AFibbers Database: Anonymous

Name	Anonymous
Location	Upstate, New York
Age	39
Diagnosed condition	lone atrial fib
Years with condition	6 or 8. Also had it for a short time (6 months?) during the onset of puberty, but went away on its own.
Frequency of episodes	2-3 times a week while on toprol, once a month on betapace (this last year)
Duration of episodes	2-12 hours
Event preceding first AF	none
General health	excellent
Current state	under control
Triggers	Lack of sleep, caffine, stress, alcohol, heavy exercise, rapid drop-off or rapid increase in blood sugar levels, hunger, chocolate or any amount of refined sugar over 1 tspn. Combinations of the above over the preceeding 24 hours.
Preventions	Meditation, Yoga, Marijuana, Betapace, moderate exercise (sometimes helps, depending on severity of the break-through). Moderating my diet has helped a lot. I have gone from 215 pounds to 190 in the last year and I think either the weight loss, or just the fact that I eat smaller portions now, is helping. Getting sleep is essential, and where all else fails, Ambien has been a great help. Oddly enough, sometimes eating diary products helped - like eating a piece of cheese - back when I was first getting A-Fib. Now, sadly, I need the drugs.
Current medications/side effects	Betapace. Some slight sexual disfunction, cured with Viagra. Some lethargy (resting heart rate is only 53 b.p.m.) as a result of the Betapace. Other medications used: Naproxin, Viagra, Ambien, Viox, Marijuana. The Viagra does increase heartrate (as does sex generally), but this does not lead to A-Fib episodes. Marijuana in extremely moderate amounts also increses heartrate for a short time, but does not lead to A-Fib, and the relaxation and focus it brings often prevents or reverses artial flutter. I am on a potassium supplement prescribed by my cardiologist. Also take multivitimins, Omega 3 fish oils, Glucosimine/Chondroitin, Vitamin E, Vitamin C
Past medications/side effects	Toprol. No side effects, but was nesseccary to increase dosage every 6 months and eventually this medication no longer worked. Lopressor for controlling break throughs, but discontinued after I went on betapace.
History of surgery	None
Future plans	Live a long happy active life and avoid stroke. Raise my son to be a good person. I'd like to take up Scuba diving and rock climbing. I currently mountain and road bike, ski and do yoga and pilates, and plan to continue these activities as long as possible.
Personal comments	I personally feel that the number one reason why people get this condition is having too much energy and life bottled up inside. Stress is the enemy. You have to let loose and burn off your energy somehow. I've been told that my heart muscle tissue is too sensitive to adrenaline (as opposed to my body making too much of the stuff). It seems like having an outlet to burn off stress induced adrenaline would be a good thing. I also think someone should look into Ephedra. I am willing to bet that my use of this substance as a young man, as a weight loss drug, contributed to my problem now. Mau-haung/Ephedra should be banned or heavily regulated after serious study!
Check list	acebutolol amiodarone (cordarone,pacerone) anisindione (miradon) atenolol (tenormin) aspirin azimilide bepridil betaxolol bisoprolol (monocor,emconcor) bretylium bucindolol carvedilol cibenzoline dicumarol digitoxin digoxin (lanoxin) diltiazem (cardizem) diphenylhydantoin disopyramide (norpace) dofetilide (tikosyn) dronedarone encainide esmolol (brevibloc) ersentilide flecainide (tambocor) gallopamil ibutilide (corvert) lidocaine mibefradil metoprolol (lopressor,toprol xl) mexiletine moricizine nadolol phenytoin procainamide propafanone (rythmol) propranolol (inderal) quinapril (accupril) quinidine (quinaglute) sotalol (betapace) tedisamil timolol tocainide trandolapril (mavik) valsartan (diovan) verapamil (calan,isoptin) warfarin (coumadin) asthma diabetes GERD/acid reflux hypertension hypotension hyperthyroidism hypothyroidism adrenergic vagal familial idiopathic/lone paroxysmal permanent/chronic atrial flutter cardiomyopathy CHF PAC PVC SVT syncope bradycardia tachycardia heart block myocardial infarction rheumatic heart diease sick sinus syndrome stroke WPW electrical cardioversion defibrillator pacemaker ablation bypass maze Male Female

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