Afib and sex

Curiously, when doing a search on this forum, I could not find one post that mentioned afib and sex.

Am I the only one whose sex life is impacted by afib? Also, I am currently on Apixaban (Eliquis) for my ablation in mid April. This medication seems to also be having an impact! (Not happy!) How long after an ablation can one resume physical and sexual activities?

I just thought it would be good to raise all this as Ive not seen it as a post before. For me, this is all about living longer AND also maintaining quality of life



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2021 08:41AM by ElectroBlu.

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ElectroBlu
Curiously, when doing a search on this forum, I could not find one post that mentioned afib and sex.

Am I the only one whose sex life is impacted by afib?

During parts of 2012 and 13, I was going through a divorce and stress eating wheels of bire. I later figured out that this increase in calcium gave me many more afib triggers, including the time after orgasm when heart rate drops significantly. A search on my posts on this is here. When I figured out the calcium connection and eliminated it, the increased triggers abated.

Afib has never caused ED for me, if that is what you are referring to.

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GeorgeN

Curiously, when doing a search on this forum, I could not find one post that mentioned afib and sex.

Am I the only one whose sex life is impacted by afib?

During parts of 2012 and 13, I was going through a divorce and stress eating wheels of bire. I later figured out that this increase in calcium gave me many more afib triggers, including the time after orgasm when heart rate drops significantly. A search on my posts on this is here. When I figured out the calcium connection and eliminated it, the increased triggers abated.

Afib has never caused ED for me, if that is what you are referring to.

Thanks George. Thats helpful. To be more precise, I mean that sex is one of my main triggers for an afib episode! Im also attributing ED to recently starting Apixaban but maybe I am wrong and Im just a bit anxious with ablation coming up. Anyway, I thought it good to raise it here

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To be more precise, I mean that sex is one of my main triggers for an afib episode!

Depending the way you make it, sex can be perceived as exercise. And afib and exercise are related for some afibbers. As well, afib and body motion (or body positions) can have a relation too.

I am sure it varies from individual to individual. My experience, without a doubt shows no relationship between afib, the drugs I took and sex. After my two ablations (13 years apart) and while on meds (including Eliquis) for a month, sex was 100% normal within a few days. I did give the insertion points a little time to heal.

I've never heard of Eliquis causing ED, and there's no reason I can imagine that it would. I very much doubt it's the culprit.

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ElectroBlu
To be more precise, I mean that sex is one of my main triggers for an afib episode!

During that time, I put on a recording beat to beat heart rate monitor and performed self gratification to see what my heart did. My triggers have always been vagal. From memory, my heart rate increased to around 115 BPM at orgasm, then went on a pretty steep slide to 65-70 BPM. It was during this slide that PAC's could occur. These never led to afib during self gratification, but did during sex with my partner (never wore a monitor while with my partner...). If I felt these PAC's starting, I could often stop them and ward off afib by changing from a horizontal to a vertical position or getting up and moving around (fortunately have a supportive partner). This changed the autonomic nervous system balance (ANS).

This led me to hypothesize that the issue wasn't heart rate, per se, or being parasympathetic, but the dramatic ANS change that was the trigger. My resting heart rate is easily in the lower 50's and can be in the low 40's during sleep. So the absolute heart rate wasn't the issue. This ANS change was also an issue with other triggers during the higher calcium time, including consuming an ice cold drink quickly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2021 01:27PM by GeorgeN.

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GeorgeN
To be more precise, I mean that sex is one of my main triggers for an afib episode!

During that time, I put on a recording beat to beat heart rate monitor and performed self gratification to see what my heart did. My triggers have always been vagal. From memory, my heart rate increased to around 115 BPM at orgasm, then went on a pretty steep slide to 65-70 BPM. It was during this slide that PAC's could occur. These never led to afib during self gratification, but did during sex with my partner (never wore a monitor while with my partner...). If I felt these PAC's starting, I could often stop them and ward off afib by changing from a horizontal to a vertical position or getting up and moving around (fortunately have a supportive partner). This changed the autonomic nervous system balance (ANS).

This led me to hypothesize that the issue wasn't heart rate, per se, or being parasympathetic, but the dramatic ANS change that was the trigger. My resting heart rate is easily in the lower 50's and can be in the low 40's during sleep. So the absolute heart rate wasn't the issue. This ANS change was also an issue with other triggers during the higher calcium time, including consuming an ice cold drink quickly.

Thanks George. That is useful to know of the increase and then sudden decrease in HR which might precipitate an afib episode. Thinking about changing position is a good idea too and takes being open with my partner about it all. Thanks again.

George: Maybe you should repeat your study, this time with a partner. Bet you'd find lots of different outcomes with different emotions and hormones, (Oxytocin), involved.

Do this all in the name of research, of course. Please publish your results, too.

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ggheld
George: Maybe you should repeat your study, this time with a partner. Bet you'd find lots of different outcomes with different emotions and hormones, (Oxytocin), involved.

Do this all in the name of research, of course. Please publish your results, too.

On the serious side, I'm blessed that this trigger vanished when I lowered my calcium intake. While I never wore a monitor with my partner, I can just put my attention on my heart and easily feel every beat. After observing my recorded data, I could feel what was happening during the heart rate drop. It was by paying attention and when ectopic beats started during that time, then changing position, that I could avert or stop afib episodes.

For @ElectroBlu, there might be ways to change or moderate the slope of the heart rate slide with various positions, activity levels & etc. During the high calcium time, I used flec daily for about a month. Once I started it, I immediately started titrating down. I also started adding in organic ginger spice as a somewhat replacement for flec. My experience with using ginger My theory was the ginger would slightly elevate the heart rate. I just used it before sleep, but perhaps before sex?

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Ken
I am sure it varies from individual to individual...

This is my gut feeling as well. I'll add that sex may also be a mediator for returning to SR.

Agree that Eliquis would unlikely cause ED.

Been on the standard dose for over a year, and haven't experienced this side effect.

/LarryG

Thanks LarryG. Yip, sex can both cause and terminate an afib episode. I agree with you there.

Im also curious how soon after an ablation once can resume physical activities like this?

Lastly, I agree about the Eliquis. I think I was super anxious to take it but to my surprise I seem to tolerate it remarkably well and cant feel any side affects

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ElectroBlu
Im also curious how soon after an ablation once can resume physical activities like this?

I rode a 50 mile (80 km) bike ride in challenging terrain 3 days after an ablation -- with the EP's full blessing. In general, the only limitations I've ever followed after ablations were the lifting restrictions for the first week. (And trust me, don't mess with those restrictions!) I've undergone 6 ablations by 4 EPs and all of them said just do whatever you feel up to. If you feel like running a marathon, go run it. If you feel like a night of wild sex, go for it! Or rest up if that's what you feel like. Some people do experience fatigue and general yuck after ablations, so just do what feels right to you, but do not limit yourself to a couch.

I know it seems logical that you should give your heart a rest and all that, but that's not actually true. One thing that has been proven beyond question in medicine is the human body hates inactivity. Bedrest is downright harmful in almost all cases. Severe restrictions on simple things like walking are almost as bad. The general rule is no matter what has happened to you, the sooner you get up and moving and doing normal things, the faster you'll heal.

Inactivity does not heal. It does the opposite.

Is Eliquis the only thing you're on? Beta blockers (metropolis, etc.) can cause ED...