Living with Atrial Fibrillation: What are Your Experiences?

Posted by yeb @yeb, Sep 1, 2024

I’m 74 and have just been diagnosed with chronic atrial fibrillation. My pulse rate usually stays between 75-100 and I’m taking 5mg of Eliquis twice daily. My cardiologist says there are no good meds for this type of Afib. I’m wondering if I should consider cardioversion, ablation, or just live with it and stay on the blood thinner? Anyone have experience living with AFib long term?? Thanks!

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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

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@ruthbruns

Living with Afib, concerned about needing treatments, ablations, interested in alternative natural treatments.

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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?

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@ruthbruns

Living with Afib, concerned about needing treatments, ablations, interested in alternative natural treatments.

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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.

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@ruthbruns

Living with Afib, concerned about needing treatments, ablations, interested in alternative natural treatments.

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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.

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@ruthbruns

Living with Afib, concerned about needing treatments, ablations, interested in alternative natural treatments.

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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.

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@suerte

My personal belief is that you need to fix the problem and not work to control the results of the problem. I like to use the analogy of putting buckets on the floor to catch water that is leaking through the roof when it rains. The floor is kept dry and all you need to do is keep emptying the buckets until it stops raining. But then it starts raining again and you are back to the buckets. Maybe it is time for a new roof or at a minimum a patch over the leaks.

As this relates to AFIB, you can take Eliquis and metoprolol or some other drugs to alleviate the impact of AFIB or you can do as other (and me in the very near future) and go the ablation route (actually the Pulse Field Ablation route) which should eliminate the majority of the issues that trigger AFIB.

It is all in how you personally want to deal with AFIB.

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I'm with you. My unrelated problem was back pain...shots, acupuncture, chiropractors, etc. Had the surgery and it was like a miracle. Five years later and I have a new lease on life as the ad says.

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@ruthbruns

Living with Afib, concerned about needing treatments, ablations, interested in alternative natural treatments.

Jump to this post

My personal belief is that you need to fix the problem and not work to control the results of the problem. I like to use the analogy of putting buckets on the floor to catch water that is leaking through the roof when it rains. The floor is kept dry and all you need to do is keep emptying the buckets until it stops raining. But then it starts raining again and you are back to the buckets. Maybe it is time for a new roof or at a minimum a patch over the leaks.

As this relates to AFIB, you can take Eliquis and metoprolol or some other drugs to alleviate the impact of AFIB or you can do as other (and me in the very near future) and go the ablation route (actually the Pulse Field Ablation route) which should eliminate the majority of the issues that trigger AFIB.

It is all in how you personally want to deal with AFIB.

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@ruthbruns

Living with Afib, concerned about needing treatments, ablations, interested in alternative natural treatments.

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Please do read the AFIB Cure.
Regards,
Sagan

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Living with Afib, concerned about needing treatments, ablations, interested in alternative natural treatments.

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@eboheart

Presently existing on side effects caused by medications to handle afib quality of life miserable at best unending quests for Dr's. Who will listen enough to help than just write more prescriptions not all drugs regardless of percentile of tolerability for everyone have seen one person diagnosed with dementia put in home started removing meds started remembering people could walk have pertinent discussions write I believe she was 92 yrs. Old I'm 67 short memory loss loss of vision rashes feels like hands getting arthritis maybe gout in foot could write book year ago upset went off meds symptoms went away not advising anyone to do that maybe could be fatal I had to know went back on meds symptoms back if I keep body alive long enough maybe will find doctor paid enough with time enough to do what my body needs to minimize side effects and allow me to continue being an addition to world rather than a hinderance

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@eboheart you might want to pick up a copy of The Afib Cure by John Day and another cardiologist. May not offer a "cure" but lots of good suggestions for mitigating.

@lindy9 I gave up a lot of foods 20 years ago, long before afib. The problem just isn't that simple for many.

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