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.
Tomorrow will be the first day I stop Rhythmal and I am terrified.
I have been on it so many years.
My doctor said it is not working and he is just going to keep
me on Cardizem and Warfarin .. AND he said he is going
to keep me in afib.
OMG ... can you stay in afib/flutter all your life?
I can't believe that you can?
I am weaning off this drug over a two week period and
he said your heart will go faster possibly but you need to
stop it.
Right now I am in permanent flutter .. with episoses of AFIB.
I will be afraid to be alone as I discontinue this drug ... waiting
for the other shoe to drop...
Boy am I scared. Acrossthepoind recommended a book on
how not to be afraid and it was ordered but has not come yet
and I just wish I could deal with this better.
Old habits die hard ... I just don't understand going off of it.
All he said was "you don't need it" why put chemicals in your
body when they don't work" ughhhhh Any commernts?
Marilyn
I have been on it so many years.
My doctor said it is not working and he is just going to keep
me on Cardizem and Warfarin .. AND he said he is going
to keep me in afib.
OMG ... can you stay in afib/flutter all your life?
I can't believe that you can?
I am weaning off this drug over a two week period and
he said your heart will go faster possibly but you need to
stop it.
Right now I am in permanent flutter .. with episoses of AFIB.
I will be afraid to be alone as I discontinue this drug ... waiting
for the other shoe to drop...
Boy am I scared. Acrossthepoind recommended a book on
how not to be afraid and it was ordered but has not come yet
and I just wish I could deal with this better.
Old habits die hard ... I just don't understand going off of it.
All he said was "you don't need it" why put chemicals in your
body when they don't work" ughhhhh Any commernts?
Marilyn
I can think of 6 people I know who are in afib all the time..persistent afib. All are taking anticoagulants. They are active and all say they don't even think about being in it.
In some ways, I think they are doing better than I am with paroxysmal.
I never know when I will get my next episode, how long it will last, and how I will feel.
Best Hopes for each day being good, so you gain trust and courage!
I wish I could conquer my fear.
I think in this case it is fear of the unknown.
You input is greatly appreciated.
A few minutes ago I went into AFIB and my neck
vein is going crazy.
I just have to learn to be calm.
xxoo Marilyn
This seems like a pretty good resource.
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relaxation.htm
Ughhh
Every time this happens I forget what it was like.
Hope I can get to sleep now.
Have a good night and feel good!!!
:)
So sorry to hear about your problems, You have come to the right place. This is a wonderful and caring site:) I was (and to some extent stll are very scared of this A- Fib. I get high bo. And extremely high h.r. when I go into A - Fib. . What do u do when u get an attack. The high h.r cares me the most. I really emphathise with u. I hope ur new treatment helps u. I was on Diltiazem for 6 months and it is for arrythmias. When I had another stack in June (1st one in Nov. 2012 and 2nd following June) In hospital both times. They put me on Sotalol and off Diltiazem. I am on Warfarin, too. I stol get skipped/paused beats. Thisvsite has taught me a lot and they help u emotionally. I do hope you will feel beget and take deep breathes and I know u will do fine. All the symptoms u describe are what most people get with a-fib. May u find comfort knowing we care and God bless u. Keep us posted. U will be in my thoughts and prayers:)
Hugs,
Christine
nges letters on me! Will write on my computer next
time. Should be high b.p. not bo and attack not stack. Sorry!
Carol is right, it does sound like those in persistent afib seem to have an easier time with it than those of us struggling with paroxysmal. Let us know how you're getting alon, and please know we are praying for you and caring about you!
I take Metoprolol when I go into afib, to bring my rate down. Mine goes from 140 to 100 in about 20 mins.
I take Rythmol also when I have episode, takes me out of afib within 2-6 hrs.
as much as we think we are different we are all the same
I am finding out ... as my doctor thinks I should not worry
about this.
What is routine to him is NOT routine to me.
Sounds like some of you are doing fine without the rhythmal.
It is weird half the time I don't even know I am in AFIB and doctor
said as you age you don't feel it all the time I am 67.
However sometimes the beast rears it ugly head and I freak.
My heart also goes from 41 to 135.
I found that hard to deal with but hearing others experience
the same thing helps to feel human.
My doctor raves about ablation and says there is a 60%
success rate ... I am scared to do it unless the symptoms
get really bad like they were when I was younger... I would
have done ANYTHING to quiet it down.
Thanks for all the help... I am blessed to find this site.
Marilyn
I can empathize with your panic. I was on Rythmol for only one dose and it made me pass out. Many are in persistent a fib and live with it fine, don't even feel it.
If the drug isn't working, then maybe your doc is right to discontinue it. These drugs are really full of side effects.
Good luck! Let us know how it is after you quit!
The book that I recommended helped me a lot after I got peripheral arterial disease in both my legs (one of many late effects from the radiation treatment I had many years ago come to think of it, a-fib probably is, too). All the emotions and fears (I was 14 when I got Hodgkins) that I had suppressed all those years came back in a tsunami- like wave. I barely knew which way was up. I did a lot of talking with my husband and we found a couple of books on fear and how to combat it. This one was by far the best (for me). It doesnt make you not afraid but it shows you how not to let fear get the best of you. How to recognize it for what it is and put it in check. I have been in the hospital twice since reading the book and although the second time (after my TIA) was extremely hard (a heck of a lot of fear!!) I was able to keep from losing it completely. The book is:
Fearless: The 7 Principles of Peace of Mind
by Brenda Shoshanna
The Amazon link with the synopsis is: http://www.amazon.com/Fearless-The-Principles-Peace-Mind/dp/1402770677
Like I said, it helped me understand what was happening.
I hope it helps you, too.
Take care.
atp
adversity and working on it ... I am awed by your optimism
and guts!
I can take a lesson from you.
God Bless You!
Marilyn
Back in 2004, I had afib so bad that if I even talked on the phone that stress would send me into afib. I was put on 150mg of Rythmol every 8 hours. I was determined to fix the issue by natural means so I did a lot of investigation. I checked what Dr. Abram Hoffer advised - vitamin boosting and I payed attention to what triggered me. I got off the Rythmol by changing my dosage to every 12 hours for 1 week, then only 1 per day for another week, then I was done. No Rythmol at all unless I had a episode. The pill in the pocket method.
To reduce the episodes of afib, I avoid the triggers for me. Wheat gluten, caffeine, booze, MSG and stress - and I eat only organic produce. As for vitamins, I take: non-flush niacin (500mg), Vit B complex (twice the recommended daily dosage), Omega 3 fish-oil (twice the recommended daily dosage) and Ginko Biloba - again, twice the recommended daily dosage. Ubiquinol, ribose & L-Carnitine. (See Dr. Stephen Sinatra's YouTube videos about how beneficial for the heart those are).
Those were big changes, but they worked. I'm always in normal rhythm unless I'm triggered by one of the foods I list above. MSG is hidden in so many things. Then I take a single 300mg of Rythmol and am fine after it takes effect in 1 or 2 hours.
Augmenting you medication with vitamins and trying the omission of things that trigger you should be an easy (harmless) transition that might make a real difference for you.