PAF well controlled till I got covid

[Clifflove]

hi, I’m new to this forum and hope you can give me some hope.

I’ve had PAF for 13 years, well controlled on propranolol 80mg slow release - other beta blockers seem to affect my chest/throat and give me dreadful indigestion and can’t tolerate the newer ones. However in November whilst on holiday in Barbados I caught Covid with dreadful blocked sinuses. I bought a nasal spray on my return home and then had antibiotics …. my AF is now kicking in every other day when I’m laying down at night. It either starts as I go to bed or wakes me early morning - I feel it go into Af as I turn on my side. I’m also now on edoxoban as this is happening so frequently and really it hasn’t happened at all before now. My pill in the pocket is flecainide 50mg which I couldn’t tolerate as a daily dose but does put me back into sinus rhythm after an hour or so. It does make my chest feel very tight the day after though. Waiting to see cardiology triage but who knows when on NHS and just wonder if anyone has experienced similar following Covid and if it settled eventually?

[Popepaul]

Iwent into Afib after my last Covid infection, it lasted about 6 hours. I was in NSR for the subsequent 7 months. I note that you currently get Afib when you go to bed or turn on your side. Just a thought but have you been eating late in the evening. The stomach is proximal to the heart and its innervation. A bloated stomach can bring on palpitations, this can more mre evident if you are in the prone position.

[CDreamer in reply to Popepaul]

My CPAP physiologist said that although it seems absolutely counter intuitive - when you lie down to sleep - always start on your left side, you don’t need to stay there, just start there - evidently it helps to release any gas in stomach. I tried that when I had bloated stomach because I was swallowing air from my CPAP and it worked like magic.

[Clifflove in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks for this .. I will definitely give this a go .. anything to stop the AF from triggering!

[Clifflove in reply to Popepaul]

Wow 7 months! It’s happening every other night at the moment and is exhausting, especially having to take the extra meds. Thank you for your suggestion of not eating late as I think that could play a part too. I hope your AF behaves in the future

[CDreamer]

Yep, free completely from AF until COVID. Now every minor cold or infection triggers it. BUT ok in between!

Get a sinus rinse and a steamer as that is exactly what happened to me during the night. Use steam to loosen everything. Sinus rinse before bed to clear out as much gunk as possible and in the morning. Raise the head of your bed so you are not lying completely flat. I bought a bed with electric motor to raise/lower both head and feet. Works very well.

[Clifflove in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you for your reply, it makes me feel as if I'm not going mad thinking it! I do use a sinus rinse but was away on holiday when it started and didn’t have it with me .. I will start reusing it even though I seem ok - anything to try and relieve the AF.

[secondtry]

In the evening eat light and at least 4 hrs before bed. Sleep with extra pillows under head and on left side (to prevent turning that way). Wind down slowly in the evening. Get tested for sleep apnoea. Practice improve breathing every day (I do it on my walk), breathe through the nose (increased nitric oxide for the heart) and reduce breaths to 6 per minute. No known side effects of these changes.

[Clifflove in reply to secondtry]

Thank you

[Autumn_Leaves]

Yes. My arrhythmia doc says it happens a lot. Covid definitely kicked it all off for me. The same could happen a genuine influenza virus infection.

[Clifflove in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

Thank you for this .. I will definitely mention it to my cardiologist too

[SilverliningsForNow]

I honestly think you should look at the nasal spray as well. I used First Defence over Christmas and every time I used it I started ectopic beats. It took me a while to realise but when I stopped it they went away.

[Clifflove in reply to SilverliningsForNow]

Yes I think you are right - I looked at the leaflet when my AF started up but it was too late then! I’m so annoyed with myself for using it now! My AF has been so well controlled and now just happens every 36 hours or so .. with heart beating up to 148 bpm for over an hour ..

Thank you for replying to my post

[SilverliningsForNow]

I know we’re all different but sometimes when mine kicks off I take 75-100 Flecainide, and 1.25 Bisoprolol together and it settles right off.

[Spoiler]

For sure, I eat very light in the evening and beef is a heavy food, I found it to be the worst. I have taken Flecainide at various doses from 50-300 in 24 hours. It was my miracle drug for quite some time, but according to my EP Dr., your heart changes (remodels) and that changes how drugs work. I currently take 25mg every 12 hours since my ablation 8 months ago. Doing fantastic and will probably be off of it soon. Hope you get relief, we all know how frustrating and such a hopeless feeling when the dreaded rhythm starts.