I think the thought is that if you have a tendency to go into afib and you did once, you could most likely put yourself back in it by drinking too much or some other trigger getting you back in afib. I read that many people have momentary afib, like one heart beat's worth from time to time without ever being diagnosed. I don't know what the percentage of people is, but I suspect those are the people that are vulnerable to getting afib. Afib isn't diagnosed unless you have it more than a few seconds. I see you're 41, check back with us when you are 70 if you get another bout. Maybe that will be your second bout. :-)

petey

Eddie, you sound like one of the lucky ones with what is referred to as "Holiday Heart", given to spring break party animals much younger than us. Good for you tossing the black box warning Flec away. Absolute overkill for your situation. Im surprised (altho never really surprised with allopaths) that was the first line script.

I'm not a fan of those drugs, but maybe it was a good thing for your heart = to settle it down for a bit. Training wheels for the heart. Who knows in your case, maybe it was overkill. Make sure you aren't having silent afib. Virtually all afibbers who consider themselves symptomatic have silent (asymptomatic) episodes.

I really hate the term "allopathic" because, in other than the homeopath/alternative medicine world, it doesn't exist. As soon as I hear someone use the term, I don't even have to read the post... it will say traditional doctors are bad. I always consider the source when I read something. "Ablationists" (those EPs that are known for performing successful ablations) think ablation is the answer... the only answer. I read what they write with caution. Some over-ablate just to keep someone in NSR. Then you have the EPs that have given up on ablations because they are disappointed with the results they have had (emphasis on the word "they"), so they have decided to put the "blame" on the patient. I won't mention any names.

So Eddie, you are going to get all kinds of opinions from people on these forums, and because of where people are coming from, you will get a range of "answers", and it may seem confusing.

In your case, you should be in a "watch and see" mode. Periodically check your rhythm with a home machine until you get months, maybe a year or two, under your belt. When you stop monitoring your heart, don't throw the ECG home monitor away. They cost between $70-$300 for decent ones that either work off your smart phone or are standalone units. More than anything, stay away from casinos and all that they represent- risking, drinking, losing. People who go to casinos regularly (I don't mean those that do it for fun, risking little, a few times a year) are not patient enough to work for their money. That is what you need to decide-where you stand- and address that. Drinking at a casino doesn't help either. Point is, you can't get away with that behavior because you are susceptible to afib. No-one knows whether it will never happen again. You won't know until you are on your deathbed at 99 years old, but then the information will have little value. Just take it one day at a time with the knowledge that behavior matters with your health. Wow, that sounded preachy. However, I took the time to write all this because I suspect you are looking for shortcuts in life. You can save yourself a lot of time and stress by doing the right things. Hwkmn and I probably agree on most of what you need to do (in your case). We are just coming from different perspectives.

Hey Eddie, every time I see your name and read your posts, I think of this song, a guy I grew up with wrote. Enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbirnz5LAk0

petey

I'd agree, flecainide for a single afib event is definitely overkill. I was on flec for a while, but my afib burden was getting way out of hand, and I'd tried multiple other supplements and meds first. It worked well for me with no side effects, but still I'm glad that I'm off it now.

Get yourself a monitor like Petey mentioned, and use it regularly. If you stay out of casinos and lay off the sauce, and you find that you stay in NSR, great! No further action needed.

I never drank in my like and never eat out, I eat shop at who foods, had lost of strss from wife who did drink a lot, also the casino smoke didn't help, I do take Diltiazem once a day 24 er, I like it because it make me feel better , I have bad panic attacks, well I use to , I even would wake up in the middle of the night with hreat reate 200 from a panic attack, so the Diltiazem helps with that.....hope the afib stays a way it was scary, took 4 hours to go back to sinuc, they even shocked me 2 times and didn't work, ya,,, never drank or did drugs...

Definitely stress...