New Aifibber

Hi everyone.

I'm 36 years old and I had my second Aifib event just about two weeks a go. The first one happened on April 2020. In both cases my HR was stuck at 120/50 with an irregular rhythm. The first time after a sprint, and the second time after a low blood sugar/anxiety attack. I was medicated IV and orally with calcium channel blockers, sent home with a lower HR, went to sleep and the next day I was back to normal rhythm.

Doctor wants to do an echo and a nuclear stress test. An echo was done last year showing a mild left ventricular hypertrophy, but he mentioned that it was not concerning. I think I want to postpone the stress test, as I'm a bit concern to increase my heart rate through running at this moment, I fear another event since both were initiated by a sudden elevation of my HR.

I have been on Hormone Replacement therapy for few years, and the pattern I noticed is that in both cases, I was off the DHEA and the small Thyroid I was taking, which would lower both levels to suboptimal.

I have already navigated the medical literature and to some extend the forum, and i understand DHEA, adrenal and Thyroid my play a significant role in Aifib, along with other sex hormones. i have known for some years I always struggle with my adrenals for sure, often having a lowish cortisol in the PM

I appreciate any comments or help. Thank you!

I know exactly how you feel about the stress test. I was scared to tears for my heart rate to increase after all I'd been through, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. They only increased my walking speed to reach a certain heart rate so there was no running. The heart rate they wanted wasn't hard to reach with the walking and it returned to normal quickly, so I was really relieved!! Ask the Dr, nurse, or assistant to describe in detail what will happen. If it triggers an episode hopefully you'll return to NSR quickly.
You'll get some great advice and opinions from this group! I cherish their thoughts and information.

As scary as you might find it, I recommend you go ahead with the stress test. You're quite young for afib, so now is the time to make sure there aren't reasons for it you don't know about. If the test does happen to trip you into afib, that's the perfect time for it to happen. You'll be hooked up to an ECG and you'll have a cardiologist or their NP right there to observe it. That's golden diagnostic info.

If it happens -- which it probably won't -- an afib episode won't hurt you. It's not dangerous even though it might feel that way. They'll give you drugs to slow your heart rate down, which will make you more comfortable, and then it will probably stop on its own just like last time. So I would go ahead with the tests they want to do. You need to know that there's not something more serious going on.

One of the biggest issues afibbers face is getting the initial diagnosis correct, to know for sure that it is afib and not something else. I would say that if your stress test did put you into afib, that's a good thing to catch it on an EKG to be sure you know what is going on. I had afib for 5 years before it was diagnosed correctly. An early on ultrasound said it was mitral valve prolapse causing my irregular heart rate, which was incorrect.

Stress tests have you walking with the incline increasing at intervals to add more and more stress to get your heart rate up to max. No running.

Thank you very much for the responses and reassurances.

The stress test the doc recommended it is not a regular stress test, which I have done 6 years ago already just for general testing back then. This is called Nuclear stress test because they will inject Thallium into my arteries. is this the same procedure anyone has done? I wouldn't be so comfortable having a radioactive metal injected into my arteries, even though it is a small amount.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2022 07:35PM by Gianluca.

Not a fan of nuclear stress tests. Not so much because of the thallium but because of way too many false positives.

So that changes my opinion on this. Unless your cardiologist can give you a very compelling reason for doing a nuclear stress test, I would decline. Specifically, what is it they're looking for that a standard stress test wouldn't find?

Quote
Gianluca

This is called Nuclear stress test because they will inject Thallium into my arteries. is this the same procedure anyone has done? I wouldn't be so comfortable having a radioactive metal injected into my arteries, even though it is a small amount.

I did this test and a couple years later tested very high in thallium on a heavy metals test a doctor ordered. I’ve treadmill stress tests (and stress echoes) many times without problems.

Quote
Carey
Not a fan of nuclear stress tests. Not so much because of the thallium but because of way too many false positives.

So that changes my opinion on this. Unless your cardiologist can give you a very compelling reason for doing a nuclear stress test, I would decline. Specifically, what is it they're looking for that a standard stress test wouldn't find?

Thank you for making the point here Carey, I also don't have any chest pain during exercise or at rest. Unfortunately, with the insurance I have this year, i cannot choose a cardiologist, they just sent me to one, and it sounds like it is not the best.

Quote
Daisy


This is called Nuclear stress test because they will inject Thallium into my arteries. is this the same procedure anyone has done? I wouldn't be so comfortable having a radioactive metal injected into my arteries, even though it is a small amount.I did this test and a couple years later tested very high in thallium on a heavy metals test a doctor ordered. I’ve treadmill stress tests (and stress echoes) many times without problems.

Thank you for your feedback on the test, this is very valuable to me. Have you worked on detoxifying metals from the body?

Quote

Thank you for your feedback on the test, this is very valuable to me. Have you worked on detoxifying metals from the body?

Yes I did as I was high in several heavy metals including mercury—but it was a very long time ago and I don’t remember much about it.