Re: Foods and afib - Keep looking !!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/4/01 2:14:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time, bowjude@...

writes:

<< we have to remind ourselves to get on with

a " normal " life. >>

I am not living a " normal " life and doubt that I ever will do so again as

long as afib is a specter lurking in the shadows. After eighteen years of

paroxysmal afib, I have managed to stave off permanent afib precisely by

abandoning my " normal " life and gearing my entire lifestyle to avoiding afib.

This is not to say that I am a couch potato obsessed with moping about my

afib. I live an extremely active life, working twelve hour days, but have

devised strategies for keeping afib at bay. My strategies, along with

medication, have worked for me. I am now in afib about ten percent of the

time instead of fifty percent of the time as I was previously. When I am in

afib, I must take my pulse to confirm that I am in afib because my symptoms

are practically indiscernible. I am certain that without the modifications

of lifestyle, I would now be in permanent afib as my older brother was by my

age. My lifestyle strategies evolved from keeping a record of foods,

activities, and stresses that REPEATEDLY preceded afib. To assume that any

activity immediately preceding an afib attack was a trigger would be

illogical. The key to determining triggers is to keep records and notice

emerging patterns. It has worked for me so far. I believe that my

" abnormal " lifestyle is a small price to pay for ninety percent freedom from

afib.

[Guest guest]

> My lifestyle strategies evolved from keeping a record of foods,

> activities, and stresses that REPEATEDLY preceded afib.

, what are your triggers? I think this would be useful info to

those of us just starting to take a look at this. Of course, this

may well differ form one person to another, but clues are helpful...

[Guest guest]

Greg wrote:

>For those who are new to the experience of afib I think you should be

>wary of attributing your afib to particular foods, especially if your

>afib is paroxysmal. It is easy to assume that a particular food is

>the cause when in reality you may have experienced afib at that time

>with or without that food.

I would agree not to obsess, but I relate my experience because the

success I have had tells me not to give up :

- drug anti-arrhythmic therapy success rate - 5%

- eventual control via diet trigger elimination - 95%

Best of health to all,

Vicky

" Science may be described as the art

of systematic over-simplification "

- Karl Popper

" All truth goes through three stages: first it is ridiculed, then it is

violently opposed, finally it is accepted as self evident. "

- Schopenhauer

[Guest guest]

,

I really resonate with what you say. I get annoyed with the Doctors

telling me that gastric upsets and food triggers are " quite common " and

inferring " so what? " when what I have found is that I can control my AF

far more that way than by using their drugs. For those who are

intelligent enough to take the attitude you have - which is to avoid

simplistic answers - then I think all power to them.

Science is, after all, just a formalised method of observation - and why

cannot a patient conduct a scientific survey on their own body? Don't

need a license to observe and conclude - after all, this is what the

wisdom of ancients was (/is).

>My lifestyle strategies evolved from keeping a record of foods,

>activities, and stresses that REPEATEDLY preceded afib. To assume that any

>activity immediately preceding an afib attack was a trigger would be

>illogical. The key to determining triggers is to keep records and notice

>emerging patterns.

Best of health to all,

Vicky

" Science may be described as the art

of systematic over-simplification "

- Karl Popper

" All truth goes through three stages: first it is ridiculed, then it is

violently opposed, finally it is accepted as self evident. "

- Schopenhauer

[Guest guest]

Sandy,

I have an ablation scheduled for September but I have not yet decided

to proceed. Although my doc says there is a 60% chance of success, I

have yet to talk to anyone who has had a successful ablation! I

discontinued my daily dose of 25mg of atenolol but found that when

afib occurred it was more intense and uncomfortable so I am back on

that drug. I am still trying to assess the risk vs. reward for the

procedure. There is a risk of thrombosis and to minimize that you

have to take coumadin for 3 or 4 weeks prior to the procedure. There

is also a risk of stenosis at the site of the ablation. A

transesophogial echocardiogram is also required and that is done

under anaesthetic. Soooo, all in all is that worth a 60% chance of

success? The afib I experience is bearable but I yearn to return to

my pre-afib days. Thus my dilemma. Thank you for your interest.

I'll keep you posted.

Greg

Greg

> Greg,

>

> Well said! I agree completely, that is to say, it is true for me.

>

> Some time ago you posted to the board that you were considering

ablation. Have you scheduled something? Reconsidered? Hope to hear

from you.

>

> Sandy

>

> Re: Foods and afib - Keep looking !!

>

>

> it

> is better to eat a balanced diet than to juggle your eating

habits in

> the hope that you will ward of the afib demons. Those of us with

> this condition are prone to become obsessed with such things and

I

> think every now and again we have to remind ourselves to get on

with

> a " normal " life.

>

> Greg

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

It seems to me that you are experiencing life in a very normal way

and I commend you for your ability to cope.

Greg

> In a message dated 6/4/01 2:14:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

bowjude@c...

> writes:

>

> << we have to remind ourselves to get on with

> a " normal " life. >>

>

> I am not living a " normal " life and doubt that I ever will do so

again as

> long as afib is a specter lurking in the shadows. After eighteen

years of

> paroxysmal afib, I have managed to stave off permanent afib

precisely by

> abandoning my " normal " life and gearing my entire lifestyle to

avoiding afib.

> This is not to say that I am a couch potato obsessed with moping

about my

> afib. I live an extremely active life, working twelve hour days,

but have

> devised strategies for keeping afib at bay. My strategies, along

with

> medication, have worked for me. I am now in afib about ten

percent of the

> time instead of fifty percent of the time as I was previously.

When I am in

> afib, I must take my pulse to confirm that I am in afib because my

symptoms

> are practically indiscernible. I am certain that without the

modifications

> of lifestyle, I would now be in permanent afib as my older brother

was by my

> age. My lifestyle strategies evolved from keeping a record of

foods,

> activities, and stresses that REPEATEDLY preceded afib. To assume

that any

> activity immediately preceding an afib attack was a trigger would

be

> illogical. The key to determining triggers is to keep records and

notice

> emerging patterns. It has worked for me so far. I believe that

my

> " abnormal " lifestyle is a small price to pay for ninety percent

freedom from

> afib.

>

[Guest guest]

SVTs are just fast, my afibs were sporatic fast, then slow, then skips

[Guest guest]

I agree feeling your pulse constantly will drive you through the ceiling. and

it also gets you more hyper and worried. Try to relax more

[Guest guest]

>HI and all,

>Could someone please explain to me what your pulse feels like when you are in

>afib? Is it just faster or faster and irregular? I have many different

>arrythmias and I am not sure if I am in afib or not.

>

>a

Hi a,

mine feels fast and irregular and every now and again I get strong palpitations

in the chest (can be several in a minute or only a couple an hour in the last

few hours of an episode). I know I'm in AF without taking my pulse but anybody

taking my pulse at my wrist or neck or listening to my heart notices the strange

rhythm along with the fast rate. I can be averaging around 160 beats in a minute

but there can be times when there's more than a seconds gap between two beats. I

know it's not this obvious for some folks. Even the experts sometimes have a

hard time in telling the difference between AFib and atrial flutter. Atrial

flutter is similar to AFib but the top bit beats more regularly. It's often only

possible to tell which rhythm you are in with an ECG reading.

all the best

--

D

[Guest guest]

> HI and all,

> Could someone please explain to me what your pulse feels like when

you are in

> afib? Is it just faster or faster and irregular? I have many

different

> arrythmias and I am not sure if I am in afib or not.

>

> a

a, I am not sure I can tell the difference between afib

and " normal " arrhythmias (the kind everybody has) by feeling my

pulse. Here is what I think:

feel a pause: probably an extra beat, harmless

feel a few pauses: multiple extra beats, ditto.

feel a regular fast pulse for several seconds: maybe tachycardia, but

who cares since it's gone. I understand short runs of tachycardia

are also not much to worry about.

feel an irregularity for some seconds: I can't tell if this is afib

or extra beats.

I have spent several hours with an irregular pulse apparently induced

by weight exercise, and an EKG showed it was just extra beats. Not

good, but not afib. I am encouraged that all that did NOT send my

heart into afib.

On the other hand, when I was wearing a 30 day monitor I, besides

calling in the events, kept my own log so I could ask the

cardiologist about things and she picked up on one possible afib on

the recording and according to my log I could not distinguish between

that and the normal irregularities.

So I think the bottom line is to stop feeling your pulse unless you

are told to by your doc or are in distress. That's what they have

been telling me for months, and I am a lot happier since I started

taking their advice. Soon you will even start to ignore the normal

arrhythmias and be happier.