Re: Progression of afib

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/15/04 9:42:59 PM Eastern Standard Time,

cleaner@... writes:

My anxiety with a new, stressful job raised my b/p, thus the beginning of

afib. Hopefully, by keeping my b/p under control, eliminating stress

Loretta, I too have a problem with stress . I try to take a power nap every

day. If I can I just close my eyes and take a cat nap for 30 minutes or so.

This does seem to relax me and ease the feeling of stress or anxiety I might

not realize I have till its too late.

a in Massachusetts

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/15/2004 8:43:02 PM Central Standard Time,

cleaner@... writes:

Hopefully, by keeping my b/p under control, eliminating stress (LOL), and by

taking the antirhythmmic, I can keep this under control. Can anyone out there

give me some encouragement?!

Loretta

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Stress is a common trigger for most of us. It also contributes to high blood

pressure so if you can control your stress you may be successful. Also, afib

can stress you out and make the experience even worse.

Guy

[Guest guest]

Progression of afib

What stats are you talking about, I must have missed something Loretta ?.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/16/04 10:55:25 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Starfi6314@... writes:

Considering my past frequency, I now feel afib-free

by comparison. Also, my cardiologist has said that he thinks that after my

twenty years of afib I would be in permanent afib by now if I were going to

be.

I also was wondering if all afib leads to permanent afib? I have had

this since my early 20's but only since 47 (diagnosed then afib/flutter) have I

been going in and out more often than my earlier years. I would be

interesting to know how many can actually count the years of having

afib/flutter, etc.,

and when it started to become more persistent? I have had it since 22 and at

47 became more noticeable and IM 49 now. Did not use any drugs till I was 47.

a in Massachusetts

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/17/2004 8:04:28 AM Pacific Standard Time,

pal22222@... writes:

<< I also was wondering if all afib leads to permanent afib? I have had

this since my early 20's but only since 47 (diagnosed then afib/flutter)

have I

been going in and out more often than my earlier years. >>

a,

I don't know for sure how many years I have had afib because Holter monitors

only recorded sinus tachycardia during the first fourteen years that I had

symptoms that I now recognize to be those of afib. I also had recorded

tachycardia as a child but no afib. I was only diagnosed six years ago when I

took

myself to my doctor's lab for a test while I was having the symptoms of afib. I

already suspected it because my mother, father, and older brother had afib,

and I recognized that my pulse was similarly erratic. However, for the first

fourteen years of the twenty that I believe I have had afib for certain, I had

afib only two to four times a year in episodes of about 24 hours. About six

years ago, the episodes began to become more frequent and to lengthen to a

typical length of about 60-72 hours. Three years ago during January, I was in

afib

17 days out of the 31, and during February I was in afib 12 days, about a 50

percent frequency. For a couple of years, I had afib every 11-14 days. Then

in May, nine months after I had given up dairy products, my afib virtually

disappeared. I have had five episodes in the past two years since then, but the

episodes have been mostly about 20 minutes with the longest being 10 hours.

At least in my case, so far my afib appears to be improving rather than

progressing inexorably toward permanent afib. As I said, I now feel that my

afib is

practically nonexistent compared with what I was experiencing a few years ago.

Perhaps some people do progress inevitably toward afib, but I don't think

that anyone should have that expectation because I am convinced that hope and

an optimistic outlook are among the best weapons against afib.

in sinus in Seattle