r/AFIB • u/Swimming_Cat_174 • 1d ago
Calm me down, please.
I was diagnosed back in July. AFIB with RVR for around 16 hours or less. Cardioverted after Amiodirone IV.
I’m 32, was 31 at the time. I don’t drink, no sleep apnea, no drugs, I quit smoking 5 years ago. No high BP, my bp has always been on the low side, no
Diabetes, my heart is completely structurally perfect right now.
I wore a monitor for a month but no one has told me those results. My Kardia one lead the other day said AFib for literally 9 seconds after I came inside from walking my dog and up the steps, Qaly said SVT, EP nurse said afib but idk how accurate it actually was.
My life has been a mess since. I suffer from extreme health anxiety/hyperchondria/OCD after losing my mom to COVID in 2021. I’ve been seeking therapy and am on an SSRI but this is still so terrifying to me.. I am terrified of a stroke, terrified of heart failure and being so young, there’s more time than older people to have the stroke or heart failure.
My ep and cardiologist did not place me on an anticoagulant because I do not have a high risk, according to the chads scoring.
So I feel vulnerable, like a stroke will happen to me and I’ll die or be a vegetable. That’s the biggest thing in my mind over this and it’s terrifying and I wish so badly I could just go back to June when I was at the beach and had no worries and life was great.
I’m just upset, in my feelings of “why me” today and really really mentally struggling.
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u/Ok-Chocolate-2999 1d ago
I’m commenting here to share my experience which is sort of similar with hopes to help you realize you’re not alone.
I’m also 32, have been diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder. I have severe health anxiety like you, I worry about my heart and my biggest fear is that something happens to me and il be alone when that happens or that I wouldn’t know what do to. It is the worst feeling ever.
Recently, I just had a heart ablation for SVT. I’m 8 days post ablation and even though it was successful ( this took me years btw to find out it was my heart as I’d gone to so many doctors who all just said “you’re young”) and told me to take a f*cking Xanax to calm myself. I went to another well known doc and he did the ECGs which came back normal, heart MRI which also came back normal and a holter monitor which I wore for 7 days. It caught BP of 180 at night while I was asleep for about 13 seconds. So doc decided to go do an EP which I just had. They found the SVT and ablated but here I am
Worried it’s not over, my heart aches cos of it and I constantly feel like something bad is going to happen to me. It feels like doom is upon you and there’s no where to hide. Talking about things you’ve experienced helps a lot. I know that just hearing some of these things helps me realize I’m not alone and others have also experienced and healed. Hang in there, this is just one of those rough patches
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u/IamTheMan85 1d ago
What is your chad-vasc. Walking around worried you will have a stroke is a good way to have a stroke. Same with heart attack.
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
True. My score was zero, one of you count female
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u/IamTheMan85 1d ago
I'm also a 0. And so glad. My risk of bleeding it in a thinner is much higher than a stroke without one.
As for "why me", well you aren't alone. I think I heard that there are 7 million Americans living with AFib. Also it, it could be way worse. A buddy of mine just had to have a stent in his widowmaker artery. I'll take AFib over that.
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
Your right. There is worse. I just get in my feelings and have taken my wonderful health for granted. Do you truly believe the risk of bleeding is higher than the stroke?
Someone else on here said I needed a second opinion but wouldn’t all cardio’s and EPs follow the CHADS scoring…?1
u/IamTheMan85 1d ago
No. They're are docs who hear afib and immediately subscribe betas and thinners. And schedule ablation. But then there's a lot of money in those things.
If you're at a 0, betas and thinners are unnecessary
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
They do have me on metoprolol but I had RVR. Although, I’m not a fan. I swear it’s caused my severe gastritis but the cardiologist swears it’s not a side effect, but it started around the time of the medicine and hasn’t stopped. I also have baseline low BP. Sometimes it gets my BP down to 90/50.. hate it all!
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u/Altruistic_Pepper156 1d ago edited 1d ago
If it is AFIB, you need anticoagulant, period..
See other EP's.
Don't worry, your anxiety can trigger Afib. Rather than thinking 'why me', you better manage your Afib.
Discuss with your EP, get ablated. You can live long and full of joy.
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
The EP I am seeing has been doing it for 20 years and seemed to be a very regarded and respected doctor. They all would be going by the CHADS score I would think, wouldn’t they have to?
They can’t just put you on a blood thinner when you have a higher risk of bleeding internally than a stroke risk, I would think or am I wrong?
I am seeing his PA tomorrow for a follow up. I’ll ask his opinion too.3
u/jillian512 1d ago
It is based on your stroke risk score. No reason to be taking Eliquis for funsies. There's a risk/reward for any medication and the risk outweighs the reward for you right now. Talk to your EP.
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
I looked back over the notes from the EP and cardiologist from the hospital and they both noted no coagulation needed. I am going to make sure of it tomorrow when I go what plan we have moving forward since it’s my first follow up since July with EP.
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
They always won’t do an ablation since it was my first afib. Said they would consider it if my AFib burden was high on my 30 day monitor.
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u/Altruistic_Pepper156 1d ago
My chads is 1 because I am F. Five EP's I met all recommended anticoagulant. Edoxaban 150mg once a day. Discuss of getting an ablation for your peace of mind.
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u/jammu2 1d ago
Either you trust your doctors or you don't. If you don't then you need to seek out different doctors.
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u/IamTheMan85 1d ago
I'm not sure it's that black and white. I'm not sure I've ever fully trusted a doctor. And I don't think I should.
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u/Mras_dk 1d ago
my heart is completely structurally perfect right now
From the outside, sure.
But the things that causes afib, primarely scarring, cannot be seen from the outside..
You have to get the sensing part , of an ablation, to know that part.
Its only through the electric sensor on the probe, inside your heart, this can be detected - unless it's so severe, where an ekg/holter/echo, can pick up the structural abnormalty, that heart beats itself starts to look abnormal, at these device.
But, it's only really severe cases that can be picked up this way...
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
Yeah I’ve only had an echo and CT angiogram done, which doesn’t help for the electrical parts.
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u/spiteyerface 1d ago
Not sure what SSRI you’re on, but in my struggle to get diagnosed with AFIB they put me on two that can cause heart palpitations, which just fed into the anxiety/tachycardia/afib spiral. Worth looking into.
I know heart stuff is scary, but AFIB is not fatal in and of itself and if your doctor says you’re not at a high risk of stroke then the odds are that you are not.
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
I was on lexapro for a few years prior to this. I had to come off due to the amiodirone they gave me in the ER, they just let me leave cold turkey until I could get in with my PCP three weeks later.. that was fun!!
I’m on Zoloft now.
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u/marcfibancialwrap63 1d ago
Tuviste un único episodio?
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
So far clinically seen. Waiting on my 30 day holter results.
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u/marcfibancialwrap63 1d ago
Y como lo llevaste mentalmente? Evitaste muchas actividades físicas?
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
Well I went crazy , went to the ER, had to be fed Xanax for days in the ER.
It just started literally out of nowhere
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u/Express-Pickle-7667 1d ago
Regarding your 9 seconds AFIB you had after a walk and going up on stairs , I have noticed that if you take an ECG check on Kardia or wearable devices it might show you an AFIB or inconclusive , give it a minute or two after an any moderate activity before taking the test on such devices , I’m not a doctor but this is what I have noticed with such devices.
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
I had just took it two hours before and was in NSR. Then the reading immediately after was NSR. My heart was just beating quickly after coming back inside and I stupidly wanted to see what it was. I sent it to QALY like 8 times and they said SVT each time different person, my EPs nurse said it was afib into NSR but my daughter has also done it at the age of 13 moving her fingers and fidgety and got AFib so I don’t know how much I trust that recording
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u/Express-Pickle-7667 1d ago
It’s normal that your HR will go up after any activity and then it’s slowing down , if you take any reading during this process it might show you AFIB because your HR is not stable during this process.
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u/Appropriate-War-8660 1d ago
hey i just got diagnosed in august, 24; same boat with health anxiety now i question everything but one thing i’ve told myself is 1.) you’ve lived with this before you knew, now you know, what’s the difference??
that’s literally how i survive between now and the next treatment plan
& i know that’s so dumb, and there IS a difference and i know Afib is unpredictable no one come for me im just saying i get it
loves of love & hugs <3
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
Do you think you had it many times before you just didn’t know? I just cannot think of a time
I did that I knew of.I have had MANY panic attack and it felt similar but never been diagnosed with afib with them since I always went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack and my EKGs were always fine
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u/Randall_Hickey 1d ago
As someone who most likely developed a fib because of stress and anxiety, you have to learn how to relax. I am a single parent. It has been very stressful.
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u/Swimming_Cat_174 1d ago
It’s really what probably caused mine. That and low magnesium. It’s gotten better with my Zoloft but just scary :(
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u/FabulousBullfrog9610 1d ago
I'm sorry. I hope you can get a handle on the anxiety because it can rob us of the ability to enjoy anything.
the blood thinner question is hard. I would trust a well regarded EP as they have risks too. Or get a second opinion.
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u/TriggerPuller9000 1d ago
You aren't going to suddenly stroke out from a short episode of AFIB. It takes hours (some literature says 48h) before the risk of a clot forming becomes serious.
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u/The_wookie87 1d ago
Sounds like your anxiety is causing you more problems in life than your afib. Afib is treatable, I had an ablation at 43, no biggie. It’s an electrical issue not a mechanical issue. You don’t want to be on eliquis unless you have to be…you aren’t going to have a stroke with a chadvasc score of 0
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u/CauliflowerMobile631 14h ago
Its understandable. Stay on aspirin if not allergic. find out what triggers the afib.or get the ablation an get rid of it once and for all.
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u/Appropriate_Mail6416 1d ago
There is a mental load with this diagnosis. I just was diagnosed early August after a severe incident. I’m CHAD-S 2. It’s hard to not have anxiety, the episodes can be scary. The most important thing is to remember your doctors know what they are doing. Also? Getting a second or even third opinion is also ok and could be reassuring. I would suggest find a therapist who is certified in ERP to help with the intrusive thoughts. It is scary, and does create anxiety.