Ectopic beats and anxiety

I am almost 7 weeks post my touch up ablation. My first ablation was the end of February. Both ablations done in Austin at TCA. I have been having some skipped beats and extra beats, here and there. My afib nurse (who is wonderful) has assured me that these are normal and benign. However, it is unnerving. I have never dealt with anxiety before this. Being aware of every beat of my heart and the ectopic beats is mentally and emotionally exhausting. I have been starting to work out as that has helped to relieve the anxiety. My question is how have other ablation patients controlled the anxiety (without meds) and if the ectopic beats diminish as time goes by. Thank you for listening!

Hi, I unfortunately relate. I have heavy periods of the ectopics....and yes stress can be a huge factor. But other times I don't feel stressed and they start then I start wondering if I'm stressed and just stress out! The only thing that kinda helps for me is extra potassium and hydration but even then they go away when they want to. I started out of the blue in January this year for 4 months constant ectopics...I just gave in and eventually they subsided. My best advice is ignore them as much as humanly possible. I know it seems impossible but try
Tim

MissSunshine... It's not uncommon to be anxious about the extra beats after ablations. If you aren't supplementing with magnesium, you may want to consider adding that since magnesium does help with calming. Stress depletes magnesium so taking it helps as a preventive and also a 'tool' that gives you some sense of control over the situation. Also, check your diet to be sure you are consuming potassium-containing foods as magnesium and potassium work together to stabilize and help reduce the extra heartbeat activity. I've had three Natale ablations and wasn't bothered by ectopy because I always resumed the magnesium/potassium protocols as soon as I was discharged... but then, too, I wasn't nervous over the 'what if's' but I appreciate the anxiety that it can cause.

You've had the best possible treatment with Dr. Natale and the Austin staff, so now just try to relax and let the progress continue. Everyone is different for total healing time so don't be worried or discouraged. Send me a PM if I can help with the magnesium dosing if you need assistance.

Best to you,
Jackie

Wonder if a mindfulness approach might help with the anxiety: <[www.youtube.com]

These off beats are completely normal. Even to have a brief eppisode of AFib early on is of no consiquence.

However, you are no doubt really in tune with your heart right now and any little gurggle in your chest or perceived miss beat is going to trigger you emotions imediatly.

Try to find some way to get your mind off of your heart. Also, starting some supplimentation with magnesium and potassium could help to stomp out your issues. Taking the supplements could also help to reduce your focus on the issues as well.

I hope you continue to heal and leave the demon behind.

Best

Rich

I’ve had ectopic beats since childhood. For some inexplicable reason they would start, then disappear for weeks, and they have never caused me apprehension until two years ago when I had my first A-Fib episode. Now I get anxious and have read it can be a preamble to an A-Fib episode.

So, this is what I do: I guzzle down a large can of LS V-8 with two Magnesium Taurine capsules. I stand up and shake my arms...almost violently; I also take a deep breath and bear down. Sometimes I massage my vegus nerve on the left side of my neck.

Staying hydrated is very important for ecrtopics; however it’s a dual-edged sword. If I drink a lot of water, which I enjoy, I also lose a great deal of my mags/pot,sodium.

Here is a cardiologist whom I frequently listen to. Dr. Sanjay Gupta. [m.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/2018 04:53PM by Catherine.

Forgot: I also do a series of deep abdominal breathing. Youtube videos show how to do it properly.

Thank you all for your reply. I will try to stay hydrated and add in Magnesium. I have been using 400 mg/day of Magnesium Glycinate. Is Magnesium Taurine better? I meet with my EP on Wednesday which will be 7 weeks post second ablation. I am excited to see what he says about my second ablation and hope that my Afib has been fixed!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/2018 11:47PM by MissSunshine.

Mag glycinate is an excellent choice. I'd stick with it. If you want to push upwards on the dosage, by all means go ahead. Go slowly, say 500mg for a week, then 600mg. You want to carefully establish bowel tolerance and not get yourself into a place where you have liquid stools that just shed all the electrolytes and set you back to square one.

And, yes, PACs are incredibly neurogenic. I can "think one up" even. Seriously. If I'm out running and my mind starts to wander towards things that are exciting or scary, I'll get PACs. It's spooky. I actually have to be careful what's going through my head. Almost feels like voodoo magic. So you're not alone in any of that. The heart and mind are tightly woven.

It always amazes me on how something might work for 1 and is toxic to other.
Mag. used to help me a little but not really enough to continue long term as i eat a lot in my diet and i have tried pretty much every kind including topically in fact what was just mentioned mag. glycinate is an afib causer for me...crazy huh...within an hour or less i get ton's of pac's after drinking kal brand 5-6 grams.......then all 3-4 times i tried it did put me in afib...thought it might be something else triggering me so i kept trying and the same torture EVERYTIME. The old saying 1 size fits all could never come close to this Enigma.

Miss Sunshine, this is a wonderful product. Read the feedback.

[smile.amazon.com]

I take this three times a day along with magnesium glycinate.

I must be the mag. supl. party pooper here.....Mag. Taur CR set me off also. I am looking at 1 and 3/4 bottles of it right now in my supl. grave yard.
Great test. on amazon though....thats exactly why i tried it.
Again good for some not for all.

Catherine,

The reviews for the magnesium supplement from Cardiovascular Research LTD you gave state that they recently changed the formula and it, unfortunately, is for the worst. Check out some of the reviews for yourself. I found them interesting enough that I ended up with this one:

Magnesium Supplement

Can't vouch for it yet, but that other one doesn't seem so good anymore.

Speaking if which, it seems the supplement page for the website is woefully out of date. Has anyone else noticed this?

Thank you all for your insight. I will be meeting with my EP cardiologist tomorrow for my 6 week follow up. (Actually 7 weeks) I will ask him his opinion on Magnesium supplementation and which he would recommend. I do feel more confident in my ablation as the days pass. There are just times when I am so aware of every beat of my heart- feeling hard/fast and erratic beats for 5 to 10 sec. episodes. The skipped and extra beats are much more apparent at night. I must say that things are much, much better for me after my second ablation versus my first ablation. I feel like my heart is much more stable and will beat and stay in rhythm even if it has a few hiccups. I am praying that I am one of those that is fixed of that terrible beast of Afib. Thank you all for listening. Cheril

Just a note, my first cardiologist told me magnesium supplementation was worthless. I showed him the studies, including the magnesium sulfate IVs that converted people into NSR in the ER. He still said it was worthless. I found a new cardiologist.

Quote
Fibbin AFib
Just a note, my first cardiologist told me magnesium supplementation was worthless. I showed him the studies, including the magnesium sulfate IVs that converted people into NSR in the ER. He still said it was worthless. I found a new cardiologist.

14 years ago, it took me till cardio #3 (an EP) to find one who was supportive of electrolyte supplementation. Magnesium has kept me mostly in remission since (in my case, the form doesn't matter, even mag hydroxide works really well, I just need to take it in sufficient quantity). My ER doc climbing friend & I have discussed the ER protocol to convert people with IV mag & wondered why it isn't commonly used in the EP/cardio world. I've also talked about mag with another cardio friend, who said he'd studied in his medical studies and it did work well.

Vanlith - Your dosing of magnesium seems to be very high...you mention KAL brand 5-6 grams. Typically, you should begin with small, divided doses like 200-300 mg...not grams... a day and then gradually increase to more doses spaced out throughout the day and some at bedtime. Bowel tolerance is typically the guide for dosing quantity. Some, tolerate 400 mg - 600 mg daily. Others, can go to 800 or 1,000 mg. 1,000 mg equals 1 gram and that's quite a lot.

MissSunshine - You aren't likely to find a cardiologist who knows much about the requirements or benefits of magnesium so don't be surprised; however, the scientific literature is there for the many reasons reasons why there is a requirement for magnesium.
If you want to verify this by studies and other benefits beyond heart benefits, spend time at this link [www.mgwater.com] and start with this link to ultimate magnesium researcher, the late Mildred S. Seelig, MD, MPH, FACN here: [www.mgwater.com]

Very important to understand that magnesium is a required, essential nutrient in the body.

Jackie

Thanks for the heads up Fibbin. I’ll need to do some snooping.

Put that one in my Amazon cart.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2018 11:11AM by Catherine.

Can I ask what kind and how much potassium and magnesium yiu take. I had an abliation in March. Dealing with lots of issues and anxiety and depression from this afib. 4 hospitalizations. I live in New Jersey. I want to start on the natural approach. My doctor gave me xanax and I don’t want to be on it thank yiu.

Margaret...........So obv. your ablation in New Jersey did not go well....well join the club of many many of us who would fit that definition.
Don't feel bad...these EP's are like QB's...some stink and some are off the charts good.....you have to find a Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Arron Rodgers.....EP equivalent......then you and your heart are laughing.
Try the natural path for a few months you never know some people ben. greatly from it but i must say from my experience the results are very limited in comparison to perfect NSR and in the mean time get your doctor to supply you with Pill in the Pocket drugs like flecainide or my personal fav. Propafenone to stop those afib episodes that pop up from time to time.........they will KO them in a few hours or less while you try the natural route.......all the while you should be looking for that Superstar EP for your 2nd ablation if nes.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2018 12:30PM by vanlith.