Need more advice please about afternoon ectopics

Hi all. I know I've touched on this a little before, but I'm now two years out from my ablation. I have never been back in afib since, but I still tend to get 4-5 ectopics per minute around 4:00 - 7:00 pm most days. I coul dbe at work, just sitting at my desk and they will start.

In the mornings, I have the stress of getting kids to school, an early workout sometimes, or some days I just relax. Never, ever any ectopics in the morning or during the stress of the work day until around 4:00. Could be stressful at work at that time, or not.

Just so strange it's more the time than the situation. Any suggestions about what to do? I've had a little success in the past with adenosine triphosphate (I think it was). But I'm looking for other suggestions from others in the same boat.

Thanks.
Keith

Finding what causes ectopics is, IMO, even more difficult than chasing afib.
FWIW, I believe that those ectopics, once we've been ablated for afib, is a sign that the electric problems are still alive, but can't turn to afib anymore.
Despite it's likely in vain, I'm still searching what causes my ectopics (and afib too, from time to time).
Good luck !

Just those few hours, huh? That's rather odd. I assume it doesn't correlate with anything obvious like your evening meal. Seems unlikely to me that any sort of electrolyte issue would explain ectopics only during such a short, specific time window. You can't think of anything specific that you do right before or during that time?

Another thing I'm thinking about is what some people here report as a "cyclic" phenomenon. It's as if something was building up along the hours (or days), like a battery charging, and when it's full, it starts discharging, producing HR disorders.
You might have a short cycle, accumulating the charge along the day, and being "full" and ready to discharge in late afternoon...
Do you drink enough water? I'd try at least 1.5 to 2.0 L from morning to late afternoon. Aside incresing you need to visit the toilets, it could help getting rid of something toxic. It's not expensive to try.

Thanks all for your input. Ya Carey there is nothing happening at 4:00 that isn’t happening other times of the day. It is very odd that ectopics pop up then. I could be sitting still or walking. But I do those things at other times of the day. I’m slightly less active in the afternoon but that’s about it. But I don’t get them while laying in bed at night watching TV, or as I lay there in the morning. I get them walking and sitting, or whatever, mostly around 4-6 pm

Pompon. I too feel there is a cycle to these things. This “witching hour” of mine tends to creep a little over time, I must admit. Like it’s not on a perfect 24 hour cycle. Can be in the mornings for a few days in very rare cases (and I think it’s less in the afternoon in those cases) but I notice it most when it hovers in the afternoon. And it’ll be that way for many days. Could very well be tied to dehydration which I don’t stay on top of during the day. You’ve pegged me there and I have always tried to do better with water intake. I just get lazy.

I’ll keep monitoring and keep my water up. All of us are walking case studies

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keeferbdeefer
Hi all. I know I've touched on this a little before, but I'm now two years out from my ablation. I have never been back in afib since, but I still tend to get 4-5 ectopics per minute around 4:00 - 7:00 pm most days. I coul dbe at work, just sitting at my desk and they will start.

In the mornings, I have the stress of getting kids to school, an early workout sometimes, or some days I just relax. Never, ever any ectopics in the morning or during the stress of the work day until around 4:00. Could be stressful at work at that time, or not.

Just so strange it's more the time than the situation. Any suggestions about what to do? I've had a little success in the past with adenosine triphosphate (I think it was). But I'm looking for other suggestions from others in the same boat.

Thanks.
Keith

I don't have any solutions but can support what you are saying. I haven't had an ablation but do notice that I will have ectopics mid to late afternoon and then they will lessen in the early evening. Some days more than others but found it to be a strange occurrence with nothing to pin it on.

I have similar experience. Sometimes get ectopic flurries in the morning, but most often in the afternoons, settling down by the evening.

I have chronically low potassium, recently confirmed by blood work. I try to remember to boost my potassium in the afternoons (low sodium V8), but often forget (creeping age related dementia?), so I can only say that it seems to help.

Of course that leaves open the question of why the ectopics settle down in the evening, whether I remember the booster or not. Melatonin?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2021 12:11PM by wwoofbum.

I used to get afib every evening around 6-8pm. It was a vicious cycle of me sitting on the couch anticipating when I would get afib that evening..would it be soon or later that night? I frankly scared myself every evening unconsciously that triggered through fright or worry another afib episode. Looking back, I willed myself to get afib from just thinking about it.

Now I wake up and if my heart feels calm I smile and mentally add how many days I’ve been ER/ECV/afib/flutter free. I hit a record today of time being in nsr. :-)!! I don’t worry anymore. It’s not like I can do anything or change anything to remain in nsr. Today in fact I told my husband my luck will change today and we made a bet (I’m baking him cupcakes if I lose) that today will be the day. I’m emotionally conditioned now to expect another episode and I have been better in ignoring thinking about it.

That’s not to say it hadn’t affected me by making plans for any immediate future. I tell doctors or my dentist that I will try to keep future appointments but if I’m in the ER, I’ll be a no show. Amazon food deliveries are my only worry because I can’t plan two hours in any future and if I rush by Lyft to get ecv, I do worry my frozen foods and perishables will be delivered and spoil rotting on my porch. So that’s my only worry in association with afib.