Increased Attacks of AF

[ChrissieMT]

My AF attacks have gone from one every month of so to every two weeks, then every week and now every other day. I think that stress and tiredness seems to be a trigger. My husband was recently admitted to hospital via A&E following an accident, he is having an op today. I am not a panicky person nor a dramatist, I wonder how I am going to cope when he is discharged and I have to take care of him at home. Just taken my PIP dose and relaxing back hoping the AF abates soon, so uncomfortable.

[Racquet]

Are you working with an EP? Sounds like it might be time for you to consider an ablation. The game changing technique called PFA makes recovery time, at least from my personal experience, short. I was playing tennis 2 weeks later and that was more about the full healing of the groin incision.

[Leechg]

Hi, you mention PIP dose, maybe you could consider a daily pill which might keep you more stable. Hope all goes well for your husband.

[ChrissieMT in reply to Leechg]

I do take Bisoprolol daily.

[lifts984]

Chrissie, firstly you are not alone! Yes you are indeed in a stressful situation regarding husband even if you dont panic , still stress. Do you monitor blood pressure? different things can bring on episodes, it is just identifying which ones effect you, stress is one , alcohol , sometimes too much red meat, exercise is recommended but on occasion I overdue it , mainly for me it is rising heart rate for whatever reason which can then turn into out of rhythm which then takes anything from 8 - 16 hours to return to normal

I have had this condition for 15 years, and the episodes have become more frequent until 6 months from September to March this year when I was getting 3/4 a week . I then saw a video on Youtube Barbara Neil Australian woman who is a doctor who believes in natural remedies , one such lecture talked about need for sodium, now I had been avoiding salt as I thought it raises BP but she recommended Celtic salt, and Cayenne pepper and woodthorne berry, So I gave it a try some sprinkles of salt on a finger then drink a small glass of cayenne pepper in water and I have been fine since although maybe one a month now although most have been because I let my guard down due to no episodes .

I would also inform readers of a newish product I have just started taking which was recommended to me by a doctor NMN and NADH with COQ10 my blood pressure readings have dropped since taking them and the benefits could be very good

I wish you luck and hope husband improves and you can try and feel more relaxed and maybe try some of the products related here love Ray x

[Ppiman]

This is a difficult time for you. But… you’ll cope well. Most definitely. We just do. What are your own symptoms?

I am much in the same boat as you AF wise.

Steve

[ChrissieMT in reply to Ppiman]

At first I get a weird sensation in my throat along with a very erratic heart beat, fast, slow, missing beats. Sometimes heart quiver, a non-cardiac GP said that this is AF and no signs of atrial flutter. Last week he just upped my dose of Bisoprolol and did nothing else!

[Ppiman in reply to ChrissieMT]

There’s likely little more that can be done beyond what you take, except for an ablation. My symptoms are much the same but with more ectopic beats than AF - continuous, really. The AF I get is much like yours. The worst is - if you get it - a kind of strange feeling that what is coming is bad, but it never comes. Weird indeed. It’s not stress, but stress makes it worse I suppose.

I’m never quite sure if stress exacerbates AF myself and I’m quite sure you’ll cope. You need good quality sleep, I’d say, more than anything else - which is something I never get sadly.

Steve

[Buffafly]

I think the advice about daily Flecainide is sensible. Have you contacted anybody about your increased episodes? Under the circumstances you need help yesterday so please do. As you are already prescribed Flecainide (which is the drug that treats the arrhythmia) it may be fairly simple to get your regime changed. The dreadful stress of worrying about your husband is surely exacerbating your AF but that is no excuse not to be treated effectively if possible. Best wishes to both of you ❤️‍🩹

[Buffafly in reply to Buffafly]

I have looked at your previous posts and realised that PIP in your case does not refer to Flecainide which is what is usually used as PIP while bisoprolol isn’t. All the more reason to get urgent treatment.

[ChrissieMT in reply to Buffafly]

I take a total of 5mg Bisoprolol daily, the Flecainide PIP dose is 150mg in one dose when I feel an attack coming on.

[Buffafly in reply to ChrissieMT]

Ah, so back to plan A. It’s better to be protected in advance if you have frequent episodes - the PIP would have been prescribed when you were only having monthly episodes.

[Ozette]

A Fib is a progressive disease and always gets worse over time. There is no cure, but there are treatments. Doctors don't usually tell patients that. Some people are very lucy and their symptoms are not bothersome. Unfortunately for some the symptoms are hard or very difficult to live with. In the beginning my doctors said oh A Fib is not serious, but that was not the reality and I wish I had known early on that it is much more complicated than that. My heart goes out to anyone with A Fib. It is not easy!