Heart Rhythm Conditions – Welcome to the group

Sarah, I know of people who have to limit their exercise, not do more of it. I know a person who must watch calcium from all sources, and because he is a 'magnesium dumper', he must ingest a lot of it, up to 800mg daily in one of his concoctions or another in order to keep free of AF and also drug free...which he is with a 20 year history of managing his AF that way.

Some can't do caffeine, some alcohol, some not get indigestion....it goes on and on and on... Each person must forge a pathway for themselves through the electrically disordered heart of theirs.

While diet may help, especially if you tend to be hypomagnesic or hypokalemic (low magnesium and low potassium), low iron might also be a problem, and you need to find out occasionally through blood panels if you are one of those who needs to watch, or to actually change, their diets. Even anxiety and stress of money, relationships, local noisy construction,...all sorts of things can make a heart fibrillate.

As for the medications, I was widely read about all of the ones prescribed for my own case of AF, including the dreaded amiodarone (which I was obliged to take after a failed index ablation). None of 'those things' happened....to me. Others report a helluva time as soon as they get enough of a new drug circulating in their system. This goes for statins as well. Again, it's gonna be YOUR journey, and your story afterwards....whatever it is to be. I hope it isn't a horrible experience for you. My symptoms when in AF was much worse than anything I could imagine experiencing with amiodarone or metoprolol. So, I chose to be optimistic, to trust the experts, to be informed, and to take the darned drugs.

One final note. If one drug fails to do what you need it to do, ask for another option and give it a decent trial, at least two weeks with doctor's approval and guidance. Unfortunately, there is a tendency for the rate control and rhythm control drugs to lose their effect over time. This means increased dosages, and that can bring on other problems, or you must try either another drug or a mechanical repair such as catheter ablation. I have had two of the latter. The workups, and all the appointments, and travel, are, to me, worse than the actual catheter ablation. It's a day procedure, and next day you are fine and walking, if being careful about heavy lifting and overdoing it. After my second ablation, I have been in normal sinus rhythm (NSR) for coming up to 2 years. All the workups, all the meetings, all the unsettling symptoms, the anxiety....all gone.

Please consider reading up on the drugs. The FDA had Vioxx removed because a few people developed heart problems. My female clerk at the Canadian National Defence Headquarters found it a godsend for her arthritis, and was sickened when she realized she could not acquire it any longer. She and many tens of thousands.

Hi I'm Sarah, I was just recently told I might have Afib. I was born with a rare heart defect. I have done fine most of my life. Things have really taken a turn since I had COVID in 2023. Has anyone been able to control their Afib with diet & exercise? The medications for it look like they have some scary side effects. That scares me & I truly don't want to take them if I don't have to

Hello to all,
I’m a 74 year old female who had a Mitral Valve repair in 2018. Everything was fine for 2-3 years and then I started to have SVT episodes. Cardiologist increased my Metoprolol to 25mg and added Eliquis. Everything is fine again until recently. SVTs increase in strength and duration.
Just from doing my own research and keeping a daily log I discovered I have become extremely sensitive to dehydration. As long as I limit alcohol and caffeine and load up on electrolyte drinks(not just water), I can control/eliminate the SVT episodes. So far so good. It’s been 8 months without a problem.

A question about Apple watches offering ECG heart rhythm tracking:

My background: I'm 81, have occasional SVT and AFIB. Saw three different Cardiologists this year. The first two, seeming very aggressive, tried to sell me on surgically inserting a Loop Recorder above my heart for 24/7 HR tracking. The third, a Veteran's Administration Cardiologist, appeared just the opposite, too nonchalant. Said " Just continue doing what you've been already doing." (Just 25 mg of Metoprolol)

Heeding the advice on many on this forum, and abhoring any kind of surgery, I declined the Loop Recorder idea, but decided to track my HR 24/7 with an Apple watch. Many of you raved about how great the Series 9 is, and is being accepted by more and more doctors. Someone mentioned that the ECG tracking was discontinued by Apple due to patent infringement. Yet now, in looking for a watch that offers both ECG and fitness tracking, I'm finding the Apple Series 10 claims to offer both, and has nice upgrades as well. My question: which watch should I purchase? Is there something wrong with the ECG tracking on the Series 10 that I should be aware of? Thanks in advance.

Re: metoprolol, with SVT diagnosis, after weaning off Amiodarone and a failed ablation, I've been on Metoprolol for over a year now. Love it! Taking a 25 mg pill daily. Never have had to use it as a P-I-P. Resting heart rate went from mid-60s BPM to mid-50's. Occasional tachycardia events rarely exceed 120 BPM. Hope it works for you.

There are other drugs that do much the same thing. It depends on the prescribing physician's history and experience, the market, what is cheapest in that market, and also what the individual patient's history suggests would be the best drug for the job.

Not everyone responds well to metoprolol, so they need diltiazem, bisoprolol, or some other medicine.
https://www.drugs.com/compare/metoprolol
There is one fairly common, and obvious, concern with all beta and calcium channel blockers: they induce bradycardia in their host. You should monitor your pulse regularly to ensure you aren't dipping below about 45 BPM when resting. Some very well-trained athletes can tolerate heart rates (HR) as low as 35 BPM, but that is still officially bradycardia. Most physicians will call it bradycardia if your rested HR is below 50 BPM. Metoprolol and the similar drugs can put an otherwise healthy heart into a very low HR if the dosage is too high. You might wish to wear a 'wearable' smart ring or a smart watch that can help you to monitor your HR.

Wondering if Metropole is the best medication to take

Hi Tim. Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you.
Rita

Hi Rita, I'm James, but go by Tim. I had A-fib and AA-flutter this year. I tried ablations 4 times this year and several Cardio Versions and nothing worked. They put me on Amerodone and I had a terrible reaction. On Oct.21, this year I had an A V node ablation with a new Pacemaker. I've had these problems for years and I'm very optomistic for my future. Don't give up hope.

IF you don't feel well....generally...you may need a diagnostic run on your pacemaker. Their settings sometimes need tweaking, and maybe that's where you are. Consult your cardiologist or electrophysiologist.