Strategies for stopping A F episodes

[southkorea]

Has anyone discovered any new strategies for stopping AF episodes once they have started other than PIP

[HollieAdmin Administrator AF Association]

Hello,

Thank you for your post. When in an AF episode, it is important to find management techniques that work for you. Although these techniques do not stop an episode, they can be used to help manage symptoms/episodes when they occur. There are also lifestyle techniques that can be introduced which may help to prevent episodes and manage triggers.

Our 'Mindfulness and Healthy Living with AF' booklet contains a wealth of supportive information 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 dedicated 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

[southkorea in reply to HollieAdmin]

Thank you

[Buffafly]

jeanjeannie50 has collected a long list of suggestions that have worked for some people, so maybe she will respond or you can scroll through her replies. The only thing that worked for me was a excessively hot curry but I wouldn’t want to repeat that experience!

[southkorea in reply to Buffafly]

Wow .. That would set me off!!

[secondtry]

Lifestyle strategies are probably more common when the person has vagally mediated PAF. eg I have started and stopped AF with a cold drink.

[southkorea in reply to secondtry]

How interesting

[Pommerania78 in reply to secondtry]

What kind of cold drink and how much and how quickly to drink it, etc? Thanks.

[secondtry in reply to Pommerania78]

Gulped down from the fridge, I don't think the type of non-alcoholic drink is particularly relevant.

[southkorea in reply to secondtry]

I think one person drinks cold coconut water!

[Rindfleisch01]

What is PIP (in relation to AF)?

[Tomred in reply to Rindfleisch01]

pill in pocket, taken when an event arises.

[southkorea in reply to Tomred]

How much flecainide do you take?

[Tomred in reply to southkorea]

I dont take Flec, i take dronederone and bisoprolol daily, pip means to take when necessary unless otherwise prescribed.

[Ppiman]

I don't think it's possible. Mine are not so very uncomfortable at 130bpm if I can keep calm and don't do much that is too active when the rate goes to 180+bpm - uncomfortable and anxiety-inducing creating a viscous circle.

Steve

[southkorea in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you. Do you use Flecainide as a Pip?

[Ppiman in reply to southkorea]

No - I was told to take it daily instead, but after one day, I didn’t like how it made me feel so my GP said to stick with bisoprolol.

AF drugs - even ablations - are mainly to reduce frequency and severity of episodes, being mainy for people whose symptoms are not bearable as well as for those few whose symptoms affect their blood pressure very badly. In general, my symptoms are mostly okay, at least if I can stay rested and calm. Sadly, there's no cure yet for AF.

Steve

[southkorea in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you !

[jeanjeannie50]

These are all the tips I’ve saved over the years, given by forum members, for stopping AF. None have been written by me, all from other members here (names have been removed for privacy):

I am a therapist in private practice for over 20yrs.One of my therapies is yoga based. Having quite an accurate knowledge of anatomy, neurology and physiology also having PAF I have found this technique helps me immensely when my heart is fluttering like crazy. Make yourself comfortable either on a bed or lying on the floor, position a pillow under you head, Raise your left arm in an extension position as if you are doing the backward crawl. Stretch as much as you can and imagine that it is stretching your heart muscle...I bend my arm and position my hand under my head palm upwards.. Stay in that position for as long as you can or until the fluttering subsides...At the same time I think of something pleasant. It does not matter what you think about as long as it is a pleasant thought for you. This stops my heart jumping about almost instantly....I also place my right hand over my heart area...Don't panic and just keep calm thinking pleasant thoughts....I do hope this helps you. Kind Regards. C

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As someone else who finds yoga breathing and some positions helpful, I would love to try (xxxx) suggestion, but lying down flat tends to make things worse for me. My most helpful position, taught me by a lovely yoga teacher, is based on a yoga forward bend. I sit up with my legs outstretched in front of me and a pillow under my knees, and then bend forward from the hips not the waist, with my arms relaxed but outstretched towards my ankles, and breath deeply and slowly. It's not so good on a full stomach and is more comfortable with your knees slightly apart, and I guess you have to be a bit flexible to find it comfortable, but it has proved to be a great help.

I agree with (xxxx) that staying calm and focusing on something pleasant is a must, and I've even fallen asleep like this as most of my episodes occur at night.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, like AV nodal re-entry, some people have recurrent rapid rhythms that are infrequent and easy to self-control by using various methods to increase neural slowing to the AV node (so-called, "vagal manoeuvres"). Using these manoeuvres, one can sometimes stop the arrhythmia. These manoeuvres include:

Bearing down forcefully like you're having a bowel movement for 5-10 seconds, then slowly exhaling in the neck while lying down for approximately 5 seconds

Placing very cold (soaked in ICE water) cloth on the face abruptly.

Coughing forcefully

Rubbing the carotid artery (only one side at a time, never both) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There's a yoga breathing exercise that has worked for me before. Lie on your back, bend your knees up so they are above your hips and your lower legs are at 90 degrees. Take a breath in for a count of 4 then breathe out for a count of at least 8. As you breathe out, bring your knees into your chest so you curl into a ball. When you think you've got all the air out of your lungs, try and breathe out more! Breathe in again for 4 and release your legs out to the starting position. Repeat several times. It helps to reset the diaphragm and focus should be on a good long out-breath.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, after discovering that making myself sneeze stops Afib. I have discovered another novel way to stop an attack. It involves drinking a litre bottle of water while holding my nose. It's especially effective if I experience almost panic as I can't get a breath. I don't always finish the bottle but find that's not always necessary to gain the desired effect. Works especially well if I catch an attack early.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This works like magic, and works every time.

A quarter teaspoon of sea salt mixed with 10 ounces of warm water. drink that and then put a smaller amount on your hand and lick it off. Within a minute my afib stops.

This may sound like a "wind up" but believe me it works, for me anyway.

Hope this is of use to someone.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I found if I lay down on the floor and put my feet up against a wall, it seemed to stop my SVT after a few minutes, not sure why it worked, but it didn’t work for AFib though.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coughing or sneezing has helped revert some people back into normal sinus rhythm too.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please let me know if any of these procedures work.

Jean