Does anyone know of anyone who has put the AF into remission? If so, what did they do to achieve this? Thanks.
Remission: Does anyone know of anyone... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Remission
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Pommerania78
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Drugs two ablations then Pacemaker. Longest remission time - 3 years after 2nd ablation.
Three long "remissions". Each one ten years. Cardioversion for each. I was not on any medication's in between the remissions. Since then I've had shorter remissions due to lifestyle changes, anti arrythmic drugs snd ablation.
Jim
That's impressive Jim.
I think there are probably even a lot more impressive stories where someone has a single afib episode and then never has one again, without any kind of treatment. Those individuals would tend not to seek support and therefore not participate in forums like this. I know of one such person like this and a relative also has a similar history.
Jim
Yes I have a friend who if he drinks too much gets AF . He has restricted himself to three drinks if he goes out . No AF for three years
I never drink too much . Binge drinking will give you A F but I am happy to have 2-3 drinks!
I am having a glass of champagne with meal on Christmas Eve. No indication alcohol been involved in my AF episodes I never drank very much at all . I will err on the side of caution but it is nice to have a treat occasionally , you have to live !
Drugs have given me nearly 10 years AF free.
Edit: with lifestyle changes in diet and stress management too.
I have changed nothing since I first developed AF because there wasn’t anything to change. No born again stuff for me, haha. I’m not of the opinion that people should get a Blue Peter badge just because they choose not to take meds. We all have different experiences of AF, different bodies, different genetics, different histories, different futures and different responses to treatment. I had a pretty good run of being AF free until the virus that people like to squabble about hit me. Nothing I could do about that, but my EP/cardiologist says that it’s a common enough story. It was nothing to do with not eating enough beetroot. Or eating too much beetroot. We are kidding ourselves if we think we can control complex biological processes like that. Meds are not an admission of weakness. Eating hemp seeds isn’t an act of standing up to “big pharma”. It’s just eating food. Bodies are very complex and bodies do go wrong sometimes. We haven’t failed at anything. Ultimately our bodies will fail. It’s inevitable.
I agree and am thankful for the seemingly-hated 'big pharma', without which I and millions more would be in a much worse place. I'm sorry that you had your AF disturbed by the virus but hope that your body will overcome and your AF will settle.
Thanks. I hope so too. I don’t think anyone wants to take medication but there are some that could be lifesaving. Everyone has a choice and there are always risks to weigh up against the benefits, but the same is true with the do-nothing option. I’m constantly amazed at how people perceive themselves to be at zero risk when there’s a background risk for everyone, for all kinds of things. I’m totally pro-lifestyle as far as that’s realistic. I never see it as either/or, nor do I like people being stereotyped as “not trying” or being gullible and duped by “big pharma” just because they take prescription medication.
10 weeks and counting …..
10 weeks since your ablation?
Yes, I was persistent for a year previously. I’m just a newbie at this!
I’m a bit of a newbie too, but so far ablation isn’t up for offer as so far it’s been infrequent paroxysmal AF but since Covid it’s been more frequent, so it’s a case of waiting to see whether it settles down. I have a good consultant and he’s seen this a lot. I had a period of “remission” before this but I didn’t “do anything” to bring that about. Now I look back and think how naive I was to believe it might not re appear for a very long time.
I hope you go back into a longer remission again. Sometimes time alone is a healer and that seems to be the case with Covid - it’s not something you do right or wrong. I’m training myself to think that way because all I can do is my best with healthy eating, sleep, exercise etc and if I go back into Afib it won’t help to beat myself up.
We shouldn’t punish ourselves for having AF. It’s an attitude that doesn’t help anyone. Our mental health matters and shaming and stigmatising people for having a long term condition isn’t going to help. It’s a very ableist attitude. Most of us are going to develop a long term condition at some point especially if we have the privilege of a long life. I’ve witnessed the shame people feel because they develop a particular illness or if even they are heavier than average and don’t even have an illness! So many people ask themselves “what did I do wrong?” Self compassion is a very difficult skill to acquire. It’s almost as if it goes against the culture!
I thought that my AFib wasn’t that bad - although I guess it was persistent with one week in AFib, then three in NSR. In fact, during summer 2022 the episodes were shorter. I got Covid in the October that year, heart seemed reasonably settled. Then day 18 back to AFib - PIP of Flecainide had no effect, regular Flecainide did nothing. By the time of my ablation at the year end, they discovered too much fibrosis to make further ablations or cardioversions likely to succeed.
I will never know if the rapid progression was the virus, or genetics. I’m certainly not blaming the few pounds in weight that I could do with losing. I don’t have any of the other risk factors, just a big family history. (Though funnily enough my brother is one of those ‘single episode’ people.)
I recommend you read The Afib Cure by Dr John Dsy
Thank you. Yes, I have read it. What are your thoughts about it?
I wouldn’t do all the monitoring he suggests. Would become a full time occupation ! But generally following his advice . I had an episode triggered by a prescribed anti inflammatory . Frightened me into being very well behaved. After two 2️⃣ and a half years got a bit blase , thought probably a one off and completely troughed chocolate etc over Christmas and topped it off with a Chinese meal on New Year’s Eve, went into fast symptomatic AF while speed walking the dog next day . So I am now well behaved permanently. I will have a glass of champagne on Christmas Eve , my second this year, I avoid sugar, no MSG processed food/additives keep carbs low , take magnesium. My first anniversary of the last AF episode coming up and last Christmas clearly showed that what I consume definitely influences my AF burden . That said it depends on the individual heart. Lots of people seem to find whatever they do makes no difference . Definitely worth a go I would say
Thanks for the reply and information. Do you take medicine? I take Flecinaide?
Only Edoxaban . Nothing else
I also take Magnesium, fish oil and vitamin D
I have attempted to put it into remission by identifying all the triggers and removing them from my lifestyle, but AF had a different idea and still manifested itself. No matter how much I reduced the triggers it’s still occurs no matter what that has a life completely of its own The medication is the only thing that seems to work and I’m looking into having a procedure at some point
What kind of medicine and how long have you been taking it?
My remission has been 10 years (bar 2 v short episodes) and this seems to be the best you can hope for before it re-emerges.
My 'cure' has been hybrid, meaning I have had to take Flecainide and then decided myself (no medical advice) to double down on Lifestyle changes.
So am grateful to Big Pharma; the problem I have with those companies is in recent years they have been 'let off the leash' and now have far too much power over medical personnel, regulatory bodies,governments and mass media.
This power does the public no good nor them as they eventually overreach themselves driven as they are by profit for shareholders eg the C-vaccine problems may be behind the recent huge drop in Pfizer & Moderna's share price against general stock market trends. Can we reset them into the 1980's mode without losing the benefits.... I doubt it?? So I now rely on them for emergencies only.
On Lifestyle changes, I think we all need to look back some decades to help adapt our current habits. There is no destination here but it is never too late to change direction. Looking back 10 yrs I have come along way and in a positive sustainable way I know there are many more opportunities still to test out.
PVI CRYOABLATION 28th January 2018.No recurrence so far.
7 months and counting following 3rd ablation. 😁
try taking a tablet of Magnesium Taurate every day , watch your weight and walk around after a heavy meal. Indigestion can be an AF trigger for me!
and me too, back in September I ate too quickly and too much and AF hit me after 10 months of NSR
I have found ensuring my serum Vitamin D levels are at the higher end of normal ... 100-125 nmol/L (40-50 ng/ml) has reduced my AF burden.
You might find Steven Carr's efforts with diet and Vitamin D more than interesting ...
Do you also take medicine?
Well, it might be easier if you read my Bio. Just click on my photo icon.
Yes, I am now in remission, since February this year (apart from once in about April when it started up at night, I took a single dose of flecainide, and it went away). I've had two ablations, which helped but not cured, started taking magnesium supplements a year or so ago, stopped eating gluten containing foods, various other dietary changes (including reducing dairy and no added sugar, more oily fish), other supplements including ubiquinol, B complex. Fingers crossed!
How long did you have afib before the remisssion. And did you take supplements, etc. prior to the remission?
it’s because your stomach is close to your heart!I have had around three episodes since my second ablation 6 years ago and each one was caused by food. If you eat a big meal go for a brisk walk immediately afterwards 10mins will do. Advice from my cardiologist when I asked him about food and AF !!
Hi, I was diagnosed with AF in 2016. I started to change my diet etc in around 2010, when I was diagnosed with another auto-immune (AI) disease. The key was to recognise (from internet research) the inflammatory nature of AI conditions. Excluding gluten/wheat was the first step, as grains are high in Omega 6, and I thought I would try rebalancing Omega 6 and 3. It worked a bit, but not enough. I started supplementing with Ubiquinol and Omega 3 in 2016, added other things (e.g. vits C and D3) from time to time. General health apart from AF is good, and bloods and scans pre-ablation showed no structural damage to heart except for minor mitral valve leakage. However, I now (2023) have a severely enlarged left atrium, ongoing mitral vale leakage, and moderate atherosclerosis, and hypertension. I also have hypothyroidism with antibodies (since around 2004 I think) which might be implicated in the AF, and in the hypertension. I was also on steroids for around 6 years 2010-2015 treating another AI condition; this can also lead to AF.
I am 79 and female.
Flecainide 300 mg as pill in the pocket for PAF. Unfortunately this stopped working and I’ve been done taking 50 mg of the same twice a day so far no episodes of PAF. I also take a blood thinner a pixie bun from what I’ve read AF seems to stop working and you have to change medication and treatments quite regularly. It doesn’t seem to be any permanent remission just periods of when it doesn’t occur.
Flecainide, 150mg, has kept me AF free for nearly 4 years.
How many times a day you take it?
100mg in the morning and 50 at night.
Always taken an hour before or after food, i.e. on an empty stomach.
Originally I was started on 100mg, 50 am, 50 pm but after a year I started getting occasional AF episodes and it was increased to 150, ever since then not a single instance of AF....fingers crossed.
I was prescribed propafenone 4 times a day 150mg (standard dose), and I had 20 days af free and then my cardiologist told me to lower it gradually to 2 a day, but after few days I had two small episodes and now I am on 3 a day. For now, I'm episode free last 9 days. Hopefully I microadjusted my medication need.
Good luck, AF can be so debilitating.
Thanks for your comments.
It's hard to know what "remission" is. I had complete relief from AF for three months after my first ablation. (My episodes had been almost weekly and they were immobilizing.) Then I had two Pfizers and new AF. I had another ablation and am now AF free for 4 months. I will consider that remission. Now if I can stay off the vaccines...
Gluten free, alcohol free, vegetarian, food rich in magnesium and potassium. "The Afib Cure" by John Day and the forum have helped me a great deal. Since my cardiac arrest 2 and half years ago, that converted me back to sinus, I have been Afib free about 97% of the time. I had 3 rapid afib events that shocked my defibrilator1/I had not changed my diet yet2/I stopped my beta blockers (sotalol 80 mg twice a day)
3/I had a bad covid last spring(I hadn't had any booster in a year, I got a booster last month that may have triggered 2 short afib after a large meal).
I keep working on improving my slow nasal breathing, walk about 8000 steps daily and swim almost every day.
I lost 75 pounds, exercise daily, vegan diet, lots of fruits, nuts and veggies, especially blueberries I did this because the chronic health problems including afib and kidney disease and lupus at 70 years old just needed to be addressed. The quality of my heartbeat has changed, it is quiet and steady now almost all the time. Of course I'm old. My ex-husband has dementia, lots of perils ahead, the best I can do is keep doing what I'm doing until I can't.
If you're younger, (or older), its not as hard as you think it will be to make some changes that turn into habits. If you decide that its a worthwhile project. Be good to yourself, be honest about your emotional needs. Maybe its just the wrong time for you or the whole vegan thing is vaguely distasteful to you. May you find other
You said you lost 75 pounds. If I may ask, what percentage of your body weight was that? In the last two months I have lost, as of this morning, 28 pounds, and I started at 261 in the ER when all of this started. The Legacy study says to lose at least 10 percent of one's body weight.
(sorry the phone rang)
I am not entirely sure what remission is but I currently view it as remaining Afib free without medication or surgery.
My introduction to Afib was a heart attack (Mar 19) caused by the arrhythmia. Since then I have been ‘Afib free’, bar one breakthrough (Jun 20), held in check by chemical cardio-version = 150mg Flecainide daily. I do have the option of a PiP too but I’ve never had to use it yet. Along side the medication, I have tried to maintain a healthy lifestyle too.
I have an appointment in Jan with my cardiologist. One of the topics up for discussion is moving from daily Flecainide to PiP only. On my last review, over 12 months, it was agreed that if I could maintain a high exercise tolerance and remain ‘Afib free’ too, we could consider it.
For me, Flecainide has been a wonderful solution, so far. I have had no major ill affects that I’m aware of and have been very stable. I must admit I will go into the next conversation about removing it with some trepidation, as I do rather like the status quo. Despite what has happened to me, I don’t feel I have any limitations; well, bar the ageing process in general.
That said, I do think that if I can, I ought to give it a go and see if I can maintain NSR without medication = ‘remission’. The New Year could be ….‘interesting’.
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