Short fast flutters anyone??

Hi all,

I just jumped up quickly out of my computer chair and went into a few seconds of fast fluttery feeling which really made me catch my breath and feel a bit panicky - slight dizziness (nothing bad but nevertheless manifesting itself towards the point where I really caught my breath) and slightly sweaty forehead immediately after. (I'm not sure whether it's the arrythmia or the panic which causes the slight dizziness and sweats......) Now I've had a few of these on an occasional basis over the last 10 years or so, and just found myself wondering if any of you guys out there gets similar short runs of arrythmia and can perhaps reassure me that I'm not the only one that gets there little episodes! Please let me know.

Mike F.

Mike,
It sounds to me as though you've become a little panicky since your recent AF bout.I noticed that your postings before that episode had been few and far between, maybe like me reading the board regularly, but not feeling the need to contribute.Since your episode you have been a regular contributer/questioner.
I've not had an episode for 2 years, on the 9th December, but still have that "fear" of going into one, when I get flutters,or a few fast beats like you described.
I'm convinced our minds have a big input into our problem.So maybe chill a little, leave those "search engines" alone for a while, and go for a good walk.Its quite a pleasant November day here in Somerset how is it for you up north?

Take care.

John.

Mike,

I'm not a physician, but there is a well-know effect called the Ragland Effect or something like that. It describes the sudden drop in blood pressure that can occur when people suddenly jump up from a sitting or lying position. I'v e experienced it occassionally. The drop in blood pressure can be enough to create the sweating that you described and it is distinct from any irregularity in heart beat.

Hi, John
I joined this BB after you conquered your afib last December.
Could you please tell me how you brought about your success?
Thanks.
Carol

John N,

Yeah you are, of course, correct....... I've definately had an anxious few weeks and have been focusing excessively on my ticker and spending as many as 5 hrs per day (on a w/e) reading, worrying, fretting, and vegetating! But I do get out for plenty of long bracing walks along cliff and beach up here near Whitby in North Yorks - and yes, it is a beautifull day here too. I'm going to restrict myself to 30 mins per day checking and reading board posts ONLY (no search engines) from now on..... still sounds like too much perhaps..... but it's a start (-: I have been going a little over the top just lately as regards dwelling upon my heart. Thanks for the post John. BTW, can you tell me alittle as regards your AF history and how you've managed to stave it off this last couple of years (and congratulations in that regard - nice one, and long may it continue)??

John,

Whilst your input is appreciated, I definately experience arrythmia of some sort when the episodes I related occur - they do frequently happen when I jump up FAST out of the chair or bed though, so it could be BP related. I also often notice the drop in BP effect (without arrythmia) when I get up out of the couch an hour or two after having eaten.

Cheers,

Mike F.

Mike,
I'm very much like yourself with only 3 episodes to date. After the 3rd one in 2001 I lost 20ibs in weight,stopped all alcohol and take 50mg x2 Flecainide per day.I believe my vagal AF is anxiety/alcohol triggered and by taking stress management sessions and avoiding alcohol has helped me.
I have had 1 bad night since, in June this year, when I was away in Preston on a course and forgot to take my Flecainide with me.Couldn't get any until the following morning!!My heart was all over the place that night with palps,fast runs,missed beats the works but no AF thankfully.Now was that because I hadn't had my 50 mg of Flecainide, or my mind "triggering" my heart to behave in that way because I was stressed to the eyeballs?
My diet is pretty much the same, nothing special, no supplements, but far smaller portions and no late eating.
I guess I'm just fortunate at the moment but the fear of triggering an event is always with me.Hence why I regularly each day visit this board, lurking in the background, and reading some fantastic advice from very knowledgable people.I guess you could call it my "crutch"!
I also found that leaning over a computer for hours in those early days used to cause many skipped beats!!
Good health Mike, and take care.

John.

Mike

Your description does sound BP related to me. But as you get that without arrhythmia I was wonderng if your blood sugar was also low at that time? Happened to me all the time- I still get it a bit, but nothing like the concern it gave me before.

Fran

Fran,

Yes my blood sugar would have been low at the time since it was gone mid-day and I'd had had nothing to eat since getting up at around 8.30am. Silly boy, what with all the talk of eating 5 or 6 small meals per day as per the advice often proffered here on this board. I really do notice the drop in BP when I get off the couch in an evening an hour or two after dinner too - hypoglycemia perhaps?

Regards,

Mike F.

Just in the last couple of weeks i have gotten 2 short episodes lasting less than 5 mins each, with the familiar oh-no-not-again feeling, arrhythmia confirmed by pulse at the wrist, lightheaded, sat down and tried to calm myself and gratefully felt NSR resume. These episodes were not associated with getting up at all, or with anything else except that there is a seasoning salt that i used to be able to use without trouble, and both of these times were subsequent to use of that seasoning. Apparently i can't do that any more, dad rat it. And yes, it contains msg.

Am having trouble controlling panicky, doom and gloom thoughts about afib not gone after all, maybe the magnesium isn't working any more, maybe the afib is progressing after all, obsessing about any strange sensation, etc., as i am sure happens to all afibbers. I am better at keeping this panic down than i used to be, though. I just have to be more careful about indulgences as there is a price for them.

Strength and courage.

Peggy

I'm with Peggy-we need to watch our indulgences! The lightheaded feeling when standing is BP, I am pretty sure.

John - for Michael, yes, that lightheadedness sounds like bp, but with me i don't think so because the first time, i was walking around in the local library, and the second i was just sitting on my couch, talking with a friend. This lightheadedness is a regular accompaniment to afib with me. Personally i think it is because my heart is not able to pump normally while afibbing.
Peggy

Could the lightheadedness be due to tiredness through lack of sleep?My first episode was after I had been in hospital with my son and had been at his bedside for around 6 weeks, without any break.I was exhausted and looking at a computer in a store the day after he was discharged I came over very dizzy/lightheaded and within a couple of hours went into AF.

Regards,

John.

John - I'm not a physician either, but my holistic physician always checks blood pressure either lying down and then standing up...or sitting and standing to see if there is a measureable difference. If there is a substantial difference, he said it indicated some adrenal insufficiency...

called orthostatic hypotension....

........drop in blood pressure that is precipitated by changes in body position. May be related to hydration status, drug side effect or be caused by a dysfunction in the autonomic nervous systems ability to maintain blood pressure with positional changes (for example autonomic neuropathy secondary to diabetes).

This probably relates to some of the symptoms some posters have noted regarding some dizziness when getting up from sleep to urinate.



Jackie