Aa
how were your PVC's / SVT affected by Christmas
I bet most of us let our guard down and did things that we would normally not do to enjoy a merry christmas - I did.
So this is a brilliant opportunity to see what price - if any - we paid for it and do our ways of coping make any difference.
I'll kick off- my number one 'trigger' is alcohol and living by my self imposed rules I avoid 'mostly' the horrific early norning 200+ SVT incidents which darken my life. Over the holiday I have broken my rules and drank everyday - although not too excessive - .
the price for me has been PVC's and lost sleep but i was very fortunate not to have an SVT although I came very close in the early hours of a couple of mornings - So to me it confirms the rules are there for my protection and I will continue with them.
What happened to you?
dave
So this is a brilliant opportunity to see what price - if any - we paid for it and do our ways of coping make any difference.
I'll kick off- my number one 'trigger' is alcohol and living by my self imposed rules I avoid 'mostly' the horrific early norning 200+ SVT incidents which darken my life. Over the holiday I have broken my rules and drank everyday - although not too excessive - .
the price for me has been PVC's and lost sleep but i was very fortunate not to have an SVT although I came very close in the early hours of a couple of mornings - So to me it confirms the rules are there for my protection and I will continue with them.
What happened to you?
dave
We always keep the day low key - a peaceful breakfast with the "kids" and their families, open gifts, watch a movie or just talk. Then they go on to their extended families. I avoid alcohol for that very reason - it just stirs things up in the heart. Going back to work yesterday was another story. Very hectic which triggered some tachy and chest pains but not as bad as some days.
Oh-- the usual episodes of tachycardia in the morning after binge evening at the local pub. Plus PVCs after the tachycardia into the evening hours after dinner, and throbing heart beats most of the day when I'm paying attention to them. I can say since I've quit smoking and eating poorly, started on a regimine of daily vitamins, increased water intake, take daily asprin 150mg or so, or skip the asprin and hit the alka selzer instead, quit all soda or carbonated soft drinks, I still tend to get PVCs, but much less, and my tachycardia episodes in the morning are not severe with symptoms, which is very stress relieving. I've had a few PACs and PVCs today since I did drink a lot last night.. I'd say 5 times as much as I should have drunk. I had a short burst of tachycardia after waking up, but I shrugged it off as I knew I was hung over. I don't think I'll be doing that again for a while. Not for 30 days at least. I'm hoping to cut down on the binge drinking to once a week, at most. Hopefully I can be abstainent for 30 days.. Zach
Hmmm...I don't drink nor smoke...and never have (well maybe just a few beers in my life) and still started getting the stupid palpitations GRRRRR!! I am thinking that completely quitting the unhealthy lifestyle that some of us might lead...would have just a little effect on the PACs or PVCs but it won't stop them forever nooooo :( :( :(. Mine perhaps mostly came from stress and anxiety, and today I decided not to think about them anymore. No point. As I am sitting at work, and tying this my chest is fluttering. Damn it! :(
That's what I fear as well, is where when I do start leading a more healthier lifestyle I'm still going to have the flutters and aches. But I guess it's piece of mind knowing that you are doing the best you can do to keep up with staying healthy and your not doing harm. Mine are triggered by stress and anxiety too. The anxiety comes from the guilt that I'm not taking care of myself, and the sensations I'm feeling is because of the unhealthy things. Extremely frustrating. I'm scared still to over exert myself for more than 20 mintues thinking I'll drop over dead from exercise. I'm taking small steps, I've already conquerd eating healthier, started vitamins, quit caffiene/soda, quit nicotine (2 weeks).Next will be exercise.
great discipline (I'm impressed) and very interesting on the effect of work/stress. Seems to me we have a group of people well on the way with lifestyle choices to try and minimise problems and then new mwmbers who are in the early 'terrified' stage.
In 2009 I wonder how far we can go with combating the causes that are not diet/drink related?
dave
In 2009 I wonder how far we can go with combating the causes that are not diet/drink related?
dave
Thanks for sharing that with us and it mirrors my position in that doing what you did when you get an issue you pretty much know why but are not terrified of it. However if i did get a 200+ in the early hours again, I would be terrified!
what interests me is that when we read about 'hangovers' there is little information given about the effect on heart rhythmn and I wonder how 'normal' people go on but there is no data. I would not dare ask anyone or admit to anyone outside this forum that i have problems. What has helped me is the drink driving laws in the UK cos now it is accepted when you go out that you can only have 2 drinks max and then on to non alcoholic. I have to make sure that I am alwys driving!
dave
what interests me is that when we read about 'hangovers' there is little information given about the effect on heart rhythmn and I wonder how 'normal' people go on but there is no data. I would not dare ask anyone or admit to anyone outside this forum that i have problems. What has helped me is the drink driving laws in the UK cos now it is accepted when you go out that you can only have 2 drinks max and then on to non alcoholic. I have to make sure that I am alwys driving!
dave
Hi there
you really interest me in that you have never abused your body like so many of us have and so your start point is where we have had to work to get to.
Surely in 2009 we need to work on relaxation/breathing/visualisation for those of us well on the way but still suffering.
Incidentally i am keen on the vibrations from crystals and will be posting on that shortly - I carry them everywhere and use powerful ones at night. Two really good ones are pink calcite and ruby in kyanite which are available on the web cheaply and are easy to use.
Get palmstones which fit niceley in the hands, carry them aroubd with you and hold them in your hands when relaxing.
dave
you really interest me in that you have never abused your body like so many of us have and so your start point is where we have had to work to get to.
Surely in 2009 we need to work on relaxation/breathing/visualisation for those of us well on the way but still suffering.
Incidentally i am keen on the vibrations from crystals and will be posting on that shortly - I carry them everywhere and use powerful ones at night. Two really good ones are pink calcite and ruby in kyanite which are available on the web cheaply and are easy to use.
Get palmstones which fit niceley in the hands, carry them aroubd with you and hold them in your hands when relaxing.
dave
I think the food, sweets and alcohol over the holidays has reaked havoc on my heart. After eating I would lie down and have skipped beats. Also, I think being off from work actually made them worse to an extent because I have more time to obsess about them. Does anyone else find that when you mix up your routine like taking time off from work, they obsess more about the rhythm?
I can honestly say there was no stress at work this time because everyone was still in the holiday mood. What triggers mine most often is exertion. Whether is was shoveling some snow, going up and down the icy/snowy hill to the mews or carrying around a Tundra Swan to be weighed or put in the tank for swimming. That almost always triggers some tachy. Annoying but it goes away.
I really noticed as you did an increase in PVC's and the work/routine thing is also interesting. I was just thinking earlier that the discipline needed to do my job properly and the concentration and team work does help me.
dave
dave
I feel my Afibs are caused mostly by stress, but also by fatty foods.
Of course I pigged out on chocolates, cookies, chips & dip, tater tots and other greasy things on Xmas Day.
Everything was fine until last night when I got PVCs or PACS for 12 straight hours.
I'm assuming it was 12 hours since they started at 5 p.m. and were still with me at 5 a.m. this morning. I doubt they go away during sleep, but who knows?
What I find interesting is if I'm stressed out over something I won't get irregular heart beats at that time. It is usually DAYS later. Very strange!
Also, I keep exercising (jogging) it doesn't seem to make a difference either way, but makes me feel so much better mentally.
I'm wondering also if all the preservatives in food are causing all these heart rhytm problems. I know I have fever episodes when I cook my food from scratch and don't rely on the frozen dinners.
Has anyone ever done a study on this? Probably the frozen food industry would block it!!
Of course I pigged out on chocolates, cookies, chips & dip, tater tots and other greasy things on Xmas Day.
Everything was fine until last night when I got PVCs or PACS for 12 straight hours.
I'm assuming it was 12 hours since they started at 5 p.m. and were still with me at 5 a.m. this morning. I doubt they go away during sleep, but who knows?
What I find interesting is if I'm stressed out over something I won't get irregular heart beats at that time. It is usually DAYS later. Very strange!
Also, I keep exercising (jogging) it doesn't seem to make a difference either way, but makes me feel so much better mentally.
I'm wondering also if all the preservatives in food are causing all these heart rhytm problems. I know I have fever episodes when I cook my food from scratch and don't rely on the frozen dinners.
Has anyone ever done a study on this? Probably the frozen food industry would block it!!
Food for thought!!
On the food front was this something that you would not normally have done and the pVC's for 12 hours is this unusual. I had the same reaction with a real gurgly stomach as well and this is not normal.
interesting thought on fresh food which would make a lot of sense as we seem to be very reactive to something.
How do we put all of this together?
quite a challenge.
dave
On the food front was this something that you would not normally have done and the pVC's for 12 hours is this unusual. I had the same reaction with a real gurgly stomach as well and this is not normal.
interesting thought on fresh food which would make a lot of sense as we seem to be very reactive to something.
How do we put all of this together?
quite a challenge.
dave
To answer your questions: No, I normally don't eat a lot of sweets or fatty foods. Main reason being I don't like the immediate rush and then the ensuing letdown. Also I want to be as thin as possible so that I can have more energy and run/jog faster!
No, I have had Afibs all night on several occasions, but never PVC's. They usually just come and go from time to time. Never more than a few minutes at a time.
So this all night episode was unusual.
I am going to try to get back to eating more veggies & fruits as I feel so much better when eating those.
Also no more margarine! I have been trying yougurt on bread instead or a mixture of yogurt & mustard.
No, I have had Afibs all night on several occasions, but never PVC's. They usually just come and go from time to time. Never more than a few minutes at a time.
So this all night episode was unusual.
I am going to try to get back to eating more veggies & fruits as I feel so much better when eating those.
Also no more margarine! I have been trying yougurt on bread instead or a mixture of yogurt & mustard.
I'm a licensed wildlife rehabber, been working with critters for almost 18 years. We have a tundra swan in right now with a bad hip (along with many other animals). I have a few pictures posted on my profile.
Junk food definitely triggers arrhythmias. For me it's salty foods or just a wee too much chocolate. I know my limits with that but still push it sometimes. Then come the heart hiccups for a few hours. I don't mind the PVC"s and PAC's so much since they usually bump along during the day. Just the tachy slows me down.
Instead of margarine I like to use hummus if I'm making a sandwich. Also there's a tofu pate in our stores that's quite good. The original looks like egg salad but has a slightly different flavor. It also comes in jalapeno or lemon/dill. Not sure if it's available all over.
If it's toast then just jam or peanut butter is fine without the margarine. We use natural, unsalted peanut butter because I don't like the major brands too much. Too sweet and too salty.
Junk food definitely triggers arrhythmias. For me it's salty foods or just a wee too much chocolate. I know my limits with that but still push it sometimes. Then come the heart hiccups for a few hours. I don't mind the PVC"s and PAC's so much since they usually bump along during the day. Just the tachy slows me down.
Instead of margarine I like to use hummus if I'm making a sandwich. Also there's a tofu pate in our stores that's quite good. The original looks like egg salad but has a slightly different flavor. It also comes in jalapeno or lemon/dill. Not sure if it's available all over.
If it's toast then just jam or peanut butter is fine without the margarine. We use natural, unsalted peanut butter because I don't like the major brands too much. Too sweet and too salty.
I'm certainly going back now to healthy eating but again that's quite a question as to whose view do you believe? Take eggs which were a big no no and now are a big must eat!
I find that with very simple home made food like mashed potatos, carrots and sprouts with quorn pieces give me sustained high energy as does porrige with strawberries and bananas.
Ireneo I will check out your photos and it's a great thing to do.
dave
I find that with very simple home made food like mashed potatos, carrots and sprouts with quorn pieces give me sustained high energy as does porrige with strawberries and bananas.
Ireneo I will check out your photos and it's a great thing to do.
dave
Knowing how easily I get anxious, I have to avoid things like holiday get togethers. Makes life pretty dull and depressing. I can't take any medications for my anxiety either, as they all seem to interact with my blood pressure meds and heart arrythmia meds.
Hey Mike!
Do you like to walk? I find that a walk, the brisker the better, really helps my mood. I also jog or run every day, but not everyone wants to do that.
I've been suffering from depression, off and on, for years and exercise helps the most.
Also, this might sound weird, but when I'm really anxious and/or depressed I drink a lot of water. Don't know why,but it seems to help.
Could it be that most of us are in a thirsty state most of the time without knowing it?
Something to think about!
Take care!
Do you like to walk? I find that a walk, the brisker the better, really helps my mood. I also jog or run every day, but not everyone wants to do that.
I've been suffering from depression, off and on, for years and exercise helps the most.
Also, this might sound weird, but when I'm really anxious and/or depressed I drink a lot of water. Don't know why,but it seems to help.
Could it be that most of us are in a thirsty state most of the time without knowing it?
Something to think about!
Take care!
Anxiety is very powerful in its effects and I agree with bundleblocker that walking in somewhere beautiful is helpful.
Have you ever considered hypnotherapy as it can help particularly if you have some phobias as the root cause .
It must be so awful for you having to avoid holiday get togethers.
dave
Have you ever considered hypnotherapy as it can help particularly if you have some phobias as the root cause .
It must be so awful for you having to avoid holiday get togethers.
dave
Yes, I tend to believe that the frozen food industry, or any super processed foods with sodium nitrate, disodium glynate, msg, yeast extracts, is just plain horrible on my digestive process. It does trigger my PVCs and flutters and they tend to sustain for longer periods in the evenings after like eating a large bowl of cambell's chicken noodle soup. (loaded w/ MSG)
Mike-- I feel the same way at holiday get togethers, because I feel trapped in a situation were If I have to leave, I want to leave immediately, no questions. :) I guess we can call this social anxiety. I tend to be over anxious if I'm too far away from a ER incase something might happen. There are alot of conjoining factors about GAD and Phobias, and their like light switches. Some days they are turned on, somedays that aren't. weird.
I tend to stick with all natural foods and organic when possible. I'd rather use real butter because the process to make it doesn't require conditioning. Of course its pasturized and homogenized as it should be for saftey, these processes don't add preservatives to it. I eat 2 eggs in the morning 2-3 times a week. I cook 2 4lb whole chickens on a george forman jr rotisere a week, and make an assortment of meals with them. Okay, I'm done rambling. Zach
Mike-- I feel the same way at holiday get togethers, because I feel trapped in a situation were If I have to leave, I want to leave immediately, no questions. :) I guess we can call this social anxiety. I tend to be over anxious if I'm too far away from a ER incase something might happen. There are alot of conjoining factors about GAD and Phobias, and their like light switches. Some days they are turned on, somedays that aren't. weird.
I tend to stick with all natural foods and organic when possible. I'd rather use real butter because the process to make it doesn't require conditioning. Of course its pasturized and homogenized as it should be for saftey, these processes don't add preservatives to it. I eat 2 eggs in the morning 2-3 times a week. I cook 2 4lb whole chickens on a george forman jr rotisere a week, and make an assortment of meals with them. Okay, I'm done rambling. Zach
I can relate to what you are saying and because I cannot drink anymore it sort of makes me less sociable and often I avoid social occasions - though when i go i do enjoy them.
I've started eating eggs regularly, salmon steaks lots of spring onion, tomatoes mushrooms etc and am now almost veggie.
I really let myself down last night as it was the last day of the christmas holiday I drank too much and ended up very close to SVT at 2am and have had to take a day off work today.
Will I ever learn or is it that sometimes I just want to have fun.
dave
I've started eating eggs regularly, salmon steaks lots of spring onion, tomatoes mushrooms etc and am now almost veggie.
I really let myself down last night as it was the last day of the christmas holiday I drank too much and ended up very close to SVT at 2am and have had to take a day off work today.
Will I ever learn or is it that sometimes I just want to have fun.
dave
Yeah. I know all about wanting to be sociable and have few drinks. I have so much fun, and I'm able to speak so much better. I mean, my thoughts of being anxious or worried are nonexistent. How do you achieve this same result without the 'self-medicating' routines. I know alcohol in excess is not healthy, and even 3 drinks a day can be unhealthy. I guess the intellect of some really plays a role in which how anxiety plays its role as well. The less we know, the less were concerned? In this case, then we could live longer lives because we aren't creating stress. Its like everything hinges on something else, and is very counterproductive. I guess that's why so many institute the 'fuc*-it' principal and live their lives. Zach
OK, I could be insulted but instead, I find the comment funny. You said: "I guess the intellect of some really plays a role in which how anxiety plays its role as well. The less we know, the less were concerned?" Does that mean people who don't struggle with anxiety are less intelligent? I'm sure that's not what you meant. If it was true, I'd be a very stupid person. Then again, there's that old saying about ignorance is bliss. LOL
I've never been an anxious person, never understood the concept really. But I know some people do struggle with it. I used to be a bit concerned about what people thought of me when I was younger. Now that I'm an old lady :-) I'm content with who I am and if some folks don't care for me, oh well. I'm not going to be obnoxious; I understand the social graces. But if they don't like the way I dress or that I'm 10 lbs overweight, too bad. That has freed me to enjoy life more. But it's a mind set that has taken years to develop.
Here's wishing you a happy new year filled with fun and less stress.
I've never been an anxious person, never understood the concept really. But I know some people do struggle with it. I used to be a bit concerned about what people thought of me when I was younger. Now that I'm an old lady :-) I'm content with who I am and if some folks don't care for me, oh well. I'm not going to be obnoxious; I understand the social graces. But if they don't like the way I dress or that I'm 10 lbs overweight, too bad. That has freed me to enjoy life more. But it's a mind set that has taken years to develop.
Here's wishing you a happy new year filled with fun and less stress.
This holiday season has been the worst since I started having PACs, PVCs and Afib 6 years ago. I live alone, have no family or friends locally and have taken vacation time where I expected to get caught up on household projects. Instead I've been going in and out of arrhythmia, mostly in. My anxiety level is spiking as a result as of this and my motivation level has been sapped. The worst part is people wishing me a "merry christmas" when it's anything but. I hate having to live this way. When I'm in normal rhythm I can't enjoy that time knowing that before the day is out the other shoe will drop. It's worse at night with the resulting insomnia, waking up with adrenaline rushes and more palps. Life ***** when you're pondering a few times a week whether or not you should go to the ER. I'm looking forward to getting back to work and my normal routine. Ironically, my company installed the emergency defibrillator right outside my office door--They aren't aware of my condition. Its location may be a harbinger of an event down the road.
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