Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
Good Morning,
I have suffered from Anxiety on and off since about 1997. When I first started having symptoms, I had a feeling of being light headed and somewhat spaced out, not able to concentrate very well. After 10 months of diagnostic test, my doctors all pointed me towards stress and anxiety. After I allowed myself to believe they were not missing anything, I started taking Paxil 37.5mg daily. I have been free from that original symptom for 15 years! :)
The issue is that about a year ago, I became aware of something new... my heart rate seemed to be racing at times. I went to the doctor and he found Lone AFIB. I went to an EP and he did testing including a stress echo and concurred... Lone AFIB. He said my heart is otherwise healthy and this condition, at my age, was not life threatening. He has had me try a couple of medications, Metoprolol (50mg twice a day) and when that had no benifit he added Flecainide also twice daily. I can honestly tell you, I think this medication actually is making my AFIB worse.
I am under incredible stress in my life running a small company with about 20 employees and its has gotten worse recently with cashflow struggles, unions strong arming me filing lawsuit after lawsuit just to wear me out financially, etc...
It seems to me that the only thing that can help at all is when I get home from a tough day, I take a small xanax .25mg. I think by this helping me to relax, my afib lessens. It doesnt work all the time, but I think it helps.
I am very scared about this condition even though my doctor assured me I will be ok. I think my anxiety and my afib have me caught in a loop. I am stressed, I go into afib, I worry about the afib, my stress increases, my afib increases, I worry more, you get the picture.
Down the road, I would look to ablation but I figure the longer I can hold off, the better they will get at the proceedure and the results will get better as well. For now, I exercise, eat better, trying to drink water instead of Sprite, and hopefully slow down....
Any advice would be great as I feel alone sometimes even though I know I am not.
As a side note, my AFIB does come and go. Its is strange because it will bother me several times a day for longer durations for a month or two and then it seems to leave me alone most of the time... again for maybe a month or so... I can't seem to find a trigger except maybe the stress.
Thanks for listening...
Jim
I have suffered from Anxiety on and off since about 1997. When I first started having symptoms, I had a feeling of being light headed and somewhat spaced out, not able to concentrate very well. After 10 months of diagnostic test, my doctors all pointed me towards stress and anxiety. After I allowed myself to believe they were not missing anything, I started taking Paxil 37.5mg daily. I have been free from that original symptom for 15 years! :)
The issue is that about a year ago, I became aware of something new... my heart rate seemed to be racing at times. I went to the doctor and he found Lone AFIB. I went to an EP and he did testing including a stress echo and concurred... Lone AFIB. He said my heart is otherwise healthy and this condition, at my age, was not life threatening. He has had me try a couple of medications, Metoprolol (50mg twice a day) and when that had no benifit he added Flecainide also twice daily. I can honestly tell you, I think this medication actually is making my AFIB worse.
I am under incredible stress in my life running a small company with about 20 employees and its has gotten worse recently with cashflow struggles, unions strong arming me filing lawsuit after lawsuit just to wear me out financially, etc...
It seems to me that the only thing that can help at all is when I get home from a tough day, I take a small xanax .25mg. I think by this helping me to relax, my afib lessens. It doesnt work all the time, but I think it helps.
I am very scared about this condition even though my doctor assured me I will be ok. I think my anxiety and my afib have me caught in a loop. I am stressed, I go into afib, I worry about the afib, my stress increases, my afib increases, I worry more, you get the picture.
Down the road, I would look to ablation but I figure the longer I can hold off, the better they will get at the proceedure and the results will get better as well. For now, I exercise, eat better, trying to drink water instead of Sprite, and hopefully slow down....
Any advice would be great as I feel alone sometimes even though I know I am not.
As a side note, my AFIB does come and go. Its is strange because it will bother me several times a day for longer durations for a month or two and then it seems to leave me alone most of the time... again for maybe a month or so... I can't seem to find a trigger except maybe the stress.
Thanks for listening...
Jim
Type "stress" ito the search tool above. Sort through the 68 pages of threads on stress. You will hve to wade through the stress test posts. The answer is, of course, yes concerning stress and afib.
petey
I definitely see a relationship between stress and A fib. And, as you say, it's a vicious cycle. The stress causes a fib and then you worry about the a fib which causes stress. When I am stressed, I know my heart will react also. It's the way I'm wired. Hang in there, Jim! I agree with CLane that you should talk to your EP and try to get on another med that will work better for you. I don't blame you for wanting to delay the ablation as much as possible.
One other thing I noticed is that there seems to be a variation in th edegree that the AFIB effects me. Is this normal? I am not sure if the sensation is different or if I just am more anxious about it...
Again, thanks so much to all of you for helping me!
Jim
I have experienced that too. Sometimes I would go into a fib and could do things pretty normally, except for this palpitation problem in my heart. OTher times I thought i would pass out. I'm not sure what determines how you feel when you are going into a fib.
One doc told me that the randomness of a fib really is the thing that drives patients NUTS!!
Many times (all to often) most people think or dismiss an AF episode as a "panic attack" or "anxiety attack."
Both of these terms are (IMO) unjustly used and over used (all too often).
Oddly, there are are very different levels of stress and (IMO) not every type of stress will be (can be) an AF trigger. As is always the case it drastically varies from individual to individual.
Having had a severe bout with anxiety attacks for nearly two years, long before I would be diagnosed with AF (many years later). I can honestly say that for the most part 99.9% of stress is not a trigger for "my" AF episodes. That said, the 1% on the other hand "can" periodically attribute to an AF epsisode.
Hence, the truly bizarre and twisted phenomenon of the affliction, condition - disease,... that "IS" AF.
Anxiety and stress trigger a fib.....a fib triggers anxiety and stress
Write back soon!
Jim
I totally agree with your Dr. The Ramdonness and Unpredictability of afib is what frustrates me the most!!!!
Acceptance is my Solution...it is what it is and I can Handle it!
My neighbor is in Persistant Afib...she is 103!!!!
I hear about people living into their 90s and 100s who have persistent afib. My question is: Did they get afib in their 60s and 70s, or is it a recent thing?
Thanks.
petey
Petey......My 103 yr. old Neighbor has been diagnosed with afib for 8 yrs. She takes Coumaden and complains about being light headed every once in a while. Her Son says she is 'just fine'! I saw her sitting on the tailgate of a pickup truck the other day!