PTSD and A-Fib
@capirani (2730)
United States
September 18, 2008 6:55pm CST
Anyone here have atrial fibrillation that is connected to your PTSD? I am sure my a-fib is definitely related. Nothing else explains it adequately. I know for sure it is related to the extreme stress in my life. I would like to share with others who are experiencing the same thing.
1 response
@KenJohnson (1)
• United States
14 Nov 08
I am a Disabled Vietnam Veteran and I do believe that my A-Fib is certainly related to chronic stress and anxiety which in turn is related to 30+ years of PTSD. Unfortunately, I have been able to find no good studies that investigate this possible connection. It is a shame, because my suspicion is that many Vets with A-Fib also have PTSD - probably far more than those without PTSD - but with no clinical studies showing the connection it will be very hard to establish disability secondary to PTSD. Ken
@capirani (2730)
• United States
18 Nov 08
I totally agree that PTSD is a huge contributing factor. From everything I have studied over the past couple of years about A-Fib, it is only recently (like in the past 15 or so years) even given a real name, and all the current treatments are basically only experimental because most cases seem to be of unknown cause and treatments vary from person to person. What I do know is that I have come out of a-fib just by having a cardioversion scheduled....never had the treatment because it scares me too much and that alone seems to get me back into normal sinus rhythm. If that isn't stress related, what is?
