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Post cardioversion anxiety

Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: Aug 12 11:09pm | Replies (11)

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My problem started with an aortic dissection (2021)which was repaired but they told I was lucky to be alive. This got me to where I was anxious about every ache and pain. Found out about six weeks ago that I now had a fib. Just had the cardio version two weeks ago and it went fine. However, now I am even more conscious of every ache and pain. Now it seems that my heart rate goes up and down faster than it did before the procedure. Not sure if that is normal. I do exercise, eat right, no caffeine, and very little alcohol. Im just not sure what to expect

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Replies to "My problem started with an aortic dissection (2021)which was repaired but they told I was lucky..."

What type of pain, where, and how long does it last? How intrusive is it? Does it interfere with your day or with your night's rest?
I can't advise you (I don't know anything about you, your history, your condition and other comorbidities...if you have them..., and I'm not a health professional). AF is the most common cardiac arrhythmia with something like 8-10% of all people over the age of 60 having it (latest guesstimates). It's not lethal. It's a bother to some, and others haven't a clue they have it until diagnosed because they experience zero symptoms. For those who are symptomatic, anxiety is often going to follow. It can generally be controlled well with drugs, some lifestyle modifications, avoiding 'triggers' (there are literally dozens reported anecdotally in the various AF fora), or getting the gold standard of care that is a catheter ablation.
I don't want to go long on this post, nor to frighten you or confuse you, but I have spent hundreds of hours watching videos and reading research papers. Again, it's not a lethal condition, but it should be managed if at all possible. It raises one's risk of stroke six times over a baseline, so most patients go on a DOAC (direct-acting oral anti-coagulant, like apixaban or rivaroxaban). Also, it's best to get the mechanical treatment of catheter ablation as early as possible in its progress (it is a progressive electrical disorder of the myocardium) while the AF is paroxysmal or persistent. If it progresses to long-standing persistent, the next stage, or permanent, the last classification of AF, it's much more resistant to treatment.