Atrial Fibrillation
Discussion
Imasurv said:
I was diagnosed with AF on Tuesday this week. Had symptoms for a couple of years, informed by my Apple Watch. I’ve been trying to spot the trigger without success until recently, believing it was lifestyle related - coffee, Diet Coke, rich food, booze etc. I’ve always done a lot of exercise and was recently training up for a cycling holiday, when I noticed I was suffering AF almost constantly. Took a break from cycling training and bingo, after two days the AF stops and doesn’t reappear during the following week of no exercise. Each time I now return to even moderate exercise it triggers AF for two days or so.
The consultant who diagnosed it advised on treatment including ablation, so I am booked in for a ultra sound heart scan in the coming weeks, with a view to potentially going for the ablation. Funny thing is, it’s never really bothered me until I identified the trigger, feeling that even though I was suffering it (with no other symptoms), at least I could exercise to keep my heart healthy! I’m now in a real quandary, wanting to do some mild exercise but knowing that it is causing AF is tough to take. The consultant said that mild exercise is fine, even with AF and not to worry, but not overdo it, but it’s a struggle to approach knowing what Is happening. I’m reading this thread for more info, it’s good to read the experience of others in the same situation.
Hmmm interesting question and one not lost on me over the last few months. To be honest, yes I have, but to varying degrees, my diet is much improved certainly (and has never been really bad to be fair), I have one coffee a day with my breakfast, and a couple of cans of Diet Coke during the day. Alcohol is mixed, I never drink to excess, but will have a couple of beers and a glass of wine 2 or 3 days of the week.
Imasurv said:
Hmmm interesting question and one not lost on me over the last few months. To be honest, yes I have, but to varying degrees, my diet is much improved certainly (and has never been really bad to be fair), I have one coffee a day with my breakfast, and a couple of cans of Diet Coke during the day. Alcohol is mixed, I never drink to excess, but will have a couple of beers and a glass of wine 2 or 3 days of the week.
Decaf coffee is, nowadays, often quite good - not sure that Cola has ever been...
I suppose my response earlier wasn’t the best and reflects where I am today. Over the past year I’ve tried to eliminate the various obvious candidates from my diet. I cut out alcohol, coke and coffee entirely and just drank water and Vimto for around four months and still suffered AF intermittently as I was still exercising regularly. On the other hand, I had back to back stag do’s (delayed due to covid) where I didn’t exercise for a couple of weeks, ate horribly, drank far too much, survived on caffeine and rich food and yet had no AF. And that wasn’t the only time, but unfortunately I also didn’t make the link due to AF being very infrequent at the time. The increase in exercise intensity and duration was what enabled me to make the link recently.
But you’re probably right, maybe I should just give it all up. Particularly the coke, agree on that one.
But you’re probably right, maybe I should just give it all up. Particularly the coke, agree on that one.
Badda said:
Recent paper discussed on RCEM podcast shows no link between coffee and AF.
If it's exercise induced could be dehydration, rate or adrenalin that's the trigger.
The dehydration was something I hadn't considered previously until I read it in this thread and is a fair shout - I've taken steps in the last week to correct this and have actually seen an improvement. I've taken to drinking much more water, cut out the Diet Coke and reduced my caffeine intake. I cycled on Weds night, which recently has been triggering AF for a couple of days, and had AF for an hour on Thursday morning for around an hour - a massive improvement on previous weeks. I had an electro cardiogram last night and have a follow up consultation on Tuesday next week with the consultant.If it's exercise induced could be dehydration, rate or adrenalin that's the trigger.
Imasurv said:
Badda said:
Recent paper discussed on RCEM podcast shows no link between coffee and AF.
If it's exercise induced could be dehydration, rate or adrenalin that's the trigger.
The dehydration was something I hadn't considered previously until I read it in this thread and is a fair shout - I've taken steps in the last week to correct this and have actually seen an improvement. I've taken to drinking much more water, cut out the Diet Coke and reduced my caffeine intake. I cycled on Weds night, which recently has been triggering AF for a couple of days, and had AF for an hour on Thursday morning for around an hour - a massive improvement on previous weeks. I had an electro cardiogram last night and have a follow up consultation on Tuesday next week with the consultant.If it's exercise induced could be dehydration, rate or adrenalin that's the trigger.
Bumping this back into 2023. I think I have an AF problem. Last year lying in bed reading I could feel my heart rate racing....again....really feel my heart pound, then my legs started shaking quite badly. i have a monitor so strapped that on and i got a reading of 200/120, sweating a bit and legs not shaking as much. Sober.....no booze that night. Called 111 and they werent a lot of hel tbh, so drove to hospital and after sitting in AE at midnight on a sunday for 4 hrs managed to see a doc, a quick ecg and nada. Go home.....rest up. The heart racing has been going on for the last 5 years.
Now it happens everynow n then. I will wake up at 2/3 am and my heart will pound, maybe 100/120 bpm. It especially happens if I have drunk maybe a large G n T then a 1/2 bottle of wine with a meal with a whisky chaser with coffee after......IF I dont drink at all, I hardly wake up with my heart banging.....
Yeh I know...
I am on Lisinopril 20mg twice a day, Amlodipine 5mg, Simvastatin 20mg. I'm 66 OK weight, dont smoke, caffeine is from Tea and my diet is ok as well.......
The Heart doc that I had a telecon with says I have to have an echo something and that I should get a ecg capable smartwatch to wear. had a quick google and piglgin heck, they arent cheap....
Now it happens everynow n then. I will wake up at 2/3 am and my heart will pound, maybe 100/120 bpm. It especially happens if I have drunk maybe a large G n T then a 1/2 bottle of wine with a meal with a whisky chaser with coffee after......IF I dont drink at all, I hardly wake up with my heart banging.....
Yeh I know...
I am on Lisinopril 20mg twice a day, Amlodipine 5mg, Simvastatin 20mg. I'm 66 OK weight, dont smoke, caffeine is from Tea and my diet is ok as well.......
The Heart doc that I had a telecon with says I have to have an echo something and that I should get a ecg capable smartwatch to wear. had a quick google and piglgin heck, they arent cheap....
Edited by subarumits on Tuesday 11th July 21:31
Get yourself a Kardia device - the recordings are worth their weight in gold.
Lots of things can set off AF - salt, booze, alcohol withdrawal, meats, lack of sleep, stress, exercise or the fact the moon is in the third moon of Pentecost….
Keep a diary about food, drink and other factors. Good luck..
Lots of things can set off AF - salt, booze, alcohol withdrawal, meats, lack of sleep, stress, exercise or the fact the moon is in the third moon of Pentecost….
Keep a diary about food, drink and other factors. Good luck..
subarumits said:
Bumping this back into 2023. I think I have an AF problem. Last year lying in bed reading I could feel my heart rate racing....again....really feel my heart pound, then my legs started shaking quite badly. i have a monitor so strapped that on and i got a reading of 200/120, sweating a bit and legs not shaking as much. Sober.....no booze that night. Called 111 and they werent a lot of hel tbh, so drove to hospital and after sitting in AE at midnight on a sunday for 4 hrs managed to see a doc, a quick ecg and nada. Go home.....rest up. The heart racing has been going on for the last 5 years.
Now it happens everynow n then. I will wake up at 2/3 am and my heart will pound, maybe 100/120 bpm. It especially happens if I have drunk maybe a large G n T then a 1/2 bottle of wine with a meal with a whisky chaser with coffee after......IF I dont drink at all, I hardly wake up with my heart banging.....
Yeh I know...
I am on Lisinopril 20mg twice a day, Amlodipine 5mg, Simvastatin 20mg. I'm 66 OK weight, dont smoke, caffeine is from Tea and my diet is ok as well.......
The Heart doc that I had a telecon with says I have to have an echo something and that I should get a ecg capable smartwatch to wear. had a quick google and piglgin heck, they arent cheap....
What makes you think this is AF?Now it happens everynow n then. I will wake up at 2/3 am and my heart will pound, maybe 100/120 bpm. It especially happens if I have drunk maybe a large G n T then a 1/2 bottle of wine with a meal with a whisky chaser with coffee after......IF I dont drink at all, I hardly wake up with my heart banging.....
Yeh I know...
I am on Lisinopril 20mg twice a day, Amlodipine 5mg, Simvastatin 20mg. I'm 66 OK weight, dont smoke, caffeine is from Tea and my diet is ok as well.......
The Heart doc that I had a telecon with says I have to have an echo something and that I should get a ecg capable smartwatch to wear. had a quick google and piglgin heck, they arent cheap....
Edited by subarumits on Tuesday 11th July 21:31
subarumits said:
Badda said:
What makes you think this is AF?
The symptons maybe?To update my experience, from April last year I managed to control AF through moderating my exercise. This lasted until around August where it returned and became more frequent. After a further consultation with the consultant I had a catheter ablation in November last year. I had two short relapses over the following two weeks and nothing since! The ablation brought on aura migraines which subsided over a week (apparently linked to the hole they make between the two upper heart chambers which then heals - who knew!).
One thing I have since realised is that my first occurrence of AF was 6 days after my first covid jab…. Mentioned this to my consultant who brushed it off and suggested if the covid jab was involved it merely accelerated what would still have happened naturally…. On balance I believe him.
Don1 said:
Get yourself a Kardia device - the recordings are worth their weight in gold.
Lots of things can set off AF - salt, booze, alcohol withdrawal, meats, lack of sleep, stress, exercise or the fact the moon is in the third moon of Pentecost….
Keep a diary about food, drink and other factors. Good luck..
Can this device monitor st depressions ?Lots of things can set off AF - salt, booze, alcohol withdrawal, meats, lack of sleep, stress, exercise or the fact the moon is in the third moon of Pentecost….
Keep a diary about food, drink and other factors. Good luck..
lizardbrain said:
Don1 said:
Get yourself a Kardia device - the recordings are worth their weight in gold.
Lots of things can set off AF - salt, booze, alcohol withdrawal, meats, lack of sleep, stress, exercise or the fact the moon is in the third moon of Pentecost….
Keep a diary about food, drink and other factors. Good luck..
Can this device monitor st depressions ?Lots of things can set off AF - salt, booze, alcohol withdrawal, meats, lack of sleep, stress, exercise or the fact the moon is in the third moon of Pentecost….
Keep a diary about food, drink and other factors. Good luck..
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff