Did your doctor mention your CHADS score?

I started having Afib episodes early in 2014. I had them as infrequently as once every 2 weeks to up to multiple times a week. My CHADS score is 1 (hypertension which was under control with lisiniprol). 0 is the best score. I think a 1 means I have a 2 to 3% chance of having a stroke over the course of a year. Based on that my risk of stroke was low enough that my doctor felt comfortable putting me on just aspirin and metoprolol 25 mg 2x a day to control the rate.

I since had an episode that lasted almost 2 weeks and on the 2nd day he put me on Eliquis, which reduces your odds more than aspirin.

I'm guessing the 2% odds that I have are based on being in afib in the entire time. If you are only in Afib for minutes at a time your odds of stroke are probably miniscule.

Shae: Aspirin works for non--afib strokes (white strokes) and reduces afib strokes (red strokes) by 24% (they claim).

white stroke+ plaque stroke
red stroke= blood clot stroke

petey

Wow...so aspirin is not that useful...I wish Dr. Natale lived in my backyard...he seems 2 be considered a God in this field...so all blood thinners r risky and Flecanide is risky too...beta-blockers don't appear really useful (I take Atenolol 25mg x2)...my monitor came, laid awake all night waiting for it 2 catch something ...need 2 take shower and go 2 work, but am afraid of stroking out in shower...I don't know how u all do it...I applaud you

Betablockers are excellent and safe for rate control.

Flec is one of the most well tolerated antiarrhythmics, and is quite safe assuming there are no structural heart issues. And beta blockers are very useful for both rate control and blood pressure, though the fatigue they can cause really bothers some people.

Believe me, I understand exactly how you feel. Most of us felt the same when we were first diagnosed. Soon you'll come to realize that afib is NOT a death sentence. It can be managed, and even cured. The most important thing for you to do right now is to keep your cool as much as possible. Read up on afib and the different treatment options, read the forum here, ask questions. The more knowledge you have, the more powerful you will feel, and you will be able to own your condition, instead of the other way around.

Does anybody take extra magnesium and/or Vitamin E?

Hi, I take a supplement with vitamin e in it, but no extra, nor do I take extra magnesium. My last bloodwork indicated that my mag levels were OK, so I'm just leaving it at that.

Juniebe,

Almost 99% of the magnesium in the body is in the cells. If you really want to measure the true magnesium level, you have to do special test which is probably very expensive.

I take magnesium (Calm or magnesium chloride) every day. Calm is magnesium citrate. Both are absorbed well, but magnesium chloride does not give you the runs if you take too much of it.

Scott

Another sleepless night...waiting for next episode I guess...I thought the home base loop recorder was supposed 2 track me while sleeping, but the screen remains dark all the times...this is exhausting I feel like this is a death sentence. And the more I read about blood thinners the scarier this gets. And the info about women and afib is chilling, absolute terrifying. My quality of life is suffering and the fear is overwhelming. Gonna try 2 get some mag citrate or Natural Calm today, hoping extra mag will help. Also, thinking about taking Vitamin E, natural blood thinner, maybe it'll protect me some.

I also take magnesium at my EP's direction. You can by the Natural Calm at Amazon or Pure Formulas, it is cheaper there. Dark screen is normal for your loop recorder.Your loop recorder should be sending any data it picks up at around midnight every day. Mine is programmed that way and if after 14 days it has nothing to report it lights up like a Christmas tree and I have to do a manual transmit , which is good news because it has found no afib or anything else significant to report to the doc in the last 14 days It is recording 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Call your doc and get something for the anxiety, you must have your rest and remember to eat well with no processed foods, all kinds of additives and lack of sleep are known to trigger AFIB. You are going to get thru this! I feel your pain and waiting for the "next episode" is not helping, it took me awhile but after I got some xanax for the anxiety, got the support and knowledge from this group I am now sane again. If I do have an episode now it just makes me really mad because it gets in the way of my day, I no longer need to take the xanax either, just knowing I have it if I really really need it is enough for me. On occasion if I have an episode and cant sleep I will take one so I can sleep. Hang on and get some much needed rest.

I agree with Scott about the magnesium levels.
My blood levels were fine. At some point I decided to give a mag supplement for my a fib a try and was surprised to find that the leg cramps that had plagued me for years went away in a very short time.
I really wasn't sure if it actually did anything for my afib until recently. I was running low and cut the dose in half for a couple weeks to make them last longer. I realized one day that that must be why I was having more palpitations. Got more magnesium and went back to usual dose and the palps settled right down within a few days. So I swear by it. I take 400mg a day. Certainly worth a try.

When I was diagnosed I felt the same way. I kept thinking how this thing was going to kill me, but as I started to live with it and spoke to other people who have it I found that you can live with it and very well. I am only on aspirin due to my low stroke risk, and judging by the research I have done it is common for that to be the route for people with stroke risk scores of 0 and 1. I wish you the best with our struggle. Mine has been up and down and I still have time when it drives me nuts, just keep on going.