Hi All, looking for advice. I've got a vague memory of reading somewhere that AF people shouldn't use hot tubs as the drastic temperature differences when you get in or out can trigger an episode of AF. My husband thinks this is nonsense. His argument is that if it were true Afibbers would be told not to swim in the sea as that often involves big temperature differences.
Does anyone have any information on the use of hot tubs by Afibbers?
To my knowledge there is no defnitiove answer since we are all different but would caution usage carefully.
Not nonsense! Afib triggers vary from person to person. And you can tell your husband that I have a good friend that got afib after jumping into the cold ocean! As to a hot tub, I don't use them, but maybe others will share their experience, but again, what triggers one person may not trigger another.
Jim
triggered AF with me so don’t use them now
I'd just point out that the physiological responses to cold vs. hot water are very different and mostly opposite, though each can quicken heart rate. ChatGPT does a good summary.
Don’t have any info. with hot tubs, but l have low blood pressure and have been told not to have hot showers as they would lower my blood pressure even more.
Knowing that, it must have some bearing on heart conditions if there is a drastic change in blood pressure and heart rate with changes in body temperature. I know the shock of extremely cold water can cause a cardiac arrest.
Personally, l would get more medical advice before l used a hot tub. Better to be safe than sorry.
Chris.
We had a sauna and hot tub in our last house. I wouldn't dream of using either with afib and certainly not when in afib. Conversely neither would I undertake cold water swimming. It is really worth the risk.
We also have a Finnish sauna and an ice cold water tub. I use it almost daily, in AF or not. Does not make any difference. And I enjoy the relaxing effect!
What does "in Afib"... actually mean? Seriously. I have been diagnosed with Afib 8 months ago. P8cked u0 on ECG after a fall and wrist break required an operation. . On apixaban and bisophorol..
Atrial fibrillation affects the upper chambers of the heart, the atria. In afib they quiver and generate an irregular heart beat pattern. It is a type of arrhythmia of which there are others as well as Afib. The beats are uncoordinated. Its an irregular and often fast heart rate. Some people are totally unaware of it and its picked up in perhaps a medical check up like yours. Others can suffer dreadful symptoms which can knock them for six and everything in between symptom wise. Some people go in and out of afib so their normal sinus rhythm is interrupted by afib from time to time. This is known as paroxysmal afib. Others are in afib all of the time, permanent afib.
Amongst symptoms can be breathlessness, dizziness, pre syncopy, often accompanied by anxiety. It can feel as though you have a bag of worms writhing around in your chest. Some people have chest pain others do not.
The biggest risk of Afib is stroke hence anticoagulants are prescribed depending on your risk score. The AF association have lots of information on the forum which will explain much better than my lowly interpretation. Please look at their information it will tell you all you need to know including treatment options etc. Best wishes.
Thank-you...its all so confusing, especially when you can't get to see a cardiologist face to face to explain.
It is all too much when we havent had a good cardiologist explaining things. I was so lucky with my first cardiologist when rushed into a and e and kept on the ward for five days. He didnt make it sound horrendous or dreadful and explained things beautifully. My second cardiologist was the opposite, curt, abrupt and totally without empathy.
I moved hospitals at that point and went to a top guy in central London even though it meant a long travel south. He was so thorough in his testing and diagnosis did and Electrophysiology study which no one else had bothered with before. He has kept me on the cardiac straight and narrow. All on the NHS too. I am forever grateful and trust him and his team implicitly. Research all you can, knowledge is power and it helps with the emotional aspect too, Best wishes.
You're very fortunate..that's good news
Make sure you get a cardiologist you feel comfortable with and have confidence in. My arrhythmias are highly symptomatic often requiring hospitalisation with IV morphine for unbearable chest and body pain, syncope and requires IV flecainide to return me to normal sinus rhythm. I have been known to have a cardiac registrar sat on my bed holding my hand looking at the monitors telling me when the next big wave was about to hit. My episodes are on the extreme end of symptomatic and cause me great anxiety.
Oh I'm sorry. That sounds very scary. Thank-you for your reply. I think I will have to pay to see someone.
Thank you. Good idea, choose carefully to set yourself on the right track. Let us know how you get on.
Thank-you. My own GP actually advised me to do that when I was at the 4th month waiting but Xmas was round the corner, so in waiting longer, it was 6 months from diagnosis when I got a telephone consultation.
No I've been in my own hot tub many a time ,before we moved house. Also swim in the sea.I don't run around for a while afterwards, keep warm and relax.
Stess for me , was biggest trigger .
I didn't have hot tub on highest setting to get in but sometimes topped heat up if I was needing bubbles on poorly hips etc. Then I cooled it down.
Think sensible , as sudden shocks not ideal .
Enjoy+
Anything can trigger an AF episode but hot tubs would certainly be on my list however not all jacuzzi are equal. Some places the water is just too hot for me and makes me feel rotten, others which are just above body temperature are great. When in NZ we went to a natural water spa where there was a series of pools at different temperatures and the idea was to gradually move to warmer temperatures gradually, that was very relaxing and no after effects.
Tell your husband it’s anything but nonsense to want to avoid anything that may trigger an AF episode.
I think the key thing for afibbers is to avoid sudden changes of temperature. Gradual change should be OK.
You are right , it's why responsible leisure centres and spas ask if you have any cardiac or blood pressure problems before letting you use them , and often won't allow people to use them.I wrote a reply to someone asking the same question about saunas a few days ago , I listed the advice for saunas , Steam rooms and hot tubs in that reply .
If you go to the bottom of this post page under " Next Posts" scroll down the list you should find the sauna post , it's worth reading my reply.
Or you can press on my little picture and scroll through my most recent answers to find it.
You can also help put your hubby in his place by telling him that actually people with cardiac issues and Afib are also warned about going into cold water , like a pool on a hot day or in the sea because cold therapies are as likely to trigger cardiac symptoms, AFib and arrhythmias as hot therapies are.
It's usually much better to look for advice from recommended medical charity sites , and post questions on reliable forums rather than to listen your spouses opinions or the random " tips" your friends suggest from Dr.Google , it's usually friends or family that come up with nonsense 😆😆😆
Take care , Bee
Your husband is right I agree with him.I've owned a hot tub for at least 20 years and it never triggered an episode in fact the pleasure I get from sliding into hot bubbles on a cold day is pure bliss.
Maybe extremes of too hot or too cold as someone mentioned is not wise but I'm not about to step into really hot wster it's meant to be a relaxing pleasure
Her husband may right in relation to your experience, but he's actually wrong in terms of general advice.Just because you have been ok doesn't mean the recommendations are nonsense for everyone else.
Take care , Bee
I don't think there are guidelines on this matter and afib. The only guidelines I had from different cardiologists where to not excess in alcohol and drugs (without saying), and get vaccine for flu. Never had any other official advice on what to avoid. I also had before and after my ablation sauna, jacuzzi, various cold water swims, cold showers (because boiler not working)... it hasn't caused any afib in me.
Different story for blood pressure issues and maybe other cardiovascular problems for which official guidelines are available.
And best guideline is "listen to your body" anyway 
Cardiologists , Tub , Sauna and Steam Room Manufacturers, Health Insurance Companies and Hydrotherapy/ Cryotherapy professionals give the same advice and guidelines about using these therapies with AFib as they give for people with blood pressure issues.In fact in some cases they suggest greater care for people with AFib than with mild blood pressure issues.
This is because the rapid change of heart rate or blood pressure by swings in temperature, even if the blood pressure changes in themselves remain with normal range are one of the common triggers for Atrial Fibrillation.
Sadly.it can be very hit and miss when receiving self care advice from your diagnosing professional, some are very explicit, some don't tell you anything unless you ask the questions, some aren't that knowledgeable or well read on all the guidelines and just recite the usual basic list of things to avoid for any heart condition.
Listening to your body and keeping track of your general health in the weeks before trying a therapy of any sort is really key to finding out if it ok for you or could have some positive benefit to your feeling of wellness.
Moderation and shirt trials with a buddy for safety is also vital in conditions like AFib which can be triggered by extremes in external stimuli when trying most forms of exercise or physical therapy.
M.y cardiologist has approved it but warned against saunas and plunging into cold water but as you rightly said my experience is not a yard stick for others
I don’t own a hot tub but I love a lot bath, I stay in there for at least 20 minutes at a time and it doesn’t bring on my AF. I put Epsom salts in there for the magnesium which I’m sure is good for my heart. Having given up alcohol, it’s my best source of relaxation. l also love a sauna, and used to go in one regularly at my gym, before my op. After my ablation blanking period, I specifically asked the AF team whether I was OK to go back in the sauna, and they said fine, as long as I was sensible, kept it short to start with and built up gradually, and kept an eye out for any ill effects
Good for you, the sauna was a bit too extreme for me jumping into the cold water afterwards but the hot baths with epsom salts yes totally agree
When this came up before my response was that it had never occurred to me, by which you can correctly infer I use hot tubs etc when away. I think that the cold to hot experiences you get at some spas (ice baths etc) may be triggering but again, that's never occurred to me. Take it gently.
well I’m sorry but your husband is wrong. As my friend would say when did he qualify as a doctor?!?!
I was specifically told by my EP in St George’s tooting that I was never to use a sauna, hot tub or steam room. Then because of the distance and nightmare parking and my husband unable to drive that distance any more I was transferred to our big local hospital. Again during a consultation with both a cardiologist and an EP I was advised, but not forbidden, unless I wanted to take the chance, no steam room, jacuzzi, sauna or hot tubs.
By the way one of the consultants also advised against going suddenly into very cold water
I’m sure on here some may have done those things and been ok
Good luck snd stay well
when we were on holiday there was a sign on the hot tub saying not to use with heart problems. But i know people do so 🤷♀️
A few years ago On one of my cardiologist appointments shortly before going on holiday I did ask whether it was ok for me to use the sauna in the hotel.
He frowned at me a little, but didn’t say no. He just said he would advise against it just to be safe. So I took his advice and stuck to the swimming pool.👍
Too hot definitely a trigger for me
I spent a week in and out of a hot tub on holiday last summer, if you can call it summer.
No issues for me, but YMMV
I have had a Hot Tub for many years. I’ve suffered from AFib ever since I had open heart surgery and can’t say the Hot Tub has triggered my AF. I’ve been in permanent AF now constantly since 4 December 2024 and I hadn’t used the Hot Tub since last August. Prior to that, I had been free of AFib for 18 months.
Not sure about Hot Tubs, but I enjoy a hot bath now and then! Have never had a problem. All things in moderatin of course!
We have a Finnish sauna at home and an ice cold water tub. I use it almost daily, in AF or not. Does not make any difference. And I enjoy the relaxing effect!
many of us afibbers have vagal Afib whereby sudden temperature change to the vagal nerve can both start or stop an afib event. Two examples would be drinking an ice cold glass of water and a cold shower with the water hitting the neck and ears. I myself have gone into afib after rapidly drinking a glass of cold water in the summer.
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