Does anyone else get breathless with ... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Does anyone else get breathless with AF? I have good days and bad days.. Is anyone else like me? I'm 37 Diognoised with PAF last Oct.
Is it the tablets? I cannot remember the breathlessness prior to beta blockers - Bisoprolol is a particular culprit. The problem with AF is that the symptoms evolve - they get worse and there are different treatment strategies. When I was first diagnosed I was asked to describe my symptoms. I remember saying that it felt as if the oxygen wasn't getting round my body.
Hi jennydog, I've had the breathlessness all the time! I went to my GP last sept because of AF(which I didn't know what it was at the time) and the bad beathlessness and I was the same I did feel like I was getting enough oxygen. I felt like I needed some oxygen! But when checked I was 100%! I still get it now everyday but some days are worse then others. I am on bisopralol but only since march but still get breathlessness! I'm getting fed up with it all! Does the condition AF get worse? Do we deteriate? I'm not sure i ever want an ablation!?!? Help! :0(((((
Hopefully you will get better advice on this site than I can give. My experience is that it has got worse but it's also different. I have been tried on 4 different beta blockers - atenolol, Amiodorone, atenolol, Soltolol, Bisoprolol and now calcium channel blocker. It's very experimental. I have a rhythm problem but not a rate problem. Bisoprolol was OK to start with but the breathlessness became awful. I would willingly have gone back to atenolol for the 3rd time .
I am to have an ablation in August. I have read many accounts of the procedure here and have decided that I will regret it if I don't take the chance. Bob says that it isn't as bad as tooth extraction. AF restricts me too much - I am fed up with not knowing when it's going to happen and feeling below par for much of the time.
If you have not already seen a Cardiologist then I feel that you should do so. Monitoring of your heart will be arranged to see what's happening. You will need to push for some progress. Don't put up with lack of progress. Good luck.
W
Hi Jomack I used to have to sit up at night because I couldn't get enough air lying down which I didn't know at the time was caused by af. I have had 2 ablations and no longer have problems breathing at night time.Please try not to worry about ablations they are a fairly routine procedure and can as in my case produce great results
Hi Jomack - I too get the periods of feeling breathless and at the same time everything feels like too much of an effort to do. I'm also familiar with the feeling of not getting enough oxygen into my lungs when I breathe in.What we have to put up with! I've had two ablations and have to say I thing they have helped me a lot.
For me it's when I go up hill I get short of breath, but it's not every time, I just get the feeling of slowing down until I have to stop. It's like walking against a wind tunnel. I also can sometimes feel the lack of oxygen feeling at night, it wakes me up, I have found changing the side of the bed and sleeping on my right side has helped this. I take 160 mg of Sotalol a day and I can't be certain if it's a side effect of this or a symptom of AF. So I am pushing for a referral to a cardiologist soon. I am sur you will find a solution . Take care x
In the new AF guidelines Soltalol is not recommended as treatment for AF
Eileen
It helps so much to hear that others have the same symptoms. I feel like I became an old person so quickly. I feel guilty being tired and that things feel like too much effort. This is a great group. I appreciate all the sharing.y
In my 8th AF year and some days are better than others. Some days I get more breathless as the day progresses, some days I wake up breathless and others I feel great.
Jomack please read the FAQ on the main page under Posts and be assured that ablation is nothing to worry about. I had three before my AF was fully sorted and you should know that AF is ALWAYS a progressive condition. Many specialists believe that early intervention by ablation stands the best chance of a good result and at your age do you really want another fifty years of drugs?
Bob
Hello Jomack - my breathlessness, wobbly legs and tiredness are almost worse than my PAF at times. I too have good days and less good days, but I blame Bisoprolol for some of the wobbles. When I feel well, I tend to 'do too much' - so, for me, the secret is moderation and letting my heart catch up with me!
If I am offered an ablation, I'll jump at it and I'm almost twice your age!!!
Hi I too am beginning to think Bisoporol is the worse culprit for these feelings. The AF on its own was do-able. Im expecting cardioversion soon so wont change anything at the moment but after whether results good or bad, I will ask to come off of them. My heart rate was not fast just irregular.
Hi Jomack.
The reason i went to the doctor all those years ago was becos my breathing was getting so bad. He found my heart was running fast (200) and that was when I was diagnosed with AF.
Phil
Hi, I'm 38 and have had PAF for 4 years. I was on medication and warfarin for the first year, tried all the favourites sotalol, bisoprolol, digoxin, flecainide. During that period I wasn't myself at all, felt like my life was over, no opinions, no energy and very breathless. Just felt like I was swimming through tar. I moved house to be nearer family so I could get help with my son and with that came a new consultant and he took me off everything, including warfarin because I'm low risk because of age, weight etc. I came back to life! I now have a 'pill in pocket' treatment and take flecainide when in AF. I have been so much happier since, when my heart is normal I feel normal and when in AF I just take flecainide and deal with it but so happy to no longer be in that constant fog. It takes time to work out the right treatment for you, everyone is different and responds differently to different medication.
