Hi Angie,
I for one, can tell you I was a freak nutbag mess in the early days of my a fib experience. I cried a lot. I was sure I was not going to survive any of it. I read entirely too much and despite being a nurse didnt read the right things. I lived on the heart monitor and BP machine even though it changed nothing and did no good to do so. I talked to every nurse I work with about it, saying day after day, you think I will be ok, dont you ?????? All this despite information from my cardiologist/EP to the contrary, telling me I WOULD be OK and that my a fib would NEVER kill me , that I have a very healthy heart etc etc etc. I think the fact that you are so young, and this IS so scary and its all new to you are contributing to your stress and fears ...... I used to say the same thing to my husband I DO EVERYTHING they tell me to do and still nothing is right....but now, a few years down the road, very much on top of things, and in good control I no longer obsess or worry or plan my funeral :) Having an episode is STILL not a good thing, it still scares me, but now I know what to do , I know how much time I have to fool around on my own and Im much more confident about it day to day , and except for writing with the wonderful people here I rarely even think about it anymore. Hang in there Angie and use all of us to help when you need it.......it will get better
jan

you are having normal reaction to afib most of us have had the same feelings taking zanex when you are feeling out of control is a help if you don,t take them all time they help you to get a grip you will be able to feel better because when the flips and flutters start you will know in the end you are fine you just take a pill and ride it out

Thanks for the positivity....it is comforting. I think some of the reason why I get the flips and flutters is anxiety. I asked my GP for something when I saw him last week and he gave me Xanax but when I looked it up it says it interacts with the bystolic and altace. He assures me it won't and that he couldn't find anywhere that it interacted but i found at least 3 websites that say it does....needless to say I haven't taken it yet. I know once I am able to calm myself down I am usually ok but that is easier said than done most days....i used to be a pro at it lol. I KNOW I will be able to deal with this better the more educated I become and the more experience I have with treating it, but right now it seems ominous and scary. Thanks for reading and offering support, it means a lot!

Angie

Angie,

Afib also causes anxiety, so it's not just you, it's a physical symptom of the afib. For some reason knowing this helped me cope with it better and calm myself down a bit. It does get better over time.

You sound just like me. I'm fine and can go for weeks not thinking about afib but I only have to feel one flutter or twitch and I become irrational, my Dr has told me the same as yours but I always have that niggle of doubt. I often think that without the posts on DS I would go crazy, reading that others have the same insecurities makes me feel better and reading advice and positive posts gives me confidence. Thanks everyone x
Suz

Angie,
If you look hard enough you can find interactions with all drugs esp our lovely drugs of choice.....my best suggestion is to call your pharmacist and ask THEM if its ok to take your Xanax with your a fib meds and take their answer as the correct one. You should only have a .25 of Xanax and it does work nicely on calming you down, I have taken it with my flecainide and have no problem at all and sometimes I dont even have to go beyond that in treating an episode. Also....not all interactions are problematic they just exist.
jan

Hi Angie,
Sorry you're having a bad day, but we have all been there and understand. You're not a downer at all. Don't ever feel that way. Sharing your feelings helps. I agree with what Jan said. I read way to much also. And my nature is to over think things and worry too much. I still get pvcs (extra beats and flutters) while on my meds and have noticed that what I eat has a lot to do with them, plus waiting for them to happen doesn't help. This is the only place I go now for information. I joined a coumadin club on facebook and it scared the heck out of me so I left. Everyone is different. My cardiologist told me to live and enjoy life. Although it's very hard sometimes, I've gotten better.
Hang in there and you will be fine, and don't ever feel like you're being a downer. We are here to support each other. :)

Mary Ann

And one more thing,
Don't you find it interesting that while you were out you felt good and then when you got home you started to feel crappy. I think it's because your mind was occupied while you were out, and when you got home you started to think more. I have done the same thing. Our minds are very powerful. We program them. I used to get severe anxiety and panic attacks. I learned to put things into perspective and deprogram my mind and they eventually went away. It wasn't easy, but it can be done.

Mary Ann

Angie and Mary Ann
The very first time I had a fib that ended me in the ER ( though I dont think it was the first time.....) we were leaving 3 days later for a long planned trip to Aruba....we went. My cardio/EP told me the same thing, live, enjoy your life dont let this ever stop you, and when I said what if I go into a fib there ? He said.....you know what to do as far as your meds are concerned and 99% that will bring you out of it, if not, they have hospitals in Aruba and if you dont like that idea, get on a plane and go home you have several days before you need to be concerned....so , we cruise LOTS and we travel and I do my best to follow his advice about life and living it .....I have also gone through cancer since then and came out the other side so I really do have a couple of reasons to LIVE and enjoy.....like you Mary Ann, I dont do a fib talk anywhere but here , I read articles that are medical in origin and I talk with my pts about it but NO other support groups and NO other internet reading......the busier I am the better. I could go on and on......but mostly just trying to say.....WE are fine.....WE will be fine and you DO get to a point where life comes before a fib :)

Really sorry that you are having a bad day.
Do know what it's like having a miserable A Fib episode.

I also found it reassuring to double check with a pharmacist before starting a new heart medication. Sometimes my pharmacist needed to call my EP before filling a new prescription.
D.

In the beginning that's exactly how I felt, every time I went out and about I was constantly asked if I was alright because i kept (and still ) checking my pulse and putting my hand on my chest to see what my heart beat felt like. I haven't and don't think I will ever completely get over doing that. So I just take my meds regularly and cut back on my triggers. It's to the point now where I avoid doing activities that make my heart race , when i use to look at that as a sign of a healthy heart. But here I have came across some positive and outgoing people , who have helped me understand and feel more comfortable with this , I haven't had an episode in a while though I am still always thinking that the next one is going to be it..........so i get by knowing I'm doing what I can do for it ..........wish me luck. !!!!!!

Hey Angie don't feel bad about having a bad day. I have been in the same place as you. Crying and asking God why me? I worry everyday about having an episode bc it's very scary. However, if you mentally tell yourself that you will not allow this to run your life you can gain some control over this. Take time every day to relax and just enjoy life. I have been doing this and it makes me feel so much better. It also decreases my stress which decreases my skipped beats. Take relaxing bubble baths, sit outside and watch the clouds or listen to nature. Practice yoga my favorite. Know that you are not alone in this battle! Just take it day by day and try not to freak yourself out!

Jan, thanks for your comment. It made me feel better, and I hope it makes Angie feel better too. We can't let this cripple us physically or emotionally.

And Lance, I've said before that I'm surprised I don't have a permanent indentation in my wrist from feeling my pulse lol. I don't believe in luck or coincidence, so I will wish you well being and many afib free days. God Bless

Mary Ann

~ whispering ~ everything I said today on this thread is TRUE however I will admit to periodically checking my pulse too :)

Angie,
So sorry to hear about your bad day. We have all been there. YOu have gotten a lot of great advice. I would second that you shouldn't be worried about saying how you really feel.We have all been there, believe me!

Mary Ann had a good observation about when you are distracted, it seems the symptoms might not be as bad.

Anxiety plays a huge role in a fib, for me at least. I could pretty much predict I would go into a fib after an anxious event.

Have you ever tried downloading Bio Breathing on your phone or ipod? I used it a LOT when I was really tense. Also there is an app called simply being which I found helpful.. That one is a paid one, but the Bio Breathing one is free. I think that is the name of it.

Asking the pharmacist is also a great idea about the drug interactions. They have the most up to date software on their computers that would kick out interactions immediately.

Hope you feel better soon!!