AFIB..do's n don'ts???

NO Candy Sugar or Salt for me every time I have some I get Afib at night

@judaline
AFIB is very common. If you talked to cardiologist they list it as the achilleas (spell) tendon of cardiology.

You have to look at triggers. If your AFBIB and PACS pick up try to see did I eat something different, did I do something different, drink something different, worry about this or that and reactions to your stressful times. Does it help to exercise, does it help doing a hobby, just keep a log and share with your cardiologist.

If you can log them you can see a pattern and then can help yourself by trying to reduce the triggers. What will bother one (caffeine, drinking, stress, eating certain foods) will not bother the other person and vice versa to what trigger the AFIB and VFIB.

I have to watch stress and anxiety as have learned now from trial and error that it is a big trigger for me.

Do No. 1" Relax! It won't kill you. It may not be pleasant, and you will seek remedies for symptoms, and nobody will blame you...not if they're sympathetic and understand the cardiac arrhythmia. But AF will not kill you!

Do No. 2: Try to learn what might trigger YOUR atrial fibrillation when it happens. It can be a long list, often sleep apnea, poor sleep, poor diet, electrolytic imbalances (high/low sodium, calcium, magnesium, or potassium), bending over if you're overweight, eating too much at one go (stomach distention), coughing, sneezing, medications, viruses and other pathogens, vaccinations (yup, sorry, it's fully accepted by now), being too warm....should I keep going? Then, avoid those....like the plague.

Do No. 3: consult with a good electrophysiologist. Do it earlier rather than three years from now if/when your AF begins to come on more aggressively. You are in the earliest stage, I'm guessing (?), called 'paroxysmal', meaning it starts and stops on its own without any meaningful intervention on your part. It comes and goes. That's the best place you'll ever be in this long journey. An EP will tell you that you want to get an ablation before too long, but it will be more easily located, the tissues he has to ablate, if you're AF is somewhat more active.

Do No. 4: Consider what you might do that is intuitive. Are you overweight? Do you burn the midnight oil? Does your bed partner, if you have one, say you snore? Do you drink enough that you have to pee regularly, say every three hours or so? Are you drinking more than four cups of coffee each day? Is your diet well-rounded and inclusive such that an electrolyte imbalance and other nutrients aren't the problem? Keep examining yourself, your habits, your suspected shortfalls this way and be honest!

Don't No 1: Panic. AF doesn't kill the patient. It can make them miserable, maybe even just out of anxiety or fear, or the thumping and bumping, or the shortness of breath might urge one to sit up all night fretting.

Don't No. 2: Go to the ER unless you're feeling very...VERY...unwell, or if your heart rate runs above 100 BPM for 24 hours. If it's really high, above 140, you would go seek urgent care at a local ER. But don't go to an ER every time your heart runs high for a few hours and then self-corrects. That isn't dangerous.

Don't No. 3: Avoid medical intervention. You don't want to put off the realities of your new disorder, and you don't want to discount any one bit of advice you receive. You should seek a second opinion, of course, but if the two jive, you should take some responsibility for your health and start the processes. Don't put them off! Treatment and management just get harder and harder the longer you put off the care your physicians want to give you.

@judaline
AFIB is very common. If you talked to cardiologist they list it as the achilleas (spell) tendon of cardiology.

You have to look at triggers. If your AFBIB and PACS pick up try to see did I eat something different, did I do something different, drink something different, worry about this or that and reactions to your stressful times. Does it help to exercise, does it help doing a hobby, just keep a log and share with your cardiologist.

If you can log them you can see a pattern and then can help yourself by trying to reduce the triggers. What will bother one (caffeine, drinking, stress, eating certain foods) will not bother the other person and vice versa to what trigger the AFIB and VFIB.

I have to watch stress and anxiety as have learned now from trial and error that it is a big trigger for me.

@judaline
AFIB is very common. If you talked to cardiologist they list it as the achilleas (spell) tendon of cardiology.

You have to look at triggers. If your AFBIB and PACS pick up try to see did I eat something different, did I do something different, drink something different, worry about this or that and reactions to your stressful times. Does it help to exercise, does it help doing a hobby, just keep a log and share with your cardiologist.

If you can log them you can see a pattern and then can help yourself by trying to reduce the triggers. What will bother one (caffeine, drinking, stress, eating certain foods) will not bother the other person and vice versa to what trigger the AFIB and VFIB.

I have to watch stress and anxiety as have learned now from trial and error that it is a big trigger for me.

@jc76

Thank you those are great tips. Question are you taking any meds? If so, which ones please advise.