AFIB

[Libertylane]

Has anyone suffered from AFib with their cortisone

[Yellowbluebell]

Hi, unfortunately you have come online too late for most of the uk to be awake and reply to you. When everyone wakes up in a few hours you will get replies.

There are a few people who have heart issues on the forum who will no doubt respond.

Why are you worried about 60 mg of pred? This is a reasonable starting dose for GCA. Is it controlling your symptoms? If not you need to speak to your doctor or rheumy. In GCA the most important thing is to protect your sight with a high enough dose of pred.

Could you please fill in some details about yourself on the profile section. This helps us give you more targetted advice. YBB

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Palpitations and tachycardia are both commonly seen when on pred - but afib itself may well be caused by the underlying autoimmune cause of the vasculitis you are taking the corticosteroid to manage. Afib is a problem people of our age start to experience anyway - the pred possibly makes it worse.

However, if it is really afib you are experiencing then it must be checked out and medicated - at the very least you require an anticoagulant to reduce the risks associated with afib.

I live with afib due to the autoimmune part of the vasculitis - one thing you may find helps is to increase your intake of magnesium. Pred makes us lose more magnesium and calcium through the kidneys which is why we are given calcium and vit D supplements. There are various options for taking magnesium including Epsom salts footbaths and sprays - and it has the added benefit of reducing the muscle cramps some people experience.

[Toenti]

Dear Lib, yes, I have had lots of problems with Afib. Since I was on Pred. For the last 4 years. Now on heavy duty medication until my 5th cardioversion in This coming January. I am on a waitinglist for cardioablation, which is supposedly very successful . My cardiologist believes that it is caused by the Prednisolon. I hope you have a good docter who can help you through all this. Have a happy and healthy new year!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Toenti]

Our local cardiologists don't do cardioversion at all at first because their experience, like yours, is that it rarely works for long and then only do cardioablation when there is no choice because it isn't without risk. As I said, extra magnesium supplements make a massive difference - but my afib has progressed since it started but it definitely started long before pred although it wasn't diagnosed as such until after the afib went mad on a drug reaction.

[Robinsnest72 in reply to Toenti]

Hi Toenti I am 72 years old and have supraventicular tachycardia. Had an ablation done over 25 years ago. It changed my life. If I get physically overtired it will let me know. However when I was on 25mg of pred it would really act up and scare me to death. I now on 5.5 mg reducing slowly and all is well with my ticker. I take no medication for my heart. If you are a hyper person like me it takes practice to stay calm. If your heart goes into arithmia breathe into a paper bag and sit on a chair and bear down . Works to send it back into rhythm.

[Blearyeyed]

Are you concerned , as with your worry of a detached retina , because you are anxious before you begin your Pred.

Theres are side effects but as I said before it doesn't help you to concentrate on the worst case scenario.

I hope you have attended your appointment today and are going to begin the Pred for GCA you need . It really is the necessary step in getting your condition under control and if you worry about something that might happen too much and delay beginning your treatment because of that worry you are more likely to have far worse , permenant damage from not treating the GCA itself.

Take some restful breaths , have some days rest , start your Medication and keep an eye out for more common side effects .

[Summerrental]

I was just diagnosed with A-Fib in Sept 2019. Was put on Eliquis, Pravastatin & Metoprolol.

I am down to 7 1/2 mg of Pred.

[Nannie-C]

Developed afib white on prednisolone. I’m in permanent AFib which didn’t really give me a lot of problems till since second dose of Prolia, injection for osteoporosis, and now am much more aware of the AFib. Do take magnesium taurate which definitely helps.also on diltazium, forosimide and warfarin.

[TooSore]

In addition to PMR and another cardiac issue, I am/was having some issues with a racing heart rate and was put on a one month looping monitor. It showed SVT for 27-60 seconds up to 186 bpm and one instance of 6 beats of ventricular tachycardia, rate of 300 bpm. I was put on propranolol (beta blocker) to keep things under control while they sorted things out and then they closed a pfo (hole in my heart that should have closed at birth). I am continuing to have some racing and they've increased the medications but blame it on them poking around and my heart getting used to the closure device.

No one mentioned to me that there was/could be a connection to the autoimmune or prednisone. I specifically asked if they saw any issues/damage that could have been caused by inflammation while they were in my heart looking around. I am following this threadto see what I can learn as folks answer you. Specifically if there are articles that I can read and bring to the doctors.

I wish I had some information to share. All I can say is that the propranolol took about three weeks to adjust to originally. It made me quite tired. I'm having the same issue now with the increased dose. Do side effects take longer to settle because of the PMR?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to TooSore]

I don't think so - it isn't really like fibromyalgia which can cause drug tolerance problems. But I have been very lucky - the only drugs that have caused me any problems are statins and methotrexate! Though the use of i.v. diazepam a couple of times did have a VERY interesting effect in the afib! On the other hand - it led to the diagnosis of afib and later achieved the pacemaker rather efficiently