No Rhyme or Reason to A-Fib
Recently I was returning a supermarket cart in a parking lot after putting my packages in my car.
As I was walking back a car comes speeding by I had to jump away or I would have been hit by the car.
The car sped away before I could do anything, It happened so fast.
Needless to say I was angry, upset and generally pissed off,as well as happy it missed me.
I go back to my car check my heart rate and its 55 bpm (when not in A-Fib I usually have a low heart rate in the 50’s or even 40’s over the years told I have been told i have an athletic heart from all my working out)
Was back home in 10 minutes checked my Kardia Device normal sinus rhythm hear rate 53 bpm.
I was told and heave read about all the trigger points for A-Fib.
Stress, anxiety, exercise, food, alcohol, caffeine etc.
I was clearly stressed anxious and angry about what occurred yet no A-Fib.
Other times I can be relaxed sitting around watching TV basically doing nothing and go into A-Fib.
If it was just managing the trigger points to stay out of A-Fib then you can have a strategy or game plan.
At least for me it’s NOT.
And I find it extremely frustrating.
It makes no sense that’s why I say no rhyme or reason.
I find this to be insidious because I can’t come up with a strategy to combat it.
Its not like when I plan things out when I box or do martial arts.
Wondering it anyone else experiences this?
Thank You for any feedback
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart Rhythm Conditions Support Group.
Thanks for your reply happy to hear watchman is working out for you. Agree that you can’t get a definitive answer on what may cause your afib. For me which i explained in detail in some earlier post (not sure if you can reference them however please try) I believe the first covid booster shot did it to me.
The fact is that science & medicine (which is rightfully termed "the medical arts") have NOT identified...the cause of atrial fibrillation. And all the blather about atrial fibrillation being a predictive predicate for ischemic stroke...is NOT based on controlled evidence-based study (but that doesn't stop Kardia mobile from hawking its product by striking fear of stroke in the hearts of everyone experiencing atrial fibrillation).
I heartily recommend the work of John Mandrola, M.D. & board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist. He is not only a clinician but also a physician-scientist, actively engaged in research (which makes a very big difference).
He is very critical of what he terms "dogmatic cardiology" & advocates alternatively what he terms "conservative cardiology," which eschews the widespread & indiscriminate practice/use of medication & surgeries, including the standard/dogmatic surgeries for...afib, which are NOT predicated on data from studies with controls or so-called sham comparison groups.
As it stands now, we have no definitive controlled studies documenting the efficacy of cardioversion, ablation or worse... for addressing/resolving atrial fibrillation. Witness: Why so many cardioversion & ablation patients experience atrial fibrillation rebound following the procedures.
But those procedures are the bread & butter of conventional cardiology practices in the United States. One is tempted to question the extent to which medical decisions by clinicians, including & especially cardiologists (well represented in the 1-3% income bracket), are influenced by uncritical/reflexive recourse to medical procedures with a long history of unquestioned third-party (read: health insurers) reimbursement (note: when there is no outcome data supporting their long-term efficacy).
I encourage everyone to spend some time on Dr. Mandrola's Web site: https://www.drjohnm.org/about/.
Dr. Mandrola works at Baptist Health in Louisville, KY & presents widely at scientific conferences & other venues. In addition, he is an editor/chief cardiology correspondent for Medscape.
Btw: He does telemedical consults too.
Thank you Shoshin! I agree with your over all assessment of the "medical arts". I call it the "medical-insurance-pharmaceutical complex". My husband died 3 years ago not of cancer but of the effects of cancer treatment (too much radiation), and I felt he, and I, are just on a conveyor line to get patients in and out, schedule and bill for procedures, with standard pat answers and not much thought to recent research or the individuality of each person's biology. In fact, sometimes I get a defensive reaction when I bring up some research I've found as if medical personnel want patients to stay in their own lane, rather than be informed.
With respect to both high blood pressure and AFIB, I asked my cardiologist about dietary recommendations and with the exception of staying away from salt, she just said I should Google it! After much research on diet and general health, I am now about 90% plant based.
I will look at Dr. Mandrola's information. I live about an hour from Louisville. Would be a good appointment to take.
As always you are SO insightful which I greatly appreciate,
Your Shoshin name fits you to a tee (yes I am aware of the Zen Buddhism “beginners mind” term you use for your handle)
As you may recall I am into martial arts which I have touched on in past discussions.
Krav Maga, (my handle), some Tae Kwan Do ,some Brazilian Ju Jitsu and cause where and way I grew up Street Fighting.
I was wondering if you are a practitioner of Budo which in Japanese means the “Martial Way” and comprises many of the long list of Japanese martial arts and is associated with “Shoshin”.
I always appreciate and thank you for your responses and feed back.
We have conversed many a time.
As I once offered you I’d be happy to give you my personal email if you every wanted just a back and forth between us.
And I will check out the link you sent.
All the Best!
Do you have a definitive GI diagnosis? Testing suggests I have IMO. I took Xifaxin alone for a month without positive or negative effect, then added Neomycin for 5 months until severe (now ongoing) tinnitus forced discontinuation. I follow the FODMAP diet, but there are severe consequences when invited to someone's house or eating at a restaurant, even if I list what makes me ill. I understand completely that this is life-altering! How have you been treated, and who diagnosed and has been treating your GI issue?
I am 80 and have afib, but I have never experienced any afib related problems that I can identify. My doctor said I have a low heart rate with a “athletic” heart and that has always been the case.
Is it going to get worse? What are the warning signs?
I drink red wine every day. (2-3 glasses), I go to the y and work out 4-5 times a week for 30-40 minutes, I am not heavy, eat normally, I bike (electric).
Thanks for any nformation you can provide .