Re: You are not alone...

December 10, 2005

Hi, Sherry.

I'm also pretty new, but your letter made me wonder how many more of us have

had more than the average share of stressing our lives. I know I have.

(Sunnyvale, CA)

You are not alone...

I am a new member and want to share a little of my story. I am 51 and

was diagnosed with afib 18 months ago while doing a treadmill stress

test. My heart rate jumped to 220. I really didn't feel anything at

the time but the staff freaked out. I was put immediately in hospital

for 3 days to start sotilol, 80 mg. twice a day. I did ok for about 6

months and had a episode which sent me to emergency room. They just

said call your heart doctor tommorow. I have been on several meds

since then but in July of this year they tried the ablation where

they scar your pulmonary veins trying to avoid the circuit in your

heart that causes afib. It didn't work. It seems I have periods in

between all of this that I feel okay and then BOOM!! Racing heart,

light headedness, far away feeling...really not good!! I have been

in hospital 4 times just this year trying new meds..Rhythmoral,

Tekesein. I just got out about 2 weeks ago and they have me on

Cardizem and toprol. I have my good days and bad. I haven't felt as

bad as I did when I was put in last time. They are talking about

sending me to Cleveland Clinic in the Spring for another ablation.

This is all very scary because you have some control over this but

when you only have one heart it makes it seem so much more serious!!

My husband travels most weeks and I am still raising a 13 yr old

girl. How much of this heart problem do you think is caused by

stress? Do you think you inherit this? My sister is 62 and had the

maize procedure done this past March because her mitral valve was

leaking and causing problems. That is what is really frustrating is

that they say my heart is functionally good. I am really wondering

about the stress factor because I have a VERY STRESSFUL LIFE and some

regret over the past that still bugs me although I thought I had

dealt with it. What are your thoughts?? I would appreciate your

input. I think this site is really cool because our society today is

so disconnected from other people. We go about our daily lives and

when something hits our health we feel so alone and singled out. I

look forward to some of your thoughts on Stress and Heredity and how

they play out in this Afib we fight.

Thanks

Sherry

Indianapolis

Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

List owner: AFIBsupport-owner

For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email,

send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help

Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should be

acted upon without consultation with one's physician.

December 10, 2005

Just my own observations about my a-fib - everyone's mileage will vary.

Bear in mind that the plural of anecdote is not data.

I was diagnosed with a-fib while I was undergoing a tremendous amount of

stress at work. Every doctor I saw told me unequivocally that stress was

the cause of my problem, and that reducing stress was essential. So I took

six weeks off work, and had a-fib every day of that six weeks. When I

started having a-fib in the night, as I was sleeping, I started wondering

about the whole stress connection, and I've come to a conclusion or two.

Stress may cause an a-fib episode - be a trigger - but I don't think stress,

per se, caused me to have a-fib in a larger sense. My mother and all four

of her sisters had heart palpitations when they reached menopause. It's so

common as to be a stereotype - think " Aunt Pittiepat " in Gone with the Wind.

My electro cardiologist has told me that there is no connection whatever

between a-fib and menopause or perimenopause, but I know better and I'm

convinced that eventually the science will catch up. When I was taking HRT,

I had no a-fib episodes and I had stopped all heart medication. Then HRT

was found to be bad for you (my specific prescription was removed from the

market) and, on the advice of my doctor, I stopped HRT. And the a-fib was

back.

This is not to say that a-fib isn't caused by other things; this group is

the place to find out about a-fib and you'll learn more here than your

doctor (if he/she is like mine) will ever tell you. I suspect a-fib is a

symptom of many, many different imbalances or diseases or problems. Do I

believe that there is a direct cause-and-effect relationship between stress

and a-fib in a person with a completely healthy heart and completely

healthy, normal sinoatrial node? No, but the mind-body connection is

complicated, so that's probably a qualified 'no'. And that's good, because

there is no such thing as a stress-free life. Does stress make a-fib worse?

You betcha. But having a-fib is stressful, all on its own. If you didn't

have stress before you had a-fib, you definitely have it now.

How much of this heart problem do you think is caused by

stress? Do you think you inherit this? My sister is 62 and had the

maize procedure done this past March because her mitral valve was

leaking and causing problems. That is what is really frustrating is

that they say my heart is functionally good. I am really wondering

about the stress factor because I have a VERY STRESSFUL LIFE and some

regret over the past that still bugs me although I thought I had

dealt with it. What are your thoughts?? I would appreciate your

input.

December 10, 2005

I have also had more than the average amount of

stress: 7 corporate transfers, rough divorce, close

family member murdered, raising 4 children through

teen years that were not mine, parent's death, and

husband's job problems. All in all, since 40, my life

has been chaotic. Better now - even with the AFIB.

I am 58, divorced and have an empty nest.

--- Moskowitz wrote:

> Hi, Sherry.

>

> I'm also pretty new, but your letter made me wonder

> how many more of us have

> had more than the average share of stressing our

> lives. I know I have.

>

> (Sunnyvale, CA)

>

> You are not alone...

>

> I am a new member and want to share a little of my

> story. I am 51 and

> was diagnosed with afib 18 months ago while doing a

> treadmill stress

> test. My heart rate jumped to 220. I really didn't

> feel anything at

> the time but the staff freaked out. I was put

> immediately in hospital

> for 3 days to start sotilol, 80 mg. twice a day. I

> did ok for about 6

> months and had a episode which sent me to emergency

> room. They just

> said call your heart doctor tommorow. I have been

> on several meds

> since then but in July of this year they tried the

> ablation where

> they scar your pulmonary veins trying to avoid the

> circuit in your

> heart that causes afib. It didn't work. It seems I

> have periods in

> between all of this that I feel okay and then BOOM!!

> Racing heart,

> light headedness, far away feeling...really not

> good!! I have been

> in hospital 4 times just this year trying new

> meds..Rhythmoral,

> Tekesein. I just got out about 2 weeks ago and they

> have me on

> Cardizem and toprol. I have my good days and bad. I

> haven't felt as

> bad as I did when I was put in last time. They are

> talking about

> sending me to Cleveland Clinic in the Spring for

> another ablation.

> This is all very scary because you have some control

> over this but

> when you only have one heart it makes it seem so

> much more serious!!

> My husband travels most weeks and I am still raising

> a 13 yr old

> girl. How much of this heart problem do you think is

> caused by

> stress? Do you think you inherit this? My sister

> is 62 and had the

> maize procedure done this past March because her

> mitral valve was

> leaking and causing problems. That is what is

> really frustrating is

> that they say my heart is functionally good. I am

> really wondering

> about the stress factor because I have a VERY

> STRESSFUL LIFE and some

> regret over the past that still bugs me although I

> thought I had

> dealt with it. What are your thoughts?? I would

> appreciate your

> input. I think this site is really cool because our

> society today is

> so disconnected from other people. We go about our

> daily lives and

> when something hits our health we feel so alone and

> singled out. I

> look forward to some of your thoughts on Stress and

> Heredity and how

> they play out in this Afib we fight.

>

> Thanks

>

> Sherry

> Indianapolis

>

> Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

> List owner: AFIBsupport-owner

> For help on how to use the group, including how to

> drive it via email,

> send a blank email to

> AFIBsupport-help

>

> Nothing in this message should be considered as

> medical advice, or should be

> acted upon without consultation with one's

> physician.

>

December 19, 2005

>

> Just my own observations about my a-fib - everyone's mileage will

vary.

> Bear in mind that the plural of anecdote is not data.

>

> I was diagnosed with a-fib while I was undergoing a tremendous

amount of

> stress at work. Every doctor I saw told me unequivocally that

stress was

> the cause of my problem, and that reducing stress was essential.

So I took

> six weeks off work, and had a-fib every day of that six weeks.

When I

> started having a-fib in the night, as I was sleeping, I started

wondering

> about the whole stress connection, and I've come to a conclusion

or two.

>

> Stress may cause an a-fib episode - be a trigger - but I don't

think stress,

> per se, caused me to have a-fib in a larger sense. My mother and

all four

> of her sisters had heart palpitations when they reached

menopause. It's so

> common as to be a stereotype - think " Aunt Pittiepat " in Gone with

the Wind.

> My electro cardiologist has told me that there is no connection

whatever

> between a-fib and menopause or perimenopause, but I know better

and I'm

> convinced that eventually the science will catch up. When I was

taking HRT,

> I had no a-fib episodes and I had stopped all heart medication.

Then HRT

> was found to be bad for you (my specific prescription was removed

from the

> market) and, on the advice of my doctor, I stopped HRT. And the a-

fib was

> back.

>

> This is not to say that a-fib isn't caused by other things; this

group is

> the place to find out about a-fib and you'll learn more here than

your

> doctor (if he/she is like mine) will ever tell you. I suspect a-

fib is a

> symptom of many, many different imbalances or diseases or

problems. Do I

> believe that there is a direct cause-and-effect relationship

between stress

> and a-fib in a person with a completely healthy heart and

completely

> healthy, normal sinoatrial node? No, but the mind-body connection

is

> complicated, so that's probably a qualified 'no'. And that's

good, because

> there is no such thing as a stress-free life. Does stress make a-

fib worse?

> You betcha. But having a-fib is stressful, all on its own. If

you didn't

> have stress before you had a-fib, you definitely have it now.

>

> How much of this heart problem do you think is caused by

> stress? Do you think you inherit this? My sister is 62 and had

the

> maize procedure done this past March because her mitral valve was

> leaking and causing problems. That is what is really frustrating

is

> that they say my heart is functionally good. I am really wondering

> about the stress factor because I have a VERY STRESSFUL LIFE and

some

> regret over the past that still bugs me although I thought I had

> dealt with it. What are your thoughts?? I would appreciate your

> input.

>

December 20, 2005

Regarding the question, is " stress " the cause of AF? I think it is a

contributing factor,but for me, food, especially sugar and spicy foods,

are definitly a cause of AF. I was on Craig weight program for

two months, and was AF free for eighty days, Then I got into the

Christmas cookies, and ate alot of sweets, and I had TWO AF episodes

within eleven days of each other, both, by the way, after eating

chocolate chip cookies and egg nog etc etc.... I suspect my eating has

a lot to do with my episodes, so I plan to have a sugar free Christmas,

(at least I will try?)By the way, the egg nog was liquor free, for

those who would ask? Maybe staying on Craig as a maintenance

program would be a good solution.I did manage to lose all the weight,

but Christmas is a hard time to stay on track.....

MandyofCA

December 20, 2005