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Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group
Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: 14 hours ago | Replies (928)Comment receiving replies
In my life, I have had 5 AFib episodes from December to recently, so I envy your having just one per year or so. Do you have other arrhythmia or palpitations regularly? Like PVCs and very short runs of super ventricular tachycardia? I always did and lived okay with them until these horrifying long-lasting bouts of AFib. I believe my single trigger is anxiety, so I am aggressively trying to mitigate that with meditation and such, no anxiety drugs, strongly considering therapy. (Would love to hear anybody’s comments on anxiety’s role in their AFib!) I also take magnesium and eat plenty of bananas. Because of my other kinds of arrhythmia, cardiologist does not recommend pill in pocket idea like you use with diltiazim. I do hope to find a way to reduce meds to your level of frequency if possible, though. I am otherwise in very good health at 75, so cardiologist recommends I do not take a blood thinner because the risk associated with the blood thinner outweighs my risk of stroke.
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I can only imagine what it is like to suddenly start having these episodes. My first one happened after flying to help one of my kids with a medical crisis so it was flying + sudafed + deydration + stress and focus on kid not self.
@riverpark does your heart rate go way up? Mine goes above 180 so I have pretty clear symptoms for ambulance call. I have had PVC's and very short runs of tachycardia but not to the point of being very bothersome since menopause.
I am impressed that your doc did not put you on blood thinners. Most docs just automatically put us on them. My doc kept pressuring me to go on an anticoagulant, but the hospital doc said not to worry about it. Confusing! Ultimately the cardiologist told me the CHADS2 scoring had changed and they had been overmedicating people, and agreed on no blood thinners- for now.
Last summer I had my longest episode at 7 hours. They did an echocardiogram to check for clots and one Heparin shot which is routine. I read that there are now studies supporting short term anticoagulation (like for one month) after an episode. I have inquired about that and was glad to see that study, hope it becomes practice.
I do tai chi and it really helps and is also enjoyable. The anxiety of anticipating another episode must be tough. At this point I swear I can feel something coming and believe it or not, it helps me prevent afib by 1) quickly sitting up straight and 2) taking an anti-gas supplement
The way you suddenly started having relatively frequent episodes is mysterious. Did anything change in your life or health or meds? I hope you find answers. Afib, PVC's and tachycardia are not dangerous but they are scary.
Last summer the EMT's kept remarking on how calm I was, given the symptoms . It really has sunk in that I am not in danger. And the chest sensations have become familiar, unfortunately!