Hi Shanny,
If anxiety is defined as fear of the unknown...afib and anxiety go together for me.

The unpredictability of afib for us paroxysmal affibers is not totally conquerable, I believe. We each have to do our best to have a plan of action and Have Faith that we will be OK.

I can see where this is more difficult when first diagnosed, and there are not enough episodes to see a pattern. Or to test your plan of action. It was this way for me in the beginning and has been this way for me lately also. Even tho I do Know different, I still hold onto the Illusion/Hope that my last afib episode will be my Last afib episode.....you Can call me a Dreamer~

Hoping your new therapist will have some Valuable help for you!!!!

PS...a little Therapy would be a good thing for me~

I would bet that all ( or the vast majority) of us in the afib support group are a little on the anxious side. I wonder if that underlying condition is what makes us susceptible to afib.

It used to go into afib quite a bit, but since I have been on Flecainide/Metoprolol I have rarely had an episode and those few episodes were quickly dispatched via the PIP approach. So you will feel like your old self again once you have built confidence in your med that it will be able to keep you out of afib. That just takes some time. When I was an inexperienced paroxysmal afibber I was a nervouse nelly, now I feel as I did before I had my first episode of afib. I also have a few rememdies for flying - my former fear was a real handicap. The remedy? Great weather at the destination, Ativan, Grandchildren at the other end and then at the end of the visit you have Home at the other end of your trip. I hope this helps

Steve

This is one of the most difficult aspects of this condition. It has the potential to bring people's life to a halt. The physical effects can play a large role but the mental impact can can be equally difficult to overcome. I'm happy to hear that you are seeking help with overcoming your anxiety Shanny. For me keeping Afib out of my head and in my chest where it resides is key to giving myself some sense of control and to avoid becoming a recluse. I know it seems near impossible now but this will become easier with time.

Shanny:
This is one of the hardest things for me abt AFIB. I love to travel and hate the new anxiety because of AFIB about it. Past discussions here abt traveling have helped me but I still have not yet gotten the courage to travel abroad (but lots of people with AFIB do). My doctor was nonchalant abt it--saying if you go into AFIB while traveling, wait it out or if you need to get checked out--go to a hospital as every hospital in the world knows how to treat AFIB. I have taken a couple of trips this year in the US (and flown) and these are tips I gleaned from this group:

carry your meds on your person (not in your suitcase) and I give my husband a backup set of my meds just in case, carry a short list of your med history with meds, AFIB info, insurance, etc., stay hydrated (I don't go ANYWHERE without a bottle of water), eat out carefully and avoid salt, fats, sugar, MSG, and large quantities (this is really challenging traveling), learn deep breathing techniques for relaxing, get your rest, be aware of nearby hospitals but don't fixate on having to use one, build in experiences to look forward to, wear a medic bracelet if on a blood thinner... and I am sure there are more hints to come. Remember also, that people with all kinds of medical challenges fly/travel everyday and do OK.

Hi Shanny
I travel. My husband never gave me a chance to decide not to, and my Dr was on his side....life is for living . My very first documented episode happened 3 days before a long planned trip to Aruba, we went, i had a few anxious moments but made and enjoyed the trip.....since then we have cruised many times, gone to Alaska up to the Wilderness.....my drs and all my medical friends agree that care for a fib is available almost anywhere. I dont go to any 3rd world countries and I have not gone to Europe but not because of the a fib. I travel with an ER pack of all my a fib meds in my back pack....in my carry on and in my husbands back pack.....I am considering asking about a script for Pradaxa to fill and take with to start if i needed a few days to get home somewhere down the road....my dr has given me parameters of time that I need to get medical treatment and I have never had an episode that went out of those parameters. I am an anxious person, as we all are, but I refuse to be a slave to a fib when these are supposed to be the best years of my life :)
jan

I agree with the other comments. I am very anxious also. Anxiety and a fib seem to go hand in hand.

I think travelling is ok, just so you know where the local hospitals are and you remember to bring all your meds. The problem I had with travelling was different time zones and the meds have to be taken right at 12 hrs apart. I went to Hawaii and the 6 (?) hr time difference was a challenge to get all the meds taken on the right time.

I think if we stop the way we live, it will eventually create MORE anxiety. Just take some precautions and try to enjoy!! Easy to say...

SameDay Nurse:

Do you mind sharing the parameters of time to seek medical treatment that your doctor gave you? I have received mixed messages on this.

I have found the higher up in specialty, the longer they told me to wait. I got anything from 2 hrs, to the EP saying if I'm in a fib for 2 days, go to the ER. I think a lot depends on howhigh your HR goes. The PCP said if the HR went up past 140 I think and stayed there, go to the ER. A nurse said at the ER, having such a high HR would be like running a marathon constantly. Heart can't take it.

I know what you mean about conflicting advice. From what I can remember, this was the advice I received.

what do you take to monitor your heart rate when traveliing .

As I write this, I am kinda embarrassed as it seems overkill but it does make me feel more comfortable traveling. I always carrry a pulse oximeter in my purse and wear an inexpensive watch that has a heart rate function. The pulse oximeter shows a graph and continuous heart rate, the watch only gives a heart rate at the moment you press the button but the watch is very discrete (rather than walking around with a p. oximeter on your finger) and no one can really tell what you are doing. I use it a couple of times a day. The measurements on both items are very accurate. When I travel, I carry an Omron wrist b. pressure monitor that has the shaky heart symbol--the b. p reading is not always exactly accurate but is close enough and quick to use. And THEN (see what I mean by overkill..) I carry only when I travel, a Withings blood pressure and h. rate arm monitor that connects to my IPhone. It does not have a shaky heart (for an irregular beat monitoring) but it is very accurate and has easy to read longterm graphs and measurement table. When it comes out, I will purchase the IPhone ekg app and monitor that evaluates whether you are in AFIB or not.

And to really go over the top, I have a heart rate monitor app for my phone that is also pretty accurate but not as discrete as the watch but keeps good graphs. I didn't purchase these all at once and prob. could reduce my items. But what the heck....

Hi Steve,

I have also thought that anxiety is an underlying cause of AF.Anxiety can be caused by an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic of the autonomic nervous system. The ans effects heart and breathing rates.

I have asymptomatic, paroxysmal AF, Sometimes if I am in AF (based on my Omron ECG) then I will relax, do slow diaphragm breathing while repeating a positive affirmation that "I am in perfect health" and it will get me into the most beautiful NSR I have seen. This usually doesn't take more than a couple minutes and works more than 50% of the time.

For dealing with anxiety I highly recommend using the workbook Mastery of Your Anxiety and Worry at
http://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Your-Anxiety-Worry-Treatments/dp/0195300017 This can be used in conjunction with working with one's therapist or by itself. This workbook also discusses the differences between fear and anxiety.

opsyn

I flew from Tulsa to LAX for the Rose Parade last year and went into afib while in the plane. It was very uncomfortable but I wasn't on any meds at that time so I just breathed deeply and ignored it. We got in in the evening. When I woke up the next morning, it was gone. I was very anxious about it recurring while I was gone but I didn't have another episode until April, 2012.

Great question and informative/thoughtful responses.

Since May 2010 when I was first diagnosed. I have done a significant amount of traveling (driving) and flying. I have always worried about being airborne and going into AF.

Fortunately, this has not happened yet.

To prepare for traveling/flights etc. - with your PIP and have Zanax if you can get it - is a great way to buffer any anxiety and chances that you do go into AF while on the plane.

I think that if one has the chance ($$$, coverage etc.) to see a therapist that this is also a good thing.

I hope that this works out in your case. All the best!! :)

I travel a lot, and have had afib while traveling (I"m paroxysmal too). And it's annoying, but I do my best to just try and roll with it, making sure I drink tons of water (dehydration is my trigger) and am not carrying anything too heavy (another trigger).