The quirky nature of AF

[Guest guest]

I've convinced myself that there is a cycle to my AF and some times are 'safer'

than others. Most of my triggers I think can be performed a some point in the

cycle. For example 2 or 3 days after an attack I've found I can do most things

(even eat pizza!). Unfortunately I discovered the hard way the resting after

exercise still seems to throw me into AF even if I've just had an attack. I'm

convinced there's some chemical/hormonal level that builds up over a couple of

weeks which throws me into AF and then I'm ok again for a while. Hardly a

scientific opinion but the only one I have so far.

take care,

--

D

AFibbers Database http://www.dialsolutions.com/af

AFib Suport Group /group/AFIBsupport

[Guest guest]

In the early days of my afib episodes, if one would happen at rest after a

workout at the gym, I blamed in on the workout; if it happened at rest after

a glass of wine, I blamed it on the wine; if it happened after a

particularly stressful day at work, I blamed it on the stress, ad infinitum.

After a couple of years of monthly episodes, I came to a point where I

wasn't finding much pleasure in anything, not drinking coffee or enjoying a

glass of wine; people were walking on eggshells around me at work and at

home, ad nauseum. I stopped traveling in my business, stopped exercising,

stopped sleeping in the same bed with my husband, just being so paranoid

about the inevitability of an episode. In short, my life was revolving

around Afib and I got to disliking myself with such a dampened spirit. Now,

five years into this unpredictable and disturbing condition, I am doing

things as I please in moderation, since it appears that the afib is just

plain going to happen no matter what I do or don't do. Part of me is

resigned to it, but another part is angry as hell about it and about the

uncertainly of treatment and everything else, well this is not telling

anybody anything new. Yes, I can relate to its quirky nature. Sandy

[Guest guest]

, when I still had AF, and before I ever read a AF message

Board, I always said that my AF had a mind of it's own. It was my

idea that the AF mind knew how many hour a year it was going to be

present in my life. Over the last 5 years before I had the Maze,

(until just before the maze when I became near chronic), I would

average a episode every 2 weeks for 4 to 8 hrs. each. I could predict

with + or - one day when I would have the next episode. If I had a

very short episode, I might have another episode within a few days,

and if I had a extra long episode, I might run a few days over 2

weeks.

I had Lone Paroxysmal AF from my teens until age 64, and took

medication for it for about 30 years. I have been in NSR now for 31

months and it is great.

, I no longer have AF, but read the board every day, and am

administrator of MAZE ALUMNI, and want to thank you for the

contributions that you give to the board.

> I have noticed that regarding atrial fibrillation, the triggers for

an

> episode will vary over time; Of course not all of us have the same

type of

> AF or the same causes, but perhaps someone can relate to my

situation;

> I find that what triggers an AF episode, or near episode one

time, will

> not trigger it the next; For example, there have been times when

consuming

> alcohol clearly is the culprit; Other times, drinking a white wine

will have

> no impact at all, and in fact seems to help; Sometimes, drinking

caffeine

> will trigger AF, other times it will not; Sometimes, having sexual

relations

> will trigger AF, other times, it will not. Sometimes, exercise will

trigger

> it, other times not; Sometimes taking beta blockers seem to

prevent an

> episode, other times it seems to play a role in triggering one.

> Does anyone else notice the rather quirky and unpredictable

nature of

> AF? For the past year, I have been mentally talking to myself about

this and

> always end up saying to myself " AF is a quirky neurological

syndrome " ; At

> times, it almost seems to be a part of ones conscious mind, to have

an

> intelligence all its own.

> There have been times when I have been free from AF for weeks

after doing

> all the " wrong " things like drinking alcohol, caffeine, high

stress, eating

> late at night etc; Other times, the slightest amount of stress will

trigger

> an AF problem for weeks, and then I cant do anything beyond taking

my meds

> and almost becoming an invalid.

> Can anyone relate??

[Guest guest]

Sandy,

Excellent commentary on this mysterious affliction! I have shared

your experience and more recently have been doing the things I like

in moderation. For example at a recent dinner party for my wife I

decided to have some very nice red wine. Not surprisingly I went

into afib about one half hour later. It only lasted for about 1 hour

so all in all it was worth it! Other times, as mentioned by

, I will have some wine or undertake some vigorous activity and

no afib will result. I too am considering an EP study but like

, am nervous about it. Maybe it is more prudent to just accept

occasional episodes and get on with life. I'm going to start

travelling again but only to civilized countries with reliable

medical systems! Keep up the good dialogue.

Greg

AFIBsupportegroups, " P. Raichel " <vientos@v...> wrote:

> In the early days of my afib episodes, if one would happen at rest

after a

> workout at the gym, I blamed in on the workout; if it happened at

rest after

> a glass of wine, I blamed it on the wine; if it happened after a

> particularly stressful day at work, I blamed it on the stress, ad

infinitum.

> After a couple of years of monthly episodes, I came to a point

where I

> wasn't finding much pleasure in anything, not drinking coffee or

enjoying a

> glass of wine; people were walking on eggshells around me at work

and at

> home, ad nauseum. I stopped traveling in my business, stopped

exercising,

> stopped sleeping in the same bed with my husband, just being so

paranoid

> about the inevitability of an episode. In short, my life was

revolving

> around Afib and I got to disliking myself with such a dampened

spirit. Now,

> five years into this unpredictable and disturbing condition, I am

doing

> things as I please in moderation, since it appears that the afib is

just

> plain going to happen no matter what I do or don't do. Part of me

is

> resigned to it, but another part is angry as hell about it and

about the

> uncertainly of treatment and everything else, well this is not

telling

> anybody anything new. Yes, I can relate to its quirky nature.

Sandy

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/19/2000 10:46:45 AM Eastern Standard Time,

brmorgan@... writes:

> Many studies have shown that sotalol is almost completely

> INEFFECTIVE against recent onset atrial fibrillation. In fact, the incidence

> of conversion to normal sinus rhythm after experiencing recent onset AF and

>

Yet the FDA in the passt year certified solatol as being effective in

controlling affib-

jerry

[Guest guest]

That just proves that medicine, unfortunately, is not totally a science;

There is a large amount of art or subjectivity involved with it; A drugs

manufacturer will say one thing, several other researchers (who may have a

conflict of interest with a competing manufacturer) will say something

different;

The study I read concerning Sotalol was comparing it against Rhythmols known

effectiveness against recent onsent AF; Rhythmol won hands down over

Sotalol;

Sotalol does seem to reduce the frequency of AF episodes if it is taken over

a long period of time (at least a year); Hence betapace/sotalol does have

some efficacy in preventing the frequency of AF episodes, but it is not

generally given to those in an ER room to chemically convert them to NSR;

Re: Re: The quirky nature of AF

> In a message dated 11/19/2000 10:46:45 AM Eastern Standard Time,

> brmorgan@... writes:

>

>

> > Many studies have shown that sotalol is almost completely

> > INEFFECTIVE against recent onset atrial fibrillation. In fact, the

incidence

> > of conversion to normal sinus rhythm after experiencing recent onset AF

and

> >

>

> Yet the FDA in the passt year certified solatol as being effective in

> controlling affib-

> jerry

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sandy, Thanks for your response on your vagal night episodes. I know what

it's like. I'm always shorting myself on sleep now because the disorder is

pretty aversive and I would rather stay up and write e-mails like this one.

Dorean

[Guest guest]

On Tue, 28 Nov 2000, Mark wrote

>Vicky it may have been the sauce on your spaghetti that set you off. I know it

>sets me off. Try eating only the noodles some time and I'll bet you're just

>fine.

Thanks for this suggestion - I shall see if this makes a difference.

What I did find out, from this quite bad attack, was that in fact the

incredibly hard knots in the small intestine are WIND when I had always

thought they were hard impacted foods !!! I spent an hour on the bed

last night pushing it around and trying to shift it, and when I

eventually stood up having had less success than I would have hoped, it

started to move - but /upwards/, and with lots of belching. After

another 1/2 hour it had cleared and I have been fine since - no PACs, no

AF :-))

From every bad session comes an advance in my understanding of my

condition.

The next thing is - WHY do I get so much bloating/wind - and back we go

to the mercury - this is supposed to be a classic symptom - so far I

have had a bit of burping now and again, but now I know also that

perhaps most of the hard knots were not impacted food but wind that

couldn't get back out. If my insides were a process plant of mine that

I was designing it, I'd be adding a few high-point vent connections by

now ;-)

[p.s. glad to see others benefiting from the FAQ page. I think I'm

going to retrain as a Doctor ;-) I could specialise in AF / digestive

problems / mercury poisoning and make a good living, I think ! - I'm

sure many of us now know more than some of the Doctors]

--

Best of health to all

Vicky