New Member - Questions

Three weeks ago on July 2nd was I admitted into the hospital with an AFIB, up until I never knew what it was. I had the classic symptoms, heart pounding, headache, dizziness, and nausea. With the help of medication, my heart rate came down and I went into normal sinus rhythm on my own after a couple of hours. The following week I stayed home from work, and experienced some mild dizziness and discomfort in my chest, but i don't if it was from anxiety over the incident.

Last week, I had an echo exam, and everything came out normal, and tomorrow is my stress test. My question is how can the doctors predict if this was a one time occurence or if it will happen again. I feel very anxious about the situation and feel i'm putting myself at risk for another episode. Isn't it possible to be in AFIB and not experience any physical symptoms? I also read the echo can be misleading if you aren't in AFIB at the time, is this correct?

Thanks in advance

Welcome, Slim.

The core issue for arrhythmia onset is often depletion of critical electrolytes... magnesium, potassium specifically... often in the presence of too much sodium (salt) and/or calcium. Since it's summer, dehydration often helps set the stage for the onset. Alcohol dehydrates and also depletes electrolytes. Typically that's where I start initially when trying to determine a dietary/lifestyle association that may be contributory.

Tell us about your diet, exercise habits, lifestyle clues that may help to ferret out what drove your initial afib experience. Certain foods that are high in chemical additives and flavor enhancers such as MSG are highly prevalent in commercially-prepared foods and are known to be neurotoxic to heart cells.

We need more information so we can try to help.

Best to you,
Jackie

I think i have a pretty good diet, I try to limit fried foods as much as possible (maybe once a week) and I have a pretty good intake of fruits and veggies. I don't work out as much as I used to, besides running around with my little ones I don't get much exercise. I believe i'm decent shape, 36 years old and weigh around 155-160. I get yearly check ups and the only ongoing healthy issues I have is GERD and another common GI issue.

The big thing I'm looking for is how do I know if this is a one incident or something I'll have to live with? How will I be able to tell if i'm in AFIB, but not experiencing any physical symptoms. Would the echo exam have given me some answers had there been an underlying cause.

Hi slim78,

To answer your question about if it's one time AFib incident or on going:
The fact of the matter is no one knows for sure. Since you are new and at the beginning of your Afib journey, you have to watch and see how it develops. If you are lucky, then it may be a one time event. Or , it might come again in a long time . Or, it may progress with more frequent episodes. Time will tell. And I think no test can tell you 100% for sure that you are "THE Afib patient"

And regarding symptoms, most of Afibbers are symptomatic. That means, you will know it when the Afib beast shows up. It's not pleasant at all, like you have already experienced it. And if I'm not mistaken, you have to have Afib for quite some time to possibly become asymptomatic. At that stage, you would probably become persistent or permanent Afibber.

Anyway, I wish you get better. Jackie posts some preliminary information for you to start learning about this Afib beast. I know it's frustrating. It frustrates me everyday.

Duke

Isn't it possible to be in AFIB and not experience any physical symptoms?
Yes, however being asymptomatic is usually associated with a low afib rate rather than a high one.

I also read the echo can be misleading if you aren't in AFIB at the time, is this correct?
What typically comes from the echo is a) your ejection fraction as well as b) the left atrial size. Your ejection fraction is the % of blood ejected from the ventricles with each beat. From memory, normal is around 55-70% (don't quote me). If you are in afib with a higher rate for a long time, the EF normally drops, sometimes very significantly. Again, if you are in afib for a long time with a higher rate, the left atrial size normally increases.

If you echo is normal, that most likely means you haven't unknowingly been in afib for a long time with a high rate (a good thing). This can happen.

You might read about vagal and sympathetic/adrenergic triggers <[www.afibbers.org] I'd guess you are adrenergic, as it doesn't sound like you exercise enough to be vagal. Some that are "chronically fit" come here as vagal afibbers.

This means you are most likely to go out of rhythm when you increase your heart rate.

Alcohol can be a trigger for some. Don't know if this was an issue for you.

George

How to tell if your if AFIB?

Check pulse, NSR like clockwork, AFIB irregular. Look at you EKG's of both NSR and AFIB, that will show the difference.

Get Blood pressure machine, there not always accurate, but will show HR and Ireegular HR, in addition to BP.

My Bp machine does not work when I'm in afib... HR is typically too fast and I get a 'default' message.

I check either wrist or light touch on the carotid artery in the neck area... with finger tips of the first 3 fingers but don't press hard because cutting off that circulation could be a disaster.

In time, you'll become accustomed to what is a normal heart rate and what's the chaotic beat of afib or a very rapid regular yet irregular beat (pattern) which is A-flutter.

Jackie

Hi George,

I was most definitely not a person who exercised a lot. I didn't run or work out. At most I went for an hour walk most days and yoga once or twice a week. In the summer I subtracted the yoga and added a few 15 minute swims a day, with friends, talking as I treaded water, most of the time. But I was certainly a vagal afibber. All my episodes happened when lying down, most in the middle of the night out of a deep sleep. Never when exercising. So I don't think you can say as a hard and fast rule that someone doesn't exercise enough to be a vagal afibber.

Marg

Thanks Marg, good to know!

Thanks everyone for all the replies, advice, and experiences. I had my stress test yesterday, and everything came back normal, heart rate went into the 160's, and I never went into Afib. It took a little longer then normal to get my heart rate down, but that didn't seem to be an issue.

After the incident 3 weeks ago, i would experience some light dizziness and tightness in the chest (it was more like a soreness) every now and then, but it was usually when i was thinking about the incident or after I'd be online for hours researching AFib.

Hi slim78,

I suggest you take ginger to help the GERD.
Take one capsule with each meal.
[www.iherb.com]
You can also get it through the vitamin shop. See bottom left tab above.

Colin

Right now I take nexium as needed for my GERD. The night before my incident, I ate like crap, pizza and some chocolate candy, without taking my nexium. Who knows, maybe that triggered the Afib

Of course. Suggest a brand perhaps?

afhound99, i don't understand your question

I think afhuond99 may be referring to my post.
It is NOW brand ginger.