QuoteKingFizzy I had zero anxiety about AFIB until I had my first few attacks. Then very anxious about it. After having an ablation, I have anxiety about having an AFIB attack and having to have another procedure. Anxiety seems inevitable once one is affected. In 2004, after dinner, I would be sitting on the couch nightly in speculation and my concerns that I would get my afib...just tenselyby susan.d - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey Anxiety is a well known trigger for afib, but you have to have the substrate to sustain afib. In other words, anxiety doesn't cause afib in people who don't have afib to begin with. So ablating it as necessary isn't a waste of time. Once you get the monkey into a cage all the anxiety in the world won't release him. That monkey cage will be secure for the current hby susan.d - AFIBBERS FORUM
I had zero anxiety about AFIB until I had my first few attacks. Then very anxious about it. After having an ablation, I have anxiety about having an AFIB attack and having to have another procedure. Anxiety seems inevitable once one is affected.by KingFizzy - AFIBBERS FORUM
Anxiety is a well known trigger for afib, but you have to have the substrate to sustain afib. In other words, anxiety doesn't cause afib in people who don't have afib to begin with. So ablating it as necessary isn't a waste of time. Once you get the monkey into a cage all the anxiety in the world won't release him.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Is there any consensus on anxiety and how it affects afib. If a person has anxiety is he/she wasting time try to ablate afib a 1st, 2nd, or third time?by Geocappy - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN If your BP is normally low, be careful of Propranolol (or any BP med). My daughter's father in law was recently prescribed a beta blocker for afib and he passed out due to low BP, fell and cracked some vertebrae. This may not be an issue for you, especially in afib, but just be aware. I think your issue with the quote above is that the ending Some breathing techniques aby Marco - AFIBBERS FORUM
If your BP is normally low, be careful of Propranolol (or any BP med). My daughter's father in law was recently prescribed a beta blocker for afib and he passed out due to low BP, fell and cracked some vertebrae. This may not be an issue for you, especially in afib, but just be aware. I think your issue with the quote above is that the ending Some breathing techniques are good for aby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN. The number used to be 48 hours, but I think new data suggest the period when the risk starts is much shorter (I don't have the reference on this). Aspirin is not a great blood thinner. What is your CHA2DS2–VASc score? If more than 1, you should have a prescription for an oral anticoagulant like Eliquis or Xarelto, either to take all the time (as directed by doc) or to starby Marco - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN along with CBT-I. I tried CBT-I with a coach last fall. They said they had 95% success. I failed. At least for me, the idea was to compress your sleep window, and once your brain adapted and you were sleeping well, increase your window. All I got was a lot less sleep, to the point driving was dangerous. My coach had me try other things, and increase the sleeping window.by bettylou4488 - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotegloaming Has GAD been ruled out for you, Bettylou? Generalized anxiety disorder? And, even if it's simply not the case, could anxiety be robbing you of relaxation and rest? Is falling asleep the problem, or remaining asleep? Both? Good questions. It is mostly reamaining asleep. The there is a new therapist I am considering hiring who works on the anxiety OF insomnia.. along witby bettylou4488 - AFIBBERS FORUM
Has GAD been ruled out for you, Bettylou? Generalized anxiety disorder? And, even if it's simply not the case, could anxiety be robbing you of relaxation and rest? Is falling asleep the problem, or remaining asleep? Both?by gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you mjamesone for your reply. The doctor who prescribed the Famotidine is an ENT, and I have the impression he is pretty good. I have non of the "regular" reflux symptoms, like regurgitation or any burning sensation, just a chronic cough. The reason I saw the ENT was this unexplained chronic cough. I am already doing everything recommended since I had a similar problem some yearsby Edda - AFIBBERS FORUM
The why is ... life. When we are young, guys like your husband simply don't feel anxiety...me neither. Then we do. Part of getting a bit older. Anxiety brings heart problems...like afib. I had to modify my work. What was easy before, starting killing me with anxiety.....via afib/flutter. Welcome to the aging process. Sorry...it happens to us all. It has different forms for each ofby swhanson - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi everyone, I'm the wife of a newly diagnosed afibber. I'm glad to have found this website and forum as a resource but it's honestly a lot to swallow all at once. My husband is 38 and has had heart palpitations and bradycardia for some years, but recently ended up in the ER for his first big afib episode. Hearing about how he's got 5x the risk of stroke is shocking for somby cottagerose - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Carey, thanks for your reply -- that's very reassuring. My HR has came down. When I am at rest my HR is 75-80 bpm (used to 50-55 bpm before the ablation). I am having a LOT of PACs during the day, a lot more than I ever had. They are generating a lot of anxiety because they used to be a prelude to Afib/flutter (before the ablation). I hope they subside soon. Thank you, Stefanby SteLo - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello all. I have been "lurking" here for a while now. Here is my story. I am a 68 year old male in pretty good health. I lift weights, ride my bike, and walk daily. In the summer of 2020, I started experiencing "thumping" in my chest and felt tired all of the time. In October 2020, I was diagnosed with persistent atrial fibrillation. I got an EP and he put me on flecainide foby FibberMcGee - AFIBBERS FORUM
We each tolerate the uncertainty and 'bother' of AF differently. As some of you are aware, I'm a timid one who needs hand-holding when my AF lasts more than an hour or more. I have learned about my timidity, and that I'm every bit as likely to self-convert, which is my history, at home as I am lying on a gurney and having strangers walk past me wondering if their day is goinby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotehacksman I have a couple of questions regarding the ablation recovery period. Are my previous triggers (alcohol, stress, anxiety, adrenaline surges, lying on my left side) now unlikely to cause afib/flutter episodes? Does the fact that I haven’t had any episodes suggest that the source was in fact the PV’s or the posterior wall of the left atrium which Dr. Horton ablated? I was never in aby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I wanted to offer an update on my situation following my ablation in late November with Dr. Rodney Horton at TCAI in Austin. My previous story is documented above on this thread. Other than my 90 hour afib/flutter episode that began ten days after my ablation and resolved just hours before a scheduled ECV, things are going well with no further episodes. I stopped taking flecainide in latby hacksman - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey Thanks Carey. I'm think I'm just starting my 30 days of fear regarding this upcoming ablation. I am curious however what causes the incidences of flutter post ablation? Are there any signs that an EP Can look for to discern if the patient may run into flutter? If so, would they tell the patient? Flutter is usually caused by a barrier to electrical conduction in the atrby Johnnyk80 - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJohnnyk80 Thanks Carey. I'm think I'm just starting my 30 days of fear regarding this upcoming ablation. I am curious however what causes the incidences of flutter post ablation? Are there any signs that an EP Can look for to discern if the patient may run into flutter? If so, would they tell the patient? Flutter is usually caused by a barrier to electrical conduction in the atrby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJakeS Thanks for sharing. While I do not have the Afib issues some of you have, I have noticed the different approaches the MD in the ED setting. And I had one ED doc that was annoyed that I even was there. I had doc that immediately wanted to do ECV, to doc that gave me Cardizem got the rate below 100 and discharged me while still in afib. So I have found it difficult based on theby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for your thoughts and optimism after the realism of having a progressive condition! My EP took 6 hours on what had seemed a conventional ablation because he found so many breakthroughs. Before the ablation he thought I had an 85 percent chance of success. Obviously, there was more going on than anticipated. He has completed 2500 ablations at Duke and I know he is smart and highly competentby karin - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteKen Maybe someone will watch and post a brief summary (if there is something out of the norm). I won't be watching for an hour and a half. Here is the probably auto generated YouTube transcript (first half): My name is Tommy Dewland and I'm going to cardiac electrophysiologist here at UCSF. It is my distinct pleasure to introduce my colleague, Dr. Greg Marcus. Dr. Marcus isby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
I,too,very much appreciate this forum. I learned about Dr. Natale in 2016 when I was first diagnosed with AFIB. It was through this forum that I learned how important it was for me to seek help from a top tier doctor. Thank you, Shannon and Carey, for the expertise provided and for personally encouraging me through this process. Thanks for staying with me, Carey, as my anxiety did (and does)by Pixie - AFIBBERS FORUM
We all have much the same sensations as a group of AF sufferers, but in degrees and not all as salient as the other symptoms. By that I mean some feel the palpitations and it drives them crazy...usually with anxiety...while others only feel the shortness of breath and other symptoms. Those who suffer atrial flutter don't often know it, and many don't know they are in atrial fibrillatiby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Folks! Had my index ablation at TCAI 5 days ago and wanted to share some info and get some input. This is a follow-up to my post a few months ago entitled “ablation dilemma”. It is long but I always enjoyed reading other people’s detailed stories so I’ll offer mine. After 20 years of paroxysmal afib/flutter including 3 ECV’s and several ER visits, my episodes began increasing froby hacksman - AFIBBERS FORUM
I use it interchangeably with brown sugar and Sugar Twin (sodium cyclamate). I can't say I have noticed anything out of the ordinary. I use powdered Stevia in my coffee pretty much every day, often a packet each of Stevia and Sugar Twin (I like the way sodium cyclamate tastes. Way better than Splenda, for example) and I use the liquid form to mix with lucuma powder into my grass-fed yby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM
I understand your anxiety about having an ablation. It is your heart after all. It took me 2 years to decide to go ahead with an ablation and I have not regretted it. Dr, Natale performed that ablation and I have been AFib free for almost 2 years now. IMO if your PPO insurance will cover Dr. Natale then I would wait. Whatever you decide to do best wishes to you.by frankangelo - AFIBBERS FORUM
I would have to say that carb consumption is not likely to be a trigger, whereas any guilt/anxiety related to the consumption, consuming too much and having a distended stomach, and concurrent consumption of other triggering elements (caffeine, alcohol, histaminic food or drugs, etc) are most likely to be the culprits. Insulin, in and of itself, is harmless, but making more of it, forcing your pby gloaming - AFIBBERS FORUM