Hi ! I was diagnosed with Afib one year ago in January . I’ve had 7 episodes in the course of the year since I’ve been on Eliquis and metoprolol. My episodes last between 60 to 90 minutes, and I go back to normal rhythm. I have made a few changes to my lifestyle, no more alcohol even though I was a light drinker, non alcoholic beers and mocktails, we have a great variety here in Canada, less caffeine, only one coffee in the morning, non caffeinated coffee, tea or sodas after that. I am an active person, I play golf 3 times a week and do yoga. I have yet to lose a bit of weight which I’m sure would help, I’ll try to put it in my New Year resolutions. The worst with my Afib is the anxiety of when the next episode will happen, like NOW, I haven’t had an issue in nearly two months……..will it be tonight….. because my Afib is nearly always during the night. I sleep with my smart watch so I can check my ECG and know if I’m in Afib and when it ends. The next day, I’m not up to much since it makes me tired, is it the same with you ?
That’s my story, I try to live with it. Wishing you all a stress free and to be Afib free in 2025.
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Rose8950
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Hi Rose - sounds as though you are doing really well. Yes, most of us end up feeling very tired after an episode for a day or two, depending upon how long the episode lasts. Yes living with the uncertainty of the next episode will happen is vexing but nothing much we can do about it apart from accept that it is what it is and do everything we can to avoid an episode and sounds as though you are on top of things. If you only know about your episode because of your iwatch, you are fortunate as many people have quite alarming symptoms which make sleep impossible. Yes losing weight may help and eating a mostly plant based diet is also good.
One suggestion - if your AF always starts when you are at rest or sleep there could be a possibility of two linked causations - sleep apnea and low vagal tone. Have you been tested for sleep apnea? If not you maybe ask your doctor. My SA was treated and voila - no more nocturnal AF - I still have AF at other times though but waking up in AF most nights is a distant memory.
Vagal tone is something that you can help improve by various means, daily breathing exercises, humming, Yoga, Tai Chi - anything that uses breath work as a basis. Cold water immersion (have to say I can no longer do this so end my shower with 20 sec cold water instead, it has been shown to help boost mood, the immune system and vagal tone but do go carefully and sometimes it’s better to work your way into cold rather than shock.
I wouldn’t worry about caffeine too much, one cup of good, organic coffee per day is probably more beneficial than harmful and I worry more about the chemicals used in the de-caffeinating process than the caffeine and do remember there is more caffeine in tea, chocolate and sodas than coffee. We all vary about what seems to help or harm so the community will be split about caffeine and you really have to work that one out for yourself. Stick to herbal infusions or green tea if you can.
There are lots of other tips which other members may come up with which may help - avoid sugar but even worse sweeteners - and check your food labels as many supermarket foods contain added sweeteners.
Balancing your electrolytes is also important and best if you eat foods rich in electrolytes rather than use supplements as all ultra-processed foods will be harmful, we are only just learning just HOW harmful!
Hope that is of some help, please know that you amongst friends, very knowledgeable and caring friends who are fellow sufferers, many of whom have been living with AF for decades. Also know that many people are and have been successfully treated for AF and you might want to check out the AFA website for lots more information and where the leading Electrophysiologists are with treatments.
Which part of Canada? If you can see if you can get a consult with an EP, specialised cardiologist you may find treatment options will open. I know from posters on this forum that services in Canada are variable dependent upon region.
Excellent info from CDreamer. I would add make a big reduction in gluten and sugar. Also in bed try 2 extra pillows on your left side to stop you rolling that way and also just lie on your back...a lot of the lifestyle changes are trial and error to see what suits you.
Hi John, they vary a great deal. I buy one called Impossibrew and it's fantastic - and has added calming natural ingredients. It's 27 calories a can. But as you say there are much less helpful, higher sugar zero alcohol options.
Please ensure you have comprehensive blood tests for any deficiencies in vitamins, minerals, hormones, or electrolytes. Particularly Vitamin D, as a deficiency is often unrecognised here in UK as GPs do not routinely check this "vitamin", and it played a part in the aetiology of my paroxysmal AF. Recent research points to Vitamin D levels should be much higher than UK's out-of-date guidelines, and is vital in reducing inflammation.
My doctor has recently started me on vitamin D and Calcium supplements to protect against bone loss. I’m having blood works in March, I’ll ask my GP to check for vitamins and mineral deficiencies. One thing I’ve read about on this forum is the vagus nerve, could it be held responsible for the inflammation ?
I supplement with 4000iu Vitamin D3 per day to raise my level to my target near 150 nmol/L. But this capsule also includes 100mcg of Vitamin K2, which is advisable as the extra calcium made available then goes into my bones rather than into your arteries, and this is important. I would ask your GP about the wisdom of supplementing with extra calcium on top of the calcium Vitamin D makes available.
As for inflammation and its role in causing AF. Pain, wounds, worry, stress (both physical and medical), infections et al. all cause inflammation, and possible AF. The vagus nerve is vitally involved in all this and is becoming more recognised as a potential route of treatment outside of the current surgical procedures and medications.
I have many suggestions I could give you, but I notice toward the end of your message that you write, "I try to live with it." I'm curious, why do you not say, "I intend to get rid of Afib" instead? My first suggestion is that you adopt an intense desire to eradicate Afib from your life, and then start implementing actions to accomplish it.
Perhaps the second thing to do is quit listening to the negativity. It is easy to be negative and difficult to be positive. Even on this Forum one will often see people write that there is nothing one can do. Ignore that. If you want to get rid of Afib you can do it. Human nature tends strongly to be negative and defeatist. One has to go around and beyond that. But one has to want the good and then develop a battle plan.
Hi Rose!Sorry to read you've been so anxious. You'll get loads of empathy and ideas here. Hope it all helps! My tips would be -
*Keep your blood sugar level stable. High or low blood sugar is for me a sure fire trigger. It also means you'll eat more healthily. Lower carbs, avoid refined sugar and stuff.
*Losing weight is a pain in the butt, but as Afibbers it's better to give the heart one less thing to worry about!
*I had awful anxiety. I am prescribed a short acting anti anxiety pill called Loprazolam. It's a huge help. Look at anxiety as a trigger in itself, which it is, and treat it every way you can.
*Track your health, weight, food, set goals!
Good luck and stay positive! I'm 65 and have had it since 15 and it's well controlled and I'm healthy and active - moderating things is frustrating but the outcome is worth it.
Thank you so much for the advice on anti anxiety medication. Since I haven’t had an episode in two months, I go to bed every night anxious. I will speak with my doctor about this at my next appointment. New Year resolution , cut the refined sugar from my diet.
What exactly are you anxious about? Your afib burden is minimal - every 2 months or so for less than 2 hours is less than 1%. You don't seem to have horrendous symptoms. I would say your main problem is your anxiety and you might benefit from counselling for this. In the meantime stop checking your smartwatch - don't wear it in bed and practise deep breathing exercises. A magnesium supplement might help with the anxiety . It helped me. My afib burden is far worse than yours and I have learned to regard it just as a nuisance.
I get Afib about as often as you do since 2023, a little less often before that. My PCP told me to stop taking Calcium supplements, he said that they are not considered helpful any more here (USA). Calcium is even blamed for triggering Afib. Electrolytes: I take Magnesium Glycinate, per the label, for leg cramps at night, and if I cut back the dose, the cramps come back, so I think it is working, some say it helps with Afib. Potassium is also said to help with Afib, I take powder from amazon, per the label. There are Potassium Chloride capsules, but they are limited by law here to 99mg/capsule because of a tendency to damage the stomach lining when the capsules dissolve. Maybe ask your Dr. about both.
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