Help.

[walke]

I have paroxysmal AF & have had a few episodes which have sent me to A&E with palpitations & a high pulse rate - these leave me feeling totally exhausted with chest tightness, but recently I have been feeling totally exhausted with chestness all the time but without episode of AF?? Have been to Dr's on many occassions but they cannot explain why I would be feeling like this, could this be medications or could I have Atrial Flutters. Just waiting for appointment to an EP.

It all very confusing & it seems that good advice is coming from fellow sufferers!!!!!

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Hi walke.

I'm not medically qualified, but has you GP done an ECG on you?, you could be having paroxysmal A Fib, and also suffering from a lower level but consistent AF even when not in the high pulse rate.

But most likely it's the meds, bisoprolol used to make me exhausted by around 2pm every day.

Talk to your EP about it, and ask their advice, they are usually very good at trying to fits the meds to your lifestyle

Good luck

Ian

[walke in reply to Beancounter]

Thanks for that - I definately have PAF & have had an ECG when it was happening, it's just that I seem to be feeling so unwell most of time even when not in AF ( the palpitations are always a give away when the AF starts & ends),

I am hoping for some answers from my EP & to find ways of trying to have some sort of life dealing with this - only 58 but feel like 98 :-(.

[sandrobe20012003 in reply to Beancounter]

That applies to me as well. Since being prescribed Bisoprolol (currently 10mg per day), I can almost swallow the room by around 12 noon and it's so embarrassing but I have right-sided Paroxysmal AF and two years ago, was told I also have left-sided Diastolic Heart Failure, revealed by Echo-Cardiograph but nobody told me or my daughter about the DHF until I eventually.saw an EP Nurse.

[feejbee]

Must be something to do with being 58 ! I too feel so unwell most of the time even when not in AF .I am due to have an ablation in a couple of weeks (the day before my 59th birthday).I desperately hope 59 will be better than 58.

Fi

[TheStand]

walke, What meds are you on? I read back through some of you posts but did not see what you were taking.

Tim

[walke in reply to TheStand]

Hi there,

I on 5mg bisoprolol, warfarin & a statin - I was on 2.5mg bisoprolol until march when I had a bad virus & that seemed to start a bout of AF which lasted 2 weeks?

[TheStand in reply to walke]

walke,

Keep an eye on your heart rate. Bisoprolol is a beta blocker that slows the heart down and can make you very tired. Beta blockers are not supposed to stop your AF from happening but just reduce the heart rate so that it may more tolerable. The bad part is that they slow the heart down whether you are having an attack or not so many have problems with them. For those using Rate Control meds some have better luck with Calcium Channel Blockers. You might also talk about Rhythm Control. They are designed to attempt to hold the heart in rhythm which stops the AF from starting. Again, many do much better on this method.

I assume you are taking the Statins for controlling cholesterol? They tried to put me on those years ago and I could not take them. I was so weak and tired that I couldn't move.

Hope you can get this all straightened out.

Tim

[walke in reply to TheStand]

hello there

my pulse is usually around 60 & blood pressure is always fairly low - never suffered with high blod pressure but started taking 1.25 bisoprolol after I had heart attack in nov'10 & i also suffer with mitral stenosis which could be the reason i have the AF

[BStanding56]

I would wonder at your medication, I am not a nurse, medical anything just had to live with the beast AF for 4 years, when I was on bisoprolol I could hardly put one foot in front of the other and if I got out of a chair would fall flat on my face. what strength medication are you on? sometimes the medication makes us feel worse. No harm in asking your Doctor would he look at your medication againxBeth