Stress Center Peer Support

I wondered if anyone knew if atrial fibrillation can be brought on by anxiety and stress? I am asking not for myself but for my mother-in-law. I think she experiences stress and anxiety, and back in 2006 I tried to convince her to share the cost of the the program program with me. She said she would just rather let the medication (SSRI) do its thing. Anyway, every couple of years she will have to go to the ER with an atrial flutter (fast heart beat but normal rhythm). This happened in July after an unusually stressful week with company coming. Well it happened again last night (after another stressful week with company coming tonight...too coincidental!), and this time it is atrial fibrillation (fast heartbeat but abnormal rhythm). I am very familiar with rapid, pounding heart rate as a symptom of anxiety, but I wondered if her condition could be triggered by stress. I am not asking for medical advice, but sometimes someone who has lived it can give an insightful opinion. She is being treated at a major medical center, so I am comfortable with the reputation.

Hello SleeplessMom. I have PVC's (pounding skipped beats) that are definitely made worse by stress so I did a little research and found this quote that may answer your question:

"Dr. Abram Hoffer, MD, a prominent Canadian physician, also believes that many LAF attacks are caused by excessive physical or emotional stress. He postulates that adrenochrome, a metabolite of adrenaline (epinephrine) is the culprit that initiates LAF attacks."

You can read more about this here:

<A HREF="http://www.afibbers.org/atrial_fibrillation.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.afibbers.org/atrial_fibrillation.htm</A>

I hope this helps in some way!

Bob.

Thanks, Bob. I heard she cardioconverted overnight, and was discharged. I will share this information with her.