PAF and flutter

[kazzyr]

Had to have a visit to A&E on 4th December as Af was going mad, after an ECG i was told that i have Atrial flutter in between Afib, does any one else have this? awaiting for Cardio appointment to be brought forward.

[rosyG]

I think it often precedes AF- it's easier to ablate if you eventually get to that route!!

[Froggy]

Hi Kazzyr - I had Han ablation last Thursday which dealt with (fingers crossed) both my AF and flutter in one hit. Apparently the flutter is the easiest to ablate even though the procedure is slightly different.

One of your options will probably be ablation but I am sure you will be given all the facts to make the decision which suits you. Good luck with the cardio meeting, it maybe that you see an EP after that or it could be that your cardio is also an EP?

Don't forget to let us know how you get on.

[kazzyr]

Thank you, when i saw my Cardiologist in october he changed my meds and said if that did not help then we will need to talk about ablation, the new meds (flecainide ) made me really unwell so my GP put me back on Dronedarone, which don't work. oh well we will see what happens, i find my symptoms get worse on Exertion.

[Dodie117]

I had ablation 4 weeks ago and after the event the ep said I had flutter as well as AF but they did both whilst they were in there. He never mentioned flutter previously so pleased they did both. I believe it is quite common for people with AF to get flutter as well. Marie

[meadfoot]

Hi, I have AFib, Atrial Flutter and SVT - greedy or what. Hoping for a suitable treatment plan discussion when I see EP in Feb. Meanwhile on Flecainide, Atenolol and Anti coagulant. Although I have horrendous attacks and become hospitalised I am not sensing any urgency by my EP. Sometimes I wonder if I am being sufficiently cared for. I certainly don't feel I am. 5 and a half years on I still have not been offered an ablation.

When the condition is acute I get immediate help from cardiology to stabilize me but then once attack has gone I am back on the same path as ever with little happening. Wondering whether to ask for a second opinion from another hospital.

[Ang3lc4ts in reply to meadfoot]

Hi Meadfoot, I have had PAF for 12 years and my Dr assures me there is no need to go to the hospital every time I have an episode and that it is not particularly serious! I got so fed up with these episodes that I insisted on seeing a Cardiologist, which I did and am due to have a 7 day monitor from 24th December. I am also taking Flecainide, Losartan, Doxazosin and Warfarin. I never realised how many sufferers have the same trouble getting the proper treatment. Let's hope you now get the treatment you deserve.

[jennydog in reply to meadfoot]

I am somewhat confused at the difference between AF and FLUTTER. My cardiologist says that I have classic AF. I have never had "palpitations" - it always feels like fluttering. I agree with the comments about having the correct treatment. I am shocked,now that I know the facts, that I should have been on warfarin 5 years ago.

[kazzyr]

I would ask for a second opinion, i have moved home so am now under a new hospital. I hope you get the help you need.

[CDreamer]

I have had pAF with flutter for some time and had an ablation privately 2weeks ago. I went privately because I waited 5months for an appointment with a cardiologist, eventually came through for 18th Dec. When I asked my GP if I could see an EP I was told there weren't enough around for everyone to get an appointment directly and evidently the route is through the cardiologist. Also there is no ablation offered at my local regional hospital, although they may start to do this shortly having acquired a 2nd cath lab. I have a friend who is on the waiting list to go to the next county for ablation, recently cancelled for 3rd time because of failed equipment. I take from this that there is a major lack of resources outside of the major cities and indeed if you research for an EP on the AFA site they are all grouped around the major cities. It really is postcode lottery, unless you go privately or risk being labelled 'difficult' patient. I think this is what is great about the AFA and their political campaigning for more awareness and resources. It seems to me as if we need to have more people pushing for better treatments at an earlier stage.

[Johnw in reply to CDreamer]

I know this is a difficult question to ask I too considered going private but the expense put me of eventually my symptoms got so bad I was transferred to oxford heart centre as a an inpatient my consultant at the local hospital new that was the only way to bypass the waiting list. Was the cost of going private affordable?

[CDreamer in reply to Johnw]

Hi John I was lucky enough to have insurance paid for by my company so I don't know. The initial consultation was about £200, including the hospital costs. I would imagine the ablation procedure would be £8-10k but that is just a guess. It is hi-tech and there were a lot so staff in the cath lab so I can't imagine it was much less. I was also in ICU for 12 hours with 1:1 nursing.

[Hidden in reply to CDreamer]

I was quoted 15k in 2008 sandra

[Dadog]

I'm confused by the term 'flutter'. Am I experiencing flutter now, I wonder? Following my cardioversion I am now in NSR, However, every night I go to lay down and if I lie on either left or right side, experience a broken heart rhythm. I can only describe it as a '1,2,3,4,miss,1,2,3,4,miss, etc pattern, quite heavy and continuous until I turn onto my back. I'll doze off and later can turn onto my side and invariably, everything is fine. Just don't understand this - and maybe worry about it a bit. Doesn't feel like my AF when it's active so must be something different?

[kazzyr]

As i understand it flutter to me is like mild palpitations feel deep in side my chest like butterflies but very fast.

[moustrap]

I am new on this site, I am not sure what i am doing I have had A F for about 4 years. I have been told a few months ago I have very slight H F, I am on all the right meds At my last check up with the cardo I asked the cardo if ablation would help he reply was we cant do that on you because you have no symptoms I dont have any symptoms It was discovered during a examination for something els.But it shoes up on the 24 hour monitor, and also when the take my polls, and all other examinations the have done, Has anyone else on hear been told this. Would appreciate some help.

[pip_pip in reply to moustrap]

Wha is H F ?

[moustrap in reply to pip_pip]

hart failure.

[moustrap in reply to moustrap]

hart failure

[pip_pip]

AF is Irregular and fast heartbeat. Atrial Flutter is a fast heartbeat only, which tends to stay at one speed. ie 144 for hours on end or however long the episode lasts for. Both conditions can exist side by side, that is you have a bit of both at different times. Like mine

I think that's the short of it.

[kazzyr]

HF may be it means Heart flutter???

[CDreamer]

The way it was explained to me was that AFib is an irregular, irregularity whereas AFl is a regular, irregularity. Both may be experienced as palpitations but AFib is in the left atrium whereas AFl is in the right atrium, which is why AFl is much easier to ablate. You can have one or the other or both. Without looking at my ECG I can't distinguish which I have through sensory input, but then I mostly have then together, starts with AFl then goes to AFib.

[fibbermagee]

hi everybody just joined AF association and was amazed at what i was reading having had a pacemaker inserted on 23rd sept i was diagnosed with afib 3 weeks later im 51yrs old and was always fit having played sports all my life so mentally having got my head around the pacemker and then having afib heaped on me was just to much i try to keep my spirits up as best i can but i cant accept it but i know i will in time the more i learn about it i am booked in to have a cardioversion once my INR reading hits 2 or above dont know what to expect does this work? am i cured? would love to get some feedback also while out of work at the moment i feel i can work and want to go back to work can anyone tell me is there any reason why i shouldnt be in work sorry about all the questions but where i am the health system is in financial metdown thats why its fantastic to have a website like this where one can ask learn and discuss looking forward to hearing from other AF sufferers many many thanks

[Hidden in reply to fibbermagee]

Hi Fibber -- Welcome to the forum.Re your question on cardioversion. There is no guarantee that it will work although it does for the majority. How long you will stay in sinus rhythm ( normal heart rate ) is another story.Some people only manage a few days , others many years.I had my eleventh cardioversion 3 weeks ago so I consider myself a bit of an expert ! I have been kept in sinus rhythm from 4- 5 years at the longest , often just 12 months & recently ( Jan this year ) only 4 weeks .I am still very optimistic every time I have one ( OK - perhaps slightly less so now , if I'm honest ). As far as the procedure itself goes, absolutely nothing to worry about. At my last one I was given a strong painkiller & heavy sedation & was completely unaware of it happening , which of course is the aim!

If you feel like going back to work & your doc has no objection then why not? Don.t become a prisoner to AF. There is no ' one size fits all ' in AF as you will see on this forum !

Best Wishes

Sandra

[Dodie117]

Hi fibbermagee. Welcome

There are people on here who will give you much more detailed/expert advice. My first point would be that you ask this question again on a separate thread as people may not see this tacked on to a different question.

Next, do not dispair. Everone on here felt like you do when they first realised they had Af. You have only just started on this road and you will find it gets easier. There are many treatments available and although they may not be cures you will find one that works for you and allows you to get on with your life. It is a very common condition and once you get your head round it and get appropriate treatment you will be fine. Marie

[fibbermagee in reply to Dodie117]

many thanks marie for kind words and support and realise this is just the beginning and have a way to go and with replies like it will make the journey that bit easier

[pip_pip in reply to Dodie117]

I hate to be a pessimist but I never found it easier. But thanx for making it sound easier.

[Dodie117 in reply to pip_pip]

As everyone says on here- we are all different. Sorry if you are having a bad time but I really do find it easier to deal with now that I understand more. Also I have recently had ablation and although still having episodes I remain optimistic that it will be successful. Marie

[Hidden in reply to Dodie117]

Hi Lallym

It's got "easier" for me since joining this forum, although easy is possibly not the word I'm looking for. I understand what is happening more and how to deal with it, and just knowing that other people have had the same symptoms, has made me less scared of them.

Every time I eat now, I expect my heart to wobble and don't even think about it, I learned that from this forum. And one of the biggies for me, was simply to learn that quite a large proportion of GP's don't really understand arrhythmias. Now I know that, I'm much more able to manage my GP, whereas before, I assumed they were always right and I was getting nowhere.

[fibbermagee]

its interesting to get peoples views on how afib affects people in different ways as the days and weeks go by im learning how to deal with these episodes where before i panicked and now by listening to my brain and to you guys im going to meet this thing head on pip pip sorry to hear you re finding it hard but stay positive marie love your optism and koll i have to agree with you about gp's my guy avoids me i think he's embarassed i try and see cardio nurse as much as i can now

[fibbermagee]

hi all thank you sandra its all becoming clearer now looking forward to having it done now you've explained it had my blood taken today 1.6 point four still to go before i can have cardioversion and i've spoken to my cardiologist about going back to work and he's given me the green light so all to play for in the new year