Atrial fibrilation

[mongo149]

i have had a few bouts of Atrial fibrilation in the past 6 years.  i was in the hospital for it the first time and the doc said my heart was alittle enlarged and i should be check for HIV.  but they never did the test.  i have read that AFIB can be cause by cardiomayopathy and cardimyopathy is found in HIV/AIDS patients...
the doctor never diagosed me with Cardiomyopathy and dont know why i have AFIB..they said it is Vagally induced..i go into AFIB when i drink something cold like a milk shake...but not every time.
i am only 30 years old so AFIB is uncommon but young men do get it...
i want to get checked for HIV but i am scared to death because of this heart thing!!! overall i feel fine but i know thats doesnt mean much...
any info would be appretiated..

[Claire_MHModerator]

Mongo, I see that you've posted in the Heart Rhythm community, which is where your question belongs.  Please continue your discussion there.

** THIS DISCUSSION IS CLOSED - NO MORE POSTS, PLEASE **

[SOTM]

you are worried about nothing.  I had an enlarged heart when my blood pressure was high, and that has returned to normal now.

[mongo149]

no i have the AFIB under control...i take toporol and carry flechnide pills with me...

they said my heart was alittle enlarged when i got an eco but didnt diagnose me with cardiomyopathy....

just when i look up cardiomyopathy they say from a viral infection like HIV.  so me not knowing if i have cardiomyopathy is what scares me...all the other causes of  cardiomyopathy i dont have...  

maybe im worried about nothing....

[SOTM]

Oops I thought Teaks comment before mine was a statement by the OP,  :o.

[SOTM]

Not when I originally got them no, and I do not have one now from what tnis forum has said, although I tend to freak out about that stuff also.

I was 23 or 24 when I had my first Afib, and have had it sporadically since.  The first time I was electrically converted with paddles, the others were just time and some anti arrythmic drugs.  Mt cardiologist suggested carrying pills around- metroprolol I think- in case I have it, but I stopped doing that years ago.  For me stress, anger, poor sleep, and an incorrect diet for my self seem to have caused it.  I am 33 now, and have not had a lasting episode in years.  Once in a while my heart flutters.  Yours IS NOT from HIV, it does not even cause those symptoms.  

One thing that MAY help when you get it is Low Sodium V8....they use magnesium and potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride, and the M and P can calm your heart out of Afib sometimes, works for me.

[Teak]

You don't have an HIV concern either.

[SOTM]

Anything can cause Afib- dehydration, stress, poor diet, on to possibly more severe causes.  I have had it several times, the first due to drinking too much- the others I am not so sure, but taking care of the 1st three causes I listed above has resulted in me having no episodes since.

Check out afibbers.net- its a decent little forum that has people of all ages figuring out how to be rid of Afib.

[mongo149]

but i dont fall into any of those catagories.... the viral infection is the only one that sticks out in my mind!! but if had cadiomyopathy they would have let me know, right??

so you think i am over reacting?? i never have had high risk sex... no anal. no guys no intravenos drugs...i feel like i am pretty low risk...

but i am still freaking my self out!!!

[Teak]

And what else did it say?Most of the time, the cause of the cardiomyopathy is unknown. In some people, however, doctors are able to identify some contributing factors. Possible causes of cardiomyopathy include:

■Long-term high blood pressure
■Heart valve problems
■Heart tissue damage from a previous heart attack
■Chronic rapid heart rate
■Metabolic disorders, such as thyroid disease or diabetes
■Nutritional deficiencies of essential vitamins or minerals, such as thiamin (vitamin B-1), selenium, calcium and magnesium
■Pregnancy
■Excessive use of alcohol over many years
■Abuse of cocaine or antidepressant medications, such as tricyclic antidepressants
■Use of some chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer
■Certain viral infections, which may injure the heart and trigger cardiomyopathy
■Iron buildup in your heart muscle (hemochromatosis)

[mongo149]

i understand that but reading up on it they say is usually because of an underlying problem like HIV....thats what im worried about....

[Teak]

NO cardimyopathy is not a symptom of HIV. It's a symptom of cardiac disease.

[mongo149]

im just trying to get the courage to get a test....im scared dude!! and i wanted to see if cardimyopathy is a symptom of HIV.....

[Teak]

Should have read not a living with forum.

[Teak]

Cardiac problems has no age group. We had two kids in high school that died of left ventricular blowouts when playing basketball, so don't try to relate cardiac disease to HIV. This is a prevention forum and a living with forum.

[mongo149]

not really...i was with a couple of girls this summer but not worried about the exposures.

i am more worried about the AFIb being uncommon in young guys and the posibility of have cadiomyopathy....

maybe i am reading internet to much.... just want to have alittle more confidence before i get a test...

i had my first episode like 7 years ago now..so id be showing sign of HIV/AIDS by now right?? and i had surgury like 5 years ago when i broke my jaw and i assumed they check for HIV before the sugury??

[Teak]

Did you have an exposure that you are concerned about? As for the above I know of no doctors that would try to related Atrial Fib. to HIV.