I'm 36 year old male, 5"8' and 164 lbs. I had afib the first time on 8/26 this year. It feels so bad and puts me onto continuous anxiety.
However, I've been seen by four different cardiologists. Did three treadmill tests, three cardio echo, three 24 hour holter monitor and a few blood tests. The doctors told me all results are 'normal'. But I see rare PAC and PVC reported in one of the holter report, and borderline mitral valve regurgitation, and trace TR. But doctors still say those are normal for my age. All and all, yet no doctor can explain why I had afib. One of the doctors put me on metoprolol 25 mg one table each day, but then I felt very tired and slow heart rate, then the dose reduced to 12.5 mg. After two weeks, I still feel very tired, I cut the pill and take 6.25 mg of it each day, so far today is the fourth day I'm taking 6.25.
I'm very anxious everyday now and feel not like myself anymore. I'm afraid of driving alone, lost interest in everything and feel like my life has ended. Any symptom of my heart can drive me extreme nervous now. I worry a lot everyday that my heart will stop all in a sudden, or I'll just die suddenly. Not to mention I've read tons of information and did lots of research on medication and anything related to my symptoms.
Anyone can give some idea about how long can people live since the first afib? Or any suggestion? I'm totally depressed and feeling hopeless. Thanks for reading! Hugs!!
Sorry you feel this way. Been living with it for years. Earlier tried not to pay attention to it as usually symptomless but in time as known afib has increased incrementally worry more and more. Go on with daily life but cut out traveling far as fear being in strange or remote places. Not good. Meanwhile nothing major happened. Some people seem to live as before and are able to put it out of their mind..take their meds. do ablations. etc and some people are like me. Wish I could help more...
Thanks for sharing your information. Me too, now I don't dare to drive alone on freeway, not even able to work my day job, and thinking of cancelling our Christmas vacation in Colorado, which I planned for a few months and the kids have been expecting. I'm so frustrated.
I think best to live! Even though i am as I am .I would say go on that vacation..
Hello,
I was diagnosed with incessant afib two years ago and have since had an ablation by elective surgery using private health insurance. Prior to the surgery I was on two doses of sotalol 120mg daily.
The reality is that any beta blocker works on your receptors and slows down your heart, but also inhibits other areas which may leave you feeling tired. However, your post reads a lot as though you may be experiencing high levels of anxiety. You may benefit from engaging with a therapist to discuss your concerns, particularly given that afib has a higher prevalence among stressed people.
Finally, look at environmental triggers. Things like alcohol, caffeine, high calorie meals, and tobacco can all trigger afib episodes. Also, to answer your question you will likely lead a full and happy life with afib so please don't be concerned. You could look at articles that describe meta anxiety so you understand how your worry is exacerbating symptamology.
Cheers,
Melly.
Good advice. A psychiatrist or family doctor can prescribe anxiety medicine. Therapy does help also. After reading the last post I wonder now if my tiredness is due to beta blockers. Have attributed it to worsening percentage of afib over a period of time..have an implanted loop recorder..Did the ablation help?
AF is not pleasant but it doesn't kill you.
Check with your pharmacist to see if it safe to split the pills. Some are enteric coated so that they do not dissolve in your stomach.
An enteric coating is a polymer barrier applied on oral medication that prevents its dissolution or disintegration in the gastric environment. This helps by either protecting drugs from the acidity of the stomach, the stomach from the detrimental effects of the drug, or to release the drug after the stomach. Some drugs are unstable at the acid gastric pH, and need to be protected from degradation
There are bus drivers with AF and sportsmen.
Hi Betty,
My experience with the ablation was that it was helpful. However, I experienced afib intermittently for two months following the procedure. i currently use sotalol PRN when I drink wine or consume high calorie foods.
Also, I would avoid using benzodiazepines to manage anxiety - super addictive and may lead to issues around tolerance. However, SSRIs have demonstrated efficacy among people with anxiety.
Been told it can remodel the heart which makes one more prone to stroke and heart attack..
When you experiencing afib, do you feel irregular heart beat? Because I'm taking metoprolol to regular my heart rate, I'm afraid even I'm having an afib my heart still beats regularly, leaving me not being aware of the symptoms.
Yes, beta blockers aka metropolol will slow down your heart rate but will not smooth it out. Sometimes EPs use medication like flecinide to reduce irregularities, but my experience was not positive with that med.
When I first felt my AF, I tended to panic too. It can be frightening.
You will get used to it in time.
There is no reason for it to reduce your length of life or quality of life.
I went on a holiday through Scandinavia and Europe with lots of walking etc and didn't give the old ticker a second thought.
The beta blockers can be a problem and it might take a few different ones before you find one that you are happy with. I was on beta blockers but have changed to a different type of medication because the beta blockers were interfering with my asthma medication.
Anxiety can make things worse so you do need to learn how to relax - easy to say but can take a lot of practice.
All the usual advice applies - don't smoke, not too much caffeine, not too much alcohol, eat well, get plenty of exercise.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I used to drink lots of beer to help me fall asleep because of my very stressful job (Oracle consultant). Usually 3-4 cans of beer and sometimes it can be 5-7 cans, I'm talking about daily, for almost two years. And in the morning, I had to drink lots of black coffee to wake me up and to jump start my logic.
I stopped all alcohol and caffeine intake after I experienced the first scary palpitation in early July, which was told as an anxiety attack.
I drive 50 miles each way to work as well, which means sitting in the traffic for 3 hours a day.
I know all these are stress and put together might be a strong trigger to cause my afib and anxiety. I'm trying to get a job close enough to my home now.
There is a herbal sleeping remedy that is made from hops if you ask your pharmacist. Cheaper than beer.
I can understand your concern. Maybe I can help a little here. While I am an RN, I am no specialist in cardiology. My experience has been my own. You are young and that is in your favor by a long shot. You are very much in control at this point. Therefore, as you take more control, you can move out of the fear and depressed feelings. I don't know what caused the afib...it just happened. I would first encourage you discuss med changes first with your doctor. Then do what you can to lead as healthy a life style as possible...not saying you aren't already. Sometimes, I think we can read too much medical stuff and really scare ourselves...good to be informed, but find a cardiologist you feel comfortable with and trust he or she will keep you safe. Be aware of your blood chemistries...such as cholesterol and triglycerides...those, you can control with healthy diet. When mine are high, I go vegetarian. I try to get a balance of exercise and still need to work harder at resting better. I tend to be very active. I am going back to TM or transcendental Meditation but I think any form of meditation is a good thing to bring equilibrium. If you have a BP cuff, check every once in a while...maybe even record it but put it away too so you don't get too dependent on it. My guess is, you will not experience this again or that it was a little red flag...but at this point just a little red flag...a warning to check up on things you can maybe change or tweek a little in your life and go on with a good and healthy and fruitful life. You are young, the world is your oyster and you are very much in control. Enjoy. You will be well.
You seem to have done everything right. I have had afib on and off for 60 years since I was 19 and am now 79 and now I do not worry about it as much as when I was younger. I mainly consider it an aggregation now. I too am taking metoprolol tart 100mg plus Digoxin.125mg. I still have maybe 4 or 5 episodes a month .Sometimes lasts 30 min up to 3 to 4 hours. I remember it going all night once while sleeping 40 years ago. I always thought mine was related to anxiety although I have always had what they call an electrical heart block on my ekg. Now I take two aspirin and Lorazepam 1mg when I get an episode. Haven't been to a cardiologist in over 20 years. Did a tandem sky dive at age 76 no problem with that but usually get them while waking up or sitting in a lazy boy type chair to long. It feels like I need to burp and then my heart takes off into afib. But then even burping doesn't seem to help until it runs it's course. It's strange stuff but I wish you well and think you will have a good long life but I know when I younger it caused a lot of anxiety and fear that at any time this could be the end.
If you go to cardiologist now you will be off the occasional aspirin and on to daily Warfarin or a NOAC to prevent clots forming..
I feel anxiou and depressed too, having been diagnosed earlier this year. I am 66 and have always had a good heart. Cardiologist says I have a leaky valve, probablycaused by a strep infection. I am taking Warfarin and Bisoprolol. I am due to fly to Florida next weekend ( from the UK ) - I am terrified of flying ! - The Bisoprolol had brought my blood pressure down but it has gone up the last two weeks and I think that is caused by my anxiety. However, I AM going to go to Floida because my family are banking on it. I hope to get home feeling pleased with myself, with a sense of achievement ! I say this to encourage you to continue with your plans - let's have a deal here ! Another thing I would say is - you must take Warfarin. A.fib itself doesn't kill, but the clots that can form because of it DO kill. I have read so much online this summer and most of it makes me depressed, but every now and then I read something positive and I try to concentrate on that. Someone said " when you are having a rough patch, remember if will pass, and then during your good spells, get on with life. " I actually have a letter I wrote to myself reminding myself of how the a.fib feels at different times, and wrote at the end not to forget that there are good spells ! I hope you get onto an 'even keel ' soon. I think it's a lot about coming to terms with the diagnosis - it comes as a shock; but there are worse things to have that will definitely kill and from which there is no respite, so we are luckier than a lot of people !
Stay as positive as you can . More people die in cars than planes. Aviation is safe. Glad you will go to Fla. to be with family and have support. Yes we need to do what we can to prevent the clots. I recently had an ablation after resisting for years and so far positive results. I do not know if I can come off blood thinner eventually. Yes we must live life and not live in fear. I too have had a hard time overcoming this . Counseling helped. I so far do not have symptoms I feel but know the afib is present and scares me..Not wishing for symptoms but fear is fear. Yes sure are lucky. Look at the world Just being alive is a miracle when you think of all that can happen to you .