23 Year Old Male With Atrial Fibrillation & PVC's/Ectopics Every Day

Hi dan, like you I had bad episodes was put on bisopora 2.5 ml and 50ml twice a day on fecanaid after an attempted ablation ,was ok for refer weeks  then started having episodes again which started debilitating my way of life , so insisted to be referred back to consultant, once she heard what I had to say ,I was told they could try a different ablation  instead of burning they could freeze instead, I asked if my meds could be raised tot try first  so was upped to same bisoporol but 100ml twixw a day , that was  6 weeks ago , and hopefully ithink I'm stabilised got my life back ,so hoping it carries on , so it may help if you ask for meds to be higher . Hope you can get sorted Dan as it does invade your lifestyle .good luck x

Hey Dj Im at work so I don't have long and will write more later. I just wanted to give you a quick shout and say hang in there. Its very scary but if you keep up with it and do what the drs tell you you can live a pretty normal life. Try to stay positive. No one truly gets it that doesnt have it

My heart goes out to you - 23 is young for paroxysmal AF. BUT its not the end of the world, you can live very well with it. It not going to kill you, merely scare you but not to death! But do make sure you are put on an anticoagulant asap if youre not already. The erratic heart beat can cause clots and you dont want a stroke! Thats probably put your heart beat up but I write it so you can protect yourself.

Once you get used to the lurchings and fast heart beat you will be fine. And yes maybe you may have to call an ambulance every now and again when you have a very fast heart beat. It took me a little while to dial 999 when after living with AF for 30 years it finally got worse (old age!) . It is the right thing to do as every paramedic reassured me. It became routine for me unfortunately towards the end when I had a catheter ablation. And yes there is a cure these days so fret not. If you keep ending up in A&E the cardiologist will start thinking about this treatment.

Now stress.. unfortunately stress can cause AF along with any number of triggers. We are all different. For some its coffee, chocolate, alcohol. You will need to try and identify what it is for you by thinking carefully after an episode what you've eaten or drunk or even done.

My episodes were self terminating for many many years.  You dont need to do much more than stop what youre doing pop some flecainide and if possible went to sleep. That probably sounds bizarre if youre stressed out of your mind but there is a good scientific reason for it according to a Hammersmith Hospital Cardiologist. Catching AF on a holter monitor over 24 hrs is tricky. No garantee that an episode will happen along in that time frame.

I think in a sense I was lucky. I had a familial AF, both my father and brother, both doctors had it. I knew what it was. I knew what to do so no big deal for many many years. Stays over night from A&E became familar providing I was not away from home in the later years. You can cope with AF in many situations. 

What do you do for a living?  Its a matter of thinking your way around episodes and their triggers.

I also suffer from an inflammatory arithitis and yes there was a period when the AF worsened and I found work very difficult, (apart from scaring my colleagues no end) when I became very depressed and used anti-depressants to get me through. My brother died too from a heart condition (not AF)

Buy yourself a wrist BP/Heart beat monitor so you can check your heart beat. Discuss with your GP at when and what stage BP rate you should call an ambulance. Your episodes may self terminate especially with flecainide.

So yeah its a horrid feeling but its possible to come through this stage (and it is a stage) and live life to the full..Dont freak out by reading all the posts as they like you are coming to terms with what is happening to them... its a tunnel, not a pit. There is light at the end of  it all...now time to walk the dog AF free!

Hi Dan, I can feel your stress and anxiety about it. I was only diagnosed myself recently and I'm waiting on a catheter ablation. I'm checking the post daily waiting to hear when my 'surgery' will be. I can almost handle the fast heart beats but it's the irregular beats that are most scary. It may be that yours is much worse than mine, so I'm sorry that that's the case for you but I've had 3 major episodes in the past 9 months and it was terrifying. I geuninely thought I was going to die the most recent time. But after speaking to the A&E doctor, and I've since had a consultation with a specialist, I feel a lot better about the fact that the irregular heart beat and racing beat alone are not anything to worry about.

Obviously, there are complications that can come from them but particularly in somebody your age, it's extremely unlikely. The risk of stroke or anything like that are 'trivial' as the specialist I saw put it, for somebody my (our?) age. 

Happening so often, it is obviously not pleasant and it can feel like it's taking over your life. I had a minor 'flutter' a few hours ago, after getting back in to bed when I'd popped to the toilet and that was my attempts at getting back to sleep over and I now feel like I've got a hangover; I am tired, groggy and can't concentrate. I guess you have to try and get your head around what's happening and convince yourself (again) that you can calm yourself down. I've cut alcohol, caffeine (tea, coffee, etc., at least) out and I'm eating more bananas (for potassium) and trying to be more healthy.

I would definitely read up on it and try a few of the suggestions you find. If nothing else, knowing you're not the only one can be a help.

Hi Dan

My best advice would be to stay strong. It took me years to get diagnosed as nobody believed my symptoms ( I was a similar age to you and often by the time I was in a place where I could have an ECG the episode was over) I have lived with this for 25 years now and life is fairly normal. You don't believe it now but you will get more and more used to your symptoms. I used to be scared to death of every odd beat but now they are just part of my life. They have never killed me so far and they probably never will. The less they scare you the easier they are to accept and deal with. Get your drugs right. That really helps. Exercise as much as you can, difficult I know, but honestly it helps. Most of all try and keep calm and relax. 

Good luck.

Hey Dan, I've had the same issues since I was 20 and steadily got worse until I was in afib more than not. A daily event or three some lasting a day or two. Definitely stressful, and makes you irritable, which just makes it worse. I had several ablations with mixed results which is why I've had so many. Upon taking taurine, an amino acid with no known bad side effects 1 to 2 gm a day for two weeks, my excessive daily afib episodes were cut by 98% to once or twice a month. Arginine also seems to eliminate more events. I have had this for 30 years now, but it is now under control. It has helped me to be able to again consume the odd beer or wine, but also foods high in msg such as Chinese and tomato sauces. Apparently it assists in msg tolerance. From being on beta blockers, thinners, and exhausted, I am now back active with only occasional short bouts.