How have you been advised about post Afib activities?
Should we be concerned that our heart is still in a vulnerable state or weakened by the Afib event and needs time to recover?
Do you fully return to normal activity immediately upon returning to NSR, or do you wait awhile to give the heart a chance to be normal for a few hours or a day or more?
For example, if you have a daily exercise routine and have an Afib episode that last several hours or a day and have recovered in the morning, would you still do that afternoon's workout? Do you drive to shop or work that day?
Have doctors discussed with you any precautions to take post Afib?
My second question is about metoprolol:
Anecdotal evidence suggests for me that metoprolol is suspect for contributing to my Afib events. I first began having Afib within a few months of increasing my daily metoprolol dosage from 30 to 100 mgs about 3 years ago. 13 months ago, my dosage was reduced to 25 mgs, and I went 9 months with no events. My dosage was increased to 50 mgs about 4 months ago, and I have had 4-5 events, with the last two only 2 weeks apart. I have made the decision to cut back to 25 mgs. My doctors have assured me that metoprolol is not the culprit, but side-effects warnings online and my own experience say otherwise.
Have some of you had similar experiences with metoprolol or a corresponding medication?
Thanks for any advice.
Fibnum
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fibnum
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I was recently diagnosed with afib after an episode in which the family doctor deemed it severe enough to dial 911 and have me carted off in an ambulance... The ER doctor told me not to exercise, have caffeine nor alcohol until I had seen a cardiologist. I was lucky enough to see a cardiologist within 48 hours of converting to NSR. I was told I could have caffeine, a reduced/limited amount of alcohol and that I could exercise. I asked if there was a limit to my upper heart rate during exercise and was told no. I was not given any restrictions apart from the alcohol. My metoprolol was reduced to 12.5mg because I have a low hr (it was stopped a week later). But everyone is different...I am a 56 year old otherwise healthy female, no other risk factors....can you call your cardiologist and ask if there are any restrictions?
As far as metoprolol goes, it helped to stabilize me and keep me in NSR but I only took it for 10 days. I have it close to me as a PIP... In the month since my episode I have had some days where I have had etopic beats- still trying to figure out why, Christmas shopping and stress? Wine? There doesn't seem to be a pattern..one day I had an extra cup of coffee, another day I was jolted out of sleep by a 5.45 am phone call, wine affected a couple of days...hope this helps!!
First, afib affects everyone differently. Some have an hour episode, convert and head right back to the gym. Others, might have a three day episode and not feel well enough to exercise for a week or so.
A lot also depends on your age, general health, frequency and duration of episodes. So be careful when someone says they can (or cannot) do this after an episode. We all are very different.
As to Metoprolol, it has real value to lower your heart rate while in afib, but has questionable value when taken on a daily basis while you're in normal rhythm. So, if you're having side effects, ask your doctor for a trial off of it completely as long as you're in normal rhythm and then only use it to reduce your rate during an episode. Alternatively, you can take a drug called Diltiazem which basically does what Metoprolol does, but many of us tolerate it better.
Lastly, if you're not ready for ablation, you might look into anti-arrythmic's like Flecainide. Either on a daily basis or as needed (PIP) depending on the frequency of your episodes.
All of this should be discussed with an ep, not your GP or even a general cardiologist. At least in the US, when you get to the Flecainide level, it's an ep you want to be speaking with.
My EP was scatter brained and not helpful. I had to figure many things out for myself. That is why I am soliciting comments from fellow Afib sufferers.
Another EP I had was head of the EP Dept. at a major university. He spent 5 minutes with me, monitored my heart for a week and told me I was fine and did not need Eliquis. I continued having Afib once a month and never heard from him again.
My heart rate shot up to 164 during my weekly ‘walking’ netball session which concerned me. I felt very ‘off’ but persisted to go to Bennington in the afternoon. ( I know, stupid) according to my smart watch my HR was fluctuating between 90 and 138. I stopped when it showed 138, came home, still feeling ‘off’ I had the warning alarm at 6pm telling me I had been in AFib more or less all day. Doc has never told me to stop exercising but to never let my HR go above 140. I’m 70yrs old
In answer to your first question , when I had paroxysmal AF , I found that, after some episodes, usually those lasting more than 10 hours, I would feel very tired, so figured my body was telling me if it wasn’t ready to start exercising again. That normally passed after a couple of days. Now in persistent, my body appears to have adjusted, although I keep the exercise moderate these days.
On the subject of beta-blockers, I’m convinced that the daily Bisoprolol I was advised to take is the cause of me going from paroxysmal (an episode every few months) to persistent. I have no evidence to back up that claim, of course, only gut instinct but I did think the following article was interesting and worth a read:
I can’t take the credit for the article as it was originally posted on here by Barny12 a couple of months ago, I think. One I decided to save as I thought it particularly interesting.
Re returning to normal activities, most of my episodes have required cardioversions so I don't feel up to anything active for at least a fortnight following one of those though I'm always told that 48 hours is enough recovery time.!
My EPs advixe was to do more exercise and lose weight principally, combine that with cutting out alcohol and he said there was less evidence for reducing caffeine intake.
Hi, I'm male and got AF aged 63 over 10 yrs ago when in the gym. I regularly exercised and so asked if this would help AF. We are all told that exercise is good for the heart. Consultant said vigorous exercise would not help AF and could make it worse, cause episodes. that walking was best. So it probably depends on how vigorous your exercise is.
I'm 79, and I walk an hour every night at a rate of 120 bpm. Every other night, I also lift weights: 50 lbs, 120 times, doing curls and presses in sets of 10 with two 25-lb dumbbells. On alternate nights, I try to do some stairs.
On an evening after Afib, I walk slower and hold off a day on the weights and stairs. My main question was concerning the time immediately after return to NSR and the rest of the day. I don't understand why we get so little practical advice from doctors and nurses about daily living with Afib and post Afib. Maybe it is because everyone's experience and underlying health is different. That is why this forum is so valuable. I appreciate all of the replies I got.
Fibnum, I continue on with my daily activities when I would finally revert back to NSR -- light gardening, driving to shops, going to work (before I retired), etc. -- but avoided strenuous activities until the next day. I'm on Metoprolol and found no connection with the drug and increased a-fib episodes, though it could be possible.
Fibnum, I have paroxysmal AF and was first diagnosed a year ago. My cardiologist put me on Metoprolol Succinate. At first, I was to use it as PIP because my BP was always too low. Then he had me try Sodium pills so I could take the Metoprolol regularly. That didn't work so he tried Midodrine and it would keep my BP elevated to enable me to take the Metoprolol. My QOL only lasted 4 hours a day if I was lucky. AF was a daily thing. To me, it didn't make sense to take one pill to raise my BP and then another that was going to lower it. So I began to equate the low BP as a trigger. I reverted back to using the Metoprolol as a PIP and my four good hours stretched to 8+ hours. I still felt anything strenuous such as walking down to the basement would set off my AF.
I went back for my annual ECG a few weeks back. (During the ECG, my HR was 160+-. It had been a stressful day due to a new cleaning lady, the Dr. appointment on top of lack of sleep) The technician took him a print out during the ECG and came back with a sticky note saying the doctor wanted me to pick a new script for Digoxin. There was no communication between he and I regarding this new drug. My pharmacist was very concerned about the toxicity of it.
I read up on it and I know some have had good experiences but I didn't feel good about it. I called him the next day and told him that I would not being taking it without blood tests to form a baseline. (My thyroid medicine had just been reduced)
I went back a few days later and I made comments as to what I felt triggered my AF. One was taking the Metoprolol when I was in NSR and normal day activity that shouldn't be considered strenuous as well as the usual caffeine and alcohol.
He poo-pooed Metoprolol as being a trigger because that's not how it works...my body said differently. I expected him to continue to push for the Digoxin but he suggested Sotalol. (My mother tolerated Sotalol well). I chose the Sotalol and within 12 hours, I felt a huge burden had been lifted off of me.
I could barely feel it when I went into AF and I am filled with boundless amounts of energy. I'm not saying that what I chose is for everyone. I really believe we have to listen to what our bodies are telling us and fight to get the care we need. You are not crazy.
Thank you. I have found doctors very reluctant to accept the idea that their med may actually be causing or exacerbating the problem. I believe in the response my body has to a med enough to question its use also.
England UK experience. I had a severe stroke, but recovered after thrombolysing treatment. A year later after Holters and a LINQ ECG implant in February this year, Afib was detected in May.After the stroke I was advised that exercise was a good idea but with the usual mantra's of exercise at a conversational pace. I started running/walking intervals gradually building up over 9 weeks to 30 minutes running. Eventually doing weekly Parkruns. When the Afib was detected my medication was changed to anticoagulant, but no advice about not exercising.
I continue to run 4 or 5 times a week and have run some 10k events. Male aged 71
Not experienced any negative effects. My cardiovascular and respiratory systems are vastly improved. Running generally gives me a buzz. Occasionally it's a little harder even sticking to the rule. I can't say it's because of Afib.
I don't have any heart rate controlling meds because my general heart rate is low ie SR Bradycardia and I have ectopics with it.
I just off Metropolo , taken it for three years but was dizzy alot , and findly that I would get off and feel better!They put me on DILITMEN , THAT SPELLED RIGHT!
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