Still persistant feelings with new AF diagnosis, but at this point I have to give heartfelt thanks to the info I have learned from this site, honestly for me it is second to none. The members here are top-notch and superb and I consider myself quite lucky to share my journey so far with this and gather insight and true words of wisdom in trying to just deal with this, I just can't thank you all enough. So, with that, here I sit at almost 4:30 in the morning my time (eastern U.S.). This has become my go-to site for guidence and understanding. I will have probably many questions to ask at my next doctors visit in a few weeks, and I will post if anything is new or changed. I am still suffering with these feelings of anxiety, whether they be from the AF, or the medications, or just feeling lost with the whole diagnosis and just scared and saddened with it. This is tough for me because I've always been trying to be the healthiest version of myself. And the feelings of this type of anxiety is actually sad in a way. I suffered a bad heart attack in 2009, but I bounced back in short order and wasn't fearful at all afterwards, but now with this AF, it seems different, and I dread the anxious thoughts, the insomnia, the scared feelings of side effects with these new medications, but I know I'm not alone with all of this. I look foreward to sleep, even if it is interrupted after 3 or4 hours, my melatonin helps with that, maybe not as soon as I would like it to, but eventually I do get back to sleep for a few more hours, it's just that the anxiety really seems to hit hard after that first wake-up.
Symptoms with AF, but first a word of... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Symptoms with AF, but first a word of thanks.
AFib is nowhere near as serious as a heart attack.
You seem to have taken lots of good lifestyle choices from what you say and also reading between the lines 🙌. I experienced high anxiety when first diagnosed but slowly reduced it with many lifestyle changes learned from here. Don't forget the spiritual side, rarely mentioned but I have found makes a significant contribution to keeping 'the beast' at bay.
please watch the York cardiologist on you tube…he is so reassuring ….he will explain everything..there are so many videos…..
I have episodes when I’m not anxious outwardly but obvious body thinks otherwise.
Hi peacockmumma. Thanks so much for the reply. I will type in a search for York cardiologist on you tube, many thanks!
I feel for anyone who suffers from anxiety. My family is full of worriers, including me!
Ironically though, my anxiety was worse when I was having AF episodes BEFORE I was diagnosed with AF. I knew I had a problem, which at times kept me up a night too anxious to go to bed. Instead I'd walk around the house wondering whether I should go to the hospital ED or whether I'd wake if I went back to bed.
When checked by GP or going to ED at hospital my AF was resolved by the time they saw me so everything was fine. Just my anxiety going overboard again!!
Even wearing a 24 hour Holter monitor failed to pick up AF and I was diagnosed with just Ectopic beat. Even my wife was telling me "they never find anything" i.e. it's all in your head! It wasn't until a final trip to ED when I was still in AF that the "penny dropped" for all involved. Being diagnosed was initially a bit scary as I'd never heard of AF and the diagnosis involved a series of tests of my heart which created more anxiety waiting for the outcomes.
Don't get me wrong, AF is a burden, more so for some than others but having it undiagnosed for me was 10 times worse. With a diagnosis I now know what is happening (and so does my wife!) and I know my episodes are "only" AF. I also have medications to minimise the frequency, impact and duration of events.
Yes, AF episodes are still a little unsettling for me and I still ask "why me?" But I would rather know I am having an AF episode than to still be walking around the house in the middle of the night wondering whether I should go to the ED and too worried to go to sleep.
Hi bean_counter27. You sound almost identical to me! I know all too well exactly what you are talking about. You have worded everything perfectly. It took a while with me with having symptoms to go to emergency at the hospital, however I fully thought that Iwas suffering from a possible blood clot in my leg or a DVT.
What type of medicine do you take? Thanks.
150mg Flecainide and 25mg Metoprolol - both twice daily. Cardiologist also wants me to take magnesium and I recently changed from magnesium aspartate dihydrate to magnesium taurate. The latter seems to help a little with sleeping, which I also take 10mg melatonin for. I don't take an anti-coagulants - low risk.
Hi bean_counter27. Forgot to ask, which current medications are you on?
see above
Hi, I just wanted to say that I completely understand your anxiety.
I tried to explain this to a friend the other day and I said that when your heart is thumping away and you’re aware of every beat and you even feel it on the back of your throat, then your heart shudders, how can you not feel anxious?
After all, your heart is behaving in a really anxious way, even though your brain is telling you that everything is ok!
Hi, so sorry to hear about the anxiety. I suffered from this unpleasant morning 'hit' for a while too. Funnily enough for me it wasn't right away after diagnosis, as I didn't know what to expect, but later after some unpleasant A and E experiences during the pandemic. A member here helped me by recommending a book that explains the neural mechanisms of anxiety and also offers self help. I'll post it here. I still get bouts of anxiety but am better now at seeing them off. Things that help me: loud humming, slow outbreaths and bilateral muscle relaxation (where you clench your fists really tight and then very slowly relax bit by bit. Remember to breathe through your nose if you can while you do this.) There are Los of pther techniques for anxiety but I'm sure others will share.
Hi GBN,
I was diagnosed in April 2023. I thought my life was over, or at least I believed I knew what I was going to die from. I know everyone says that AF won't kill you.
My Anxiety went through the roof, so much so that I asked my GP about what I could take for it. On top of that I cut out caffeine, was on new medication, and started losing weight. I felt bad.
Snap forward to 3-4 months later, 3 or 4 AF episodes later, tons of tests, Yoga, Tai Chi, etc. One day my anxiety just went back to normal. I have Xanax for the days I have AF or on the occasion when something else gets a little beyond what I can cope with. But otherwise I was not taking anything.
I still fret over doing something that could trigger AF, and still take the Xanax when I have AF to make me feel better. I won't say AF is part of me, like some others on this forum will say. But I do believe that the journey we are all on together has stages, and I am on the "acceptance" phase. I hope some of that helps. Elliot
Hi AustinElliot. Thanks much for your reply. Besides the occasional xanax, are you on any other current medications for the AF? I'm thinking that the metoprolol that I'm currently on might be causing a big part of these issues with me.
Hi Gbn,
I M on 180 mg diltiazem, I don’t have any issues with it, but not really sure it’s doing much.
Cutting out caffeine has not helped, and I have read some conflicting studies saying it’s beneficial.
I have flecainide as a pill in the pocket, with perhaps mixed results.
I strongly believe my AF is related to salt and/or tyramine in aged cheese. About a third of my episodes occurred in the morning after have spaghetti with a ton of Parmesan. Some of the others might as well, or related to excess salt.
Hi AustinElliott, thanks for the quick response. I'm going to ask my doc on next visit about the diltiazem, seems quite a few are on it, all I can do is ask, sometimes docs try to push different meds. I've just read about tyramine and issues with it also, and I'm on a much restricted salt diet, but I still like my cottage cheese at night, I tried the low salt version, and also the avocado that I usually eat too, I just found a no-salt version of it also, but the taste is terrible with them, tough getting used to. But the lowered sodium spaghetti sauce that I found isn't too bad, I buy it at Wegmans food markets. And, I still need my first cup of coffee when I wake up, but I've cut back to just a single cup instead of the usual 2 or 3.
it did take me a good three months to adjust to the diet and meds. My mom is on metoprolol and has not really adjusted yet after two months, but might be close. Hope you feel better, give it some time
gbn, I'm 7 years down the line and still carnt stop the anxiety, you would think that I'd be used to it by now but I'm not. I reluctantly had my 4th Covid Booster last week as I'm Asthmatic as well as AF , 4 hours later I went into AF for 12 hrs and my anxiety went through the roof , but yet here I am 2 days later writing this after working hard tidying the garden. Will we ever learn that it's not to be feared, for people like me I'd say no but then there's a lot more sensible people out there, I just wish I was more like them but I'm not. I'm just me .
Hi Nerja2012. Thanks for your reply. I'm about ready to go outside to shovel some light snow accumulation, but I know I'll have to take it easy. I am of the current thoughts that my anxiety just might be caused from the metoprolol that I've been prescribed, 75 mgs. twice a day. Are you on any medications currently for your AF?
GBN. Yes I take 2.5mg Apixaban , it's a half dose because I'm a light weight ( female) and Bisoprolol as a PIP. I do hope that metropolis is the reason for your anxiety unlike me. I think I'm programed that way. I've kept a record during the last 7 years of my journey plus what I think where the triggers. Anxiety, illness and dehydration stand out the most, all that has helped me find my way with of course the help from the wonderfull people on this sight. My GP told me , Never Be Afraid, it's unpleasant but it will pass, my record says 15 episodes and yes I'm still here and it did pass. Good luck and keep checking in.
Seems most of us have suffered anxiety over our conditions. Some seem to deal with it better than others. Despite reassurances from ny EP that I will “live to be a very old lady” (his exact worlds! ) I still get anxious when symptoms hit. (Tachycardia now, afib was successfully ablated) And nighttime is the worst for anxiety isn’t it. Hope you find a way to take the anxiety a bit.
And be careful out there in the snow! (Also east coast US - 7 inches here)
Hi lovetogarden. So sorry for the late reply. I'm going to have my first appointment in about 3 weeks with a cardiologist who deals a lot with AF. It's going to be interesting to hear what he says or recommends, my first visit was with a nurse helper who works at Berks cardiology a week after I came home from the hospital, actually still have one more appointment with her soon before I talk to the actual cardio doc. I think my anxiety might be possibly brought on by the metoprolol I am prescribed. When I was in the hospital the docs told me that I was in actual heart failure brought on by the AF which caused the slight swelling in my left leg, ankle and foot (this is what brought me into the hospital to get it checked out because it wasn't going away, I thought it might have been from a blood clot or something in one of the veins). The hospital also prescribed a daily water pill (furosemide), and a daily blood thinner (xarelto). I had no idea that I was in heart failure or had AF. With the exception of just being a bit "winded" after usual exertion with things, along with the swelling in my leg, I just didn't know or realize it. I can't really feel any type of heart symptoms such as fluttering or elevated or lowered heart rate. I'm going to mention to the cardio doc that I'm no fan of procedures and I'd like to treat this with medication first. With heart failure that I found out while in hospital, there are 2 types,systolic and diastolic. With systolic your heart valves don't work or are weakened, with diastolic(my type) the heart valves still work as they should, however the lower chambers of the heart sort of get out of shape and some of the blood doesn't get completly pumped out like it should. So, with all that, the snow here wasn't too severe, maybe a few inches, the shoveling went good, took my time because it was a wet snow. Only about 60 miles west of Philadelphia here, so it wasn't really that bad. Health type anxiety seems to be the worst of the worst, it can really magnify anything that might be going on with you, I hate it. And yes, hits hard at night.
Hi i know how you must be feeling . Didnt really no what anxiety felt like until i was diagnosed with AF. Im trying to get to grips with it and now waiting for app for an echoscan x 24 hr heart moniter to see if i have heart failure . Its a long night if you cant sleep . Take care
Hi Sawny15. Thanks for the reply. Yes, diagnosis can be stressful with this, I'll admit. Are you having any symptoms which might indicate possible heart failure? With me, it was slight swelling in my left leg, ankle and foot, and possibly a mild ache in my left side at rib area, which could have been attributed, but not sure. Are you on any current medications? The medications that I'm currently on have seemed to help but still going to try to find the right combo. I believe it's the possible side effects from them that might be causing the increased anxiety.
It was the doctor in the emergency day unit i went after racing x fluttering heart didnt want to slow down . that checked my ankles x legs x asked how long they had been swollen x had i seen doctor with them i said they had been swollen for a long time. GP said it was because i was on my feet all day . . I was prescribed bisoprolol 5mg 1 tablet twice a day x 60mg eoxaban once aday after having ecg at doctors surgery in dec x they diagnosed AF . A big shock
Hi Sawny15. Well, this all started way back in late May or early June for me. It was during mowing the lawn that I had to stop for a minute to catch my breath and momentarily became sort of winded, a week or so later became aware of slight swelling in left leg area. I thought it would all go away, but it didn't. I should have had it checked out then. Finally went to emergency room November 5th. to get it checked out, AF diagnosed as the cause and spent a week in hospital getting tests.
Hi gbn . I have seen gp this morning . She has prescribed 10mg propranolol for anxiety to take when needed when i get waves of anxiety. . Another app to see her in 2 weeks . 🤞scan x tape app wont take too long. . As i said before had swollen ankles for years . Hope you are ok
Hi Sawny15. Please update if the propranolol works for you.
Ive taken the 10mg of propanalol once a day for waves of anxiety since thurs . Feeling less anxious every day . Ive also done deep breathing excersises . And listened to marisa peer on utube theres different meditations to follow for anxiety .that has helped me aswell.
Hi Sawny15. That's good news. I have an appointment tomorrow with doctor and I'll ask questions that I didn't ask before but will try to get things straightened out which probably won't be an easy task to accomplish. At this stage the option for me is to try different meds until the right one is found.
I will
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