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.
Ugh!
Well, yesterday did my morning workout, which consisted of 90 minutes on the recumbent bike. I do this while reading the newspaper, so it is FAR from a real, sweaty, panting, groaning kind of thing (wait, what am I describing now?). So, then I head out for my regular Saturday morning routine - hit the bank, hit the liquor store (for lottery tix only, sadly am done with drinking), and the Dandelion, which is the naturopathic store where the wife and I pick up the supplements. Come home, get into the house and BOOM! Pulse starts racing and I can feel the BP shooting up. It was one of those "Uh oh, here comes the afib" moments which with we are all familiar. This probably lasted 10 seconds, but of course it felt like an hour. I plopped down on the couch to take my BP and of course it passed...well, the HR registered at 79, but the BP was 148/80. Felt weak the rest of the day...still took the wife out for our anniversary dinner (A Moroccan place in Gaithersburg, "Pashatown." But just felt weak the entire day. Went to bed at 10 last night, said a bunch of Hail Mary's and the "if I should die b4 I wake" prayer. Slept for 10 hours and missed church this morning (uh oh!). Today we have Kennedy Center tix (Peter and the Starcatcher, the prequel to Peter Pan) and then rush on home to see the Super Bowl. Are are the old guys rooting for Payton?
Anyway, I think I will call the cardiologist tomorrow and maybe run over to the nearby Johns Hopkins medical center annex for some blood tests, to see how I am progressing with the Metabolic Syndrome . What I really just want is for Peter Pan to take me out of the audience and back to the land and time when I was NEVER sick. Hard to believe that was just two years ago. Sigh...
Bill
Well, yesterday did my morning workout, which consisted of 90 minutes on the recumbent bike. I do this while reading the newspaper, so it is FAR from a real, sweaty, panting, groaning kind of thing (wait, what am I describing now?). So, then I head out for my regular Saturday morning routine - hit the bank, hit the liquor store (for lottery tix only, sadly am done with drinking), and the Dandelion, which is the naturopathic store where the wife and I pick up the supplements. Come home, get into the house and BOOM! Pulse starts racing and I can feel the BP shooting up. It was one of those "Uh oh, here comes the afib" moments which with we are all familiar. This probably lasted 10 seconds, but of course it felt like an hour. I plopped down on the couch to take my BP and of course it passed...well, the HR registered at 79, but the BP was 148/80. Felt weak the rest of the day...still took the wife out for our anniversary dinner (A Moroccan place in Gaithersburg, "Pashatown." But just felt weak the entire day. Went to bed at 10 last night, said a bunch of Hail Mary's and the "if I should die b4 I wake" prayer. Slept for 10 hours and missed church this morning (uh oh!). Today we have Kennedy Center tix (Peter and the Starcatcher, the prequel to Peter Pan) and then rush on home to see the Super Bowl. Are are the old guys rooting for Payton?
Anyway, I think I will call the cardiologist tomorrow and maybe run over to the nearby Johns Hopkins medical center annex for some blood tests, to see how I am progressing with the Metabolic Syndrome . What I really just want is for Peter Pan to take me out of the audience and back to the land and time when I was NEVER sick. Hard to believe that was just two years ago. Sigh...
Bill
I hope you feel better each day. Do you actually feel your blood pressure going up or is it just anxiety? I don't generally feel blood pressure symptoms but, I would like to be able to identify some of the symptoms I could look for just before my afib starts. I usually just notice when I go out of rhythm.
All the best
Bryan
Just as I got up from the computer to go to the JOHN, I felt like my blood pressure dropped and I was lightheaded and weak. My trusty oximeter said my heart was steady at 50 bpm. I layed down with the cat and it cleared. Sharon reminded me that I haven't been drinking enough and I get dehydrated real easily. She made me drink some Gatorade. Two cups of tea a day doesn't cut it. She wants me on two quarts of water a day. I think she's right.
This may be what's going on with you.
I know I feel better when I drink a lot of water, but I need to do it every day.
Resperate is all over the internet, recommended by Drs. including mine and they keep showing coupons for $100.00 off. If you go to the Resperate site, it explains it all to you. Basically it is a machine that helps you relax and lowers your breathing. You put the ear phones in, they come with the machine, and following the tones (breathing) to music. It tells you your breathing rate at the start at session and the end, keeps dally track, weekly and monthly of synchronization, etc. It has really helped me. My Dr. compares it to "biofeedback.". I am surprised you haven't noticed it on the internet - it pops up everywhere. Dr. Rowena answers people's questions and explains how it works. People use it along with B.P. meds, or without. If you are on B.P. meds you can usually reduce them as you get used to the machine - it's about the size of a b.p. machine.
Take care and Hugs.
Christine
I have used it myself but prefer transcendental meditation and Dr. Weil's 4-7-8 breathing technique which can promote similar benefits.
I recommend Resperate for my wife and those people who cannot get into meditation beacuse it is easier to do and does not require a daily practice. .
opsyn
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/VDR00112/The-4-7-8-Breath-Benefits-and-Demonstration.html
It looks pretty easy - do you do it twice daily and how has it helped you? I have a good to low bp but a fast heart rate... do you think that that might help me (I'd love to get off my beta blockers!!!)?
Thanks,
atp
Later on, I think I was 35 or so, I did biofeedback. Having done TM, I was able to quickly regulate my BP, heart rate, breathing, skin temperature, brain waves, muscle tension and perspiration.
Both of these methods have been very helpful over the years. I don't do meditation every day, but I do use it whenever I feel tense, shallow breathe, or want to calm down. I also take 20 minute "naps" where I don't actually sleep... I guess I'm meditating.
Anyway, when I was diagnosed, my heart rate was up. I told the doctor I could lower my BP and heart rate by meditating (and I showed him). He said: "Just take the beta blocker. What are you going to do, meditate every minute of every day?"
After I stopped laughing, I took the prescription and had it filled.
petey
I think Petey is right on in his comments.
Weil's breathing exercises are not a substitute for beta blockers. I use these exercises when I am stressed out and they help me relax.
For me, meditation and breathing exercises along with exercise, yoga, eft, reiki, etc mean they I don't have to take anti anxiety drugs. I would never use them for rate control.
I don't like the idea of taking medication (who does) but I also know that the benefits outweigh the risks.
You can check out this link on Dr Weil:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400721/Slowing-a-Speedy-Heart-Rate.html
opsyn
Oh well, them's the breaks.
Went to see a new Cardiologist today. My last one went off to work at a rehab facility/nursing home, in order to help folks that are 2 or 3 years ahead of us....anyway, he laughed when he saw the list of all the homeopathic crap I take. Like Dr. Calkins, he said "I don't even know what half this stuff is!" I have tried just about everything to get rid of the extra beats (EXCEPT Bentonite, of course!). The new Cardio guy said that sorry, chances are I would continue to have the extra beats, and I just need to not let it freak me out. He also said that the first year after ablation is the real test period. He said from his experience, if you make it through the first year without afib, there is no telling how long the ablation can last...maybe forever! Now, THAT is what I need to get into my head...I AM CURED! Not, "Uh oh, an extra beat, here it comes!" See, THAT is why I need to try that machine! Thanks for the recommendation.
Paul, I do wonder about the dehydration thing..when I first had the ablation, I was drinking TONS of water, but as the months have gone along, I am drinking less and less...so I need to get back to paying more attention to how much I am drinking. Now, I can maybe pass along some info to everyone that I learned in the Army - Number one, sometimes recruiters can fib ("Once you learn French, you will probably be sent to the embassy in Paris to work"...Fort Hood Texas is NOT anywhere near Paris!). The second thing is, look at your fingers. The fingers are divided into 3 sections. That section closest to the hand will tell you if you are dehydrated. Is it puffy? Then you need to drink more. They told us this would help us deal with the awesome summer heat that they get in Texas. So, was that helpful, or is that something that EVERYONE learns when they are 5?
Again, thanks everyone for teaching me some new stuff today!
Bill
I sent you a PM this morning and one of the things I discussed was from Afibbers, Hans research and ablation survey is that if you make it past the first year your long term success rates jumps into the 5-8 year range and most likely beyond.
Just reading your post now and your Cardio is right!
I too get runs ectopics, but they never lead to afib.
I'm at just over 7 months post-op w Natale.......5 more months to go!
McHale