Latest episode details.

Hi folks,

Had another visit from our friend last night...... only 3 weeks after the last (10/10) which, for me, is a little discouraging since some 11 months of NSR had elapsed between the episode of 10/10 and the one before it. (Although I obviously appreciate that AF almost invariably occurs more frequently with the passing of time - it's just that one hopes that with dietery and lifestyle improvements one will buck the trend!)

Well last night's episode and the one before it (10/10) BOTH came at 3am and self-converted at 6am. BOTH of 'em! The silver lining here for me is that last night's episode was even more of a doddle than the relatively easy-to-put-up-with one of 10/10. The rate was comfortable at 75-85 lying in bed; getting up for a pee was not uncomfortable or symptomatic, and I fell asleep after about an hour and a half.

Continuing the nightmares and flutter thread, I do NOT remember having any dreams before waking up into the episode at 3 am. However, once I had fallen asleep, I DID have dreams in which I was out and about - somewhat gingerly - with AF. Just before I awoke, my AF dreaming had plunged into a scenario where the rate was getting faster and faster to the point where I felt myself siezing into a sort of terrifying numbing paralysis................ thinking this was it............. and from which I awoke at 6am with a start.......... in NSR! Go figure. I did briefly toy with the idea that I'd had some long pause in HR when converting, but since THAT has never happened to me before whilst converting whilst awake (every time previously), perhaps I'm being a bit neurotic. Besides, I've had the same paralysing numbing siezure this-is-it type nightmares quite a few times before when not in AF....... that I know of......... (Jeez!).

One thing I think is now BEYOND doubt is that I'm vagal. At least that's firming up! BTW, prior to last night's episode, I'd had a handfull of nasty crisps and a couple of glasses of red wine late on at a party. No big deal there then as regards late and excessive eating and imbibing (although I am going to cut out ALL booze from now on - even if just for an experimental period - i.e. at least until I next get AF after NO alchohol). What I HAVE noticed the last two episodes, however, is that I've had a griping wind pain under my left shoulder blade...... and I sure did belch for Britain during last night's episode and the one of 10/10.

Anyway, where now for me. Maybe I am - despite my wishfull thinking to the contrary - now moving towards getting episodes on a more regular basis. If this ends up being once a fortnight or so, self-converting, 3 hr duration, in the early am, then I figure I can deal with it.......... until either:
1. My increasingly stringent dietery and psychotheraputic approaches bear some fruit (it took a long time for 'it' to get broke, so it'll take a long time to fix); or
2. Ablation procedures offer an almost 100% CURE with almost 0% risk. I would only go to a world-renowned centre such as CC or Paris where the EP lab a) has an intra-cardiac-echo, and b) has an EP who has undertaken hundreds of procedures. (I have the funds set aside already should I need to pay privately.)

I suppose I could, for the time being, look at - say - disopyramide on an on-demand approach?? But given the nature and duration of my AF do I need to?? One thing's for certian: I do NOT want to take ANY meds full-time (like the vast majority of cardiologists would no doubt want me to), and nor - given the short duration of my episodes - do I want to take any anti-coagulants.

I'd love any and all input you good folks can offer as regards my last two paragraphs above.

Boy, but does NSR feel good or what! And how my heart goes out to those who only see relatively little of it.

Cheers for now,

Mike F.

Please see my post below. I totally agree with your last two paragraphs. I only take 12.5mg atenolol on demand and that's usually only as a precaution rather than a need, so I really shouldn't indulge in that. Your symptoms certainly don't seem to call for any medication of any kind.

Lorraine

I have a prescription for cardizem for use as needed. It hasn't been needed. It is a calcium-channel blocker which possibly has helped me get back into NSR during the last two episodes I had--10 months ago and 11 months ago, approximately.

My episodes have been like Mike's, starting after midnight, and never going for more than 2 to 3 hours. My heart rate does get quite high, though, to 160 bpm and above, so the episodes are upsetting and totally incompatible with going back to sleep.

My method for avoiding episodes is to avoid the triggers, which are late meals and alcohol. On the other hand, because I have been supplementing my diet with magnesium, potassium, B-vitamins and so forth, my susceptiblility to afib has greatly lessened. So I can eat late (say at 9 or 10 pm) without problems. I can have an occasional glass of wine or two without triggering an episode.

I would, however, be very hesitant, even in my "recovered" condition, to tempt the fates by eating late and drinking alcohol.

I am also very wary of any symptoms which suggest that I may be, from time to time, getting more susceptible to afib. For example, more PACs are such a symptom. I recently increased my mg supplement in order to reduce my PACs.