I am interested in other people‘s experience with exercise with a fib

Dofetilide

When I was at my worst, getting far more AF than I wanted and that I found acceptable, merely walking would bring on the tension, and then AF would take place. At times, I had to sit on a curb for a few minutes to get the rate down. Sometimes it worked, sometimes I had to walk home and eventually go to the ER because hours would pass with no change in arrhythmia.

From my gleanings across a number of fora here and there, most find that caffeine and exercise don't seem to bother them. On the other hand, some insist that any amount of extraordinary effort and any amount of caffeine will set them off. So, each of us must find what our triggers are, and then sorta live with that finding. Some find that they can reduce their AF a lot by taking magnesium supplements, while others say they can take handsful of capsules and not notice any change. Some can eat yogurt and other dairy by the pound, while others say they have found that reducing their intake of calcium-rich foods when they're in AF makes a welcome difference.

It's a mess, still, with the science still mystified. The advice from doctors is to figure it out for yourself and then do what you think works for you most reliably.

I think you can monitor your own exercise and play with the effort and intensity. Keep a close eye on your HR and your BP, if that is possible, and try to keep a record of when you break into AF, and if there is a harbinger in the way of a sensation, a rise or drop in HR, and the same for BP. That's about all I can think of. But when I was just weeks out from my first ablation, I couldn't ride a bike, walk far, even bending over to tie my shoes would often set me off.

I had paroxysmal afib for over 2 years, resulting in several trips to the ER along with one cardioversion (not pleasant). Exercise did not seem to be a trigger , neither was caffeine. I think my AF is/was mostly stress induced plus not getting proper sleep (sleep apnea can be a contributing factor). I was not comfortable managing it with meds. I didn't want to wait until my Afib got worse so I recently had PF ablation. It's too soon to know whether my ablation was a complete success. I am experiencing PVCs, which I was told to expect during the ablation "blanking period". We shall see...

Yes, to all you have posted. Note, please, that if you have short runs of ectopy during the blanking period, you should hope to have them earlier rather than later. The research suggests that the prognosis is poorer for those whose ectopy doesn't return until after, say, Week 5 or 6. You want the ectopy gone by about Week 5.

Also, the latest paper I saw shows that both radio frequency ablation (RFA) and pulsed field ablation (PFA) have exactly the same outcome frequency, that being about 75% success for a first ablation. PFA is somewhat safer for the pulmonary veins, and the Vagus and phrenic nerves, and for the esophagus.

I'm a little over 3 weeks since PF ablation. My ectopic heart beats seem to be diminishing in frequency, so hopefully trending in the right direction. Another benefit of PFA is that it is faster than RFA, meaning less time under anesthesia for the patient and perhaps less fatiguing for the team doing the procedure.

Hi
I was also diagnosed with Rapid and Persistent AF along with Stroke - Embolic and 4th day Thyroid Papillary Cancer.

First to have your Heart Rate controlled under 100.
Then Hypertension controlled.

Come 5 years I take only CCB Calcium Channel Blocker Diltiazem 120mg early AM after my Synthroid 1 hour wait for breakfast.

Metoprolol made me breathless and the 24hr Heart Monitor picked up pauses at night.

I would recommend a 24Heart Monitor. This will help consider if your meds control your heart Rate.

Is the breathless with exertion only? So Beta Blockers do not control my heart Rate. I cannot have ACE meds because I cough.

Try that for a start. Walking on flat is Ok but I need to stop. on longer distances. stairs, elevation etc. No breathless but apparently need the blood with oxygen to catch up.

cheri JOY. (tuckie)

Hi again
I was reading up what your heart med is. A Potassium Channel Blocker.
It is also an anti-arrhymic drug.
I cannot have cardioversion, ablation or anti - arrhymic drug e.g. flecainide. SWhy because heart structure is abnormal.
So you are not taking anything for H/R rate control or hypertension.
Some folks take a something else with an anti-arrhymic med.
I'd have another ECHO of your heart,
cheri jOY (tuckie)

I have exercised all my life as help with my depression and anxiety and it's sad for me that I can't exercise like I used to I might become out of breath entire more easily so I I kind of divided up into small segments I am 75 and just diagnosed 6 months ago

Good point I never thought about the doctors fatigue under a long operation.

@nevets
How long we you under anesthesia with the PFA? General anesthesia?

I had general anesthesia and was probably under for about an hour and a half, maybe a little more.