Since I was first officially diagnosed with atrial fibrillation back on Father’s Day in 2006, I have made detailed journal entries of every afib episode I have had. My goal is to get those journal entries on this blog for others to read. I’ve been dragging my feet on that project but today I had an episode so I thought I would go directly to my blog this time instead of my private journal.
My last episode was on August 28th – almost exactly a month ago. My afib has gotten progressively worse this year. Up until this year, I was able to go a good year or more in between episodes. Now I’m getting them about once a month. I knew this would eventually happen as atrial fibrillation is a progressive condition. I was crossing my fingers hoping I’d be one of the lucky ones in that it wouldn’t get progressive for at least a few more years. No such luck for me.
This episode was unlike any other episode I’ve had. It was about 2 p.m. and I was pretty tired so I thought I would take a quick 20-minute power nap. In case you’re wondering, I work from home so I have the luxury of taking a nap if needed. Ten minutes into my 20 minute power nap I was suddenly awakened by palpitations. I knew instantly I was having an afib episode but I didn’t want to believe it. I knew afib episodes during sleep was very common but not for me! What was going on, I wondered to myself.
In addition to my afib getting progressively worse, it’s also becoming very random. I’ve never had an episode when falling asleep! I usually get them when I bend over suddenly. Although I did have an episode back in June this year when I was totally relaxed and just taking an easy stroll in my car.
I lay there for another ten minutes to see if by a miracle I could pull out of it naturally (something I’ve never experienced before so I wasn’t holding my breath). Of course my heart just kept pounding away erratically.
I finally got up and drank 8 ounces of water with 3 teaspoons of Natural Calm, giving me 525mg of magnesium citrate. The last couple episodes I had I took it but I have no idea if it helps or not. My theory is the magnesium might help calm my heart (and me mentally) and it might help the Flecainide be more effective. Then I downed my 3 white pills for a total of 300mg of Flecainide.
I then grabbed my AliveCor Heart Rate Monitor to take an EKG reading. This is the best investment I’ve ever made to help me during my episodes of atrial fibrillation. You simply put your fingers on a couple sensors for 30 seconds and it takes an EKG reading. Then you can send it to a technician right through the app for $5 to have them tell you what the EKG reading is. My reading confirmed that I was in “Atrial Fibrillation with Rapid Ventricular Response and PVCs.” Below is a screenshot of the EKG from my iPhone 5:
I also thought this time around I would try something different. I took my shirt off and lay on my back and sprayed my chest and stomach literally 32 times with Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil spray and rubbed it all over. This gave me an additional 400mg of elemental magnesium.
My thinking behind this strategy was that the oral magnesium probably doesn’t get absorbed that much because it usually gives me diarrhea (an indication that most of it is just passing through my system). If most of it isn’t being absorbed, then I have a backup with the spray as I’ve been told most of it does get absorbed through the skin. Magnesium spray is really messy and very oily so I just lay still on my back for about 20 minutes and then I wiped off what didn’t fully absorb.
At that point it was just a waiting game. The last two times I used Flecainide I converted in 2 hours so I figured it would take at least that long. During this time I just lay in bed and listened to my usual talk radio shows and checked emails and did my work on my laptop.
Around 4 p.m. I got out of bed to go to the bathroom. When I stood up, I almost fainted. It was the most bizarre feeling I’ve ever experienced. For a split second the room went dark and I felt myself getting very weak. Luckily it only lasted a split second so I continued to walk to the bathroom. As I was standing above the toilet getting ready to unbutton my pants, it happened again. I suddenly felt really weak and the room started to go dark on me again. I immediately lay down on the bathroom floor just in case I was about to pass out. As quickly as it came it went. I got back up, went to the bathroom, and walked as fast as I could back to the bed.
Something strange was going on because I was having some pretty intense palpitations and even while in bed I felt light headed and felt as if I was going to pass out. I thought I better take another EKG reading to see what the hell was going on because all of this was new to me. The EKG technician confirmed the same thing as earlier (Atrial Fibrillation with Rapid Ventricular Response):
The next 20 minutes was really rough – so rough that I called my wife and told her she might want to come home and take me to the hospital. I told her I didn’t think the Flecainide was working and I wasn’t doing so well. This never happened the previous times I took Flecainide so I wonder if maybe it was all the magnesium I took. I never used the spray before so maybe that’s what was causing things to go super crazy this time. I have no idea.
Magically around 4:30p.m. – almost exactly 2 hours after I downed the Flecainide – my heart started to settle down and within minutes I felt totally normal! I was so relieved because I did not want to go to the damn ER. Electrical cardioversions are a pain in the ass and super expensive. My last one was over $4,500.
And my kids were home too so I didn’t want to have to explain to them daddy was going to the hospital to have his heart shocked. They don’t know their dad has atrial fibrillation. I haven’t been able to work up the courage to tell them yet. I don’t want them to worry. It’s bad enough my wife knows. She freaks out way more than me when I have episodes. I don’t need a house full of people freaking out over me.
I stayed in bed continuing to work on my laptop for a couple hours and took a final EKG reading at 6:30 p.m. to confirm I was still in NSR. The EKG reading confirmed all was good:
I’m just crossing my fingers that I can go at least another month before the next episode hits. I guess the good news with this latest episode is that it pushed my to get an ablation done asap. Luckily I have an initial consult with the great Dr. Natale in Austin, TX in November. That was going to be an appointment to ask him if I should have an ablation now or wait a while longer. Now the conversation is going to be, how soon can you get me on the table! I am going to have an ablation as soon as he can get me scheduled.
Possible Triggers
One thing I always do when I have episodes is take notes of any potential triggers. Some people have very specific triggers for their atrial fibrillation. I haven’t been able to identify any specific triggers to date but it’s always fun to play doctor and try to see if there are any patterns.
This time around there was a couple potential triggers. The week prior to this episode I had a serious case of insomnia. I was getting like 4 hours of sleep per night and between Thursday and Friday night alone, I was operating on 6 hours of sleep total (2 hours on Thursday and 4 hours on Friday night). Saturday I was running on fumes.
Then Saturday night I got about 8 hours of sleep and I felt absolutely fantastic on Sunday. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I had so much energy! Sunday night I got about 5 hours of sleep (my usual) so on Monday I felt o.k. But around 2 p.m. I hit a brick wall and that’s why I decided to take a quick power nap. Then boom, I had my episode so maybe the lack of sleep the past week led to this episode.
The other potential trigger was my diet and recent weight loss. I have radically changed my diet the past 2 months. I have been eating healthier than I have my entire life. I’ve lost 18 pounds as a result! This new lifestyle only has me eating about 1,500 – 2,000 calories a day. I say “only” because I used to consume 2-3 times that every day. Could it be that this radical change in my diet and the weight loss has thrown my body chemistry out of whack?
Oddly enough, I had an atrial fibrillation episode when I was on a Medifast Diet a couple years back. During that time period, I was only consuming 800 calories per day and I lost 32 pounds. Maybe there is a connection with the calorie reduction and subsequent weight loss? Who knows.
I was 26 when I was first diagnosed with afib my heart rate was around 200bpm ..they put me on diltizem and flecainide it seem to work for bout 6 years this pat year things have spiraled out of normal it seems that my anxiety has worsen by 100 and the dunny thing is that I have always had bad anxiety but I knew how to manage it and never let it get the best of me but know it’s like I cant even controll it anymore. I had been in the hospital 2 times once I was in afib and it seems the meds have stopped working . but what gets me was I went on a diet and lost 35 lbs in 5 weeks on a keto diet shortly after that I experienced to feel a lot of off balance all the time so I got with my doctor and they took me off the flecainide and lowered my diltizem dose ..but now they have me scheduled for a ablation I go to charelstown sc for a consultation at the end of this month scared to have it done but the afib attacks suck dont wanna suffer with them for the rest of my life…..
Tom:
How are things going today? What came of your consultation? I wouldn’t worry about the ablation. An ablation by an expert EP has the potential to put all this behind you!
LWAF
I noticed an attack of Afib when I had lack of sleep due to early morning flights. I felt irregular heartbeats which woke me up in the wee hours. It would calm down to make me fall back asleep but comes back in the morning when I get up. It goes away mysteriously after taking breakfast. I suspect it can be triggered or stopped when your vagus nerve, which runs through the cardiothoracic area, is triggered.
I have just came across your useful web page. I am actually here for my mother not myself.
8 months ago she got admitted to the hospital with HR around 160bpm. Diagnosed with AF.
She has mild Mitral valve stenosis which has been under control for the past 40-50 years. Also she has high BP which is controlled by meds and the highest BP for her is 140/90 very rarely and most of the time 110/65. She has type 2 diabetes controlled with meds as well.
In the hospital they administered Amiodarone and Heparin but the rhythm was still not normal sinus. The cardiologist did a CT angiogram which after that he said he did a trick and the rhythm is back to sinus now (which is correct). I am sure he has not done cardioversion as my mom was awake and didn’t feel anything. It also can’t be an abalation as it would take way more than 20 mins to be done. Have you heard of anything like this?
Also after being released from the hospital on amiodarone and digoxin my mom got bradycardia and admitted again. So the doctor has stopped all rate meds and amio and my mom currently only takes BP meds and Warfarin.
Soheil
Soheil:
I have to be honest with you, I have no idea what the cardiologist’s “trick” would have been. You are correct, however, in that it definitely wasn’t a cardioversion or an ablation. If you get a chance to talk to the cardiologist you should ask what exactly they did.
I wish your mom the best!
LWAF
Hope your doing good, I have afib with no underlying problems I just had my 1st ablation 6 weeks ago and have come in and out of afib 3 times and still feel the impulses trying to break through using with palpitations , I came out of it using extra doses of Flectinaide did you experience any of this in the first 3 months ? Usually happens upon waking up or after a meal , How long before you know its over ? or is it ever really over ? I know if it doesnt work they can do it again and 95% success rate the 2nd time , for now I upped my dose flecinade from 50 2 times a day now taking 1 in morning and 2 at night Thanks Alan
Hello all,
This has been such a blessing. Thank you for creating this site. I had open heart surgery this past November to un-roof a Myocardial Bridge of my LAD (65mm bridge to be exact). I have had symptoms for a long time because of the bridge, but have always had a normal EKG and Holter monitor. That being said, since about two weeks ago I have been feeling some PVC/PAC here and there but all of a sudden I went into what I think to be AFIB. It was terrible – about 45-60 seconds of my heart just going crazy.
I chalked it up to a new medication that my cardiologist had put me on to minimize angina pain (Nitro-ER). But now I have been suddenly awakened in the middle of the night for 4-5 days in a row with severe pain, gasping for breath and my heart racing. My doctor asked that I wear a Holter monitor. They just plugged me into it for 7 days to see if they can spot what is going on.
My question to you is have you heard of people that have gone through open heart surgery suddenly have atrial flutter/fibrillation? I have done some research and apparently it does happen. Also, do you have any advice as to how to sleep (recliner?) to minimize the symptoms? Thanks so much once again!!
Alex:
Sorry to hear about your recent struggles with your heart. I’m hoping you don’t have a-fib but if you do, it’s not uncommon to get afib after heart surgery. As to advice on how to minimize symptoms while sleeping, about the only thing I’ve heard is avoid sleeping on your left side. I haven’t slept on my left side in over 12 years!! Even after I was cured of my afib in 2015 I still sleep on my right side (or on my back).
Other than that I haven’t heard of any other tips or tricks to avoid afib while sleeping. Even restricting your sleep position to your right side or back isn’t a guarantee but does seem to help a lot of afibbers.
I wish you well.
LWAF
I had my first episode about 9 months ago and have had an episode about every 4 months. The first one they had to shock me. The second one happened while I was out of town and I converted on my own. The last one the drugs they gave me in the E.R. worked. My rhythm guy put me on flecainide and diltiazem.
I felt crappy so first they reduced the flecainide from 100mg twice a day to 50mg twice a day. I was still feeling bad on them and since my pulse was getting slower and my blood pressure lower they had me stop the diltiazem. I STILL felt like crap so 2 days ago I started taking 50mg of flecainide at night only. I feel better already. I have an appointment in about a week and I am going to ask him about going the “pill-in-pocket” route, as my episodes always occur at night or upon waking.
I will also be getting a CPAP soon so that might help. The funny thing though is that when they tested me for sleep apnea, I was on flecainide which I read can cause you to stop breathing. I know it was affecting me because when I sat in a chair and tried to doze off, I couldn’t because I would stop breathing. Since I stopped the daytime dose of it, I can take a nap in a chair again. Weird, huh?
The positive thing about flecainide is that it seemed to get rid of my flutters during exercise. That is cool as I like to cycle, hike, ski and lift weights. What I would like to know is how I can find the best person possible to do an ablation. I certainly don’t mind traveling. I live in Utah.
Thanks for all your information.
Kathy:
Thanks for sharing your story. Glad to hear you’re slowly figuring out which dosages work best for you. If you go the ablation route, please reach out to me directly via my contact page and I’ll help you find an elite-level EP.
Thanks!
LWAF
I think you have the last 2 ecg’s backwards in the blog. I only mention it because I was proud of myself for reading it and not understanding your interpretation and wondering if I was mistaken. I am in nursing school so just learning but I found this by Googling about afib during sleep on the way to cardiology with my 5 year-old.
I am positive he is in Afib every night and he thinks he is having nightmares. I can’t get them to catch it since he wakes up on the way to the ER so I am praying we will be sent home with a monitor. I know I’m not crazy but they don’t seem concerned. But I will absolutely be buying the app thing you mentioned if this doesn’t work out! So thank you!
Rebekah:
Thanks for pointing out the error! This post has been up for a long time and nobody else has noticed – including me! I fixed the error so thanks again for pointing it out.
I hope you’re able to get a monitor for your little boy. And I hope he doesn’t have afib! Keep us posted and God Bless.
LWAF
I only get my episodes during sleep now and also suffer from insomnia because of that. I don’t think stress and insomnia are triggers but I think it weakens the body and makes the conditions ripe for an afib episode.
Vincent:
I agree with you completely that stress and lack of sleep provide the perfect environment for afib and other arrhythmias as well.
Have you ever been tested for sleep apnea? It might be worth looking into if you haven’t.
Also, given your age of only 43, I would strongly encourage you to consider looking into having an ablation if your episodes start spiraling out of control.
I wish you well.
LWAF
I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and given a cpap machine but I haven’t been able to get use to the cpap. I might try the oral device next.
I recently got on metoprolol and that seems to help calm th heart. Acupuncture also might helps and I began taking magnesium. I’ll try the brand you suggested.
I think diet also might make a difference. Last night I went to the movies and ate a bunch of candy, then we ate McDonald’s after, which I haven’t done in a while. That night I had palpitations. it’s probably wise to limit processed foods as much as possible.
I’m scheduled for an ablation in Dec. little nervous…
Vincent:
Diet can definitely play a role. And it’s not just what you eat but how much. When I eat a lot of “bloating” foods like candy, popcorn, pop, fast food, etc. my PVCs and PACs will really flare up if I overdue it.
Don’t be too nervous about the ablation. I know it’s kind of scary but it’s a fairly safe procedure these days. The main concern is how effective will it be. If done by the right doctor it can be life-changing. I’ve been 100% afib-free for well over 2 1/2 years now since my ablation!
I wish you the best!
LWAF
Yes I’m scheduled for an ablation in early Dec., but the doctor only gives a 60% success rate. I’ve talked to another doctor who claims 80% success but he’s booked till May. Mind you I’m not sure how these doctors define success and I’ll need to find that out. 60% is not bad if that is for one ablation for the rest of your life and no further need for drugs. What prognosis did your EP give your concerning your ablation?
Glad to see your doing well after 21/2 years.
Thank you for the replies,
Vince
Vincent:
I could write a book on the vaunted “60% success rate.” Sufficed it to say, that figure is an across-the-board average of all ablations. In other words, the EP that has an 80% success rate is lumped in with the EP that is doing his first ablations and has a success rate of 50%.
Having said that, the average is typically 60% and that’s because the majority of EPs aren’t very good at doing ablations. Furthermore, most don’t target non-PVI triggers. They just ablate the pulmonary veins and that’s it. Many cases of afib, however, come from non-PVI triggers so those triggers are never ablated (and so people continue to have afib even after their ablation).
Success rates are defined as having no afib without drugs after one year after the 3-month blanking period. If you go one year and one day after your 3-month blanking period and your afib returns, it will still be classified as a success because you went one year without afib. It’s pretty pathetic I know, but that’s how that national average success rates are defined. Your EP and the center you go to may have their own internal metrics for success. You have to ask them for those stats.
At the end of the day the most important thing to do is put the odds in your favor and that’s by selecting the most experienced EP you can find – regardless of the wait. If you contact me directly via my contact page we can discuss this further. Depending on where you live and where you’re willing to travel, I might be able to point you in the right direction.
The one thing you don’t want to do is choose an EP based on availability. That is often the biggest mistake you can make because most EPs that aren’t very good are the ones that can get you in quickly. Usually, but not always, the best EPs will have wait times of 3-4 months or more. Exceptions to this general rule are if you are in persistent afib and your quality life is really suffering. In an urgent case like that, even the best EPs will find a way to get you in early.
LWAF
I started having a lot of episodes while sleeping. I was almost scared to sleep. I thought about what possible triggers could be the culprit and the only thing I could think of that I had changed was that I had recently stopped exercising. So I started to exercise again and low and behold the afib went away.
David:
That’s very interesting. I’m glad to hear the exercise is helping!
LWAF
I’ve had Afib since 1992, it started just after my mother in law died ….. It was a very stressful time. Since then I’ve had many episodes one in November 2003 brought on a minor heart attack after which my meds were changed and since then I’ve been taking Sotolol which suits me. Even so I’ve had around five serious Afib attacks where I’ve been taken to hospital on a blue light, on one occasion my heart rate was a menacing 310 at its worst.
I’ve learnt how to control the episodes myself and know my body and the triggers to avoid, mind you I still push my luck sometimes.
My husband was diagnosed about three years, his Afib is completely different from mine as it’s mostly while sleeping waking him up with a start. One such occasion was two nights ago. Reading through the comments on here is like describing my husbands symptoms. He has high blood pressure, slightly overweight and recently lost half a stone in six days! He was taken to hospital but by the time doctors had taken bloods, had ACG’s and blood pressure monitored he had gone back to NSR. We’re due to see our GP next week, I’m hoping my husband will get meds to reduce the frequency and severity of the Afib episodes …… I won’t hold my breath because of cutbacks…agh!
Your page had been the most helpful we have come across, thank you.
Glynis
Glynis:
Thanks for sharing your experiences with afib. You’re the first couple “I’ve met” where both the wife and husband have afib. I’m sure that works to your advantage, however, as you both can relate to each other. Most of us have spouses that don’t have it so they have no idea what this battle is like.
I wish you both the very best. If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask them here or contact me directly via my contact page.
God Bless!
LWAF
Hi, my name is John. I want to thank you for the great website so happy I came across it.
I had my first a fib attack three weeks ago. I was sleeping and I woke up to go to the washroom and I didn’t feel very good I almost fell over. I went to the washroom and I checked my pulse and my heart was rapidly beating really really fast and It was flip flopping all over the place. I got scared and went to the hospital and they told me that I was in a fib and they gave me drugs to lower my heartbeat which worked. I was visiting my sister at the time but they told me to go and see my family doctor.
Ever since that day my heart is beating irregularly. I recently moved and its almost impossible to get a family physician so I went into a walk-in clinic and spoke to a doctor and he said it could take some time for it to come back to normal rhythm.
I can feel it all the time and it’s very uncomfortable. They put me on medication called Metoprolol 50mg to try to get my heart into normal rhythm. I do have sleep apnea and I do use a cpap machine but I wasn’t using it the night the afib happened.
I live in Canada and I do have a doctor who is going to refer me to a cardiologist but it could take a while. I was wondering if you had any advice for me.
Thanks for taking the time to listen to me.
John
John:
Thanks for your kind words. Sorry to hear about your afib struggles of late. It sucks. I know.
Were they not able (or willing) to do an emergency cardioversion? I’d start there.
Assuming a cardioversion isn’t possible, I’d talk to your doctor about trying Flecainide as a pill-in-the-pocket. It may work very well to convert you to NSR.
Short of those two options, I recommend you read this post if you haven’t already:
https://www.livingwithatrialfibrillation.com/10/emergency/
Please keep me posted. My hope is that by the time you read this you’ve converted to NSR already! God Bless.
LWAF
Thanks
I started having A-fib issues in 2012. I have had a total of 5 episodes since, not counting the rouge palpitation. I have to be cardioverted every time. Oct. 2015 I had an ablation done. I just had another episode last week. Every time I woke up in afib. I also have sleep apnea and high blood pressure. My mom had it and my brother has it.
Since this post I have had 2 episodes. This is after my ablation. One I had to be shocked. One I converted on my one doing the clenching technique. I am waiting to see my cardiologist. I still have a month. My doctor has said I might need another ablation.
Sean:
Hey Sean. I’m having difficulty following your afib history. You had an ablation in October 2015 and since then you’ve had 2 episodes, is that correct? It sounds like you had a good couple of years and now afib has returned. This is very common.
You definitely will need a second ablation as one of two things has happened. Either the initial burns have had some breakthroughs or you have additional triggers beyond the pulmonary veins.
If you proceed with a second ablation, be sure to work with the most experienced EP you can find!
LWAF
Yes I did have an ablation in October 2015. After having it done I had 3 more episodes they started 1.5 years later. I just had my second ablation done July 2017 so far so good. I’m on metoprolol and flecainide. Those two pills give me a mild case of depression. Not a fan of the way it makes me feel. Talking to my doc when I see him next.
I had afib for the first time last night. I woke around 2 AM to use the bathroom and when I came back to bed I knew something was very wrong. I have had palpitations on and off all my life, and I was told they were not serious. They were benign.
But this rhythm was very different and I was pretty sure it was AFib. I anxiously waited for a few hours to see what would happen and when it didn’t get better I drove myself to the hospital. I considered calling an ambulance but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I had my daughter on the phone with me all the way down to the hospital as I was kind of dizzy and very anxious.
After about 20 minutes of being at the hospital, I converted on my own, they told me to see my cardiologist and sent me on my way. I stayed home from work as I felt like I had been put through the wringer. The afib stirred up my usual palpitations this morning which I took a beta blocker for me and I took an Ativan and slipped away most of the day.
Now it is bedtime and I’m scared to death that it’s going to happen. I don’t want to go to sleep and wake up to that feeling. I’m sure I’m just setting myself up for that to happen by thinking it but it’s where I’m at.
I know I do not want to take one of the anti arrhythmic drugs. I don’t tolerate medicine well and I saw my mom and dad will try to take them and have a really difficult time.
I guess I just wanted to tell people I was scared. I don’t have a plan and I don’t know the right decisions to make.
I’m so glad this site was here and I could just talk to someone about my feelings. Thank you for having the blog and for being here. Thank you so much for listening. Linda
Hey Linda. I hope you’re feeling better by the time you read this. What you experienced is all too common among us afibbers.
How long have you had afib? How is it being managed other than beta blockers? How many episodes do you have usually in a given month?
I can provide some guidance with more information. Sufficed it to say, I would strongly encourage you to consider having an ablation by an expert EP. It’s the only shot we have at a cure. Drugs can help in the short-term but they are not a long-term solution.
If you ever need to vent again during an episode, feel free to post here on my blog or feel free to shoot me an email directly via the contact page on this blog.
I wish you the very best.
LWAF
Thanks for your response. Last Thursday was my first episode of AFIB….so I don’t have a clue. I have been researching everything about it.
I see my Cardiologist in two days and I am sure he will have a good plan….but if it includes antiarrhythmic drugs, I don’t think I will be able to tolerate them. My body does not do drugs well.
I am feeling somewhat better today, but quite anxious and I notice I don’t want to go far from home. I also feel on the verge of tears. What the heck!
It sounds like when you get an episode of AFIB you don’t need to run to the hospital…..you can hang out and see if you convert. Boy, my symptoms were pretty darn uncomfortable with lots of dizziness. Maybe I just need to get used to these feelings.
I have taken Atenolol for years for palpitations….just 1/2 pill of the lowest dose. I take it at night as it makes me feel a bit sick. I just am sensitive to drugs.
I have also had anxiety on and off during my life…but now…..the anxiety is at mach 10 :)
Linda:
If you have any questions after your appointment with your cardiologist, stop on by here and fire away. I’ll try to guide you through this as best as I can.
The best thing you can do in the meantime is arm yourself with as much information as possible. Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more in control you’ll be and as a result you won’t be nearly as anxious.
I wish you the best!!
LWAF
Hi Linda,
My name is Bob hopefully I can add some comfort to your life. I had my first episode of A fib attack a little over 2 years ago and like you it scared the crap out of me. Over my life I’ve had PVC’s but by being a runner it kept them at bay. Then it was the 4th of July weekend and I was drinking a lot and on Sunday evening it hit me! Landed in the hospital and eventually converted on my own. I have been on blood thinners since but have also figured out what my triggers are. Right now I may get a palp here and there particularly at night. I have learned that sleeping is one of the times that it happens a lot but I’m sure it’s different for each person. One thing that I’ve found is making sure I’m very hydrated as when I was in the hospital they told me I was completely dehydrated so I drink Gatorade or power aid daily. I have been pretty much AFib free at this time so praying I can keep it this way. Again research Holiday Heart and it will explain what I think I had. Also stress is a culprit so try and keep that at a minimum I also take a very light Xanax once in a while whenever I feel like I may get an attack. Just my two cents, stay strong and know your not alone.
Linda, I too seem to be sensitive to drugs. Might I ask what medications you have taken and what your reactions were? My doctor “quit” when I did not respond as expected.
I happened upon your post. It was encouraging and sad at the same time. Encouraging, because I’m not alone. The first doctor I saw wanted to immediately start me on meds and blood thinners. This didn’t makes sense to me since I only triggered every 3 – 4 months. I took their beta blocker meds when I triggered.
It took me a year but I found a holistic cardiologist that surgery and meds are the last resort. He started me on supplements. I had to get more sleep per night, drink more water, no processed foods, and just being a little more healthier than what I already was. Of course managing stress is very difficult for me but I’m learning. I know it’s important to exercise daily and I’m learning to push through the weakness.
So for the sad part, the last month I’ve been triggering every few days. I kept telling myself, “what am I doing wrong?” I’m always researching and learning. It’s sad to know this thing is progressive and I would trigger more frequently. I saw my cardiologist a week ago and he gave me additional supplements. He said we just need to find what works for me. This time he also gave me rhythm meds to take when needed. It seems like I trigger every other day now. I have an isolated ache under my left breast. I’m trying not to worry, but I’m fearful. Will I have a stroke? Will I have a heart attack? My doctor said I shouldn’t worry.
So of course now I wonder if my heart will become addicted to the heart meds and won’t normalize without it? Can I ever get this afib under control without meds? And how about all the side effects with the meds? Yikes. I don’t want to live this way. There must be other options. Maybe an ablation is something I really need to consider.
Your post has been encouraging, giving me more food for thought. Thank you for sharing your story and giving me and others hope.
Debbie
Hey Debbie. Thanks for sharing your story. You’re definitely not alone! Unfortunately, this “club” has a lot of members and it continues to grow every year.
You’re doing everything right. In fact, you’re doing more than I ever did! But here’s the thing with afib, eventually it always wins. Lifestyle changes and supplements are things all afibbers should do but in the long term it’s just not enough. Even if you did everything perfect and took the perfect amount of supplements, afib would eventually rears its ugly head.
Meds are only a short-term or last resort option, in my opinion. The only shot we have at a cure these days is an ablation. I’ve talked to many people who have gone years without afib after having an ablation but I have yet to talk to anyone that has kept afib at bay with drugs alone beyond a handful of years. Sure there may be exceptions but for most people even these powerful prescription drugs stop working.
If your afib continues to spiral out of control I wouldn’t hesitate to have an ablation with one very important caveat. Make sure you have an ablation done by the most experienced EP you can find – even if that means you have to travel.
I flew across the country to have my ablation done and it was the best decision of my life. I’ll be celebrating 2 years of total afib-freedom and no drugs to boot since my ablation.
I’ll have 3 or 4 ablations if that’s what it takes. I refuse to take drugs long-term at this point in my life.
I wish you the best!
LWAF
I also have afib, and I just wanted to mention that there is a big connection between episodes and seasons. Mine seem to be worse in fall, when the days get shorter. I googled it, and sure enough, fall is worse, with September being the peak month. Mine always comes back starting in August or September. I wake up with my heart pounding and flip flopping, breathless and week. Thankfully I usually convert in an hour or so, but it’s taking longer each time (progressive). And, now I’m starting to have it during the day. Good times :)
I’m a 57 year old female that has been 40 pounds too heavy for years. There is a BIG link between obesity and afib, and research and group studies show that afib goes away for good when folks lose the pounds afib goes away for good. Something about weight loss reshaping the heart back to normal.
As far as weight loss, hubby and I walk a lot, which helps. But what is really helping me lose weight is fasting. There are myriad ways to do it, restrict calories every other day, eat in a smaller window, etc. I haven’t seen where fasting has caused more afib episodes, in fact fasting seems to help with my digestion woes (another thing linked to afib in many folks).
I didn’t mean to go on and on, but if this helps someone it’s worth it. I hope we all beat afib, it is SO scary at times ?
Diane:
Thanks for sharing! You’re spot on with all of your comments. There definitely seems to be a “seasonal connection” with afib as I’ve heard it before from other afibbers. And losing weight and getting one’s digestive track in order can definitely help!
I hope you’re doing well. Take care!
LWAF
Hi thank you for your post. It does help to read what other people are going through. May I ask if you take blood thinners and or medicine for the afib?
Diana:
I was on Eliquis (blood thinner) for about a month leading up to my ablation and then two months after my ablation. Otherwise, I have never been on a blood thinner. The only other medication I took was Flecainide only as needed (i.e. when I’d have an episode I would take it).
Now two years after my ablation I have been 100% afib-free and on no drugs!
LWAF
Do you have sleep apnea? It may be that you didn’t get enough oxygen during your power nap. Insomnia often complexes with sleep apnea. The magnesium oil caused a drop in blood pressure as you now know, I’m sure. I also notice that not enough calories may be a trigger for my a-fib. Five hours a nighta sa a normal is definitely not enough. You’re burningthe candfle at both ends. Change that. I learned a lot from what your wrote, particularly about a-fib always being progressive. and the name of the particular drug you take. More later. Do you know of any devices that measure for a-fib during sleep? I also have Alive Cor.. but one cant use it during sleep.
Benjamin:
I don’t know if I have sleep apnea. I don’t have any of the usual symptoms of sleep apnea (headaches in the morning, grogginess in the morning, dry mouth) but my wife says I snore sometimes. A sleep study is on my list of to do’s but not on my priority list:)
Aside from getting a heart monitor from your doctor (i.e. Holter or implantable monitor), there isn’t a way that I know of to detect afib while you’re sleeping. Like you said, the Alive Cor is great but obviously it only works if you’re awake! I’m hoping some company comes out with a continuous heart monitor for consumers.
LWAF
my afib started right after tripple heart by-pass in 06 and i was told that afib is common after heart by-pass……
My AFIB started 8 months ago and I am on antiarrhythmic medication as well as a blood thinner. Unlike you since my first episode I till have small ones on a irregular basis. I know some of my triggers one being wine so I have eliminated all alcohol from my diet. Most recently I had an episode while sleeping just like you described, but luckily I took a Xanax pill and within about 30 min, I was back in sinus rhythm. My reason for writing is I am very interested in the fact that you plan or already have had an ablation and if so what the outcome is. If this is the cure than I need to get it as this AFIB is a mental weight on me. Please let me know how you make out.
Thanks,
Bob
Bob:
Thanks for stopping by…and sorry to hear you have afib. It’s no fun. How bad is your atrial fibrillation? By that I mean, how many episodes do you have normally and how long do they last? I’m always curious when people are relatively new to afib and they are on antiarrhythmic drugs and blood thinners right out of the gate. I haven’t had to be on either and I’ve had afib going on 9 years now but I have paroxysmal afib. When I have an episode I simply pop Flecainide.
My ablation is scheduled for this Thursday, March 5th! I’ll be providing updates on my blog throughout the process. It should be interesting!
I wish you well!
LWAF
Thanks for the response, I’ll try and answer your questions. First I have slight episodes a few times a week meaning I feel it and it stops within a few minutes but it scares the shit out of me and I get some mental anguish. I have lived with PVC’s for around 25 years but hardly got them as I was a runner and they say cardio exercise can minimize them.
In 2004 I had a 98% blocked right coronary artery blockage which was stented. Since that time I was feeling great until July of 2014. One particular weekend I attended a BBQ and had quite a few drinks. Then on Sunday I did the same. Around 8PM I was sitting watching TV when it hit. BP was 160/100 and HR was 120 BPM. Went right to emergency and stayed in AFIB for at least 3-4 hours.
Since then I have been taking a drug called Cardizem otherwise know as Diltiazem and Xarelto on a daily basis. The other night was my first real episode since July when I was awoken with a racing HB. I stayed in AFIB for approximately 1 hr. I did take a Xanax which seemed to help.
Anyway I very much know that Alcohol triggers my AFIB however my last episode on Tuesday morning at 3AM was the first real one that I had since July, but again I get these short episodes a couple of times a week. I am very curious how your procedure goes as I would love to have it done so I can get off these Meds especially the blood thinner. Please keep me posted.
Thanks,
Bob
Bob:
Thanks for sharing the details of your case. Keep an eye on your afib. Obviously if things keep progressing you’ll want to look at options beyond medications (i.e. an ablation). Quite honestly, I’d look at one sooner than later. The longer you wait, the less effective ablations become.
As you know, I had my first ever ablation on March 5th. You can read about it here:
https://www.livingwithatrialfibrillation.com/1434/catheter-ablation-experience/
LWAF
Hi Bob, my first episode with afib was 3 years ago. I went to the ER and converted 15 minutes after I got there. They did not give me anything and told me to follow up with my cardiologist so I did one week later. He said I didn’t have the high risk factors to be put on blood thinners or medicine. I don’t understand why from having one episode you are on blood thinners and medicine. My doctor said I didn’t need it am I missing something?
Diana:
You’re not missing anything. Your situation was similar to mine when I was first diagnosed. I had an episode, went to the ER, they converted me, and then referred me to a cardiologist. The cardiologist told me to just keep an eye on it and sent me on my way. This should be the protocol for otherwise healthy people who have one episode that lasts for only a few hours.
In Bob’s case, I suspect he was put on blood thinners due to his previous heart issues but it’s hard to know without knowing Bob’s full health history. There may be other things going on that we don’t know about that would lead his doctor to put him on medications and blood thinners after just one episode.
LWAF
Thank you,
If you’ve not already done so, please check into the effects of “excitotoxins” (free glutamates). Also look into the effects of depleted magnesium levels and what that allows excitotoxins to do in our bodies. Here are some links to get you started… This one I just discovered today so I’m not yet certain of its credibility, but it had info about Medifast that might be helpful – http://goodbyefungus.blogspot.com/2012/01/medifast-ingredients-decoded-part-2.html. These two I’ve known about for a while and trust completely… http://www.grocerygeek.com (aka. completelynourished.com) and http://www.foodbabe.com. Hope these help.
Hey Bill. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I appreciate it. I have no idea what “excitotoxins” are but I’ll take a look at the resources you’ve provided. Thanks!
LWAF
Are you against taking a daily antiarrhythmic?
Joe:
Yes…although it hasn’t come up as an option just yet. My EP likes to take afib one step at a time. As he describes it, it’s a journey – and one that will inevitably change over time. He said if I start getting more episodes we could talk about daily medications if I want to go that route. However, I HATE drugs so I’ll have an ablation first. I am flying to Austin, TX next month to meet with Dr. Natale about having an ablation. If I was older I might be o.k. with drugs but not at age 42. Thanks for your comments!
LWAF
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