anxiety? Stress?

Hi Jackie and Shannon and everyone else that has taken time out of their busy schedule to help and try to put my anxieties at ease with your very kind and helpful responses. This is such an overwhelming change that has taken place in my life over the last few weeks and a very scary one at times as well. I do read these posts everyday and really take to heart what everyone posts here. I think I would be a total mess if it wasn't for this sight and everyone's tips. I'm not going to lie, I'm still a huge mess and still have to take things one day at a time, sometimes even one hour at a time, or even minute by minute in those really difficult times. Some of the best advice I've gotten on here is that "A-fib is not going to kill you!" Sometimes I have to remind myself that...Ok, a lot of times! I sit here and try to remember what I was doing before my episode happened. I had just finished a cup of ice cream, and laid on my bed when I noticed it. I have noticed that for pretty much my adult life hood, I've had a terrible time with staying hydrated. I hardly ever drank water, and would have a starbucks coffee (venti size) every day. A lot of times, I would go back during lunch and grab a second coffee from starbucks. would never balance it out with water or anything like that. On top of that, it was getting well over 100 degrees here at work, and I really didn't think anything of it. My diet was horrible, a lot of fatty fried foods, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, hamburgers from fast food, it was horrible!! Then I ready Jackies post about being dehydrated and how much of a role it plays in AFIB and a ton of other people have posted that as well. Long story short, I have set an alarm in my phone to get up every half hour and at least get a drink of water. Ive also cut out ALL coffee, no energy drinks, Quit drinking alcohol, and stopped eating ice cream everyday. (Used to be a nightly ritual).

So thank you everybody for posting and responding. You guys have been a tremendous help. Im not sure if the dehydration and caffeine is what caused my afib or was the last straw, but its what I tell myself for right now. Im on my last week of warfarin since they cardioverted me 3 weeks ago and am still on metoprolol 50 mg 3X a day. Side effects are hit and miss.

Question tho for anyone taking metoprolol...did it give anyone shortness of breath? Hard to explain myself. Its like when I take a deep breath, I feel like I don't get enough air in. Like I constantly have to yawn to get a sufficient amount of air intake. And then I have to do it a gain a few seconds later. Could just be my anxiety?? Any advice is helpful. Most of the time, just knowing that someone else has or is going thru it at the same time as me is comforting. You don't have that "alone" feeling.

Thanks everybody!

Hi Robert - I'm so pleased that you are finding our forum helpful. I know I certainly did long ago when I first discovered all of the good tips and support. Having an online connection has provided an extremely valuable tool in that we can usually make quick contact and find guidance and support. For afibbers, this is especially comforting. It's totally normal to feel alarm in the early onset stages. It is your heart...after all. I can certainly relate.

One thing I did to help remain calm was to have a plan or strategy for when the AF began. I always carried with me or had handy in the house, whatever additional drugs suggested to use at the onset. At first, it was a smaller, additional dose of beta blocker to help slow the heart rate. Eventually, I learned more about the natural enzyme called Nattokinase which helps keep blood from being overly thick so that it would tend to clot easily and cause a stroke or heart attack. I added that to my daily dose of other Afib essential nutrients...magnesium, potassium, taurine, carnitine, Omega 3 fish oil and so on.

With that daily protocol in place, I felt comforted and re-assured that when AF started up again, I would be okay and the less panic reaction I had, the better chance I had for a short run. Eventually, after several years, when AF would visit, it was disappointing, but I didn't consider it a big deal.

You can get to that place, too, and I am very pleased to see you recognize the vital importance of hydration. Many of my earlier events started on the golf course when I was overheated and probably dehydrated although I did carry water with me. At that time, I discovered a powdered electrolyte packet that was very portable and handy to add to water easily. I found that helped on more than one occasion when I began to feel that 'weird' sensation that creeps into the chest as AF begins. They still sell that product... it's Alacer's Emer-Gen-C Electrolyte Mix... [www.iherb.com] /Alacer?gclid=COaQ777Sgs4CFZE0aQodcZUPfw
Drinking plenty of pure water free of purifying chemical and fluoride is important for everyone with or without AF; especially in these high temps.

You commented about some of your meal choices... and you should realize that many contain a large amount of salt so that helps knock out any good potassium you may have or if very low, will really upset your balance so Afib is almost guaranteed. Add in the dehydration factor and it's a perfect storm.

It's good you've stopped the daily ice cream since that sugar content can work behind the scenes to unbalance your glucose handling mechanism and is often responsible for a 'rebound' type of reaction after eating high sugar.

The metoprolol can lower your HR and blood pressure enough that you feel can short of breath (SO and it could be that the dose is too high for your body. It's not uncommon that dosing has to be tailored to the individual. If I took that much metoprolol, I'd be in a coma.

We are all here to help and support you, Robert...so relax and hang out with us as much as you like.

Best to you,
Jackie

hi Robert: A couple of thoughts on your post above.

It sounds like you were a heavy coffee drinker. Sometimes suddenly cutting out caffeine can have a boomerang reaction on your body; bigtime headache, anxiety, nerve reactions, etc. That probably only lasts a few days but it should be taken into account.

Your last paragraph certainly sounds like anxiety that I've had in the past, unrelated to the beta blocker that I was taking. The beta blocker had more of an energy draining effect on me.

You'll read a lot of good and bad about the value of taking short courses of benzodiazepenes, (Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax and the like), here and on other sites. There are times that they are necessary. When the anxiety cause settles down they can be weaned off. Frequently breath control is a big help in reducing anxiety symptoms. Meditation, tai chi and yoga were big helps for me in calming my body.

One thing that always helped me through my afib was knowing that properly treated it would not be the cause of my ultimate demise. You have to manage it, not let it manage you; and, no that's not easy but it is possible.

Hang in there. This too will settle down over time.

Gordon

I've been on metoprolol for over a year now - no side effects that I can notice. I suffered from panic attacks/anxiety back in the 90s. And I found that shortness of breath would accompany some of my attacks. I'd sit and try to just calm down by focusing on breathing slowly and deeply - sometimes I could do it, but honestly, sometimes the anxiety was so bad that I just couldn't and had to let it run its course.
Nancy

Anxiety/stress has haunted me for over 4 years. Its all about my medical issues. I take Klonopin to help but would not recommend a Benzo to anyone unless it was a last resort; Extremely addictive.

I do breathing exercises every morning and through out the day. I also do physical and mental body scans to relax my body,mind and soul.

One day I will find some answers to my ongoing Health issues. They all "popped up" when I was diagnosed with long term persistent AFIB in Dec. 2011. Actually, I was just diagnosed with AFIB, but this forum taught me different and Dr. Natale confirmed it.

I try and think on the good things in life and not dwell on the negative or worse case scenerios.

I have been taking a low dose of Metoprolol daily for over 4 years; No major issues.

Anxiety is a Beast to deal with and trying to find a good counselor is even more challenging.

Good luck and dwell on the good not the bad and stay away from Benzo's if at all possible. They have there place but for short term use.

Hi Robert

Some coping tips from my old afib days:

- Breathe deeply from your stomach, actively moving your stomach in and out. Try to feel you are releasing your stomach down into a relaxed position not tensed up in your chest.
- Keep calm and lie down on your right side, I found a hot water bottle comforting, if I did this early on in my "episode" it helped shorten it. After a while I'd feel an impulse to turn onto my back or left side that would result in return to NSR.
- If you feel up to it a warm bath with a favourite bath gel or soak (but not hot), good book and music nearby.
- Try to snooze, often I'd snooze and wake up in NSR

Don't try to push through it, that never worked for me. Accept it, relax, help your body deal with it. Yes its bloody uncomfortable but as you've been told it will not kill you (keep saying that to yourself).

I suffered it for 2 years before having an ablation, the relief was enormous, 3 years on I am still in sweet NSR.

Rgds
Heather

Hi Robert,

I am in a similar boat to you - newly diagnosed - with atrial flutter and POTS syndrome. They think my POTS is kicking me into the flutter.

Anyway...I am on bisoprolol - another beta blocker and am feeling very breathless on it. I do have very mild asthma but it is very mild - I've not used my inhaler in an age. So now I am wondering whether the breathing is the ashtma kicking in or the anxiety I am suffering with due to the dual diagnosis.

I am yawning a lot, breathless, tight jaw and some chest pain. I am also waking up at night - repeatedly - struggling for air. So on the one hand I am thinking anxiety - as has been going on for days and days now with little respite. But the ngiht time symptoms do make me wonder if it is the asthma?

I also have very low blood pressure anyway - and am only on the bisoprolol purely for rate control and they drop my blood pressure really low on occasion - so I may have to reduce my dose somewhat.

I used to be like you! I loved my starbucks mocha frappucinos!! I miss them a lot lol. I have cut out chocolate but am still having sugary foods - I am going to take the dietary advice on here and see if I can help myself some more!

Hang in there - this is a great place and hopefully we can get well with all the great advice!

Robert,

I also have had issues with remembering to drink enough water. I found a simple solution. Purchased a 50 oz Nalgene bottle, fill it up in the morning, drink it during the day, fill it up again in the afternoon, and drink it until a couple of hours before bedtime. This is a solution that is measurable.

In addition to the 100 oz. of water, I'm getting water from the food I eat and protein shakes.

Factors such as working in a hot environment, living in a warm climate and exercising regularly, are considerations as well.

Best wishes!

Chuck

My cardiologist put me on propafenone, metoprolol, and warfarin fifteen plus years ago. I was a runner and long distance bicyclist and the metoprolol took away every desire to do any kind of exercise. I put up with that and fought it for six months and told the cardiologist the metoprolol had to go. He tapered me off it over three weeks and it was like Christmas in July; I was reborn. Never looked back. Now I'm 75 and persistent but the ablationist is going to fix that next week. Will one procedure do the trick or will I have to have a repeat. Who knows, and I'm still looking down at the grass. I'm not on fire and am not getting shot at, so every day is a great day!