new to all this

Hi Everyone,

1. Two weeks ago I had a pacemaker implant due to low blood pressure issues.(i'm 60) However I was still having atrial fibulation periodically, so I am on meds for that.I still seem to have episodes.My question..from what I have been reading is it true that certain things can trigger fibulation episodes such as caffine so hypothetically if I become aware of what is triggering me, I might be able to control theses episodes andd decrease them or even stop them?

2. Does period AF typically stay periodic or can/does it become more frequent as one gets older?

2 Comments

new to all this - afib

by Vai - 2007-05-15 10:05:29

I just answered your othe post so I hope it helped.

Afib will degenerate over time going from "paraoyxsmal" (occasional) to "persistent" (frequent) to "chronic" (permanent). Based on the meds that you described in your other posts, it looks like you are a afib candidate somewhere in between paraoxysmal to persistent.

Yes. It is absolutely true that your diet can trigger the onset of an afib episode. I have suffered 2+ years over this problem and have learnt from experience several things. I share this as a personal experience & experimentation so it may not apply to you in the same way. For me, the food and drinks that triggers a afib episode are
1. Coffee
2. Coke, sprite, kickapoo, mountaindew
3. Many different types of teas
4. Chocolates
I guess the common ingredient in all of the above is Caffeine. When my "resistance" breaks down and I really need that coffee, coke or chocolate, I take in real small amounts (example - a quarter can of coke is about all I can tolerate).

I did not know they put in a PM for low blood pressure. Is it for low heart rate rather than low blood pressure? Just curious.

I was implanted with a PM last August and prescribed Sotalol + aspirin. During a recent interrogation, the Med technician showed me I had 8 episodes in the last 3 months. She showed the PM intervened in 6 episodes at the onset of arrythmia and "broke up" the afib which lasted for just 2 seconds. In the other 2 cases, the intervention was not successful and the afib persisted for more than 2 - 4 hours. However the PM did its work and I did not suffered as much the dibilitating side-effects of the afib during those 2 episodes.


new to all this - afib

by Susan - 2007-05-16 10:05:48

Lots of afibbers identify triggers that set them into afib. Some people identify certain foods, stress, and exercise plus many other things as triggers. Clearly there are no set triggers for everyone. On other web sites there are ongong discussions about triggers and what different invididuals have found. One place to look is at the bulletin board for afib at yahoo.com. There are also lots of postings about warfarin vs aspirin and who should be taking which one or both. Another place to check out is the lone atrial fibrillation web site of Hans Larsen. There is a bulletin board there that has recently posted comments about blood thinners. Some people are successful in identifying their triggers and stopping their afib. Good luck.
Susan

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