Please does anyone know what damage is done to the heart with each episode of PAF? I have just had my sixth A&E visit three days ago. I get 2 and 4 months between each. This time the term used was a "flutter".
The first five were irregular and rapid - this time it seemed to be more regular but still very rapid.
Am feeling a bit down at the moment with muscle aches and general discomfort. Could this be due to increased Diltiazem?
Hi Enjoy!
With 2 to 4 months between episodes you are less likely to have heart damage than you would be if you had longer more frequent episodes. It is something that happens over extended periods of AF. That's why (if you are able, and if your doc has given the ok) it is important to do plenty of aerobic exercise to keep your heart as strong as possible. Also, taking Co-Q 10 is very good supplement for cardiac muscle cell health. And some people do have muscle aches and that feeling of discomfort on the diltiazem. Hope you are feeling better soon.
Thank you Grandma. Reassurance is as good as medicines sometimes.
Hi Enjoy, AF itself is not life threatening. I have been told many times AF won't kill you (although there were odd times when I wished it would.lol) What it can do is make stroke five times more likely in some people so it is important to have your stroke risk assessed and if at risk get properly anticoagulated, and I don;t mean aspirin which won't work with AF. Continuous AF can cause the left atria to become enlarged and weakened but this is reversable if the AF is controlled by drugs.
Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter are two quite different things and affect different sides of the heart with flutter being from the right atria and fibrillation the left although flutter can bring on fibrillation. AF is very irregular whilst flutter is usually regular but rapid. so what you say adds up.
Hope this helps, usual caveat, not medical just a very old hand at this game.
BobD
Thank you for explaining that Bob. The dr. at the hospital did say that this time it was different to the others and that it was a Flutter, but I had no idea that affected a different part of the heart.
As an "old hand" do you know if the treatment is the same for both and is a "Flutter" more serious?
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