Can someone please advise me about my AF symptoms?

[ianb63]

My first AF attack was a year ago. I'm in my mid-sixties and fit and active so it came as a surprise. It was also frightening. Since my doctor's put me on a low dose of a beta blocker and been OK. However, over the past few weeks I've had some more attacks which have not been as severe or long lasting but have been unsettling. Is this normal?

[kevin123]

Hi Ian

When it happens to me I get dizzy .sometimes I get a low feeling .Other times I seem to rush everything.I am in permanent AF but I have loads of good days.

[georgejen]

hi Ian I agree with Kevin , I am also in permanent AF , and have good and bad days, also when I feel bad I do not enjoy going out on my own, hope this is some help to you.

[SRMGrandma Volunteer]

Hi Ian,

Yes, it is very unsettling to get these unexpected episodes of AF. You aren't alone in that feeling. And some can be short and some can last longer. If they seem to be getting more frequent right now it is good for you to assess if you are under more stress lately, or if you are getting dehydrated lately, or to try to figure out if something is triggering these times of AF when you've gone a year without them. There are lots of posts on here about different triggers for different people. Read through and see if any of the info can be helpful to you. I hope that you are on an anticoagulant if your episodes are more frequent. If not I would suggest having a chat with your health care provider because stroke prevention is key. Be well.

[ianb63 in reply to SRMGrandma]

Thank you for your advice. It's been very helpful and reassuring.

[johncb]

Hello Ian,

my experience was very similar, I had an attack and then nothing for 2 years then out of the blue I had 2 or 3 over a week or so. At that point I went and saw an EP and had an ablation late Feb. That seems to have fixed it, for the time being at least. The progression from first attack to the second and so on varies with the individual, however it seems in almost all cases that the condition will progressively get worse till it becomes permanent, wether or not you take medication. If you are in good physical condition and relatively new to the condition, I would seriously look at the ablation path because the results, if caught early, are generally much better.

[ianb63 in reply to johncb]

My GP (who's been very supportive) has just changed my medication to see if a new drug will be more effective. At the moment I'm going to have to wait to see if that is the case. After that, I'm not sure whether ablation will be discussed but thanks for your thoughts.