Who is dealing with A-Fib? Newly Diagnosed

My dad had it and was successfully treated with electrical cardioversion several years ago. It worked instantly and he’s maintained with medication since. Initially, they tried to treat his afib with meds, but it didn’t work. Dad was in his 80s and had quadruple bypass in his 60s with several stents over the years.

Except for people coming here to ask for others, and there are some, almost everyone posting here is an AF patient. Something like 60 million across the globe have the disorder. That's what google says when you ask, but I think the number has to be higher because some simply don't, or can't present to a physician for remedial care. That is because some are asymptomatic and simply don't know they have an arrhythmia. They may feel a little off, have a little less energy, and maybe attribute it to aging or slowing down. Others, like myself, and many who post here seeking help, are almost at their wits' end because they are almost severely symptomatic and can't sleep or rest or be calm during the day. They feel the heart thumping and bumping.

I would urge you to read up on it. The Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic sites are excellent, but there are also excellent videos on YouTube.

If I could give him, and you, one bit of advice so early on: it's widely considered to be a progressive disorder. It advances, then pauses, advances and pauses. Medications can control it or reduce its apparent 'burden', an important word there. At the very least, your husband should be on an anti-coagulant because the greatest potential risk is for a stroke, which everyone should avoid like the proverbial plague because its effects can be life-altering in a way AF isn't. Also, AF doesn't kill us. It may hasten our ends if it isn't managed carefully because it can tire the heart and age it prematurely. Certainly your husband should seek help if his resting heart rate stays above 100 beats a minute for more than 24 hours, or if he simply can't stand how it feels any longer.

A cardiologist will help...maybe even a lot. But since the disorder tends to progress over time, you should learn about the role of the pulmonary vein ostia (where they empty into the back of the left atrium), and what catheter ablation is. It's a procedure that an electrophysiologist performs to stop the extra signals from finding their way into the lining of the atrium and causing extra beats. Do this as soon as you can to get on a waiting list because the lists can be months long. Again, there's no rush...it's not fatal. But do seek the counsel of an electrophysiologist before too many weeks so that the effects of the progression are delayed or even stalled.

@susanfalcon52
Is your husband seeing a Electrophysiologist? If not he needs to have such a specialist advising him. AF is a huge issue in cardiology. There are many treatments for it and what one medication might work for one may not work for others. And that includes haveing ablation.

If he does not have a EP then seek out a experienced and knowledgeable (would recommend Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic) it possible and have them guide you. The fear of having AF causes more stress and for most more stress causes more AF.

So even asked EP about anti-stress medications and anti-anxiety medications. At Mayo Clinic I see a APA who prescribes medications to treat my anxiety and stress over both my AF and VF who works with my heart failure and EP to ensure the medications she prescribes does not interfere with any other medications or treatment by my cardiology specialist.

I am an 81-year-old male, 6-0 in height, and was 189 pounds. I was diagnosed with A/Fib about nine months ago. I first bought an Apple Watch,which alerted me, and then the doctor confirmed it. I was getting six to eight alerts per day. I had no real symptoms other than fatigue and an occasional vibration in my chest.

Last November, I had the cardioversion performed at Meijer's Heart Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it worked for four days, then back into A/Fib again. So, I decided to go to Mayo Rochester for a possible Ablation procedure. The doctor (very sharp) recommended that I not get the Ablation because my A/Fib was not affecting my daily life other than the irritation of the alerts. Anyway, I decided to lose some weight and am down to 167 pounds, a weight I've not seen since retiring in 2000. I've not had one A/Fib alert since losing weight. The funny thing is, I didn't consider myself overweight, and I feel so much better weighing twenty-two pounds less, plus no A/Fib alerts, not yet, anyway. I highly recommend weight loss for people with A/Fib.

Update: My friend sent an article saying that even a tiny weight loss could stop A/Fib. Another possibility is that Cardioversion started working. Also, I was prescribed Eliquis & Metaprolol, so maybe that started working; who knows? Again, I didn't try losing weight; it just happened, so perhaps something else is happening. I'll be 82 next month, and I'm thrilled to be alive, but I'm shocked, too!

My dad will soon be 87. He’s 6 ft. He hasn’t lost weight though he would like to. He has a penchant for ice cream, so that’s not likely to happen. He plans to stay on his meds, though the Eliquis is believed to be causing him an issue.

Regarding weight loss, I, too, had a penchant for ice cream., but avoided it for several months; hence, the weight loss. The stuff is addictive but probably one of the worst things if you want weight loss. I did not give up my two glasses of red wine five days a week. My Mayo Doctor said it was okay. I wish your father the best of luck.

Thank you and all the best to you! It sounds like you are doing quite well. I don’t have Afib, but gave up ice cream and wine temporarily the last few months and have lost a substantial amount of weight. I will be incorporating the wine back in at some point, though. Lol. It’s something I really enjoy.

I have AFib and it is barely noticeable at times or it’s a trip to the ER needlessly. Once I’m on my back with doctors and nurses running around my AFib relaxes and I’m ready to go home if they let me but no, they monitor me all night with a chest monitor. The nurses station also has my machine measurements and if AFib kicks in they come over in seconds because mine resembles a heart attack. But other than that I only have to deal with my mechanical aortic heart valve and manage it with a weekly draw and the cardiologist gets the lab results and my blood thinner is constantly changing
Every Wednesday morning the lab comes to me.

Good for your weight loss, and it may even prevent ever having an issue with the dreaded A/Fib. My system for avoiding ice cream is to avoid that section of the store. As far as wine, it has zero fat, which, as you know, is much unlike ice cream. We shouldn't give up the joy of wine; life is short, particularly at my age!