Living with Atrial Fibrillation: What are Your Experiences?

I lived with A-fib for a number of years (about 5), pretty well controlled by meds until it wasn't. My cardiologist recommended meds and we adjusted them based on how well my A-fib was controlled. His recommendation is to go with the meds if they did the job and didn't have any bad side effects as some people's A-fib can be controlled that way for life. I never noticed any adverse side effects from the drugs I was taking.
When meds no longer controlled my A-fib adequately, I had a cryoablation, which took care of it until my mitral valve decided (yes, anthropomorphize-ing my mitral valve) to be leaky enough to bring back my A-fib. So, mitral valve repair about a year ago and no longer in A-fib although still on diltiazem and eliquis.
I trusted my cardiologist, electrophysiologist, & cardio-thoracic surgeon, and followed their suggestions. My final recommendation, make sure you can trust your doctors (mine were the best in the region), and don't let A-fib cause bigger problems down the road, which will likely occur if left untreated.
All the best to you.

I will summarize short and sweet my experience. I was able to stop 99% afib naturally by eliminating all caffeine from my diet and drinking more water as I was drinking very little. I had it severe when young. Now 76. No drugs or treatments for me. The Bible says that for every curse there is a cause. I believe in getting rid of the cause.

4 years ago I went to my Internist for a 2-year check-up (82 yrs. old), a Physician Assistant saw me. At the end of the appt. she sent me to "imaging" for an EKG ... diagnosed - A-Fib. The P.A. immediately put me on Warfarin, & told me to come back in a couple of days to "talk-about A-Fib". The Practice kept calling-cancelling & re-scheduling the appts., ... finally I called a local Cardiologist for an appointment to learn more about A-Fib, & see if I could get Warfarin changed, by then I was having TERRIBLE Side Effects! 3+ months had passed since the initial diagnosis. The Cardiologist advised me she couldn't change a prescription another Dr. (Phys. Asst.) ordered! I called the Dr. of Internal Medicine & told them I NEEDED an appt. A.S.A.P., they asked "Why", then said 'No appt.s available for 3 months, go to an ER"... So I got in my car, went into their office & asked for my files. I told them I would find a New Dr. if they wouldn't see me about a prescription one of their P.A.'s had ordered.
When I saw the Cardiologist I asked her to refer me to a New Internist, & we got that Prescript. changed.
Over the next 2-1/2 YEARS I was referred to 5 more Dr.'s or Phys. Asst.'s, each would change what a previous Health Professional had prescribed ... all together 7 Dr.'s or P.A.'s, 7 Diagnosis', & 7 different Prescript.'s - ALL of the Med.'s resulted in Severe Side Effects: 4 blood thinners, 2 Prescript.'s for high blood pressure & a Very Bad reaction to Iosvue 370 Dye injected for a 3-D CTA. At that point I HAD HAD ENOUGH!
Not only did I stop taking Prescripts., I've stopped going to Doctors! It Frustrates me that when I was diagnosed 4 years ago I had NO awareness (NO symptoms) of A-Fib ... 3 years of being referred by one Medical Professional to another, 2-1/2 years of dealing with TERRIBLE Side Effects to Every Medication prescribed, I'm Very Much Aware I Have A-Fib, but I Feel The Medical Profession has "bounced me around like a Tennis Ball", put me thru A Lot of Pain, Confusion, & Misery with all the TOXIC Med.'s ... My Body & I NEED to De-Tox. (find a "New Normal"?) & start all over.
When I feel I Need Help, I'm Leaving Town & going to a Major City Heart Clinic such as Rochester - MAYO CLINIC, ST. LUKES in St. Louis, or CLEVELAND CLINIC.

Hi @ruthbruns, getting a new diagnosis of atrial fibrillation can be scary. To help you connect with other members who are living well with afib, I moved your question about treatments and alternatives to this existing discussion:
- Living with Atrial Fibrillation: What are Your Experiences https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/can-you-live-with-atrial-fibrillation/

I did this so you can read previous posts and connect with members like @saganjames @kfox21 @yeb @lindy9 @jomack25 @gbear1953 @brian34 @predictable and many others who like you have afib and are living well.

The goals of atrial fibrillation treatment are to reset and control the heartbeat and prevent blood clots. Treatment will depend on several factors like how long you've had it, your particular symptoms and cause. Everyone is different.

I know it's scary and there's a lot to learn. Fellow patients are here to walk alongside of you.

Ruth, is this a recent diagnosis for you? What treatment or lifestyle approaches did you cardiologist discuss with you?

Thank you for reaching out! I have had Afib for some 10 years and have managed, to my mind, quite well. I use homeopathic remedies that keep me in a place where I have no symptoms that I experience it is only when I go to the cardiologist and he listens to my heart and does a ekg that it shows up. I have over the years had all the stress tests and do fine. There is the scare of a stroke, I have had one (completely unrelated to the Afib) but this all puts me at a higher risk. My homeopathic physician is thinking the blood thinner is the best choice as I am not keen on having the implant. I actually am fine with leaving all as it is, I am almost 85, feel fine but a stroke would be a life changing event that I of course do not want. I do exercise, walk and am raising a child, now a teen. So I am active. Thanks again for reaching out. Warmly Ruth Bruns

My story: I am 78 and, after having 2 ablations in 3 years, took my cardiologist's advice and had a pacemaker put in. It has changed my life for the better in innumerable ways. The trepidation of never knowing when an afib episode would occur is gone so my daily activities can proceed without unexpected interruption is perhaps the biggest relief. I feel "normal" again. I wish you much luck with whatever you decide to do.

I guess I am late to this party, but what is the difference between "chronic" A-fib and "persistent" A-fib. I have seen the term "persistent" used to describe A-fib which is occurring all the time in a patient.

The most recent categories for AF are:
Paroxysmal
Persistent
Long-term persistent
Permanent
https://www.healthline.com/health/atrial-fibrillation/types-of-atrial-fibrillation

I am 70 and recently diagnosed with A fib. My mother had it in her early 60s and lived till 82. It was not the cause of her passing.
So Im learning more myself!

Margaret - Your story and other similar ones are exactly why I do not run to the doctors for checkups or treatments for what I may or may not have. The only difference in my story is, after one bad experience, I did not continue, but read the handwriting on the wall and read, read, and read all the info I could find.

For me and irregular heartbeat, I quit coffee, colas, and anything containing caffeine. And increased my drinking of water. I rarely feel any irregularity and lasts maybe 5 seconds. I do not need to have a test to tell me I am okay. I do get a blood test about one time a year from a lab and examine it as you don't need to be Einstein to figure it out. To me, getting tests when I feel well at age 76, is like taking your car to a mechanic because it hiccups once in a while. They do their dance with a calculator and dollar signs in their eyeballs. My late husband who was an honest mechanic told me that people have their engines often replaced when the solution is to tighten a gas cap and clear the blinking warnings. Being dumb is not a virtue. One customer insisted that the air be removed from her tires and filled up with fresh air once a year because her late husband did it his whole life. Let that sink in.

Your story reminded me of a co-worker when I was in my 20's. I listened to her complain of UTI's and horrible treatments she had every 2 or 3 months. After a few years, I asked her if she ever ate any fruit. She said No. And never any veggies either. I had watched or heard what she ate at lunch every day and was just junk food.

One Friday, I went and bought her some time released Vitamin C and some fruit. On Monday morning she ran to my desk and told me that I had helped her in 3 days more than doctors had helped for years.

Take my stories to heart or leave them. Life is made up of choices. Unlike doctors and drug makers, I do not earn a dime for relating my experiences.