O.K., it's not that impressive but the way things were going - 41/2 years before my second episode, 17 months before the third, 2 days before the fourth and 1 day between the next two - I'm pleased. I made two changes. 1) I realised I wasn't drinking much water so started on 8 -10 glasses (about 4 pints) a day and ordered Dr. Batmanghelidj's book "Your Body's Many Cries For Water". The effect was instant; my heart felt better than it had for a long time. I thought I'd found the complete cure, at least for me, but had another episode 2 weeks later; though not an all-nighter this time. 2) I now started to look again at breathing techniques. Almost all the techniques I'd reasearched in the past encouraged deeper breathing and more oxygenation of the body. This made sense to me so I'd been in the habit of taking deep even breaths when the heart felt a little unsteady. One technique I'd come across & dismissed was Buteyko breathing which advises fewer & more shallow breaths. I had, however, added it to my favourites list & now considered it more carefully. Next time the heart felt 'about to go' instead of deep breaths I exhaled and didn't inhale again for 15 - 20 seconds. I followed this with very shallow breathing. It was really hard to do! Every instinct, including the nervous reaction to the prospect of another bout of A-Fib , was to breathe deeply. It took me an hour to do it properly. The A-Fib didn't come and I've been practicing this every night since, with excellenent results. Even occasional erratic beats have almost disappeared. It's ironic that the treatment I received during my last A&E visit was no movement, no water (just a glucose drip) and an oxygen mask for 18 hours! Anyone who hasn't tried the above techniques should give them a go. You might be surprised! https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38839#msg-38839 Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:35:19 +0000 Phorum 5.2.23 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38955#msg-38955 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38955#msg-38955 Gunnar v/61/na AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 09 Oct 2006 21:30:02 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38945#msg-38945 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38945#msg-38945
Sam can probably explain better than I but Buteyko breathing is a timed sequence where you exhale thoroughly and hold your breath as long as comfortable to allow the CO2 to build and then breathe in again with another timed sequence. You can't do this correctly without instruction but it's not difficult to learn; takes alot of practice and discipline but people have changed their lives with this method.... those with asthma, sleep apnea come to mind.

The Buteyko method is online if you care to read up on it. Some years back, I did a few lengthy posts on it.

Jackie]]> Jackie AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 09 Oct 2006 16:44:53 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38922#msg-38922 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38922#msg-38922
I wonder why this works.

Carol]]> Carol Andrews AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 09 Oct 2006 12:09:35 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38908#msg-38908 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38908#msg-38908
Sam,
That is the kind of information that makes this site so valuable. I'm sure it will help others out there. What works for you will work for someone else.
All the best, Lou]]> Lou Toews AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 09 Oct 2006 09:34:47 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38894#msg-38894 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38894#msg-38894
Keep up the good work.

Jackie]]> Jackie AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 09 Oct 2006 04:39:49 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38875#msg-38875 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38875#msg-38875 It was Batmanghelidj's books that got me into drinking more water,
too. I the Buteyko method on file somewhere - (painstakingly copied out in longhand from a library source) and will hunt it out again.
It took me ages to learn to breathe the Buteyko way - you are right about the instinct being to draw a BIG breath - and I remember having great difficulty keeping it up when I was doing my brisk 2km walks. This was in the days before my Afib went permanent - I'm unable to walk very far at all now - however, you've inspired me to get the chart out again.
Thanks for your post,
Emmie]]> Emmie AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 08 Oct 2006 23:34:26 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38869#msg-38869 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38869#msg-38869
I recently bought an Aussie Buteyko tape on Ebay. It looks interesting, though, since I've pretty well put my afib back in the box with supplements, I can't say it makes a difference with my heart.

George]]> GeorgeN v/51/na AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 08 Oct 2006 18:54:01 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38839#msg-38839 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,38839,38839#msg-38839
I made two changes.
1) I realised I wasn't drinking much water so started on 8 -10 glasses (about 4 pints) a day and ordered Dr. Batmanghelidj's book "Your Body's Many Cries For Water". The effect was instant; my heart felt better than it had for a long time. I thought I'd found the complete cure, at least for me, but had another episode 2 weeks later; though not an all-nighter this time.

2) I now started to look again at breathing techniques. Almost all the techniques I'd reasearched in the past encouraged deeper breathing and more oxygenation of the body. This made sense to me so I'd been in the habit of taking deep even breaths when the heart felt a little unsteady. One technique I'd come across & dismissed was Buteyko breathing which advises fewer & more shallow breaths. I had, however, added it to my favourites list & now considered it more carefully.

Next time the heart felt 'about to go' instead of deep breaths I exhaled and didn't inhale again for 15 - 20 seconds. I followed this with very shallow breathing. It was really hard to do! Every instinct, including the nervous reaction to the prospect of another bout of A-Fib , was to breathe deeply. It took me an hour to do it properly. The A-Fib didn't come and I've been practicing this every night since, with excellenent results. Even occasional erratic beats have almost disappeared.

It's ironic that the treatment I received during my last A&E visit was no movement, no water (just a glucose drip) and an oxygen mask for 18 hours!

Anyone who hasn't tried the above techniques should give them a go. You might be surprised!]]> Sam AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 08 Oct 2006 10:17:44 +0000