I am confused - for over a week I have had the fast irregular pulse. As this was a repeat of two years ago the GP has booked me to attend warfarin clinic and specialist as per previous.
Today heartbeat changed it's not racing of missing beats anymore ! Not sure if it is "normal" as may increase and slow a bit whilst at rest.
Should appointments be cancelled and wait till next time ?
My feeling would be to attend appointments. If it has happened more than once it certainly needs to be looked at and you have nothing to lose by attending and may gain more insight into your condition and what needs to be done to reduce further episodes and lower your risk of stroke. I hesitate to mention stroke risk as I don't know your age or risk factors but it is important to be on warfarin or other newer anticoagulant if the need is there. Your consultant may repeat tests he/she ordered last time.
Hi, have you considered the cause to be diet related? I changed my diet after I found I was intolerant to quite a lit if food to varying degrees . Nit had an episode for nearly ten weeks. Have an intolerance test and see , nothing to lose ! Chris
Like Woolfie - Years ago when my AF started I found that if I cut out all artificial sweeteners and additives my AF was controlled. Also my sister, when going to her doctor about her 'palpitations' was told that the doctor had had the same thing, but she lost weight and they stopped.
Definitely go for your appointment. If you cancel its sods law that you will have an attack the very next day!
Will they do an ECG? It may pick up something you can't feel so defo go whatever IMO. Just tell them it seems to have stopped, they should be used to that situation, happens to me every time I go to the doctor! I told mine that last time, and she arranged for me to come down urgently when I had a bout and we caught it.
Go for goodness sake GO! It sound paroxysmal in other words it comes and goes but your stroke risk does not. The mere fact of having this means that your risk of stroke is five times that of a person who does not. If you were once on warfarin I don't understand why you stopped as the risks doesn't. Get some answers please.as it is obvious that your GP doesn't have them.
BobD
Hi R110S
I agree with Bob go for heavens sake, it does sound like a paroxysmal epsisode, and even if they occur only once a year, you need to understand and find out what is going on.
It might not be easy to diagnose if they can't "catch" you with the heart abnormal, which is why I would ask the doctor to agree to an emergency appointment for an ECG next time you get these missing beats etc. You need to get to an ECG machine and get measured whilst it's happening. They may ask you to go onto a long term monitor, but if it's an infrequent as you seem to say then it may be difficult to catch the irregular beats.
Two other comments if I may, yes this could be related to all sorts of other things in your life, from diet through to over exercising, BUT you need to know what this is doing to you first, and then you can spend some time trying to work out what's causing it.
And secondly, if this is A Fib, then the risk stroke is high, when your heart is beating irregularly then you can get pooling of the blood in the heart, which might start to coagulate and then when your heart returns to normal (or before) this clot can be sent off around to body to lodge goodness knows where. This is what causes strokes, and those of us with A Fib are 5 times more likely to have strokes than usual. That sounds like why your doctor sent you off to a warfarin clinic previously (and well done doctor loud applause) but why did it stop? if you are still having episodes then the risk is still there, and you need to be anti-coagulated with something like warfarin.
So don't cancel any appointments, it may be a pain in the butt however you need to know what happened and why, and also reduce any future risk.
Be healthy
Ian
Put your hat & coat on and go to the appointments; it needs to be looked into and will give you peace of mind. Nothing worse that the stress of not knowing. Ask for all tests and all the info you can get....
take care
Nikki
I would urge you to go to your appointment. I delayed going to doctor as I thought just palpitations/ectopic beats - had never heard of a fib. I finally went to doctor and was referred to specialist who diagnosed and treated me and especially ensured I was on warfarin. He also thought I had two mini strokes as I had a couple of strange episodes with my eyes. However no damage so I was very lucky. I would say take the warfarin and you can then go on to look at what/why etc but stay on the warfarin. Marie
Thanks folks
2 years ago I had the electric shock thing
It seemed to work so after a month or so they discontinued the warfarin & I am on aspirin plus blood pressure tabs and statins.
I have had several episodes of breathless but wrote it off as part of my asthma issues. However this time for some reason I took my pulse and found the AF.
I wonder if I have had this intermittent AF for a while as not aware it existed until joining the site last week.
Thanks again.
why would you cancel your appoinment, you don't know what is really happening. I alway say the doctor knows best, the trouble with the nhs is that people who have appointment made for them but ( a, go ) ( b don't turn up) or ( c. decide to cancel at last minute ) the doctor made an appoinment for you for a reason, so don't cancel it, it is better to be safe than sorry/ I have had AF for the last 6 years,fortunetly it now occures every year to 18 month. I go to the warfarin clinic every two - three months on the advice of my doctor. so far so good. My advice is to leave your health problems up to the professionals
best wishes
Watchdog you are completely right about going for the appointment. However I can't share your sentiments about leaving your health care up to the professional s as I firmly believe that if I had done that I would have had a stroke by now. It's great if your care is being managed well but if not I believe you have to take responsibility for your own health hopefully with the help of a good doctor. However it sounds to me R1100S that you do indeed have a good doctor giving appropriate advice so do go and hear what they have to say. Good luck.
I'd agree very much with dedeottie. If I left it up to the doctors I'm not sure anything would have been done at all. I think it just depends if you've got a good one or not. Where I used to live they were very active and aware, but where I am now they don't seem to know much about AF, except it's not a problem so don't worry about it !! And if you haven't got it when you actually go to the pre-arranged appointment, and of course you haven't, then as far as they are concerned it doesn't exist. I've had to be quite pushy to get anything done. I really think someone less determined would still be sat at home accepting everything the doctor had said.
Doctors are just people and variable.
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