Atrial Fibrillation at 22/23

Heart health and blood vessels
1

I was diagnosed as having atrial fibrillation in June 2016 shortly after my 23rd birthday. It's taken me over 6 months to see a good cardiologist. He's told me my heart is strong and is in good shape but I am definitely in atrial fibrilation.

I guess I got into atrial fibrillation when I got really drunk one night, I don't do any hard drugs such as cocaine, etc. I use to smoke but I've quit now. I've been told I'll need a cardioversion and I'm currently on rivoroxaban 20mg. I'm so scared whether this will be something that will affect my for the remainder of my life or whether I'll end up having a stroke in my 30s/40s. my BPM varies from 75-90. I'm still fairly young and there's no history of family afib so I'm so scared to know why me?

Can anyone help by discussing their own battles with afib and whether in my case it can be resolved?

2

Hi Kaz. Have a good browse through this forum. You are not alone, and from my experience, there is fantastic support and information from all sorts of sufferers to draw from. We all have different AF triggers. Our ages vary hugely. I am 53, female, anx was perfectly healthy when my episodes started just randomly. My heart is healthy apart from this electrical issue. Ive had 2 ablations which have helped but not cured, and number 3 is scheduled in feb to aim for a final ' tweak'. Fingers crossed, it helps further. My only meds are 20 mg daily rivaroxaban thinners. Ive never been cardioverted as my PAF does flip back into rhythm itself, albeit 7-10 hrs each episode. I did take bisoprolol initially, but it made me feel rough, so i was changed to verapamil. After my first ablation in dec 2015, i was able to wean off it by march as it had no beneficial effect during episodes so my specialist agreed to my stopping it, but slowly. Ive never had flecanaide, and read of differing opinions about it on here. Knowledge about your personal triggers etc will give you confidence moving forward, but rest assured, EVERYONE on this forum offers great support and suggestions which ive found invaluable. Good luck! 😊

3

I learned to ask "Why not me?"..Impossible to know why things happen to us. It sets us up to worry because we know we have the condition. Fear is no good. Trying to get over it myself. All we can do is get the best information we can about our condition and make the best decisions. Hard. Look for support on the forum and from others with similar concerns. Keep abreast of current modalities and options. I have been trying meditation to calm my mind. Try anything that works for you.

4

Hi Kaz.. Sorry to hear that you have afib at so young an age.!!!!  It is a drag!! and it can be dangerous... Best thing is to modify you lifestyle and health habits as much as you can.. I'm 67 and my mom had afib.. I used to do a lot of endurance training and that can be a risk factor but on the other hand it kept me healthy.  My afib is intermittent; has a mind of its on.  I'm on meds (flecainide and verapamil) and mostly now I don't have episodes, but then all of a sudden I do.  It comes and goes of it's own.  Sometimes it really tires me and it's hard to concentrate, and then I'm afib free for days or weeks.. Go figure.  Good luck!

5

Hi Kaz,

​Do suggest you get onto the Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA) website and research this condition if you are in Britain - or even if you are not. You will learn something and so long as you learn stuff you are gonna be well placed to control your own destiny.

​Next, AF is -in its simplest terms - a malfunction of the hearts electrical circuitry. While you have made a good start with a Cardiologist you really need to see an EP, an Electrophysiologist - a Cardiologist who specialises in the hearts electrical circuits. Again, if you are in Britain the AFA website will guide you to one near you.

​I was diagnosed with AF at 65 - my daughter was diagnosed during her first pregnancy in her late 20's. It went away following treatment and returned during her second pregnancy a couple of years later. It has never returned and she keeps herself pretty physically fit and is into Thai Kick boxing.

​At the time of my diagnosis I had never heard of this condition and had led a pretty fit life and apart from childhood ailments had never been ill, except for DIY accidents arising from my own carelessness, and the occasional digestive issues in my early thirties.

​I too went through the 'Why me' - no answer! Not then anyway, research into family medical history shows a high incidence of strokes but there is no one in my family alive now who can describe the cause of these strokes. I have a second cousin who has had AF (I'm now 72, he is now about 74), and of course my daughter.

​There is evidence to suggest persons with AF have a predisposition to it, now chuck in the genetics/family history it is possible to have a genetic predisposition to it. A faulty DNA perhaps. It doesn't just affect young peeps like yourself or my daughter it can affect marathon runners, olympic level cyclists, air force fighter pilots even, and others in their 40's.

​You may find that alcohol is initself a trigger, for me it is food and since I've gone gluten free and wheat free and sugar free and partly followed the FODMAPS diet I have controlled my AF, no recorded AF event now since April 2015. I am on a range of meds and will be for life - BUT - I still work 3 to 4 days a week driving a tourist bus handling passengers heavy baggage, I'm active, go walking along the South West Coastal path here in Cornwall and pass my annual medical for DVLA for my bus licence EVERY year.

​If you get prompt and accurate and correct treatment I wouldn't think you'll have too many problems that you'll carry through your life. An Echocardiogram should show any other heart issues - I had mine done and there are no other issues except now a slightly damaged left atria which will never repair and therefore make me vulnerable to a stroke in the future.

​My food trigger affects the Vagal Nerve, a major nerve in the central nervous system which controls many of our organs, especially the digestive system and the heart. You could research that.

You talk of BPM at 75 to 90. I'm assuming you are talking about heart rate. If that were me I'd prefer to see those number down to around 62 to 70 and I wonder what your blood pressure is ?

​Anyway, hope that helps Kaz - don't be scared - ain't gonna do any good. You are young enough with the right care from a good EP to get this sorted and live a good life, AND also you are young enough to get the benefits from future advances in medical science in dealing with this.

May the force be with you.

​John

6

You are unlucky enough to have afib at such a young age, but you are lucky enough to be in an age of awareness for this silent condition.

Medicine has come along in leaps and bounds recently and will continue to do so as doctors and cardiologists learn more about what causes this and how to combat it

Please don't worry, afib feeds off worry, it can happen to anyone. I was 50, really fit, didn't smoke or drink, good diet then suddenly wham, afib for 15 years. I've had three cardio versions, two ablations and med free for two months (except for anticoagulants).

A good cardiologist will sort you out and you'll be fine.

7

Hi John,

Thanks for the message, it was very supportive, sorry to hear about your condition also.

I've had an echocardiogram done and that came out normal, just that my heart is out of rhythm. Very scary stuff. I'm currently seeing a very experienced cardiologist the same Dr who saved footballer Fabrice Muamba's life. He is quite suprised someone as young as me has this condition.

Yes, my heart beats around 75-90 a minute, I actively workout with weight training and running at least 3 times a week.

My blood pressure is 109 over 60. I really hope this was a freak incident and I can go back into living a normal life with my heart being back to its normal function. But in all honesty this condition has made me very aware about how serious a well balanced diet and health is even at a young age.

Thanks for the message John,

Kaz

8

Hi John, I was 35 when I had my first AF, the thing I'd like to mention is the psychological side of things - when your young and you experience this it can really knock you for 6 (it did me) the upset the anger and the feeling of vulnerability can really get you depressed - these things aren't meant to happen to young people, we should have another 30/40 years of a normal life before all that stuff starts. Well unfortunately life doesn't work like that - it's rubbish but things could be a lot worse ? Your heart is healthy remember that ! There is nothing physically wrong with your heart remember that - you are not going to drop dead remember that - you are healthy it's just that your heart beats irregularly sometimes. So where do you go from here - it's been mentioned already but go see an electrophysiologist - a cardiologist is basically a plumber of the heart - you need an electrician of the heart. If your in the U.K. You can book one through Bupa for a few hundred pounds (expensive I know but you can't put a price on peace of mind) discuss your life with the ep - what your history's been like - palpitations etc - what you believe your triggers are - if you want an ablation and are deemed suitable you don't then have to go private (costs about 10k) you could go on your ep's Nhs waiting list (prob appx 2yr wait). If yiuve only had on episode of af I would hold off - make changes to your life style - healthy eating, drink lots of water, no smoking or drugs, little alcohol and above all exercise - I was a typical football and beer type of bloke - never did any exercise but wasn't overweight but after my first af I started jogging - this was great for me because every time I went for run it proved to my depressed n syncical brain that I was in good shape, I wasn't going to keel over and if I could run a few miles I could do anything I needed to do in every day life (psychologically this is the best thing anyone could do I think) - anyway il shut up now but just wanted to say that since my af I've had an ablation which has worked so far - I don't drink as often but I still go out and get drunk - I still eat crap food occasionally - i go running a few days a week and I'm about to become a dad for the first time - Roll with the punches mate, come back fighting I promise you can live a normal life with this 👍

9

Hi Kaz,

the good news is that you are so young, that you have the chance that the medical research will find a perfect cure for your aFib within your life.

What is important, that you are actively doing sport, but your heart rate is little bit high (concerning your activity ~60 bpm resting pulse rate would be the usual). So might be that you simply have an overtraning syndrome.. Therefore your choice i.e. turn to a sportcardiologist is perfect decision.

György

10

Steve, was this really meant for me or for Kaz ?

My comments simply described my journey - I currently have no AF issues.

11

No im sorry John it was meant to go to kaz

12

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the message. It brought a tear to my eye. I guess one thing that keeps affecting me personally is the depression of this. I get scared that this thing is going to be hovering over me for life. At 23 I would rather not have to live with the constant reminder that I potentially have a heart problem. I've been booked in for a cardioversion in January which my consultant has said he hopes will solve the problem but ever since I've had this problem I've not been able to plan for my long term future which again makes me even further depressed. I go out with friends and I get quite depressed thinking about my heart and not being able to the same things my friends do just because of this problem or even the consideration of not being able to find a girlfriend because I have to tell them I think my heart may give out after a 10 years also makes me quite depressed. I hope I'm just thinking about it in too much depth and it will never succumb to that. Just on the fact that I'm 'fairly' young with no other heart problems I hope I'll be cured of this thing.

Congratulations on the good news about being a dad.

13

Hi kaz, the psychological effects really can't be underestimated, I've suffered with depression and anxiety since my diagnosis - my GP got me an appointment with a "shrink" who helped me with dealing with the psychological side of things as for the first few months I was in a constant panic that any second I was going to go back into af. The horrible thing is that the way anxiety effects the body is very similar to how af effects the body - racing pulse, palpitations, tight chest etc so it's hard to tell if it's the anxiety or af.

It's easier said than done but try not to over think things, keep telling yourself that there's nothing wrong with your heart - it's just an electrical issue and as soon as your doc gives you the ok get out on long walks and start running - if there's one thing that I suggest you do it's get out running - the health benefits are obvious but the psychological benefits are also massive - every time you go for a run it reinforces the facts that you are not vulnerable and you are not fragile.

My biggest tips -

Exercise

Get plenty of sleep

Drink plenty of water every day

Eat plenty of fruit n veg

Don't over think

Don't be afraid to have fun, book the holiday, go for the pint - do things that nJe you happy

Af is horrible and if you let it it will psychologically chip away at you and eventually overpower you - it will take time but you will get your life back on track and af will just be a little problem in the background - stay strong, make small changes to your life style and you'll be on this forum next year telling people how you overcame this 👍

14

Thanks Steve!! Yup.. the physiological response to being in Afib and the hormone and mood swings.  My doc said that the reason we need to urinate frequently when having episodes is an hormonal response: "fight or flight."  So these changes and their unpredictability really affect me!!! It's hard to plan a day because some episodes really affect my ability to concentrate and to engage with others.  My social life "isn't" anymore!!! 

15

Hi Steve, once again thanks for the comment. Reading your replies is very motivating and makes me feel a bit more at ease. I have started to do my runs as well as regularly going to the gym. Doctors have frequently told me that this is very treatable and in some cases curable but they really don't understand the psychological affect this takes on someone especially as young as us. As mentioned above we shouldn't be having these problems for atleast another 30-40 years. But I guess it was a blessing in disguise to change our lifestyles. Mine of which needed changing heavily. I'm going to have to try and stop dwelling on this and let the doctors do their job. Hopefully we can get this problem over and done with and leave it as a horrible nightmare!

Thanks once again Steve your replies have been very helpful and insightful.. Here's wishing 2017 will be afib free.

16

Kaz  - Have only just read this thread and you have been given some good advise from John and Steve which I totally agree with.      I have AF and won't repeat all that has been said however because you say you get so depressed and wonder if you think to deeply it really sounds like you need to get some CBT help or even better EFT help.     CBT tells you about why you feel the way you do but EFT technique is a simple tapping procedure you can do yourself when needed it acts on the feelings you get.         I began to understand only a couple of years ago that THOUGHTS ARE NOT FACTS and if you can really take that on board it may stop you going into a downward spiral of thoughts.     You are unlucky having health problems at 23 however your body has given you a warning to look after yourself not a death sentance so make a few tweaks - you know what they are you have spelled it out loud and clear and look for the emotional/psychological support you need because I think you need that as much if not more as the AF drugs and cardioversion.      Easy to say and hard to do I know however think about what support you can give yourself and  enjoy your life each day.    Good luck with your cardioversion.    

17

Hi Kate,

Thanks for the message. I agree, I think I've been dwelling on this a bit too much. This forum has really helped and given me a bit more peace. I will definitely have to do some research about CBT and EFT techniques as being pessimistic and negative is also something that probably causes this and I'm definitely guilty of being pessimistic. I'm hoping this one cardioversion will be enough to sort out the problem as there's nothing else wrong with me. I hope yours is also cured. Thanks once again for the message. very uplifting and motivating.

18

At age 19 my brother doctors in two places told him he had a heart condition and only two years to live.  He lived to 77, had three sons and numerous grandchildren.  Many people live with AFib many years. Report back here when you are over 80.

19

Hello Masonc,

Thanks for the message. That's quite odd. What heart problem did your brother have? I'd be more than happy to report back at the age of 80 to let the younger generation know that atrial fibrillation although is a problem but is not a permanent cause of concern.

20

Hi all,

Just an update. I've had a successful cardioversion. Had it done on the 5th and it worked first time! Very nervous about the procedure but it's worked well. Can definitely feel a big difference. My heart rate had dropped from 85 to about 65-70 although the muscles around my heart still feel weird I definitely feel a lot better. Hopefully this will be the end of the chapter between me and afib and I will definitely be keeping the alcohol to a strict minimum! Thank you to everyone who replied to messages, you guys are awesome. I wish you all the best!!