When I was in the ER with my first episode (and waiting a total of 7 1/2 hours for a monitored bed), I peed every 20 minutes. I know I was nervous, who wouldn't be after a doctor announces "We saved your life"?

Cindy, that's the doctors ego talking. AFIB is NOT life threatening! I've had it not nearly 40 years, and I'm still here! So are many of the rest of this crew, many of whom have had AFIB many, many years.

So sorry Paul. I seem to remember you had problems with the sauna in the past?? Glad you were out of it in 6 hours....do you have anything you use as PIP? Might be something to consider.

BTW, fix that. I've HAVE BEEN INTOLERATNT of the sun and the sauna for many years.

I was taking 25 mg metoprolol as a PIP, but my former EP wanted me to stop that, since I'm tacy-brachy, she was concerned that I would lower by rate too much and pass out. My usual resting heart rate is around 50.

Awww, Paul, what a bummer! Just when you think everything is going well and you turn on the normal again something like that happens. Im glad it ended so quickly.
So now you look like a prune??!! You do know they are a dark purple
At any rate, I hope that was the last bout of a-fib for you and your thyroid is still functioning as it should!!
Take care,
atp

Oh Paul that sucks, sorry to hear you had afib attack. Looks like you need to slow down again and stay out of the sauna! You not listening to yor wife again? Are they thinking of killing your thyroid and just putting you on meds? You have Graves disease right? My thyroid seems to be doing okay, I think I am near being hypo right now but no afib. So far I have been 120 days no afib and counting my blessings. I have good days and bad days, almost like it is up and down as far as my energy levels go and how I feel and pacs and stuff, Maybe it is on its way to petering out all together, I was tested for antibodies and am good there, only on 50 from 125 of synthroid right now, and hoping things stay calm. Someone posted a link about being hypo and it helping with the afib and I wonder if that may be the case with me. I would rather deal with being semi hypo then the afib.........

Good luck and glad you are in NSR now!

Going on trip to California next week to visit my brother and stressing about driving for 7 hours and worrying about going to afib and not being near any medical facilities, this beast has turned me into such a baby, I need to suck it up and move along,

Paul, so sorry. ......sometimes it is nice to do the things you want and not pay.

It is also hard to figure out why. My day simple compared to yours. A trip to farmers market, looked at some RV's, vegetarian curry so made sure no salt the rest of day, watched DH plant flowers and exercised at home. Afib this a.m.

I love saunas and hot tubs but settle for nice warm epson salt baths. I have tried to keep up the electrolytes, but my magnesium and electrolytes is the one thing I forgot yesterday. Who knows?

I am hypo thyroid so they have lowered my meds by almost half, I still have afib about every ten days, just not bad enough to worry, just irritating.

Hope the rest of your weekend stays calm and life slows down for you. It is not THICK just wanting to do what makes you feel normal!

laurab

Thanks for the support guys.
I have to work in NYC (World Trade) for the next three or four days (think "The Wolf of Wall Street"). I think I'm a little anxious about that. I hate going into NYC. I did some work at World Trade before 9/11. I don't think I've even been to that side of the Hudson River more than once or twice since then, and I'm only 25 miles away. PTSD? Who knows. Jersey is so much safer and saner.

Hi Paul - So sorry to hear you had a bout of Afib. Glad that you were able to convert back to a normal rhythm again. It is hard to keep adequately hydrated when you are moving from one project/chore/activity to another. I am the same way when I get into that "go" mode. Moving from one activity to another. Living in FL with temps already in the 90s in April, I constantly have to remind myself to take in some extra water. Take care and hope your regular rhythm sticks! Carrie

Paul, Good luck in NYC, great town. Sorry to hear of your episode, but, my! you're a busy man!! Sounds like you were going at it full speed. As Dr. John says, need to "take your foot off the gas". That sometimes works for me.

Enjoy NY and please don't overdo.

Paul: Sorry that you had some problems again. However, it's great that you are able to start returning to your normal activities. Any return to normalcy, even a short one, is a blessing. In 2010 I had PEs. Those really knocked me down for a couple of weeks. When I was able to breathe again, I went back to my running long distances. I celebrated 4 weeks later by running a 50 Kilometer race (in 4:05 and change). Since then it's been good and bad. There are times when I can run, hike, walk and other times when ... it's difficult. Today is a difficult day. Minor problem with pain. Taking a step can send shooting pain from my back into my hip. So a few days of rest and then, hopefully, celebrating again. :-)

My running probably causes some of my problems. But it also creates so many celebratory moments that it makes the problems seem minor. I guess I'm also thick.

Todd

Hey Todd: I think I'm just the opposite. Most days I could spent all day in the gym and I'm fine. If I sit around, or at night, my heart gets wonky. It's been wonky since Monday.

Anyhow, I only had to work this past Monday in WTC. The it took two days to recover. Next week, I need to spend several days there. I hope I survive. I don't see how people can subject themselves to that every day. Too much noise, too many people. In the datacenters I work in, I'm usually alone, just me and the equipment. Peaceful, and white noise from all the machinery.

Paul. Good luck my friend

Excessive, heat, sun and lack of hydration coupled with exercise is a pretty good recipe for something to click off. It's pretty easy to keep going without constantly drinking water, but if you can remember to drink it - and/or eat some fruit - it'll help. We all know this. I hope things settled down.