Elevate heart rate to self revert AF

[Elli86]

Hi guys.

Not been on for a while. Just wanted to post this in the hope that it can help other people and also see if anyone has experienced the same let me know.

As a lot of you will already know I’ve been suffering from af for about 3/4 years now. It’s never self reverted without the help of medication and usually takes around a day and a half to two days to revert.

Anyway I’ve had a serious amount of stress last few weeks and it decided to make an appearance while playing a game of chess of all things 🙄 obviously it hit me like a ton of bricks as it’s not jumped out for quite a while now.

I had vaguely remembered someone commenting on here that they found success if they raise their heart rate while in af so I decided to give it a go and sure enough within 15 minutes of elevating my heart rate on the exercise bike my heart was back in 🕺🏼 needless to say I was incredibly happy.

Literally within half an hour of it jumping out it was back in. Very strange experience for me as, like I say, it’s never happened for me without tablets and never before atleast a day and a half.

Would like to hear from anyone who’s experienced the same and hopefully this can help people in the future 🙏

[Lilypocket]

Hi ElliNice to see you back again. Once or twice a stiff walk up a hill put me back into NSR but not often enough unfortunately. I would be interested in other members replies.

Take care

[Elli86 in reply to Lilypocket]

Hi lily. Yeah I had to get my heart pumping quite a bit before it went back in. Once I felt it really pumping I could soon tell it was back in. Very strange experience for me as I was so used to having to take pills and wait.

[33peeler in reply to Lilypocket]

Same for me.

[NewOne2023]

Hey there.

I myself didn't tried the exercise option (although I do exercise) to get back into sinus but last couple of episodes I managed to get back into sinus in literally 2 seconds with valsalva or vagus maneuver. Just like you I was pretty surprised and also relieved. Especially since I didn't have to take additional propafenone pills to stop the episode which would take at least half an hour.

Interesting to see how different stuff works for different people.

[Elli86 in reply to NewOne2023]

Hi newone. I’ve tried the valsalva and vagus manoeuvres in the past and they didn’t have any effect. This is literally the first thing I’ve tried that worked. Just thought it might hopefully help people out and wanted to see what people’s thoughts were.

[javo123j]

I found vigorous exercise allowed me to revert but it took a 5k run or 3 hour bike ride. This worked for years. The problem I had is that I had to wait a week or so before I could manage that level of effort after going in to afib. I did try with smaller runs or bike rides but they never worked. Unfortunately I've been in afib since 27th October and it seems more severe than I have had before. When I try to run I am out of breath within minutes. There is a video on York cardiology site on YouTube where he talks about exercising your way back to sinus rhythm

[Elli86 in reply to javo123j]

Hi javo. Yes I was massively out of breath when doing it. I get really quite drastic symptoms when I go into af. I just forced my way through it in the hope it would work and it did. I’ve never attempted it before because exercise is literally the last thing I want to be attempting when in af. Thankfully it worked and I’m hoping it will next time 🙏

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi Elli

Lovely to see you back here.

I personally think that exercising when in AF will either kill or cure. Bit like Russian roulette really.

I'd often revert back to normal sinus rhythm within an hour or so after mowing my back lawn. Would be full of self pity and very tired as I did it but there's only me and I'm garden proud - so I have to. I'd sit afterwards drained and think to myself that I shouldn't have done that. Then later I'd suddenly find myself back in normal sinus rhythm.

Good to hear that your exercise bike put you back into normal rhythm.

Jean

[Elli86 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks Jean.

Not sure where to go with your Russian roulette comment 🤣 not sure it’s that drastic personally but as you know I’m no doctor. I suppose it could put additional stress on an already stressed heart but obviously af isn’t life threatening so I’m not too sure. I think the exercise can help regulate rhythm and rate which steadys the heart for long enough to get it back to sinus. Exercise also releases endorphins which have a positive effect on heart rhythm and gives the autonomic nervous system a kick up the backside to get it working normally again. Overall personally I don’t think it puts me in any sort of danger. I feel terrible during an episode and this lasts for the entirety of what is usually a couple of days so I would rather push myself for 20 minutes and get it over with personally but I see your point.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Elli86]

I understand exactly where you're coming from Eli and you have the added bonus of being fairly young. Exercising away AF would be more of a strain on the bodies of we oldies. However my son in laws young cousin dropped dead playing football. Some well known players have collapsed during games too. A cyclist out with a group raced them all to the top of a hill and that's where they found him dead. The person who told me that, died in a public toilet, he was elderly, had AF and prostate cancer.

I don't want to scare you but just make you aware. AF wont kill you but I'm not too sure that this applies if you put your heart under severe stress while having an attack.

Jean

[Elli86 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

That makes sense Jean. The older you get the less likely this strategy is going to be a good one I guess. For me right now though If it works I’ll keep at it. I’m tired of spending 2 days doing virtually nothing or completely docile in bed waiting for pills to correct me and then spending another 4/5 days getting over the side effects of said drugs leaving my system. If I can do this and get over it rapidly then I’m chuffed to bits. Who knows it may have been a one off but it literally felt like a miracle cure at the time after years of going through virtually the same routine everytime and other strategy’s not working.

In regards to the young athletes dying, yes it seems to be a big problem at the minute. But I don’t think many if any are af related. I think we all know the reason behind that but a little too controversial to say it aloud on this site 🤣

[Frances123 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

You are so right Jean. A couple of years back during an af attack I remembered about the exercising as I came back from a local shop so I charged up the short but steep road to my house. I honestly thought I was going to die at the top. A statement often used I know but I really thought my time had come. Eventually managed to get to the step at the end of my drive and sat there until I was able to make it into the house. Never, ever again will I do that……and no, Afib was still having the last laugh!

[Snowgirl65 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Jean, your gardening experiences are exactly similar to mine. When I would be in a-fib, I'd intentionally do some moderate-level gardening even though it was tiring. I would soon find myself back in NSR -- I'd forgotten all about a-fib while digging in the soil!

[Singwell]

Hi Elli! My AF also very disturbing often preceded by a pounding heart as my natural pacemaker tries to keep up. Humming is my go to thing! I grab my phone, put on Max Richter's Sleep album and hum loudly with the slow music. Something about the rhythmic humming seems to do the trick. Maybe the rhythmic activity of your exercise bike is doing the same for you? My pace is slow and steady, yours fast and energetic. We're all different.

[Elli86 in reply to Singwell]

Hi singwell.

Is yours vagal af by any chance? Humming is known to stimulate the vagus nerve which would then make sense why it seems to help revert you

[Singwell in reply to Elli86]

Not necessarily because except when recovering immediately after an ablation I've never had it falling asleep or when asleep. Quite the opposite in fact. Mine always came on after a period of high stress (like yours as reported today,) or anxiety I.e. being on alert. Also gastric distress triggers me, and that IS to do with the vagus because the digestive branch of my vagus was tied during abdominal surgery when i was 19. So my stomach doesn't make a is properly.

[gsd01]

I was always able to revert AF by fairly strenuous exercise, Usually 15 mins running or a 30 min walk. Over several years the periods between episodes became shorter until eventually it became permanent AF and now the raised heart rate no longer works but for a number of years it worked very consistently.

[Elli86 in reply to gsd01]

Thanks for the input. Disappointing that it doesn’t work anymore but at least you got a few good years out of it. Seems like no matter what we do, for a lot of us the final destination will be the same one, permanent af.

[AFCyclist]

I have been using the exercise on a bike trick for over 10 years. Sometimes only takes 5 mins sometimes half an hour. Often need to get working reasonably hard then when I back off down a hill I go back to NSR. Worked for me last week on my turbo trainer. Talk to your cardiologist about it.

[Elli86 in reply to AFCyclist]

My cardiologists are as much use as a chocolate teapot. Unfortunately I deal with things on my own since my ablation. More productive having a conversation with my dog than my cardio.

[Exfat]

It doesn’t work for me. I wish you did. I’m in permanent AF and have been since last November previously had boats of PAF for the last 6 to 10 years. I generally exercise for 2 to 3 hours a day five days a week. What I find is that the more I exercise, the easier I can deal with the AF and breathlessness when exercising, but AF still continues boo

[Elli86 in reply to Exfat]

That’s a lot of exercise. How old are you?

[Exfat in reply to Elli86]

I’m 62. My job means I sit on my backside for six hours a day, so I exercise before work and after work to compensate for the six hours of sitting down before I went Blind 13 years ago, I used to be even more active in this and try and keep my activity levels to what they were before I went Blind

[Nan1]

AF yesterday afternoon. Didn’t really want to go out as bad knees but I went for 40 mins and by time I got home AF gone. Doesn’t always work but worth a try

[Elli86 in reply to Nan1]

Sounds like a similar strategy. Glad it works for you

[secondtry]

Everybody is different , so if it works stick to it. Reduced HR when sedentary & relaxed can be a 'danger area' and has been for me in the past.

[Elli86 in reply to secondtry]

Thanks secondtry. I totally agree.

[Janey1955]

nothing reverts mine unless it’s been going12 hours or so. But after that if I go a walk, not fast but in a steady rhythm, that usually does the trick

Jane

[lizzieloo2]

Wouldn't call it exercise but yes, I found that waving my arms about and generally moving about would sometimes get rid of the AF. Sometimes just having a shower would stop it but as the episodes became more frequent, these actions didn't cut it anymore. Good luck

[Tomred]

I have a friend who goes for a long run when his heart kicks off and after a run his heart settles down into nsr.

[sheffbk]

We're all different, but ---- I have had permanent AF for many years and a 24/7 slow (under 50) irregular pulse. EXcept during and for about 30mins after strenuous exercise (training with a masters swim squad).

Luckily my af and night-time flutter do not affect my qual of life (aware of heart-beat but no major palpitations) - take anti-coag only and no ablations etc - age 76.

So I'm interested in people's observations about exercise causing a revert to normal(ish) pulse - goes for me, but only for up to 2hrs each time and we all seem to have a different experience.

[OzJames]

I was diagnosed 31 years ago at 35 with PAF. Had one episode on average every 4 or 5 years and would self revert with some short sprints in the park, sort of stop start efforts sometimes a jump in the pool or cold ocean. As I got older.. 65 the method was not as effective so now it’s drugs or cardioversion.