Does AF get worse?

Hi Kathleen,

?In 2007 I was put on Blood Pressure medication and statins. In Jan 2010 I was diagnosed with paroxysmal AF, aged 65 following 2 years of palpitations which we could never get to the bottom of. In addition to my BP and Statins meds I was then put on Warfarin for life and 5 mg daily of Bisoprolol.. A little over a year after the AF hit I suspected that the onset was triggered by certain foods. I consulted a Nutritionist who carried out some basic tests, prescribed me some probiotics and recommended a gluten free, wheat free and oats free diet.

?While the diet took a while to work its way into my system I have now only had 1 AF event in a little over 3 years, and the trigger for that was sleeping on my left side one night, and apart from some chaotic electrical activity picked up on my handheld ECG device (not a Kardia), my heart rate hit 149 bpm. Whilst the electrical chaos stopped in about 4 to 5 hours the heart rate took another 21 hours to return to normal ( which for me with the Bisoprolol means around 62 to 67 bpm).

?I turn 74 this September. I am still active sometimes giving the Cornish South West Coastal path a work out, and I still work 30 hours (sometimes more) a week driving a shuttle bus in the tourist industry handling passengers baggage not much of it weighing less than 15 kgs. On average  the mix of work and being at home leads me to cover about 16 to 18  miles a week walking. And of course I still not just maintain my diet but have widened its scope to cover a whole range of other foods which upset my digestive system.

?My AF has not worsened for all this - in fact if it weren't for this activity and diet I think the AF would have worsened. No doubt.

?Yes, late evenings regardless of whether I've been working or not I still get the tiredness at times, but, not all the time. Often it is worse than others and my extremeties, hands and feet go icy cold and my heart rate drops to around 55 bpm and often it has dropped as low as 46 bpm. I don't panic just carry on with my own remedy, go to bed, hug a hot water bottle to my chest and have a mug of hot sweet coffee and sleep for several hours. Job done, I wake up, usually feeling shattered but everything back to normal. This event happens about 4 or 5 times a year and only ever when I am at home relaxing. Never when I am physically active.

?Now I have a personal theory about this tiredness - and its not scientifically or medically based whatsoever. My Echocardiogram originally showed my heart to be damaged at the onset of AF (the left Atria) so its a given that my heart is not pumping efficiently. Since AF hit my heart wants to naturally accelerate and beat faster and faster - the Bisoprolol (or indeed any other beta blocker) is deliberately slowing the heart down or keeping it in check. So, there is this tug of war going on - the heart wanting to gallop and the drugs forcing to it stay normal and this contest/conflict is causing the tiredness and sometimes the beta blocker just gets carried away and forces the heart rate to go too low. (I should say - I have no other cardiac issues).

?So, there ! that's my take on it .......... but of course our bodies are aging so that must contribute something to the tiredness too.

?John

Age 69, still working and going to gym regularly.  Was in Afib 4 of last 7 months. Only symptom was shortness of breath. When climbing stairs or bending over to pick up something.  There were a few times I didn't think I would catch my breath.  

Have a defibrillator/pacemaker that records these events. Other than SOB, I haven't had any problems.  Had to have Electrical Cardioversion twice (Nov & Feb). First one lasted a month and 2nd at 2 months so far.