Anyone else have afib or ectopic heartbeats?

[unsubscribe]

It sucks.

I try to identify if there is a trigger food or activity but I don't know.

Lack of quality sleep seems to be one, and heavy drinking as well. But sometimes eating perfectly clean and getting quality sleep... and still get episodes.

The side effects listed on the medications that treat this seem kind of scary as well, maybe ablation at some point might fix it...

There's probably a link with anxiety as well.

/random thoughts

 

[essox essox]

try taking PRENOLOL 50 mgs.....

[Sheryl]

Do NOT self medicate for this!!!!

 

It is  a serious business and needs to be managed by a competent cardiologist.

 

Caffeine is a frequent trigger for many people, so is stress and too little sleep.

 

In addition to medications to try to control the heart rate, if you have a-fib you need to be on prophylactic  anticoagulation (low dose aspirin or other) to reduce the risk of blood clots which are associated with a-fib. That assumes you have actual a-fib, from your post I am not clear that you do, sounds like it may rather be bursts of atrial flutter or episodic paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, since you refer to "episodes".

 

[unsubscribe]

Thanks Sheryl. I think you hit the nail on the head, the diagnosis was paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and it comes and goes (not sustained thankfully). 

 

I've been to several cardiologists in the states and at bumrungrad, and the response is the same, they do a echo-cardiogram, a stress test, and blood work..  and if the heart is structurally ok then they say don't worry about it.

 

Maybe I'll keep looking to find the right cardiologist who offers more than just "try to ignore it" advice.

[Sheryl]

As long as it is just paroxysmal no one is going to advise treatment. Your best recourse is to identify and eliminate  triggers.

 

Caffeine and tobacco are big ones.

[yogi100]

I have had AF in the UK. I went to a hospital where they kept me in for two nights and monitored my heart and it's functions. I must admit to being alarmed when it happened.

 

They gave me Edoxoban 10 mg a day to thin the blood, high blood pressure meds and increased my dosage of Bisoprolol (beta blockers) to 5 mg a day.

 

All seems OK after 18 months but I was told that if it (an irregular or racing pulse) returns to lie down for a few hours till it passes which I have had to do on two occasions. 

 

A couple of my pals have had the same problem and the treatment, medication and advice they received was much the same as mine. They are both OK.

 

It's a good idea to get a blood pressure/pulse monitor to keep an eye on things.  You can get wrist mounted ones from E Bay or Amazon for about 500 baht (£9 UK money). They are not bang on accurate but but give you an approximate guide as to how your heart is performing.

 

I am not a heavy drinker and quit smoking 4 years ago. 

[unsubscribe]

Thanks everyone for the feedback/advice.

I don't drink or smoke but I do enjoy herbal organic tea which has caffeine. I'll cut it out of my diet for a month and see if it makes a difference then report back here, in case anyone else stumbles upon this thread with the same issues some day.