While you new to the forum are waiting for Hans' book to arrive here is a link to FAQ:

[www.vagalafibportal.fsnet.co.uk]

Ella

Ella:

Thanks for the wonderful informative link. I saved it for future reference. A couple of things I was confused on and perhaps someone could clarify. According to this link, I would classify myself as vagal except for 2 things. I have lead a very busy life but wouldn't call myself an athelete. I have always jogged and worked out and used stairmasters etc until 1991. I also used to swim distances, like accross small lakes etc. The only form of actual exercise that I have gotten since then is walking. I still do a brisk 3.6 mile walk every morning, and I think that saves me a lot of afib. I thought Hans suggestion was that endurance atheletes and bikers etc. were of the Adrenergic type. This reference calls them vagal.

Also, my episodes have rarely started during the night and while sleeping. They usually start in the afternoon or evening and may run all night, but have rarely, if ever started in the morning. They have never been brought on by exercise, in fact probably the opposite is true. They are not brought on by stress.

The other thing was the afib rate suggestion that vagal afibbers have slower fib rates, and mine is 150 to 180, and only tends to slow down after many hours duration and when it is getting ready to convert.

Other things seem to match.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Pam

I just realized that I have it backward with regard to exercise. Does vagal mean that I can call myself atheletic?????

Hans: If you read this, it would be wonderful to have some kind of questionaire to tell whether you are vagal or adrenergic. I think I must be vagal. We must have hypersensitive vagus nerves. Certain things I do will cause me near syncope, or would be complete syncope if I didn't stop the activity and sometimes dive to the ground. Here are those:

Turning my head around for more than a moment, as when trying to back out of a parking space on a busy street. Or talking to a person who is behind me.

Applying eye makeup.

Tilting my head back in the shower as to rinse my hair.

Facing forward in the shower with the water beating down on my neck.

Any thoughts or similarities?

Pam

Pam,

I don't believe I ever suggested that athletes and vigorous exercizers are likely to have the adrenergic kind of afib; they are far more likely to be vagal. It is true that exercise itself activates the adrenergic system, but the long term effect of regular, vigorous exercise including jogging, mountain-biking, marathon running etc. is an increase in vagal tone which in turn would predispose to afib episodes of the vagal kind.

Vagally mediated episodes do not start DURING exercise, but rather AFTER when at rest. They are also prone to start after a big meal, when lying down, abruptly changing position, or sleeping.

The idea about the questionnaire to determine your type of afib is an excellent one, but it needs a fair bit of thought. I'll keep it in mind, but in the meantime you can also check out

www.afibbers.org/faq.htm

for further clues. I would say though that the symptoms you have described do point towards vagal. However, I am not sure how the trauma that your heart has been exposed to would affect the "diagnosis". Any heart problems at all tend to push the balance towards adrenergic.

Hans