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.
I'm doing well post ablation but I've developed a low threshold for setting off an anxiety attack--but not a full fledged panic attack, I think.
I decided to try kayaking at Elkhorn Slough just north of Monterey Ca. Highly recommended! But I'm still cautious about creating too high of a heart rate during exercise-too cautious perhaps. So I noticed while driving down that my anxiety level was just below the surface. A few mild traffic situations caused a shot of adrenaline to run through me.
Kayaks are tippy, and again I wasn't sure how much effort would be required to paddle. I was wearing a heart rate monitor. At the start of my paddle my hr wasn't too high--100-114--but steady. Still, it 'seemed' higher than it should. Now here's the real point of all this: how to determine whether anxiety is causing a higher heart rate, or instead a higher heart rate is causing anxiety? Further: once an adrenaline rush occurs, how long does it take to clear out of your system?
As I continued to paddle my heart rate came down, even coming back into the tide and winds. So likely anxiety was the culprit.
Lesson learned: except the next day I went on a hike wearing a hr monitor and decided to push myself. Again, near the top, at the merest hint of a slightly higher rate than expected, or seeming hard heart beat, I got an adrenaline hit. Frankly, my anxiety was with me and greatly diminished the experience of my hike downhill and out. I'd been in a great mood up to that point.
I'm actually pretty good at talking myself through these bouts, but it takes awhile and is dispiriting. Happily it doesn't happen all that frequently. I'm slowly returning to my old activities but I'm still too freaked out to go to altitude--Lake Tahoe, for example--and hike there, as I've done for 25 years or more. altitude causes my heart rate to increase. I'm sure that I'd be fine but I also think that anxiety would ruin the experience.
My anxiety isn't such that I want to take medication.
Just some thoughts. Be well everybody!
I decided to try kayaking at Elkhorn Slough just north of Monterey Ca. Highly recommended! But I'm still cautious about creating too high of a heart rate during exercise-too cautious perhaps. So I noticed while driving down that my anxiety level was just below the surface. A few mild traffic situations caused a shot of adrenaline to run through me.
Kayaks are tippy, and again I wasn't sure how much effort would be required to paddle. I was wearing a heart rate monitor. At the start of my paddle my hr wasn't too high--100-114--but steady. Still, it 'seemed' higher than it should. Now here's the real point of all this: how to determine whether anxiety is causing a higher heart rate, or instead a higher heart rate is causing anxiety? Further: once an adrenaline rush occurs, how long does it take to clear out of your system?
As I continued to paddle my heart rate came down, even coming back into the tide and winds. So likely anxiety was the culprit.
Lesson learned: except the next day I went on a hike wearing a hr monitor and decided to push myself. Again, near the top, at the merest hint of a slightly higher rate than expected, or seeming hard heart beat, I got an adrenaline hit. Frankly, my anxiety was with me and greatly diminished the experience of my hike downhill and out. I'd been in a great mood up to that point.
I'm actually pretty good at talking myself through these bouts, but it takes awhile and is dispiriting. Happily it doesn't happen all that frequently. I'm slowly returning to my old activities but I'm still too freaked out to go to altitude--Lake Tahoe, for example--and hike there, as I've done for 25 years or more. altitude causes my heart rate to increase. I'm sure that I'd be fine but I also think that anxiety would ruin the experience.
My anxiety isn't such that I want to take medication.
Just some thoughts. Be well everybody!
carpe diem,
atp
Petey, I'm actually still on a mild beta blocker: 12.5 mg. daily. Hopefully I'll be off that soon.
I actually do meditate almost daily.
I'm uncertain as to whether an increased heart rate--say, hiking at altitude--actually can contribute to afib or not.
It does seem that even after five months post ablation, working my heart can lead to an episode of slightly rapid rate. It may be that I just need to continue being cautious for a while.
I am back to doing mild aerobic exercise four days a week or so and it seems to have lowered my resting heart rate back to what it was pre-ablation,or nearly so.
Any comments on how long adrenaline stays in your system?
When I was first diagnosed with AFIB about 6-7 years ago, I got one on those heart rate monitors that has a strap around the chest and talks to a watch type device. It was a Polar RS100. I would wear it when I went out on my 3 mile walk every other day. One day, I was looking at my heart rate on the watch...and .... and .... and ... I stepped in a hole and broke my ankle! The POLAR went in a drawer and has stayed there since. The moral of the story is ... obsessing about your heart rate can do more harm that good!
The duration of an adrenaline rush varies by person and situation. Typically, the epinephrine and norepinephrine triggered during fight-or-flight are metabolized as the body deals with the physically demanding situation. When the threat is resolved, the body begins to return to its normal state. However, as mentioned above, you may need to exercise in order to metabolize remaining hormones and decrease lingering feelings of panic.
petey
I'm struggling to come to grips with this and actually I think that the struggle will help resolve things. It's true that I'm obsessive about my hr when I don't need to be...I think. this results in pointless anxiety: i.e. there's nothing wrong but I'm slightly panicking anyway, to the extent of getting an adrenaline rush--which raises my heart rate.
Last night during meditation pre-Compline I had a little panic attack--that's never happened before. ( The thing about meditation is, you hear your heart.) But I struggled through, and only barely broke a brow-sweat until I silently talked myself down. Of course there was nothing wrong.
sorry to go on with this but anxiety is a common side effect of afib I believe. I certainly never had if pre-afib.
I feel lucky that this is my big issue now, not actual afib.
I'll checkout the Daily strength anxiety forum next! but I really think that I'm about to get past this. thanks for letting me vent.