covid afibs???/

[peachtreepiggy]

I had covid in September of 2023 and soon thereafter developed a fibs, which I have never had in my life! I am 69. My question is this: Has this happened to anyone else and did they eventually go away, or is it a permanent thing?

[BobD Volunteer]

I think this is a known possibility but how permanent I don' t know.

[CDreamer]

This has happened to many, many people. Not enough is yet known about COVID and COVID vaccinations induced arrhythmias.

Are you in AF all of the time or does it come and go? Are you seeing a specialist?

[peachtreepiggy in reply to CDreamer]

Lately I've been having a few episodes a week and they don't last that long. I have a cardiologist and I'm on a total of 150 mg daily of metoprolol and I'm also on eliquis.But when they happen I really get stressed out and anxious and want them to stop. How do you stop freaking out when they happen?

[FraserB in reply to peachtreepiggy]

Getting stressed out and anxious during an episode happens to a lot of us. My afib is paroxysmal and I'm also on medication. One day I noticed during one of my episodes of fast flutter/afib that when I started to get more stressed and panicky that my heart went even faster. I'm not a doctor and every one is different, but I realized my panicking thoughts were releasing adrenaline making it worse. And I also do diaphragmatic breathing or slow belly breathing during an episode. It doesn't always stop it but it does help reduce the out-of-control feeling.

[CDreamer in reply to peachtreepiggy]

You stop freaking out by developing a to do list and then doing the following:

A little self talk - Understanding that AF is not an emergency although it may feel like it. Many of us here have had AF for 20.,30 even 40 years and although we all remember just how scary it was in the beginning - it is now just a part of our lives we don’t take much notice of.

Monitoring your HR, BP and 02sats and learning what is normal for you and what is a point where you should go to A&E - talk to your GP or specialist about that.

Having a strategy to avoid AF if possible and manage it when it strikes ie:

Avoid at all costs Dehydration - drink much more water (no to sugary/alcoholic tea/coffee drink). Start the day by drinking a full glass and then drink about 6-8 glasses during the day.

Ensure your diet is good - eat plenty of fresh, preferably organic, fruits & veg. Getting enough electrolytes (micronutrients such as magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium) into your diet is important but don’t get them from supplements, you should be able to get enough from your food if it is good quality and a very varied diet.

Avoid starchy foods - baked goods except as occasional treat.

Moderate exercise - 2 x 15 minute brisk walks a day are about the right level.

Good sleep and rest - your body needs time to repair and only does that at rest.

Most important - invest in learning relaxation through breath control - LSD = Long Slow Deep breaths regularly but especially when you feel the heavy thumps. Put your hand over your heart if it helps and do a bit of self talk - think CALM and BALANCE. If your mind is racing with ‘what if…..’ scenarios it is especially important to think CALM and BALANCe.

Learn as much as you can about AF by visiting the AFA site so you are an informed patient who can ask questions and understand the answers.

That’s how you cope.

[Ppiman in reply to CDreamer]

I have a keen interest in this. Did you mean to suggest that covid-19 or the vaccination, or both, have been responsible for "many, many" induced arrhythmias? I can find no evidence of the vaccine causing significant numbers of heart problems at all, whereas there is some evidence that covid-19 itself has produced a significant increase in (generally cardiomyopathy-related) heart illnesses. This has been not only, but mainly, in severe cases requiring additional oxygen.

What is of interest is that the spike protein seems to be likely cause of this, allied to its effect being more pronounced in people with larger than usual numbers of ACE2 expressing cells on the surface of their major organs or, even more interestingly, within the the particular kind of fatty layer around them. The spike protein has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier, too, worryingly. Vaccine-induced spike protein levels seem too low and transient to be able to cause much harm, however. At least this is what I have been able to find so far. Some small evidence that vaccine induced spike protein levels might linger much longer seems to becoming available from odd studies.

Steve

[secondtry]

AF is a very unpleasant feeling for many (me included) and not even felt by others (ie asymptomatic). So anxiety is the norm if symptomatic, so get on top of it early.

From the brief details you have given, I would research and if positive arrange a troponin blood test to check your cardiac enzyme level. I have only just read about this recently and have not had it myself (likely you will have to go private as the NHS may not oblige). This test is being discussed due to the relatively high no of Covid/C-jab issues. Other tests are also likely.

[Dudtbin]

i developed af after covid, my husband had a stroke after covid even though he was on anticoagulants for af. My AF is persistent and not going away!

[Sixtychick]

My AFib started 10 years ago, after I caught a nasty coughing virus from one of our relatives at my sons wedding. Several people got it and 3 of us ended up in hospital with it. It wasn’t Covid then, obviously, but something equally as horrible. I have since had AFib brought on by a urine infection and then in February last year, I caught Covid and it brought my AFib on, so viruses can cause AFib, but so can a lot of things. I had an ablation in September, so hoping the AFib will stay away now. Very helpful people on this site and they have good information sheets as well. Best wishes.

[Tapanac]

I had covid for the second time last month and both times it aggravated my afib for 5 weeks the first time, but I think because I now have a pacemaker the covid only set off my afib/tachycardia for about a week

I’m not sure about covid actually giving you afib, I suspect you may have had it before and did not notice the symptoms. Silent afib????

The last two vaccinations also aggravated my afib and I said I wouldn’t have it again

[Ppiman]

Bad luck. I guess it wasn't a coincidence as there has been shown to be a likely link (not proven I think). Covid seems to be something we might yet find to be far worse than many would have us to believe.

You might find that your AF disappears for years, or might rear. We are all similar in that respect, even without the covid link. Once heart cells change, it seems they can sometimes recover but can never regenerate if damaged. AF often is said to "beget AF", meaning it eventually worsens and eventually becomes permanent. That said, my 90-year-old friend, and my sons 76-year-old fiend both have it all the time and cope really well.

Steve

[Desanthony]

This is well known occurrence after Covid - You may remember one of the two Dr's Chris and Zand Van Tuliken (twins) got this after Covid and his twin watched him having a cardioversion in a programme on during the Covid lockdowns - it was good to watch a Dr's reaction to having AF and having a cardioversion. I can't remember now if the cardioversion kept him in NSR or if he had to go on and have further treatment.

[TopBiscuit in reply to Desanthony]

Oh, I didn't know that! I listen to their podcast but hadn't heard about the AFib. Do you know what programme it was? And what channel?

[Desanthony in reply to TopBiscuit]

I think it was a special one off programme and can't remember the name of it. Pretty sure it was on one either BBC 1 or BBC 2.

[Thomas45]

Welcome to this discussion board, Peachtreepiggery.What you should know is that AF is not life threatening but you are 5 times more likely to have a stroke than someone who has not had AF.

There are medical treatments which will help.. You do not tell us anything about yours.

I've had AF for about 29 years, only ever taking tablets, with no medical interventions / procedures. My AF is now permanent but also asymptomatic I take my anticoagulant daily. The AF has never caused me anxiety. Anxiety begets anxiety. Respect the AF, but don't let it get you down.

[marinoperna]

i had the Moderna "Vaccines" as required due to needing my prostate surgery. One month later i got my A-fib. Now permanent! Never had Covid. Bad stuff these shots. Money maker in my mind for the makers. Any they want to give this to 5 month olds! Never ever again for me nor my family. Very pisssed that this was forced on us!

[loghousegal]

I had my first long Afib event March, 2022. I had Covid much earlier in Jan, 2020. I asked the cardiologist about any connection. He said there were many more cases of people with Afib since Covid. He couldn't say if Covid caused my Afib.

[marcyh]

I have just read a study published in the periodical, "Cells." In it the Poloni et al state that "the Covid virus does not replicate within the heart" and that "the study did not find myocarditis in Covid-19 cases." Obviously, this is about myocarditis; the article does not mention AFib. But I believe this finding is of interest. In the same article, another autopsy study of fatal Covid cases...did not find inflammation of the heart muscle tissue itself. In other words, according to the cardiologist's accompanying comment, "the virus does not infect the heart."

[bean_counter27]

I was diagnosed with paroxysmal AF well before getting COVID. However when I got COVID I also had an episode of AF and several more in the months following. This was a notable increase in the frequency of my AF episodes. My cardiologist said it was quite common I had a scan to check for any signs of damage but was all fine. The frequency of my episodes dropped back to what I would call "normal" several months after I had COVID. In my case there doesn't appear to be any enduring impact from having COVID.

[Mugsy15]

It is well known that inflammation anywhere in the body may trigger arrythmias in many people. So it's inevitable that having a bout of Covid will trigger AF in some of us, just as it would if we had flu or shingles or an infected wound. Or indeed a vaccination. While vaccinations do not introduce live virus into the system as is commonly thought, they often cause minor inflammation.

It's true, therefore, that the Covid booster may 'cause' AF in some sufferers. Just not for the fanciful sinister reasons some would have us believe.

[maurice2]

Developed pericarditis about a month after mild covid...which quickly turned into continuous afib. Had a cardioversion after three months which worked, now just numerous ectopics, sometimes very numerous. Doesn't worry me very much, just get on with life, trying to stay as fit as possible but I also don't over do it (very demanding exercise can sometimes be an afib trigger). Stopped alcohol altogether, was drinking fairly heavily through the lockdowns.

Also do a bit of HRV (heart rate variability) monitoring using a chest strap to see how tired I am.