Living with Atrial Fibrillation: What are Your Experiences?

This is for “yeb”
I’ve had AFib since 2016 and am now 79 - female. I had ongoing visits with my cardiologist with heart tests and was on a beta blocker Sotolol and blood thinner Xarelto.
I had extreme palpitations twice a month mainly due to stress. At one point I asked to be put on Sertraline to control the stress and it worked but over time the side effects were awful so I went off it. Finally after waiting two years due to our healthcare system I was booked in for a RF ablation March 4th as an outpatient. The surgeon is American and quite talented. He said at my age I have an 85% success rate. There’s a three month “blanking period” after surgery when the heart is healing and I did get some palpitations but nothing debilitating. One month after surgery I’m off the beta blocker but still on the blood thinner seeing how it goes and will get tested with a holter in a couple months. My cardiologist says I no longer have AFib. Keeping my fingers crossed! So bottom line is if you can get an ablation I would recommend it. Take care. xo

This is a reply to jomack25 ... My Heart Goes Out To You ... (Think I've walked a mile or 2 in Your Moccasins.).
Mid-year 2021 I was 1st diagnosed with A-Fib ... the next 2-1/2 years All I saw was Physicians Assistants, I'd call to make an appt. & I'd tell the Appt. Person I want to see A Cardiologist, but when I'd get there I'd be seen by a P.A. instead. After this happened several times I'd change Clinics ... until I Finally Saw a Cardiologist. It took 2 years, all the while the P.A,.'s would prescribe the "usual Med.'s" for A-Fib., every prescription resulted in Severe Side Effects, 5-6-& sometimes 7 Severe Side Effects with every one! When I finally saw a Cardiologist, she looked at the list of Drugs & all the Side Effects & told me to Stop Taking Everything ... "Lets Let Your Body De-Tox." At the same time, she referred me to a Cardio-Surgeon in her Clinic. The Surgeon ordered a 3D-CTA later that week & said he recommended a Watchman implant. I told him I need some time to De-Tox before doing anything ... & He Asked Me What I Meant by "De-Tox"? I showed him the list of Drugs & All of the resulting Side Effects, he just 'rolled his eyes'! He was Emphatic I needed to have the 3D CTA Immediately, reluctantly I agreed, but after That we Needed to talk about an implant, then I wanted him to describe IN DETAIL thIS 3D CTA , he told me it was little more than an X-Ray, during the 'scan' the Tech would inject a little dye, but it'd flush out of my system in a matter of 8-12 Hours: "No Big Deal". WRONG! That Dye: Isovue370 landed me in bed for 5 Days... then +- every 6 weeks I'd have Other issues. I looked up Isovue370 those same reactions were experienced by Other Patients who'd had Isovue370 injections. With That I Had HAD It! Haven't been back to Cardiologists Since (that was 16 Months Ago.) The Next Cardiologist I plan to see will be at either Mayo or Cleveland Clinic, which will require traveling 400 or 500 Miles. My feelings ... Cardiologists in my Community: about on a level with "Snake Oil Flim-Flam'ers"! I Have to Wonder how many of Their Patients have ended up either going elsewhere or DEAD!

Thank You Colleen for your answer (above) to ruthburns ... Your Statement "I know it's scary & there's a lot to learn" is So True. It was a Physicians Assistant whom I saw for a general check-up when I learned I had A-Fib ... during the appt. she sent me for a routine EKG as a part of the check-up, that's when A-Fib was detected. Something in her tone of voice, or what she said hit me like a FIRE ALARM! Then she said she didn't have time to explain What it Was, wrote a prescription for Warfarin-told me to pick it up on my way home & start taking it Immediately, also told me to come back in a couple of days & we'd discuss it, but DON'T GO to Dr. GOOGLE! ... a few days later She Left the Dr.'s Practice on a Medical Leave, & wasn't available for almost a Month! The next person in the Dr.'s office I talked to was equally alarming when explaining A-Fib. Both PA's cautioned me "Stay AWAY FROM Dr. GOOGLE!" Come To US to Talk about this!
Finally I had "Had-It-With them", went to my computer & then called a Cardiology Practice & booked an Appt. That's when I learned that 'A-Fib wasn't A Death Sentence' ... & began to lower my Stress Levels ... it all Began to make sense. The Cardiologist was CALM, KIND, Re-Assuring, & helped me with the Lifestyle changes that have improved my journey in living with A-Fib.

Sincerest Thank You for your inspirational story. I guess in the past few years I've just put Too Much "faith" in MD's in my community... (I'm about a decade older than you)...when I was young Dr.'s took-to-heart "Do No Harm"! After 2-1/2 years of "Dancing to the Medical Communities' Fandango" I came to the conclusion "Times Have Changed!" Now we Patients Have to be Our Own Best Advocate. At times it's felt like "Snake-Oil Hustlers Are Back In Business!"

My Afib has been 100% for eight months since open heart surgery. I take beta blockers and blood thinners and, other than fatigue and some breathlessness with activity, it's not too bad on medications. I couldn't take antiarhythmics and 4 cardioversions failed. I think I'd rather stick with the meds for myself. We are all different

Thank you, aard. Yes, I seem to remember it that way. No relation to my query about the possibility of the vaccine causing heart issues. Sorry for misleading.

Some adolescent males were experiencing myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle after getting Covid-19. Myocarditis can be caused by viral infections, but occurred at higher rates in those who had Covid. Rate was higher for those under 16 and over 50, with higher occurrence in males than females.

I do Magnesium and Aspirin too, never feel anything, can't see why I should mess with this at 84.

61 yr old male and I was diagnosed with AFIB on Jan 15, 2025. I take Sotalol 80 mg & Eliquis 5mg twice a day and it keeps my heart in normal rhythm without issue. This is a newer safer anti arrhythmic specifically for AFIB patients.

I should have mentioned that I didn’t get COVID until April of 2022 after having all four Pfizer shots and exactly one week after the fourth one.