Arterial Fibrillation

[homlyme]

Hi all sorry not been on for a while went for my Diabetes check up and discovered I was suffering from Arterial Fibrillation although it was a bit of a shock it did explain a lot of the problems I had been having with my running I was advised not to do anything too strenuous till they got me sorted I am now on 250g of Digoxin and 30mg of Lixiana per day am feeling much better and been taking some tentative steps on treadmill every other day I am just wondering if there is anyone else out there who also suffers with this illness I cannot seem to find any advise concerning exercise and living with it Hope everyone else is doing well I have been reading posts and keeping up with you all Good luck to everyone racing this weekend was supposed to be doing my HM this sun but volunteering instead 😒😢

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

Oh wow homlyme, no experience of your condition I’m afraid, but I wanted to wish you all the best in your recuperation. Taking baby steps on the treadmill is a great sign though. 👍

Enjoy your volunteering. At least it’s a way to stay involved until you’re back running again. 😀

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

So sorry to read this! I can't give you any advice, but I can link you to Health Unlocked's Arterial Fibrillation forum:

healthunlocked.com/afassoci...

I hope you find some answers and get back to regular exercise soon! Keep us posted xxx

Edit: Oops should have checked first - looks like you're already there!

If you go to their 'Posts' page you can search for posts about exercise etc.:

healthunlocked.com/afassoci...

[GoGo_JoJo Ultramarathon]

Gosh, what a blow! I think a long specific chat is needed with your doctor so you can move forward with confidence.

A quick Google indicates "Exercise can reduce the frequency and severity of AFib episodes in addition to lowering blood pressure and slowing your resting heart rate" but of course you need to know what to look out for and when to reduce/stop etc, also how your meds may help or hinder you.

I noticed that diet can play a big role too so I definitely think a list of questions for your GP is in order 👍🏻

Hopefully you can keep progressing 😁

[homlyme in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

Yes thank you Jo Jo I must admit I was in shock initially but now I'm getting to grips with things have done quite a bit of research and as I say cannot find much on exercise had another ECG yesterday and got another app with doc next week and now have a long list of questions

[GoGo_JoJo Ultramarathon in reply to homlyme]

Without a doubt it's a shock to drop on you but I'm sure with sensible precautions you'll be back in control soon 👍🏻😁

[Hidden]

Goodness, I hope you’re ok. Good that you’re running still, albeit tentatively

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon]

Is that Atrial fibrillation homlyme? I suffered from it periodically whilst I was doing a very stressful job. I retired and the problem went away, but there is, I believe, different degrees of severity/ frequency/causes. Sometimes drugs control it and sometimes surgery (oblation)is needed. Definitely one for a cardiologist rather than me!! Just saying that I got through it. I was never discouraged from exercising, but my AF was neither severe nor frequent. In the end the cardiologist did a stroke risk assessment and said that my cholesterol and blood pressure were fine so I was at low risk given the infrequent episodes, and they decided to leave nearly well alone. I don't now take any tablets. I hope you see the right person to give you the good advice you need soon. In the meantime take good care of yourself.

[homlyme in reply to Beachcomber66]

yes that's it but the one I have is continuous having read about it now I can see I have had it for a long time on and off but being unaware blamed other things for my slumps in training etc I am now on a drug called Digoxin which as slowed my heart rate down and Lixiana to thin my blood apparently their is no known cause one of the main reasons I ran was because I have a high family history of heart problems I'm waiting now to go for an heart scan I had an ECG yesterday and it looked a bit better than my first one did so looks as though I'm on the mend thank you for your concern

[Hidden]

Many people, especially older, can live with AF without too much impact on their lives. Younger people tend to find they feel dizzy, wobbly and generally unwell so has a huge impact on their exercise tolerance. I would expect ECG to confirm with drugs to follow. Here we use beta blockers to control AF and a blood thinner. The atrium of the heart are not contracting, more wobbling like a jelly so the blood does not fully empty out leaving risk of clots forming hence the blood thinners. I would expect other investigations to see if there is a cause such as an echo to check structural and functional abnormalities eg valve problems. And some sort of coronary artery blood flow check eg angiogram or CT angiography. Depending on what is found determines treatment. Where everything is found to be normal the AF will be down to aberrant conductive pathways which can be severed using ablation. This is a minimally invasive procedure to map the pathways and ablate the ones causing the AF using burning techniques. Usually a day procedure.

The concern is if you get fast AF and this will need to be treated in resus A&E as it can be very dangerous.

Regards exercise you can carry on but not strenuously. Some people find their exercise tolerance is down during periods of AF, others find exercise can trigger their AF. It is really down to advise from your cardiologist and how you feel.

[homlyme in reply to Hidden]

Yes thank you all you have said I have read about I was going faint and breathless but was initially putting down to diabetes till I checked my sugar levels and they were OK so went to doc and he sent me straight for ECG and it was diagnosed as continuous AF I know you can still exercise but not too strenuous which is the question what is strenuous after been medicated I am just starting to feel energetic again

[Hidden in reply to homlyme]

What is deemed strenuous is an open question! It depends on baseline fitness levels that you have and how symptomatic you are during varying levels of exercise. I would build up slowly and see how you react to the exercise. If you feel symptomatic then cut back, that will be your limit for now.

[homlyme in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou