Hi

[Susiemac21]

Hi , Im new to all of this, and whilst i havnt been exactly diagnosed yet !, i have experienced a few episodes of perhaps not quite dizzy spells but feeing hot with palpitations, with a feeling i may blackout, these feelings last only seconds and can leave me with a sore head and neck also wind... and have happened about 4 times , they have felt a bit like sunstroke which ive a had a couple of times over the years on holiday, because i really dont drink enough water, and i dont at home either !!. i can get up in the morning take my losec with a small amount of water then work for 9 hours without drinking anything at all ( i can hear you all screaming) perhaps having a small glass of water at lunch time, 2 weeks ago i was at work i hadnt felt well but just had a cold i suddenly felt i would pass out l took a bit longer to recover but carried on, once i had finished work i walked home, well i tried to walk home feeling faint and ill with every few steps, i managed to get to my doctor who thankfully is close by, and was given an ecg which was abnormal bpm were 155 i was sent to hospital and was in for two days, the doctor mentioned AF i have never heard of it before, she called the hospital to say i was coming and she mentioned this to them, next day i was told i had flu and the infection had caused the Af, i had a check up today at Gp, she said because i have had palpatations before i may have AF but at the moment my heartbeat is fine, im on the mend from the flu still feeling tired, but im due to go to Athens on the 22nd , my Gp just said oh well go and take it easy and if it happens again there are hospitals in Athens !! and said i shouldnt have any alcohol incase it makes my heart race again. so do i go on holiday for 4 nights or should i cancel as i feel a bit scared this may happen again.? thanks for reading and sorry for droaning on ! .

[Uttled00]

Go and enjoy yourself but take heed of the advise about alcohol which is a known trigger for AF.

As Bob always says AF is part of your life not your whole life.

[jossikins in reply to Uttled00]

I agree! The holiday will probably do you a lot of good. I have had AF for a few years, although it is presently in check following an AV ablation and pacemaker before Christmas. There were times when I worried about when and where I was going to have an attack but overrode that with the knowledge that, however unpleasant an attack, it wouldn't kill me. I had one, a few years ago, on my second day in Mumbai, when we were preparing for a day of sightseeing, the icing on the cake on the last few days of an amazing Indian holiday. That was scary, since I was in a foreign place, but I managed to hold it together and eventually it passed and I was able to enjoy what such an amazing city has to offer the visitor. If I had stayed in my hotel room and not ventured out, I would have missed the best part of that holiday and the experience of my lifetime. So try not to worry - just accept the AF as a part of your life, something of a nuisance and an occasional inconvenience that is treatable, and focus on the good things about being alive.

[BobD Volunteer]

I agree that you should go, but from your history I'm not sure I would agree you have AF Much more likely that you are getting dehydrated !! Whilst you may have had a short AF event as a result of this I suspect that provided that you change you life and drink more water then you may not have another for many years if at all. We need at least two litres of water a day and I don't mean tea or coffee as they can actually dehydrate you. This can cause palpitations , headache and flu like symptoms and make one very ill. The last time I experienced it was at a race in Italy when the ambient was 34 degrees and I suddenly realised I hadn't had a P all day. As a general rule your water should look like dry white wine. If it looks like Lucosade then you are dehydrated ad need to drink more.

[Hidden]

I am bad at drinking enough - I have got myself a cute little water bottle I just fill from the tap and sip when I'm thirsty. One thing AF makes you aware of is that you need to look after yourself well, otherwise it comes out to play! I hope you have a great holiday, take care and have fun.

[Susiemac21]

Thank you all for your very kind and very helpful comments, i am still recovering from the flu which the hospital told me i had 2 weeks ago today... im feeling better each day and the trip is a week away, i have thought about it and would like to go, being a nervous flyer anyway, i know my heart will race as im terrified of flying even though i fly 2 or 3 times a year, perhaps its an age thing and scared that my anxiety may make me worse, i have line from work but as my holiday as been booked for many months im hoping they will let me go, at least i should be grateful for the fact i can go ! thank you all again for your most helpful comments they have helped me a lot .