What symptoms do you experience when ... - Atrial Fibrillati...
What symptoms do you experience when in AF?
Please select all that apply:
Over time I experienced weight gain, my immune system was compromised and I developed allergies concurrently as I became more and more ill (My illness commenced with Bradycardia (2008) and tripped into AF last year (2014) when my heart rate fell (heart beats that were at 42 and below over several years)
Have had permanent AF for 14 years (24/7) oddly you feel it at all. Maybe just occasionally if it goes even more out of kilter.
But then i never knew I had it in the first place, so it must have come on gradually over a number of years before diagnosis.
that should say.....don`t feel it at all
Snap. I cycle as much as I can as long as I pace myself on hills it fine. No symptom apart from knowing it's always there. When I don't exercise I definatly feel more tired.
hi
I was saying that I do not feel the AF at all, but the result of the AF is all too obvious as the day goes on. It get very tired, but of course the meds are possibly as much to blame as the AF. I can manage about an hour in the gym, but no cardio stuff, mainly weights . But after an hour I am shattered for rest of day, but still dont feel the AF in the chest . Think part of it that the HR does rise so far and so by definition anyone would feel knackered if the HR doesnt go up with exertion.
Interesting that you feel more tired if you do not exercise.
Yr never knowhow lucky you are.
I think I may have had persistent AFIB (or a similar condition) from birth, since I can never remember a time when I wasn't tired, and didn't suffer shortness of breath after minor exertion.
Maybe this explains why I don't claim to have any symptoms - I've never known any different.
Doesn't sound much - mostly tiredness - but I am permanently worn out! Makes me reluctant to go anywhere or do anything as I know I will be exhausted and sleep for hours!
Other, upset digestion
Can't see where to specify the other but I cry and I really am not upset about having af but I get very tearful for no reason.
ever thought of having hormones checked?
Not hormones as have a separate issue with this. I think it is due to lack of oxygen getting to brain. But as I have full time physical job round my chronic af which persists despite the three ablations I guess I just have to live with it. Thanks for your sympathy. I just wondered if anyone else gets these symptoms.
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I so agree. I get so tearful, it really gets me down. I think it's worry.
Mine is not worry, it is definintely physical. But I think a lot of the symptoms that I used to think were anxiety are not that at all but are physical. When heart is beating fast or erratically your body is in flight or fight mode for example.
Yes Kimmieblue, worry is always there in the background 
So do I! I honestly thought I was the only one with this symptom. When I have cried I feel better even though the A.F. doesn't go away. How strange. X
Hi Liz - I just wondered, you're not taking Digoxin are you because I felt tearful for the brief period I was taking it?
Jean
Nausea
"Other - Please specify" .... where does one specify? I would like to add "panic attacks", sometimes, mostly not. But some degree of anxiety.
I get terrible palpitations, missed beats ectopics etc, I panic quite badly too and I know this is the worst thing to do but I can't seem to help it, I try deep breathing, drinking ice cold water, eat a banana etc etc.
AF is so frightening, I don't understand how some people don't even know they have it.
Hello, have you tried sitting down and bending your upper body over towards your knees? It has worked for me in the past - seems to stop the irregular heart beat when I`m in this position. It can go on for quite a while - I just stay in the bent over position until beat reaturns to normal. Good luck!
During my 5-10 hour episodes the primary experience is anxiety about my irregular heart beat, which becomes more irregular and pounds harder with any exertion. I do not feel "tired" or "dizzy" and my heart rate is not fast (so no "palpitations"). There is no chest pain but a little shortness of breath. Thus, I think my main symptom is anxiety and hyper-awareness of my heart rhythm.
I also get a high temperature, and feel sick as well. I am lucky at the moment mine only last a short while. 1/2 to 1 hour.
No strength in legs
Severe weight gain
High blood pressure when in AF. Much lower when not
Interesting...... I also see high blood pressure .... What I was thinking though was my blood pressure rises then that triggers my Afib to start.....
Feeling weak and shaky
I don't have any problems other than feeling my heart going much too fast with no settled rhythm. I function fairly well when in AF and just carry on, very annoyed to be not functioning properly. I don't drive when in AF and never undertake to give someone a lift anywhere in case I have an attack. Knowing I may wake in AF makes me reluctant to do 1001 things and the impact on my life has been huge.
My doctor says not to worry about driving while in Afib..... Medical certification lets you be a commercial pilot in command while having Afib as long as your heart rate is not high.... When I'm in Afib my heart rate is around 95
Nowhere to expand on "other" so will comment here. Main problem I get is permenant pain and swelling in legs but particularly in feet.
Probably being very stupid here but as one of my symptoms I ticked 'Other-please specify'- but couldn't see where to specify??
Unable to read or see posts applied to this link
I have been diagnosed with AF for about 20 months. I am mostly asymptomatic, except for shortness of breath and tiredness, but lately I feel shaky inside when going into AF and my legs become like rubber and I feel weak.
My other symptom is nausea. Full blown when the AF is playing up but less so when the AF is in the background. It seems better when I'm active.
Severe shaking and general temporary feeling ill.
Dizzy. Breathless
I feel exactly the same, I do feel better when I have cried a bit and it is not hormonal and in my case, certainly not fear or frustration with af as got over that years ago and learnt to live with it. It is just something I cannot control and I still think it is lack of oxygen.
Has anyone else found that their type of AF symptoms have changed over a period of time?
First episodes about 10 years ago came on only at night: rapid HR and feeling like someone sitting on my chest when I lay down. Chemically cardioverted, my symptoms then manifested about 7 years later as being tired and breathless when walking, again with rapid HR.
Did not get diagnosis of AF until about 2.5 years ago when my congenital heart condition deteriorated to the point of needing surgery. This has always been a bit of a chicken and egg situation- did the underlying condition cause the AF or vice versa?
In the evenings after eating HR is normal (65-70) but with some ectopics and strong/hard beats. Difficult to say how regular my pulse is - even doctors find it hard to take manually and my right wrist cannot be used at all due to previous surgery. BP is usually about 130/75.
Hard to tell what may be due to AF episodes versus side effects of the medications. No problems with exercising.
In full AF I am very weak and tired. It takes a great effort to do anything and I get exhausted just doing nothing. Difficult to walk and sometimes I have to hold on to things to even stay standing. My mind seems to go blank and I can't remember what I am supposed to be doing. Only answer is to go to bed, fall asleep and hope I feel better when I wake up. Fortunately I am a very laid back individual and don't worry about it - it is just a problem I have to live with. It does make things difficult for family and workmates at times but fortunately it doesn't happen very often.
Cyril.
Palpitations
As I've written before on this forum I feel a complete fraud, and count myself very lucky not to experience the range of symptoms reported by many on this forum. I have no symptoms at all apart from the knowledge that my heart is beating irregularly. However, an ECG will show no "p" wave which, as I understand it confirms AF. This really is a strange condition!
Depression
Totally agree, I often say the same thing. I've been asked by people what it feels like who 'think' they may have had it, I assure them that you definitely know when it happens.
My biggest symptom is usually an anxiety attack, especially if the AF is prolonged.
Oyher symptoms include massive increase in urine output
Tiredness, Chest Pain, Dizziness, having trouble sleeping, shortness of breath, very bad fatigue have to rest up completley when have a AF Attack , also Depression,
Suzy
Neck pain, pressure in neck, supraventricular tachycardia
I am diabetic type 2 and notice from my continuous glucose monitor that when I'm in Afib my sugar level goes up almost 80 points and I can not get it to come down.
Everyone is different.... I had an irregular heart beat and insisted on a stress echo test. Everything showed normal other than an early beat every so often. To me it felt erratic. So when I showed up at my cardiologist 9 months later I was in total Afib...... I did not feel any different than before..... I was probably in Afib for 4 months without a clue.
Other - numbness in fingers and hands
Recently, I've been experiencing 7 to 8 second pauses during my AF episodes. Last episode lasted 11 hours with 5 pauses before returning back to normal sinus rhythm.
