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.
Troopers,
I have just recently joined this forum and visited a few posts from the past (the recent ones only I guess). I found that many posts did advocate lifestyle changes and its "positive" impact on afib. I don't pretend being an expert in the subject or even being qualified to carry on an intelligent conversation on afib with out bashing the proper terminologies. Never the less, I feel compelled to say my piece on the subject because I don't really agree with some of the statements that life style changes has a big effect on afib.
I know some will say I'm full of it, I even listened Dr. John Day on the 2015 afib symposium and heard how much he said life changes were important in treating and dealing with afib.
Well in the next few lines, I will try to compress 27 years of PVC, Flutters and afib history and the life styles made during that time:
1985 - I was in the army, top shape, drinking coffee, alcohol and smoking. Started to have episodes of PVCs after having serious anxiety issues.
Life style changes: Quit smoking, coffee, alcohol, chocolate, cocoa and Dristan and other type of medication that may provoke PVCs.
1985-2005 Recurring bouts of PVCs every 6 months or so. Getting worst year after years. Learned to live with it.
Remark: Although I quit many bad habits, it made no difference on PVCs.
2005 - Got medical release after being hurt in a mission, got a job for the government and start travelling across the country to teach courses. Had no more stress than the next guy. I had gain a few pounds being out of the army and one night out of no where I had an episode of atrial flutter. I quit red mead and start heavy on fish oils and other good foods apparently healthy for the heart.
2005-2011 Flutter got worst and was gradually put on Sotalol right up to the max dose at no effects. Ablation was the next step. It was successful for the flutter but like so many people, once I had a flutter the afib kicked in shortly after the ablation.
2011- After my first 12 hours on afib I was put back on Sotalol and was afib free for the last 5 years (well almost 5 years). But I still keep taking care of my weight, still no alcohol, stress was under control and for the past 3 months I started having afib episodes like 2 to 3 times a week. No particular reason that I can see, it just started. My best guess is that the Sotalol effect on me just ran out.
I must also mention that in the last two years I started a nice low impact cardio program and I eat better than I ever did at absolutely no effect on the afib. If anything it gotten worst every times I made changes to eliminate bad foods from my diet.
Every day when I commute to work I see fat people smoking and drinking coffee, when I sit in a restaurant and eat a salad with chicken or a piece of salmon I see colleagues fat and out of shape eating burgers and wings with a pitcher of draft while I get a fn mineral water. Yet they don't have afib or even PVCs nor do they even know what it is.
Nooooo my friends, afib is a diseases that we are born with and eventually surface and slowly but surely progress. I will buy that life style changes may help to delay the diseases from starting at the very beginning but make no mistake that once it starts even only once, it will recognize the path and keep taking it every chances it gets.
At the end of the day "it is what it is" be happy that it isn't cancer but don't thank your lucky star that you got afib. The best thing you can do is read as much as you can, ensure you are on blood thinners and try an ablation (or two) when the times comes.
Finally I will say this, I was curious about people who are plague with permanent or persistent long standing afib who are symptomatic but HAVE to live with it. Permanent or long standing means all the time....not twice a month or twice a week I got two replies: One from a person who does not feel it and the other who has it sometimes. I can only deduct that people on permanent afib with symptoms just don't live here. Seems to me that all get it only sometimes and most are getting or got ablations.
Bottom line, it is a progressive diseases that start at one point in your life and slowly get worst and the treatments are medication, ablation or fn live with it.
Sorry guys for not being more positive about this, I am having a bad day and it just has to get out. As I write this I am having PVCs and PACs galore and I can see me having afib again tonight.
Scooby
I have just recently joined this forum and visited a few posts from the past (the recent ones only I guess). I found that many posts did advocate lifestyle changes and its "positive" impact on afib. I don't pretend being an expert in the subject or even being qualified to carry on an intelligent conversation on afib with out bashing the proper terminologies. Never the less, I feel compelled to say my piece on the subject because I don't really agree with some of the statements that life style changes has a big effect on afib.
I know some will say I'm full of it, I even listened Dr. John Day on the 2015 afib symposium and heard how much he said life changes were important in treating and dealing with afib.
Well in the next few lines, I will try to compress 27 years of PVC, Flutters and afib history and the life styles made during that time:
1985 - I was in the army, top shape, drinking coffee, alcohol and smoking. Started to have episodes of PVCs after having serious anxiety issues.
Life style changes: Quit smoking, coffee, alcohol, chocolate, cocoa and Dristan and other type of medication that may provoke PVCs.
1985-2005 Recurring bouts of PVCs every 6 months or so. Getting worst year after years. Learned to live with it.
Remark: Although I quit many bad habits, it made no difference on PVCs.
2005 - Got medical release after being hurt in a mission, got a job for the government and start travelling across the country to teach courses. Had no more stress than the next guy. I had gain a few pounds being out of the army and one night out of no where I had an episode of atrial flutter. I quit red mead and start heavy on fish oils and other good foods apparently healthy for the heart.
2005-2011 Flutter got worst and was gradually put on Sotalol right up to the max dose at no effects. Ablation was the next step. It was successful for the flutter but like so many people, once I had a flutter the afib kicked in shortly after the ablation.
2011- After my first 12 hours on afib I was put back on Sotalol and was afib free for the last 5 years (well almost 5 years). But I still keep taking care of my weight, still no alcohol, stress was under control and for the past 3 months I started having afib episodes like 2 to 3 times a week. No particular reason that I can see, it just started. My best guess is that the Sotalol effect on me just ran out.
I must also mention that in the last two years I started a nice low impact cardio program and I eat better than I ever did at absolutely no effect on the afib. If anything it gotten worst every times I made changes to eliminate bad foods from my diet.
Every day when I commute to work I see fat people smoking and drinking coffee, when I sit in a restaurant and eat a salad with chicken or a piece of salmon I see colleagues fat and out of shape eating burgers and wings with a pitcher of draft while I get a fn mineral water. Yet they don't have afib or even PVCs nor do they even know what it is.
Nooooo my friends, afib is a diseases that we are born with and eventually surface and slowly but surely progress. I will buy that life style changes may help to delay the diseases from starting at the very beginning but make no mistake that once it starts even only once, it will recognize the path and keep taking it every chances it gets.
At the end of the day "it is what it is" be happy that it isn't cancer but don't thank your lucky star that you got afib. The best thing you can do is read as much as you can, ensure you are on blood thinners and try an ablation (or two) when the times comes.
Finally I will say this, I was curious about people who are plague with permanent or persistent long standing afib who are symptomatic but HAVE to live with it. Permanent or long standing means all the time....not twice a month or twice a week I got two replies: One from a person who does not feel it and the other who has it sometimes. I can only deduct that people on permanent afib with symptoms just don't live here. Seems to me that all get it only sometimes and most are getting or got ablations.
Bottom line, it is a progressive diseases that start at one point in your life and slowly get worst and the treatments are medication, ablation or fn live with it.
Sorry guys for not being more positive about this, I am having a bad day and it just has to get out. As I write this I am having PVCs and PACs galore and I can see me having afib again tonight.
Scooby
I have always been a person with a healthy lifestyle out of necessity, many food allergies and a few health issues. No healthy living has not cured them but it has allowed me to live the best life I can. Not perfect just had GF brownies this evening so yes minor afib for about a hour, just waiting for it to calm down so I can sleep.
Stress is big in my life, again I have done CBT and biofeedback to learn to control what I cannot change.
I see people who live an unhealthy lifestyle all the time who have more energy and less problems than me.....not fair. I just know for me I would be worse off if I did not take the steps to live healthy.
Short time with afib just treating it with Eliquis and verapamil and a few supplements.
I hope you are feeling better, just think where you would be if you still smoked and was drinking? No not fun or fair, but then life is not fair.
laurab
Alcohol is one of my big triggers, so while not drinking won't cure my afib, it keeps me from being even more miserable.
You hit the nail on the head with this:
"Bottom line, it is a progressive diseases that start at one point in your life and slowly get worst and the treatments are medication, ablation or fn live with it. "
Firstly let me just extend my condolences for the cutting short of your military career, although if my math is correct you got your 20 in before you had to leave.
I know what you mean about sitting in a restaurant and watching guys come in who might be 100 pounds overweight...I would always comment to my wife "Geez, I have a heart problem? Look at these guys!" But she would tell me that I had ZERO idea what was going on with these guys...they very well may have been taking fistfuls of prescription medication. And as you have seen from reading many of the posts here, a number of the members were in INCREDIBLE shape when they developed afib...as you pointed out, you were in top shape when this issue first raised its ugly head.
I have promised myself that when the Army kicks me out in December I am going to take several months to just make a solid effort at getting back in shape and see if my palpitations might be reduced. I hope you are having a much better day today.
Bill
You cannot paint all afib patients with the same brush and that's a fact.
Hope better days are coming for us all as more and better treatment becomes available , as it must. Until then, I can only say I'm grateful to have this place to come to, to learn from & take comfort in knowing I'm not alone.
:-)
It burns me up to hear so much about life style causes. There really is a lot of blame the victim it seems with this disease, especially lately.
I'd love to be rid of afib, but I am aware of the reduced chances of ablation success in persistent/permanent afib. And I am not too enthused about the ablation procedure itself.
I have constipation from the cardizem requiring Miralax, I have esophageal reflux likely due to the cardizem, and I have some accelerated hair loss with I this is caused by the metoprolol. But I've noticed not side effects from the Eliquis! And that's the one I was most worried about!
I figure I'll go on like this for a while and hope for improved treatments.
Take care,
Steve