I have recently being diagnosed with AF (paroxysmal). All started during an indoor cycling training, an episode that was very brief and I just noticed. Some days later I did an outdoor climb (around 1 hour of steep track) and AF kicked in and took 6 hours to fade away.
In the subsequent days I had a couple more events, by just walking up to my home stairs (52).
I had a cardio visit, heart is looking healthy (ECG and ecocardio-doppler are ok, and blood levels are going). Cardiologist prescribed 100 mg Flecainide daily to start.
I'm just wondering how much change in my life this will imply, in particular for exercise. Would I be able to continue with cycling (maybe on easier tracks)?
Any suggestion or shared experience is very welcome.
Thanks
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GioCaJoli
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I would back down a bit on incline or slow your speed down to keep heart rate lower for a period of time for your body to adjust to medication. At some point, you may be able to go back to your normal routine. Over time, you should discover what your afib triggers are. Gradually increase your exercise time and intensity levels. With afib, it took me a while to find what my "new normal" was. Avoid getting discouraged though. Discouragement can be mentally paralyzing. I've been living with afib for 11 years as a reference for you.
Thank you so much for your insights. Yes, I know it is too early to draw conclusions. I have to keep anxiety at guard. I just started medication, I still have to learn how to "listen" my body in these new conditions. Graduality is a key factor, no doubt. Thanks again.
my triggers were alcohol or coffee then exercise. Even the morning after having quite a few red wines the night before would send me into AF. So i didn't exercise on the mornings when i had a few drinks the night before and presto no AF. That started 31 years ago and i would only on average get one episode every 5 years until 2022. Stupidly it was always the same cause as after 4 years i went back to my bad habits forgetting about AF
I have Afib but asymptomatic. I run 60k a week and notice that my heart rate is slightly higher when I run in Afib compared to normal Sinus. My cardio consultant wasn't concerned with this as long as my heart rate returns to normal when I finish running which it does. I have heart rate recovery on my smartwatch, so can monitor this.
I'm fortunate that my Afib is just nuisance value in my case, unlike many people who suffer awful symptoms. I'm 63 and weighing up whether to have an ablation or not, but currently symptoms don't justify it, unless they change for the worse.
My personal view is that AF is a warning from your body that it has had enough....be it exercise, stress, bad lifestyle choices(often food) or more likely a combination of all those.
So you would be prudent to scale back your cycling schedule and review the rest of your life. On a typical AF timescale doing this for a year to re-assess is a short time and well worth it while you build up your knowledge.
Thanks for the advise, I understand the time scale is an important factor to consider when evaluating the adjustments of exercise schedule. I shouldn't rush to conclusions now. Thank you again.
I’d suggest reading the book The Haywire heart by John Mandrola which is all about how excessive aerobic exercise can trigger AF & recommendations on how to mitigate against. It certainty answered many questions I had about running & AF
I found an electric bike helped me enormously to manage my AF but keep active. I also think keeping fit minimises the effect of the AF when it strikes.
Like you I am relatively new to the Forum, and also have Paroxysmal AF and take part in regular sporting activities.
The first thing I would say is that it seems that AF has a very wide spectrum and everyone suffering from it seems to be different- so, whilst it’s very interesting to learn about other people’s experiences I don’t think it’s appropriate for any non medical professional to give you advice.
There is a delicate balance between sharing experiences so that we can, hopefully, be reassured about our conditions, and giving each other advice. I think giving advice to others can be potentially dangerous.
For what it’s worth I asked my cardiologist about exercising during one of my asymptomatic episodes (I am usually only aware of an AF episode because of my Apple Watch either giving me a specific AF warning, or simply showing a raised pulse rate which I then check by taking an ECG on my watch and then on a Kardia).
My cardiologist told me that as my heart is strong there is no need to stop exercising during an AF attack.
However, in line with my thoughts as above, your situation could be different and I suggest you ask your cardiologist what his advice to you is.
Thanks, yes, I understand the importance of taking advice from professionals; sharing experience with others helps feeling part of a community, I have talked with many people since my diagnosis but no one had a direct experience to share.
Hi I am new to PAF as well and on Flec. I see a Cardiologist who specialises in sports cardiology, he is also a very keen cyclist, would you have a specialist in Italy like this?
Hi, my cardiologist isn't specialized in sports, and so far she hasn't provided me with specific indications related with cycling. She suggested I'll have to explore how I am reacting to Flecainide trying to have a normal life with some exercise. I might try some low-intensity swimming in the next days if I feel safe and mentally in good shape.
My AF episodes (30 mins @ 200bpm) were triggered during recovery from sprints that took my pulse above 150bpm. I now avoid raising it beyond recommended “fat burn”, even for short sprints, and try not to cycle too energetically up steep hills! Make sure you continue with aerobic exercise, not least to maintain healthy blood pressure, but don’t overdo it. Weight training is also good for you.
The goal of treatment as you age will be to avoid a stroke. So at some stage in the future you may be advised to take either antiplatelets or anticoagulants based on your risk scores, balancing stroke risk against bleeding risk. However, you shouldn’t let that stop you staying active!
l think it’s a case of adapting and adjusting your life to what your body is telling you. Listen to your body. Strenuous excercise puts a strain on the heart. Everything in moderation is key to coping with AF, that’s my experience. I personally feel wretched with an episode of AF and have to rest, but others say the opposite. We are all different and there are no standard rules, it’s too individual. I hope as time goes on you get regulated and have a good quality of life. It is possible and most of us manage to do that. This forum is very helpful, and you are warmly welcomed and l wish you well on this journey.
Hi - sounds a very similar situation to me. I’m 58, triggered AF through a too aggressive hill climb session - picked up via Wattbike a couple of days later with HR at 202. Had Cryoablation this Feb then Cardioversion to treat a Flutter in May. I’m back Mountain Biking and road biking but in consultation with Electrophysist decided I don’t want to exceed 80% of max HR, so c146. What I’ve noticed is any major hills immediately push HR well above where I want to be. I’ve used an electric MTB for some time (Specialized Levo) and have just swapped my road bike to electric which is fantastic - you ride normally for 80% of the time but have a helping hand when it gets steep. It’s taken some time to stop chasing Strava KOMs and just enjoy cycling. I wish you well.
I exercised a lot > 10 hours a week and also got A fib. Consultants and specialists have said it’s ok to exercise and ok to push hard but advice was to knock back the hours per week.
while it is fresh in your mind have a think whether you had any triggers. In my case too many red wines the night before my morning run or ocean ski paddle. Another trigger was 2 espresso coffees then ran up a flight of stairs. My first episode 31 years ago and on average one every 5 years till 2022. During that time I learnt to not train after an evening of wining and eating too much. After a break of AF for the 5 years I would stupidly forget and do the same triggers again! I’ve done all my bloods and found my VitD3, Magnesium and CoQ10 were all low. I now supplement. I continue to train daily include 20km every few days on my Nordick Track indoor bike. I keep to the threshold of 80% of max HR to my age in everything I do.
Be mindful you may have triggers but go and enjoy life as well
I'm older than you, but my AF diagnosis occurred at the same time as the discovery of a Vitamin D deficiency, and a Vitamin D deficiency has been linked in research to causing various arrythmias. Please ensure Vitamin D is included in your blood tests.
AF, like strokes, can be different for everybody. Back in the day I was a runner, Orienteer, and cyclist. I knew that I had AF as in Spin class sprints my heart rate could hit 190 or higher, but apart from occasionally feeling like I had ridden into a hedge, there weren't any ill-effects. I based my maximum heart rate on a fast cycle for about 4 miles, recovery, and then a sprint uphill to failure (not changing gear). That stopped for at least 12 months when dronedarone and amiodarone gave me pulmonary toxicity. I recovered and an EP said that I didn't need an anticoagulant.
I then included a hard gym session of around 60 to 75 minutes, followed by a cool down that included inverted yoga poses (my neck frequently at 90 degrees to my trunk). Then, two days after a gym session, I had a full-on stroke. My brilliant Neurologist said no more inverted poses. I used my bike in the garden on a very good magnetic resistance turbo, and was featured in an infomercial for Pradaxa anticoagulant. Then some low life stole the bike from the garden. I had used a Concept2 rowing machine in the gym, so I bought a second-hand one. I've rowed over 2 million metres. As I use it outdoors, the amount of rain - my weather station registered over 1200mm last year - has been limiting.
I'm 77 and a few years ago, I agreed with my GP that my maximum heart rate during exercise would be 180bpm. I've voluntarily reduced that to 170 this year. I use a Polar chest strap transmitting to a Polar Vantage V HRM, and a Concept2 PM5 monitor. That way I can constantly monitor my heart rate, as it can jump between 5 and 10 bpm (my heart flip-flops between atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter during exercise). Additionally, I walk, and from time to time, cut scrub in a nature reserve, using a battery backpack and an extending hedgecutter that totals 10kg.
Listen to your body; you are an athlete so you are used to that. Be aware that some medical professionals have a strange attitude to AF. The Cambridge University SAFER study participants are all 70 years of age or older! If you can, talk to second and third-year medical students to spread the message. As the lyrics say; you will survive!
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