Anyone had this?

[padrepio34]

Hey has anyone ever had afib? Well i did the other day and ended up in the hospital..please would love here if someone had it..

[NixonRulz]

You were actually diagnosed with afib or you felt your heart skip a beat and speed up?

[padrepio34]

Well my heart was going crazy the other day end up in the hospital they did a ekg and said it was that..is it bad? Does anxiety cause it?

[SamC]

AFIB is one of the most common heart arhythma, theres lots of ppl have it and dont even know coz sometimes ppl dont get any symptoms, your symptoms will be increased by anxiety as anxiety affects your heart rate and causes palps anyway, episodes come and go and it is very common. If it gets problematic your doc will prob just give you a beta blocker to regulate your heart rate if he/she hasnt already

Sam :)

[padrepio34]

Well it was my first time that happen to me since my first real panic attack..im just scared they say it could lead to a stroke very scary..

[SamC]

I do not recommend google so if you feel the need to get a leaflet from your doctor AFIB in itself is not generally life threatning and even with chronic AFIB - which you haven't got - its usually controlable with tablets, it is very common so do not get yourself overly worried you may not even have another episode of it!

The more you worry about it the more likely it is to happen so try to relax and take your mind of it, as worrying also increases your heart rate. Best thing is to concentrate on relaxation techniques, ask your doc for some if they haven't given you already and just try to focus on your anxiety and gaining control of that.

[padrepio34]

Thanks man..its scary i cant even workout or run do anything active so scared it will happen again and i feel like it skip a beat and freaks me out..plus my gf wanted to have sex and i was scared too if it will happen this sucks man..what advice can you give me for this to stop

[SamC]

you can work out, exercise is great for anxiety sufferers it really helps just make sure you dont do it on an empty stomach, take plenty of water with you and do not over do it, small steps at a time, and the other thing is a great stress release so go for it lol ;).

Did your doc give you anything for it? any meds to calm you a little? if not i would go and speak to him/her see if they can give you something for the panic. I take propanalol everyday and it really helps me but your doctor will recommend something for you

Make a note of your fears and symptoms and take it with you to the doctor will help to explain it better to them. Best tip i can give it dont google and keep your mind active .. DO NOT stop the things you enjoy or you will be letting the anxiety take control of you, you need to take control of it :)

[MiST]

That's great advice from Sam as always. Doing things you enjoy, absolutely! Sometimes the feelings we get can suck the joy out of the most pleasurable experiences and things we once enjoyed can be overwhelmed by the feelings anxiety brings with it.

The information on this forum is invaluable and i highly recommend reading through some stickied threads.

Remember that you are not alone, and we stand here together united as one. We are one big family and familys help each other out.

Stay strong.

Regards, Wayne.

[padrepio34]

Thanks Alot!!! Really need that...it just scares me if it happens again that afib my doctor said it only happens to old people and young people that take drugs and i dont..he said its the caffine and alcohol..i only have a glass of red wine a day for diner..but i gotta train my mind to stop things about my heart i hate it!! Plus when im walking and theres people around me i get scared if i have that afib again and then i get all worked up..i get alot of shortness of breathe i have to yawn to get air is that normal?

[NixonRulz]

Yawning is normal for anxiety folks. It's a sign you are breathing incorrectly

Anxious people are shallow breathers

Makes you yawn and it also causes most peoples palpitations of their ticker

Normal breathing through the nose and out of the mouth stops it straight away

Not deep breaths. Just normal ones

[BlessedMom]

exercise is the way to go!!! (after your doctor has cleared you of any serious concern of course) its great for the mind and natural endorphines. When I don't work out, I crumble. I have many times where I feel like I can hear my heart, feel it beating out of my chest and its skipping......... ugh. I'm sorry you went through this, how awful :( Hope you are feeling better.

[MiST]

It is scary, but try and remember that it is a very common side effect of anxiety as is yawning and or the feeling of not being able to get enough air. In fact Sam and artaud and the rest gave me some great information regarding the breathing aspect only yesterday.

Worth a read as it helped reassure me that it is all part and parcel of anxiety but that we can overcome it.

http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?23795-Hello-(New-member-introduction)

[padrepio34]

Omg thank you all!!!!!!!!!! U guys been a big help to me...i feel better its the thought of happening again that scares the living crap out me you know i never had this an i been having anxiety for 6 years and my first real panic attack was 6 months ago and it didnt feel like this but im happy they caught it..i went to 2 different cardio becuz i was having sharp pains by my heart area left arm pain back pain it was crazy ruled out everything..but im feeling okay but until this happen..

[SamC]

It is scary, but try and remember that it is a very common side effect of anxiety as is yawning and or the feeling of not being able to get enough air. In fact Sam and artaud and the rest gave me some great information regarding the breathing aspect only yesterday.

Worth a read as it helped reassure me that it is all part and parcel of anxiety but that we can overcome it.

http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?23795-Hello-(New-member-introduction)

You learn fast MIST well said :D ... keep that up its good postive attitude and keep reading things that help you rationalise your thoughts that will help you loads in getting control of anxiety.

What you need to keep telling yourself is instead of worrying that it will happen again change that thought to it might never happen again, look at all us on here we all have prob had that at one point or similar and all still here to tell the tale its pack and parcel of anxiety im afraid

What to remember is each time you worry about it you are actually increasing your heart rate. so everytime you worry you are actually doing more harm than good, so tell yourself if you stop worrying about it you will be ok. Its ok to shout at yourself and tell yourself to bugger of n get a grip im sure we have all done it and it does actually help so if its what it takes do it too BUT as blessedmum also says excercise is great and keep doing things to take your mind of it, the less time you have to think the better :D

[artaud]

Well it was my first time that happen to me since my first real panic attack...

You need to keep in touch with your doctor and follow his/her recommendations. The reason it could lead to a stroke is that the top of the heart, the atrium, when in fibrillation, doesn't contract normally. If the blood doesn't clear out normally, it can clot over a period of time.

The bottom of your heart, the Ventricles, do the majority of the work in moving blood throughout your body, so some people with atrial fibrillation have minimal symptoms, others more pronounced.

Due to the chance of a clot forming, people that are actively in atrial fibrillation are also given blood thinners. This is the only reason I'm adding my 2 cents worth, the blood thinner information, everyone else was quite informative.

Many people have A-Fib, don't let it stress you out. If you're not in A-Fib now, that's excellent.

I avoid alcohol, caffeine, and too much MSG like the plague, I don't have A-Fib, I get premature beats, but my heart really is bothered by those three items. We buy decaffeinated coffee for the coffee pot. It's just as good, just doesn't wake you up. Also there is caffeine in some soft drinks and chocolate. I avoid the former and limit my intake of the latter.

I also avoid cold medicines, I tolerate some, others cause me to get additional premature beats.