sunshine18
10-17-2006, 07:42 AM
I have done some research online, talked to a few people...but I still just don't get it! It seems like, at least on old posts, a-fib is more of a sudden attack or something. I've had different heart feelings/sensations, but have definitely never been rushed to the hospital or anything.
My EKG says atrial fibrilation. How much danger am I really in? I want an honest answer--I can take it. My doctor told my psychologist I have the heart of an 80-year-old and I'm 21 (female). As I've mentioned before, I have an eating disorder. Is she exaggerating??? Is it really that rare to have a problem at my age? How likely is it I'll actually have a stroke and die?
My EKG says atrial fibrilation. How much danger am I really in? I want an honest answer--I can take it. My doctor told my psychologist I have the heart of an 80-year-old and I'm 21 (female). As I've mentioned before, I have an eating disorder. Is she exaggerating??? Is it really that rare to have a problem at my age? How likely is it I'll actually have a stroke and die?
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Lenin
10-17-2006, 10:00 AM
sunshine,
Usually A-fib IS a sudden attack that can persist for minutes, hours, or days. It is annoying, scary, life-disrupting, but usually not a killer.
IF on the other hand you are suffering any rhythm irregularities caused by starvation then you have damaged your heart severly and dangerously. When anorexia kills, it ususlly does so by fatally interrupting the normal heart rhythm.
Lay your problem out to a competent cardiologist and get a good workup. That "80 year old heart" line was probably just to scare you...I hope. That would describe a heart in actual heart failure.
It's impossible to judge precisely how much danger you are in because some people do a lot better than others....it's a bell shaped risk curve. But you're not likely to drop dead before Christmas.:wave:
Usually A-fib IS a sudden attack that can persist for minutes, hours, or days. It is annoying, scary, life-disrupting, but usually not a killer.
IF on the other hand you are suffering any rhythm irregularities caused by starvation then you have damaged your heart severly and dangerously. When anorexia kills, it ususlly does so by fatally interrupting the normal heart rhythm.
Lay your problem out to a competent cardiologist and get a good workup. That "80 year old heart" line was probably just to scare you...I hope. That would describe a heart in actual heart failure.
It's impossible to judge precisely how much danger you are in because some people do a lot better than others....it's a bell shaped risk curve. But you're not likely to drop dead before Christmas.:wave:
mnmnmnmn
10-18-2006, 01:38 AM
Sunshine.. someone explained a-fib like this to me, so I will pass along to you. Imagine a piece of jello sitting on a plate. As you walk throughout the house back to the couch to eat it, you notice that it wiggles, shakes, and quivers. But it just lays there, doesnt move around on the plate (unless you trip) but just wiggles around. That is what the top chamber of your heart does when it is in A-fib. The risk of this is that while you top chamber doesnt pump blood out, it has the possiblilty of forming a clot. And then when you heart suddenly decides to beat again, the risk is that clot will travel to you lung or other parts of your body which can cause severe damage. It is very risky. However most of the time for this to happen is when you are in this A-fib a lot, like I would say over 50% of the day for many days. The longer your in it, the more chance of a clot. So if you have a lot of a-fib that is what they put you on blood thinners to prevent clots. I would guess like Lenin that you dont have a heart of an 80 year old, however a-fib does not usually affect young people. So that is why they probably said that. I would wonder if you had Atrial tachycaria as opposed to a-fib since that is common in young females, and quite common in eating disorders. However most people have a very slow heart rate with anorexia. At any rate, either condition is more than likely exaggerated by eating disorders and rapid weight loss. Hope that helps, :) and hope you liked my jello story.:wave:
sunshine18
10-18-2006, 06:49 AM
Hey guys,
Thank you SO much! And mnmnmnmn, I love the jello story...it really makes sense.
I'm still a little confused, but I guess I'll never really fully understand the problem. I've never been good in science anyways. I'm sure I have a-fib as opposed to atrial tachycardia because the EKG said "Abnormal EKG - atrial fibrilation." I was confused reading all the posts about having a-fib "attacks" when I really don't.
Hopefully the 80-year-old heart comment was just to scare me...unfortunately, my doctor didn't tell me that, but my therapist, who told me.
I am on blood thinners (Plavix, which I hate)...I'm considering going into treatment for my disorder and that's why I was wondering just how serious this problem is. It's just so hard for me to imagine myself having a stroke at 21. In all honesty I just don't believe it.
Thanks again.
Thank you SO much! And mnmnmnmn, I love the jello story...it really makes sense.
I'm still a little confused, but I guess I'll never really fully understand the problem. I've never been good in science anyways. I'm sure I have a-fib as opposed to atrial tachycardia because the EKG said "Abnormal EKG - atrial fibrilation." I was confused reading all the posts about having a-fib "attacks" when I really don't.
Hopefully the 80-year-old heart comment was just to scare me...unfortunately, my doctor didn't tell me that, but my therapist, who told me.
I am on blood thinners (Plavix, which I hate)...I'm considering going into treatment for my disorder and that's why I was wondering just how serious this problem is. It's just so hard for me to imagine myself having a stroke at 21. In all honesty I just don't believe it.
Thanks again.
mariposa9
10-24-2006, 02:45 AM
Hey Sunshine,
This is what A-fib is: You have two chambers in your heart. The ventricle, and the atrium. When you're in a-fib, the atrium is pumping blood into your ventricles at an extremely high rate -- so high that your ventricles can't handle it, and blood starts to pool in the atrium. That's how you get clots. Usually, they'll put you on a drug that slows your HR down, and hopefully you'll convert back into rhythm. Unfortunately, when you have a-fib, you're always at a risk to get it again, at anytime. So really, be careful. I'd stay away from cigarettes, drugs and coffee, and take aspirin everyday to prevent clots.
Oh, and unless you have some congenital heart disease, I'd think it would be unlikely you had an "80 year old heart."
This is what A-fib is: You have two chambers in your heart. The ventricle, and the atrium. When you're in a-fib, the atrium is pumping blood into your ventricles at an extremely high rate -- so high that your ventricles can't handle it, and blood starts to pool in the atrium. That's how you get clots. Usually, they'll put you on a drug that slows your HR down, and hopefully you'll convert back into rhythm. Unfortunately, when you have a-fib, you're always at a risk to get it again, at anytime. So really, be careful. I'd stay away from cigarettes, drugs and coffee, and take aspirin everyday to prevent clots.
Oh, and unless you have some congenital heart disease, I'd think it would be unlikely you had an "80 year old heart."