I have been on sotalol for several years now (I am 47 and had my first episode of PAF in 1997), and my usual "episodes" last for a few seconds only. However, at 1 a.m. on Christmas Eve I started abruptly into an irregular rhythm. I thought I would see how it was in the morning as I didn't want to rush off to A and E unnecessarily. In the morning it was still happening. Bearing in mind that my usual episodes last a few seconds, I was still reluctant to make the trip to the hospital as I was pretty sure that by the time I had traveled down to the hospital and waited the usual two hours plus, I would have dropped back into sinus rhythm.
By nine o'clock in the evening on Christmas Day, it was still happening, so I rang the NHS line for advice. Their advice was to get to A and E within the hour. I didn't do this as by the time I'd changed from my happy Christmas outfit into the scruffs of someone who might be hanging around in a hospital for several hours, I found I had gone back into sinus rhythm!
There were then a number of tears on my part. I started to question my sanity, I started to wonder whether I'd imagined the whole thing (despite my husband having listened to my chest and confirming my fears), wondered whether despite my feeling like I wasn't letting it stress me that it was all stress-induced and it the mere thought of going to hospital calmed me down and made the heart revert to normal.
Should I have gone to A and E? What would any of you have done? I haven't been to see the GP to report it, should I?
I was discharged from the cardiology department at Glenfield Hospital a couple of years ago as I was largely asymptomatic.
Emma
Hi Emma, I've had AF since the 90s as well, mine started once a month then once a week then into a continuous cycle of 2 days of AF then 2 days fine, I can set my clock to it. I've now had my 3rd ablation and alls been well for a week so I'm hoping it works this time. I've never bothered going to A&E even though sometimes I've felt like it, I think its a personal choice really but I always knew I would come out of AF after a couple of days, I think your festive bout of it could be down to the usual Xmas stress and excess maybe so I wouldn't worry too much but if it happens again then certainly tell your gp or pay a visit to A&E if it makes you feel better, take care.
Christmas was a very quiet and stress-free one for us this year, and I barely drink alcohol and am trying to lose weight so I really don't know what the trigger was!
Hi Emma. I think next time it happens you should get to A and E just so that you get an ECG of the af then you should get back to seeing an EP . You should not have. A to waitrt as cardiacpatients usually go straight in. Alternatively you could dial 999 you would get a tracing without necessarily going to hospital