If it helps anyone! Snorkel swimming & vagal a-f (long)

[Guest guest]

In a nutshell ... I'm a 52YO woman diagnosed about two years ago, in a-f every

7-10 days, up to 30 hours. I'd almost faint when I converted. Then, I started

swimming laps, wearing a snorkel due to a neck injury. I wear a heart monitor,

and swim about 40 mins. at 100+ bpm. I had worked out prior to shifting to

lap-swimming, mainly step aerobics -- i.e., kinda stop-and-go, respiratory-wise.

Since the change to swimming, no a-f for eight weeks and holding.

I had a theory -- it ain't the swimming; it's the snorkel. There's something

about the steady (admittedly, wheezy - but VERY steady) in-and-out that

prevented the a-f, that somehow synched up respiratory rate with R-R interval,

perhaps? Then I read an article about how cardiologists are having pts with CHF

recite Homer's Odyssey aloud: apparently, something about dactylic hexameter

helps them. Now I REALLY had a theory.

So ... today I had the annual appt with my EP -- who, I should add, is a

nationally known, patient-friendly, good guy, the doctor I wish everyone had. He

found this very interesting, and thinks that I've somehow altered my vagal tone.

This leads me to conclude that, once the pool closes, treadmill work and

mouth-breathing will achieve the same objective -- NO A-F. So here's hoping.

Treadmilling while wearing a snorkel mask? A very strange image, but I'll do it

to keep the monster at bay.

On the near-faints (I include this because some of our group have been

experiencing the same thing): he said " not good ... a-syncope " (I think I have

the term correct -- when, oh when, will I remember to take notes???) and took me

off Atenolol and onto Pindolol. He thinks that the near-faint was a result of

the too-slow, 50 BPM pre-exercise resting heartbeat which the Pindolol will

address while aiding my consistently high-normal or Stage 1 high blood pressure.

Interestingly, he immediately added Pravachol to the meds regimen due to the

relatively new statin/a-f connection and Diovan, also a high BP med that has

been shown to reduce certain types of a-f by 35%. (I'm also on Flecanide,

digitalis, Cardizem, adult aspirin.)

I have great respect for this doctor, so thought I'd share. If anyone is in a

similar a-f boat, please join me in the pool ... but wear a snorkel!

[Guest guest]

> In a nutshell ... I'm a 52YO woman diagnosed about two years ago,

in a-f every 7-10 days, up to 30 hours. I'd almost faint when I

converted. Then, I started swimming laps, wearing a snorkel due to a

neck injury.

That's very interesting. I suspect breathing problems trip me up as

well, as I have problems when I have a tendency to hyperventilate.

It may also be that the stepping exercise was causing you a problem,

climbing a steep stairway is a big trigger for me.

[Guest guest]

I read often/post rarely, but this post caught my attention. I seem

to have lone AF of the mixed variety leaning more towards vagal with

no known triggers (and I've tried to find a trigger - trust me) or

underlying heart problems. The *only* thing that seems to make a

difference is my breathing.

I noticed a few months ago that if I attempt to exhale all the air

from my lungs, I would go into afib or at least get the " flutters " as

I call them (the uneasy feeling I get before my ventricals go out of

control). I have been able to repeat this on many occasions, so I've

ruled out other causes. Conversely, when I start to feel an afib

episode coming on, I have been able to avert it by controlling my

breathing (on a few occasions).

I don't have it down to an exact science yet, but it's the only thing

I've found to make a difference. My afib seems to defy all logic, but

that's another story....

Mike Dayton

Huntsville, AL

[Guest guest]

I read often/post rarely, but this post caught my attention. I seem

to have lone AF of the mixed variety leaning more towards vagal with

no known triggers (and I've tried to find a trigger - trust me) or

underlying heart problems. The *only* thing that seems to make a

difference is my breathing.

I noticed a few months ago that if I attempt to exhale all the air

from my lungs, I would go into afib or at least get the " flutters " as

I call them (the uneasy feeling I get before my ventricals go out of

control). I have been able to repeat this on many occasions, so I've

ruled out other causes. Conversely, when I start to feel an afib

episode coming on, I have been able to avert it by controlling my

breathing (on a few occasions).

I don't have it down to an exact science yet, but it's the only thing

I've found to make a difference. My afib seems to defy all logic, but

that's another story....

Mike Dayton

Huntsville, AL

[Guest guest]

I don't know about a snorkel in the bathroom, but this is the first time I've

seen any fibber on pindolol, a beta blocker that has served me well these

last five years.

Al NYC

[Guest guest]

I don't know about a snorkel in the bathroom, but this is the first time I've

seen any fibber on pindolol, a beta blocker that has served me well these

last five years.

Al NYC

[Guest guest]

> Conversely, when I start to feel an afib

> episode coming on, I have been able to avert it by controlling my

> breathing (on a few occasions).

Mike, hat exactly do you do with your breathing then? Thanks.

[Guest guest]

" trudyjhagain " writes:

>Mike, hat exactly do you do with your breathing then? Thanks.

This will probably be difficult to truly explain, but what I do when I

feel the onset of an afib episode is to reduce my breathing to very

shallow breaths. Almost to the point of not breathing at all. This

has worked on numerous occasions to fend off a full-on chest-thumping

afib episode.

My afib seems to be different than most people's, though. I'm in good

health, 39 years old, active, etc., and my afib is paroxysmal. I will

go for four or five months with a two to four hour episode once every

two weeks or so and then I will have about a two week period of time

where I have daily episodes that last up to 10 hours or so and then

I'm back to every couple of weeks or so for another few months.

Mike Dayton

Huntsville, Alabama

[Guest guest]

" trudyjhagain " writes:

>Mike, hat exactly do you do with your breathing then? Thanks.

This will probably be difficult to truly explain, but what I do when I

feel the onset of an afib episode is to reduce my breathing to very

shallow breaths. Almost to the point of not breathing at all. This

has worked on numerous occasions to fend off a full-on chest-thumping

afib episode.

My afib seems to be different than most people's, though. I'm in good

health, 39 years old, active, etc., and my afib is paroxysmal. I will

go for four or five months with a two to four hour episode once every

two weeks or so and then I will have about a two week period of time

where I have daily episodes that last up to 10 hours or so and then

I'm back to every couple of weeks or so for another few months.

Mike Dayton

Huntsville, Alabama