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Adrenaline and afib.

Posted , 10 users are following.

gwen81475
gwen81475

It occurs to me that my afib is possibly a lot due to my anxieties and stress. When it started 15 years ago, I had a lot of upheaval and stress in my life. I have been doing some research and find that adrenaline plays a big part in this problem and wondered if others were of an anxious disposition and can put some of their condition down to adrenaline?

I am trying hard to keep control of my feelings to see if this does in fact help.

I've stopped all the outward triggers such as alcohol, chocolate, coffee and I don't smoke. I drink more water and take quite a lot of gentle exercise.

What do others think about the "flight or fight" hormone?

0 likes, 21 replies

21 Replies

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  • PJoy
    PJoy gwen81475

    Posted

    i really believe that - when my bout happened this year i was under a lot of stress with a sick mother and i also came off a lot of drinking at a wedding, I then had the pounding heart that i thought was stress. So i do believe - think about it adrenaline speeds up your heart-and if you have a tendency toward afib your heart just cannot get back into rhythm on its own. Try meditation maybe. Good luck
    • derek76
      derek76 PJoy

      Posted

      I read recently that there is  adrenaline in the injections that dentists use and that it puts some patients back into a bout of AF.
    • gwen81475
      gwen81475 PJoy

      Posted

      Yes, I do consciously think about relaxing when I get stressed and that seems to help.

      Thank you for your reply and I hope you are well

    • BHB7
      BHB7 derek76

      Posted

      Useful to know you can tell your dentist you have this problem and adrenaline increases your risk of flipping into AF, and ask for adrenaline-free anaesthetic!  It exists.  I've had it for years.  It is slightly shorter acting, but they can always top you up if it wears off.  I've not found that necessary even for an extraction, so you should be ok

      Same applied is you have any small surgery eg lumps removed, stitches etc that need a local - ask for adrenaline free 

    • PJoy
      PJoy derek76

      Posted

      that is very interesting because i have had a lot of dental work done recently! i will make note of that- thank you Derek!

       

    • suzanne48640
      suzanne48640 derek76

      Posted

      My dentist knows I have afib and he always uses an adrenaline-free novicane. 
  • Azbella
    Azbella gwen81475

    Posted

    Hi , wondering how your b/p is ?? Have you passed out due to afib ?? Are you able to tell it's happening , or are they more of the silent type . Meds ?? Tc 👍

    • gwen81475
      gwen81475 Azbella

      Posted

      Hi Azbella, my blood pressure is good 120/60 usually, but I am taking pills for it. I have

      passed out due to afib and I have had two ablation and three cardio versions. I am in sinus rhythm since my last ablation in March with occasional bouts of flutter but they don't bother me.

      The reason for my comment was just thoughts that came to mind that I thought I would air for responses and thank you for doing that.

    • suzanne48640
      suzanne48640 Azbella

      Posted

      For me, the symptoms of fainting are getting very sweaty, lightheaded and and nauseous. 
  • linda51222
    linda51222 gwen81475

    Posted

    Hi Gwen,

    I have mentioned this before, the adrenal glands are a very important part of all of us and are the place the flight or flight hormone is made, and several other important hormones, they are part of the endocrine system, quite often when people present with AF the first thing they do is check their thyroid as an underactive thyroid can cause palpitations but they do not check to see if you may have low adrenal reserve. if the thyroid is stuggling undiagnosed or border line which they don't treat, the adrenals kick in to help it out and eventually they get so tired that they struggle to push out the cortisone needed for the flight or fight reaction we need when we are stressed or frightened that is when I think the heart takes over leaving us with Afib.

    L.

    I could go on but better shut up now

     

    • gwen81475
      gwen81475 linda51222

      Posted

      That's very interesting Linda, because I do suffer from hypothyroidism and since I've been on heart drugs my TSH has been all over the place and difficult to keep stable.

      I've recently been taken off Bisoprolol and will stop Flecainid in November, so I was just mulling over what I can perhaps do to prevent afib raising it's ugly head again in the future.

      Thank you so much for your reply and what you say makes sense xx

  • suzanne48640
    suzanne48640 gwen81475

    Posted

    I am retired and was living a life in paradise with no stress whatsoever when I was diagnosed with afib.  This last year has been quite challenging. Just wanted to let u know of my opposite experience to yours. 
    • linda51222
      linda51222 suzanne48640

      Posted

      I wasn't implying that adrenaline is everyones reason for afib but If you have low adrenal reserve it doesn't help, the main factor in the onset of mine was an undiagnosed infection in the peracardium. like betty says no one really knows and we all seem to have different triggers.

      L.

    • gwen81475
      gwen81475 suzanne48640

      Posted

      Hi Suzanne, that just goes to prove a point that not all afibs are caused by stress.

      Strange isn't it? I wonder if, one day, they will ever treat the cause rather than the effects?

    • suzanne48640
      suzanne48640 gwen81475

      Posted

      I pray it happens in my lifetime since the negative affects from the meds can be pretty brutal. Also frustrating, there doesn't seem to be one clear cut treatment. It greatly varies from patient to patient and doctor to doctor.

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