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Hi Scott, and thanks for the reminder. I am definately one triggered by alcohol. I spent 20 years working in cardiac intensive care units and/or running arrhythmia clinic. We used to call CCU "The Lonely Hearts Club" over the Christmas and New Years holidays. In addition to alcohol, stress is a big factor. Rushing here, rushing there, is my gift good enough, or I wish I could senby Pam - AFIBBERS FORUM
Fran, I have noticed that during an afib attack I always become highly agitated. It is not anxiety, because I have been having afib attacks for eleven years and don't worry about them. The agitation is as if every nerve in my body is fired up and it becomes impossible for me to sit or lie still. I have an uncontrollable urge to move arms, legs, etc. It is not a real seizure, but I wondby Carol - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jim C Rose - You've undoubtedly read my posts before and after PVI ablation - My decision to proceed was mainly based on increasing frequency of events - some were every day or everyother day as well as very long events - some ranging 36 - 37 hours. The whole thing was debilitating....although I had gotten over the anxiety part of it. With my doctor's help and support, I managedby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
you are smart for realizing that your anxiety about the situation is the culprit. Reducing that factor will minimize the afib episodes and perhaps with a mild heart rate drug, their severity. I commend your doctor for being open to the on demand approach. As long as your episodes don't last too long (and the rhythmol may help in that regard) this condition will prove nothing more thanby Kerry - AFIBBERS FORUM
It sounds like you are having an anxiety reaction to your episode of afib. This is understandable and I sympathize with you very much. My first episode of afib was very upsetting to me and caused me much anxiety for which I immediately sought help. My suggestions: stop using any caffeine or alcohol for the time being. Both increase anxiety, the caffeine immediately and the alcohol the next day.by Michael in San Francisco - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello all, I am 30yo and had my first afib episode on Nov 8th of this year. Used to smoke for 15 years, which is what I was doing when it hit me. I went home, after converting 12 hours later on my own, with a prescription of 50mg atenolol and full strength asprin. After about ten days on the medicine I stared having episodes of shorness of breath, slight lightheadedness, and anxiety. I had myby Eric - AFIBBERS FORUM
Dear Peggy, You describe the kind of afib "break throughs" that I now occasionally have while taking 800 mg. of magnesium glycinate a day. The break throughs are usually the result of either emotional or eating stress.* The symptoms are far less pronounced. In fact, most of the time all I experience is a stronger, more pronounced nsr. It only occasionally becomes irregular and I uby Carol - AFIBBERS FORUM
My doctor has me on 5 mg of Xanax for anxiety but I only take it if ABSOLUTELY necessary. It does help the afib. Debbiby Debbi - AFIBBERS FORUM
I thank you all so much for the help. I will try to wean myself off of Klonopin. I was having a hard time with my life before I had Afib return 2 months ago. It is ruining my life and I feel helpless to do anything about it. I am currently on a 3 week leave from my job as a custodian and boiler operator. I am affraid that I may not be able to return to work, and we can't live on my wifeby Jeff Gorrin - AFIBBERS FORUM
Feel free to correct me if i am wrong, but it seems to me the biggest difference between lone afibbers and chronic afibbers is fear. Respondents to this board speak about anxiety such that they require medication, sometimes very powerful medication. It seems we live in dread, both of the next afib episode and of the most feared complication of afib, stroke. It is a big thing in my life, ceby Peggy Merrill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Although I am going through a "quiet period" right now with no afib or ectopic beats for about 2 months, when I am in what I call Afib country, lying on left side will cause ectopic beats and afib if I do not change position fast which sucks when I'm asleep because sometimes I do not realize I'm on my left until I wake up and its too late. As for doctor's advice, my cardby scott - AFIBBERS FORUM
I take .5 mg of Klonopin to prevent anxiety so that I can sleep. I usually have afib while sleeping and it wakes me up after only 4 or 5 hous of sleep. I usually get afib for about 2 hours, once a day, but when I don't get enough sleep I can get several attacks in one day. Does anyone know if Klonopin is the culprit or is it just a coincidence?by Jeff Gorrin - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello Liz, Beta-blockers are used to treat a range of ailments associated with anxiety and tension, such as high blood pressure, angina, irregular heart rhythms, migraines, prevention of a second heart attack, tremors, alcohol withdrawal, anxiety and glaucoma. They work by blocking the receptors for the fight or flight response. Beta-receptors are found in a number of places in the body, suchby J. Pisano - AFIBBERS FORUM
Marshal: I think that GERD and afib are definately related. Perhaps once you have your hiatal hernia repaired, it will be the end of the afib. "I was put on atenolol a few years ago for mild anxiety. " Atenalol is not an antianxiety drug, so at the time that it was prescribed for you, you had no afib? I don't understand. Pamby Pam - AFIBBERS FORUM
Richard, Yes it it occur to me. I think it is what triggered the beginning of the ectopics I experienced. I think (I think) my problem all along was the Gastro which has obviously worsened in the last five years. The GERD made me nervous and contributed to the anxiety...when the atenolol was added to the mix...the cascade continued until the afib episode. My cardio, who is a friend of mineby Marshal - AFIBBERS FORUM
The reason I writing this is because I have been told by numerous doctors that there is NO connection between AF and GERD. I do not agree and I wanted to share this with the good folks I've met here on the BB. A brief history for those of you who don't know, I was put on atenolol a few years ago for mild anxiety. After being on it for some time, I began to notice a funny flip floby Marshal - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike and Carol-- I am quite inclined to second Carol's thoughts. I know from your previous submissions that both of you had stressful childhoods (to state it mildly). I myself experienced at least one traumatic incident as an infant and grew up in a dysfunctional family. The result for me was a lifetime of very troubling social anxiety which, as late as in my forties, devolved into generaby Michael in San Fran - AFIBBERS FORUM
Jim, I was in and out of AF for the first month after a PVI with Dr. Natale. Then I went into constant flutter. The only time I was out of flutter was for one to three days after each of three cardioversions; then it would begin all over again at around 130 bpm, gradually escalating to as high as 180 until I was in an anxiety state and totally exhausted. On November 3 I had a repeat ablation aby Char - AFIBBERS FORUM
whoops - hit the wrong key... continuing - Frequently, I would take the RR when I began afib and I thought it helped to relax me and shorten the duration of the event. Metagenics has two products - one is MyoCalm p.m. relaxes muscles and calms the nerves - great for sleeping.... and the other is a product to take any time - day or at bed - called Serenagen....it is a calming and leveling prodby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Michael, It is always good to read your posts. If, as you say you are "aware that serotonin-enhancing drugs have protected me from afib," why wouldn't , a carbohydrate - rich diet , which enhances serotonin production, also help protect against afib? Yes, I have recently had some discouraging break throughs of PVCs - no full blown afib, though - at 800 mg. a day. It is enougby Carol - AFIBBERS FORUM
Carol and all-- I have tried several diets in the past in the hope of finding one which would boost my serotonin levels, since I have suffered from excessive anxiety in the past and found that serotonin-enhancing drugs like Prozac relieved my anxiety completely. I am also aware that serotonin-enhancing drugs have protected me from afib. I have also tried the so-called "paleo" diet whiby Michael in San Fran - AFIBBERS FORUM
To: J. Pisano Some of what you say alludes me, but here's where I'm at as far as I know for sure. The pacer I have is dual, but I can't tolerate both sides so it's running as a single chamber, however, it is rate responsive. The SSS is have is bradycardia-tachcardia syndrome that's been confirmed on 3 different tests. The cardizem appears to help in keeping my Bby Sam - AFIBBERS FORUM
Bill B - I have a copy (courtesy of Lorraine) of a July 2003 Special Issue of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine - with the feature being "Managing Atrial Fibrillation: Focus on Nonpharmacologic Strategies" Here is what it says about Amiodorone: Actions: Amiodarone (A) was developed as an antianginal drug but was later found to have antiarrhythmic properties and was introducby Jackie - AFIBBERS FORUM
Debbi, I definitely feel pressure in my chest, especially if I am doing anything physical or I'm in a stressful situation. But I don't feel pain. Generally I just feel tired, kind of anxious, often short of breath, lightheaded especially when bending over. I think I discussed a lot of this a few days ago on another entry about "not feeling Afib" or something. I also descrby Doug - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes, nightmares have preceeded some of my afib attacks. I still maintain that stress and anxiety are the substrata of afib and that much of it originates from emotionally unsupported. undernourished childhood. Carolby Carol - AFIBBERS FORUM
Richard-- The glutamate connection is fascinating, now that I have made the link regarding my own dietary habits. I have been rethinking my last episode, which was the only one which was not preceded by a restaurant meal. It happened last New Year's day very early after I had given a dinner party for several friends. I drank some wine during the meal, perhaps two glasses. I know there is sby Michael in San Fran - AFIBBERS FORUM
Dawn, I just had my first bout with this. I too still am having some funny flutters, but nothing like the afib. I do worry that it will come back soon, but from what others have posted, it is more of a worry than a real threat (especially when your heart is otherwise fine). Mine was brought on by a combination of heavy stress (looking for work), lack of sleep, coffee, nicotene, and i think tby Tom R. - AFIBBERS FORUM
Seems to me that the common thread running through most of the posts in this series and in the BB posts in general is STRESS and ANXIETY. Stress in all its forms - physical (exercise, nutrition) , mental and emotional , separately and combined. (Tony Blair is the most recent example) I still maintain that early childhood stress (insecurity, loneliness, blocked identity development ) is an underby Carol - AFIBBERS FORUM
n addition to the above my father has Afib, my sister has crohns, another sister is hypoglycemic ,one brother has type II diabetes. another brother gets heart palps (racing ) from Generalised anxiety disorder.by Adrian - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hello everyone, Over the last month, I've been diagnosed with LAF. I had 2 brief episodes in the last 8 months that lasted 30 minutes or less. A month ago (9/16), I awoke to go to the bathroom, and had the worst event I'd yet to experience. I was in Afib for 4 and a half hours. Nothing they did would get my heart rate to return to normal. I was hospitalized for 2 days, sent to a cardiolby Dawn - AFIBBERS FORUM