OK, I'm still noodling with the notion that I can guess what my AF triggers are.
For those of you still pursuing your triggers, especially when your previous episode was several days ago, how far back do you go?
A few hours? Or do you require a very short time?
How far back is *too far* when it comes to accusing something of being a trigger?
As my EP told me years ago. " Looking for triggers is the way to madness, You have AF you will get AF. "
Well Bob, I found out what would trigger an AF attack for me many years ago. That being artificial additives to food/drink and especially artificial sweeteners. EP's can talk about AF but most have never experienced it, so I'm afraid I don't agree with yours at all.Jean
To some extent Bob is correct as every time I thought I might have identified a trigger a new one popped up, it was like bat the rat but as I carefully noted in my journal there were some consistences:-
STRESS = inflammation
Infection of any kind = inflammation
Gut issues = inflammation
Chronic diseases = inflammation (mmm….. maybe there is a pattern there)
Dehydration
Lack of micro nutrients & electrolytes
Toxicity - such as drugs, alcohol, all ultra processed foods especially sugar and sweeteners, environmental, household cleaners even, cosmetics and toiletries - the list goes on and on.
Over exercising or not exercising.
In simple terms to avoid AF worsening do everything you can to live ‘clean’, eat well, breath through your nose, sleep well, exercise moderately, do something that gives you pleasure every day and enjoy your life and stop the introspection was my conclusion. Life is not a rehearsal.
Well said CD. AF may be in your life but it should not be all of your life.
Great post CD. This is me absolutely. Some triggers are, unfortunately, unavoidable.
Hello,
Thank you for your post. It may be helpful to start keeping a diary of each time you have an episode which may help you to identify triggers such as food/drink consumption and events that may have occurred. Keeping note of this may help you to look back and decrease/eliminate potential triggers.
I would like to direct you to our Mindfulness and Healthy Living with AF booklet. It contains supportive information, particularly around ways of managing symptoms that I do hope you find helpful: api.heartrhythmalliance.org...
If you would like any support, advice or further information, please do reach out to our Patient Services Team via Patient Helpline or via email, please visit: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
We are always here if you need us.
Kind regards,
HollieAdmin
I don’t have a huge issue with AF, but conduction in general. I’m very much in agreement with Bob on this - besides, sometimes there is no ‘reason’ and no ‘blame’. Sometimes it just is. For me it’s genetics but the gene is not clear - but the frustration is the same. It comes and goes at will.
Have you not got a hobby? Seriously I would say 24 hrs max, I have had several episodes the day after working above my head eg pruning, lifting heavy stuff onto shelves, swimming. Otherwise it’s mental or bodily stress, eg worry about an upcoming event or suffering from a virus or infection. I agree with CDreamer. Now, what hobby would suit you? Puzzles?
Thank you for the only direct answer, so far, to my simple -- yet silly? -- question.
I, too, have had episodes that follow by many hours physical exertions. In my case, three episodes following me spending an hour or more on my knees doing work with my hands and arms -- cleaning large window screens, removing a mouse nest from my car's air-conditioning blower, and removing plastic ground cover.
But the lag was a number of hours. I wonder what the mechanism is. Given the lag, I wonder if the AF would still be considered "vagal."
And then, many times (25 or more), I have had episodes that begin at the end of sleeping, or at the very start of a day of desk work. Ten hours prior, before going to bed, I had been in intense concentration and writing on difficult issues Not physical work, but emotionally stressful. Given the lack of physical effort, I wonder if the AF would be considered . . . would the word be "conductive"?
I can't think of a single episode in almost a year that began immediately with an obvious exertion or emotional event. Every episode, in the moment I noticed it, seemed unjustified based on my activity of the moment.
And thus I wonder what y'all mean when you suggest triggers. How do you know? What is the relationship in terms of *time*?
All this said, thank you for the patient wisdoms that have been imparted.
It’s never one thing in my experience, the actual trigger may not be obvious but coincidences may be a plenty. If it’s a stressful situation then it’s more likely to be the de-stress that follows it than the situation itself. We all need to accept that you just can’t trust it, easier said than done.
Best wishes
Listen to your body more, it takes awhile to do this as we have been conditioned into the opposite ie to react to messages.
I certainly haven't cracked my AF triggers/causes but I have had good QOL since diagnosis 12 years ago through focussing on lifestyle changes and am grateful to AF for this.
Currently I believe I may be able to reduce my AF by using my mind as I believe this is a key trigger to starting episodes and therefore could be the route to stopping some of them 🤞.
I’m now in permanent AF and am a lot more stable. But when it was PAF, I identified several triggers which would nearly always put me into AF within 3 to 24 hours. Extreme mental or physical stress like my daughters new puppy escaping and having to chase it up the road, being in a car accident but unhurt and finding out from a long email string copied to me by mistake that one of my work colleagues was stabbing me in the back. Caffeine in Coke or dark chocolate, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. Other times I just couldn’t identify a trigger.
Like me, You might be able to identify some definite triggers and avoid them and therefore make your life a little easier. Some, you will never know.
Self dosers, how do you do it?
how breathless do you get with AF
How long have you had AF?
Do you know when you're having afib?
How long have you been out of AF?
