My Wife woke up early morning 1am when her heart went into AF (I knew the symptom as I have suffered in the past with this but unrelated to hers) After several hours later a trip to A&E was suggested by 111. NHS were totally brilliant and within two hour was given a cardioversion which put her back into normal sinus rhythm. She was given 1.25mg of Bisoprolol and told to take this until she could be seen at arrythmia clinic. She has this appointment on 29th.
My Wife health is pretty normal with no other ailments or medication so really strange this happened with no real cause behind this.
Any thoughts here
Neil
Written by
minchern
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S**t happens as they say. Last year my wife complained of bouncing heart and GP diagnosed AF though no treatment given as very short duration. I bought here a Kardia 6 for Christmas but don't think it has ever been out of the box since Christmas Day. Not even sure where it is to be honest. I don't ask and she never mentions it. Best £150 spent for ages. (She is some years older than you but 12 younger than me. )
My very personal take on AF is that it is pure mongrel; pure mongrel ! It will do whatever it wants when it wants if you - perhaps - have a genetic predisposition to it, if you have a dysfunctional Vagal Nerve or if you have a personal history of untreated or poorly treated high blood pressure ......... just for starters. It is all things to all people.
It is a master of disguise ........ mine started of by my waking up and feeling I was going down with flu. I had already been treated for high blood pressure for a few years and on this particular day my reading was 136/80 - at the time pretty normal for me. 9 hours later it had dropped to 76/50 an hour or so later I was in A & E - by this time my heart rate was 156 and thereupon came my diagnosis.
With the passing of time I found that food was a trigger for my AF kicking off. I later read of the relationship between food and the Vagal Nerve. My own experience was that if my AF kicked off in the early hours, 1am, 2 am or 3 am it was probably triggered by food that I'd eaten during my main meal of the day the previous evening.
As I say, just my experience, just my take on it all.
Yes me personally had attacks of AF when I drank spirits so I cut this out and only a bout of Pneumonia triggered it again some five years after I stopped drinking. For my wife who is normally healthy this attack was out of the blue and I'm sure tests to come might show something but I think i'm clutching here.
What about your wife's siblings or parents? I have familial AF, my father had it (we believe) and one by one my four sisters and myself have been by chance, diagnosed. In each case it was out of the blue and a finding unrelated to the reason we had consulted doctors.
According to the NHS website it's estimated that over 2 million of us have AF, but for postmenopausal women this figure could be much higher according to research that puts the figure at 1 in 4 of us. I can't post the link but you can Google it. So unfortunately it's a boringly common condition that seems to strike out quite randomly - though watch out for those triggers of weight gain, alcohol and lack of sleep.
I believe the figure is closer to 4 million these days for AF. So it is alas all too common. I developed mine at 63 and probably had half it on and off for at least a year. Lucky I didn't get a stroke. It's best to get your wife checked out for that reason. Report it at least to your GP. I know it's not a happy thought re the danger of stroke but your GP will check your wife's CHADvas score and discuss with her. If you're concerned get a Kardiamobile or similar so that you can catch any further incidents.
Coming out of the blue, the most likely AF cause for my money would be some additional stress nb also IMHO that would have been the straw that broke the camel's back as there is very likely other factors at play as well.
I don't think I will ever give up looking for AF causes.
eg This week I read about the benefit of bitters to support digestion. Interestingly the London Naturopath goes onto say 'The bitter taste can stimulate the vagus nerve through the tongue, which connects the brain to the enter-endocrine cells lining the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract.' I will ask my cardiologist's opinion next week as I am pretty sure my AF on diagnosis was vagally mediated 🤔.
CAVEAT: The same action can both stop and start AF.
Since the Vagus Nerve has so many branches in the stomach, that may be why Afib is often improved with weight loss and in general not eating so much or so often and giving up bad food.
Another theory I have is that as your stomach and other organs shrink with weight loss, not only do the number of blood veins shrink and disappear (hence lower blood pressure), so do also the size and number of branches of the Vagus Nerve, and thus a lower chance of their being set off to cause disturbances. For example, I had a doctor tell me once that for every ten pounds of weight lost, one also loses a MILE of blood vessels. So why not nerve branches?
Oh, there is a cause! it's called "reaching 60". It's bad luck, though, and doubly so as you have the same. I was only saying to my wife, Wendy, during a most beautiful walk in cool cloudy sunshine yesterday that I am so glad she doesn't have to walk along worrying what this feeling or that feeling is and where it might lead. Mind you, she is not the worrier that I am, so it would be me, likely, who suffered the most.
One thing to keep in mind is that the atria are far less problematic when it comes to arrhythmias compared with the ventricles so however bad these arrhythmia feel, and whatever anxiety they bring on (which, as I know, can be plenty), they are very unlikely to be of long term consequence to health. Well - that's what I've been assured by my specialist. Treatment with anticoagulant where needed and rate control medicines is all many people need. That's what I take, but with flecainide now potentially in the mix and a future ablation when the NHS can provide it.
One thing I always think worth attending to with arrhythmia issues is the general health situation that most often accompany them. From memory, these are: hypertension, sleep apnoea, excess weight, diabetes and thyroid issues. I think blood pressure is the number one aspect that sits alongside AF, but can't be sure. Of course, treating that isn't always easy. and it, too, has a range of potential "causes".
Another useful thing is to use an Apple Watch or similar, if such a device will not increase anxiety. Many get a Kardia, and I have a Wellue which comes with its own screen and free AI. I'm also currently trying out a new Contec / EMAY 6-lead handheld ECG device and that is proving excellent. Wellue have three models that read for over 24 hours, too, if catching these arrhythmias proves difficult.
If I was in charge of the NHS, I would institute a campaign 'Now you've reached 60, you've got the wisdom to make the best lifestyle choices'. Hopefully, postpone a few joining this Forum and other chronic illness ones 😁.
hi Neil, it can strike anyone unfortunately. Even the young.! My partner works with a girl in her early 30s whos got AFIB and is waiting for an ablation.!
But My retired supervisor in his late 70s now should statistically be a gonner due to a lifestyle of alcohol, fried food's and junk and is still smoking cigarettes after 50 + years But he’s still here walking to pub everyday! No heart attacks, strokes etc. he knows Iv got AFIB and Iv asked him if he ever gets missed heart beats etc.? And he says never unless I can’t feel them.? His genetic makeup is something else.??😮
I do believe the majority of us can avoid certain illnesses through a sensible lifestyle but there is always the few that can do everything wrong and still seem to be ok,!
The problem for us all is that these diseases seem often to start only as innocent changes here and there and sometimes years or even decades before they matter. The mind is hard to convince of where such changes might lead so we ignore them.
I think the important ones are excess weight, inactivity, high blood sugar and high BP: all are often (I know not always) in our power to control and all often do lead to awful illnesses and earlier deaths.
I am trying to lose half a stone and do some daily strenuous exercise - even extended walking with hills seems sufficient.
I agree. And I could do with getting a little more Exercise to be honest. I’m on my feet all day at work but I should make time and get out and get some hills walked up to get the heart beating.👍
I hope your wife is ok on that dose of Bisoprolol- it was too much for me to take daily as it brought my heart rate down to the low 40s! Getting a Kardia might be a good idea to check on this and see if she really has AF!
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did and his other books and short stories. I had a ticket to hear him speak at the Cheltenham Book Festival many years ago but when I heard he’d cancelled and was to be replaced by Jilly Cooper, I asked for and received a refund!! And you’ve reminded me to take another dip into his Deadeye Dick.
I would have cancelled too. Goodness, what a difference! We have my son’s library here (it was his passion before he married) and there’re a few of his novels and short stories on the bookshelf, so thanks for putting me onto him!
Didn’t you ever talk about books with your son while he was at home? Glad you have found them now though and hope you enjoy them and can let your son know.
It is a long story that I didn't explain. My son is, like me, an English teacher (well I am now retired). We have both always read widely but with me preferring the classics and him preferring modern American and avant garde literature. Before he married and started a family, he read even more and as a teenager started to buy a copy of just about every significant novel ever published. The collection came to occupy many bookshelves in two rooms. Of course, he hasn't read them all - but a large number. Since he married, he doesn't have the room as we do, so they stayed with us. Thus, we have an example of, I suppose, at least one novel from every significant author since the 17C (although "significant" is somewhat subjective but it's a wide canon).
We keep threatening a severe cull but he’s reluctant and it would be hard to select which. They’re mainly paperbacks so mostly worth little or nothing.
Yes the Bisoprolol is causing some concern as her blood pressure is around 90/60 with heart rate mid 60. Feeling tired and headaches in the morning is also the side effect she does not like. Going to see Cardiologist 29th to hopefully start the investigation.
Hope you get to see an EP- the cardiologists who specialise in electrical problems in the heat. And do get her to mention all the nasty side effects. Good luck!
My AFib started when I developed a coughing virus in 2014. I found viruses bring it on, also lying on my left side can bring it on, and walking in very cold weather has brought it on and sometimes there doesn’t seem to be a reason for it. It’s a horrible condition. I hate it. Just hoping my ablation holds it at bay.🤞🤞
Mine was bought on from a bout of Pneumonia which required a cardioversion to correct the AF that was 2 years ago. Also lying on my Left side brings on Ectopics
I think viruses can bring on AFib, as can sleeping on your left side. I got AFib sometimes at night, when I used to lie on my left side. I lie on my back or on my right side, since I found out lying on your left side can start it. AF can start for many reasons or for no reason as well. I wish scientists could find something to stop it permanently. Millions of people around the world have AFib, you’d think they’d put more money into researching it.
Hi Minchern, firstly I think the promptness and completeness of the support so far received from the hospital is great, together with a pretty quick follow up. Because this is so good I'd wait for the experts view before seeking or taking too much advice from this forum. What you can take away is the fact there are an unbelievable number of causes, pathways, hunches, quackery for Afib. When you have something more specific to understand or get your head around is when the forum works best. (In my very humble opinion)
I was 29 when my AF started. No identified trigger. Lots of cousins with heart issues but not parents or siblings. Been a year in normal rhythm following third ablation. First time in 20 years!! 😁
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It's bad luck, though, and doubly so as you have the same. I was only saying to my wife, Wendy, during a most beautiful walk in cool cloudy sunshine yesterday that I am so glad she doesn't have to walk along worrying what this feeling or that feeling is and where it might lead. Mind you, she is not the worrier that I am, so it would be me, likely, who suffered the most.
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