 hours but felt fine after 🤷♂️
How many times have you had COVID that you know might be a better question to put as there’s more conclusive evidence the virus itself is linked to aFIB.
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