AF ? : Bit confused re AF. Which am... - Atrial Fibrillati...

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AF ?

George2467814 profile image
14 Replies

Bit confused re AF. Which am told I haveby GP and Hospital.so on 3grams Warfarin 1.5 grams Bisoprolol. My symtoms are not fast or racing heatbeat quite opposite slow irreg 3 /6 beats then missed beat carrying on usually worse at night.Have terrible bouts of burps regularly despie 15 g Lansoprazole daily and sometimes I can other problem with burps unsteadiness also feeling faint and then nausea....don't know whether this is AF driven or whether it's the stomach problem causing the irreg heat rhythm. Am 83 so I don't find it easy to get Gp or hospital to want to discuss things in detail at everything seems based these days on cost effectiveness and so I am not a priority which to a degree I can understand.when heart is beating steadily with out the missed beats it is usually about 65/75 per minute at rest.

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BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

Hi George. You can have slow AF which it sounds like. You can only really diagnose AF with an ecg which presumably you had in hospital. I think the clue is the burping etc which often goes with AF if there is a vagal connection as they are often linked. Which came first? Undoubtedly the AF.

Bob

George2467814 profile image
George2467814 in reply toBobD

Many thanks Bob D.......have had indigestion probs long before I was made aware of AF....but from reading comments from AF suffers most were concerned with rapid heart beats causing much distress whereas I was not aware slow irreg beat could also be AF.

Rellim296 profile image
Rellim296

AF (as I understand it) can vary hugely from person to person and can be slow or fast. It has characteristics visible on an ECG which include the absence of a P wave and irregularity in the rhythm is also a feature. The physical impact on the sufferer varies but we all have in common the stroke risk and the uncertainty and the dietary constraints resulting from a) trying to avoid what we believe to be triggers and b)complying with quirks of medication.

Age should not, I believe, hold us back from aiming for optimum heath, nor should doctors write us off as we grow older. Lots of people live to be over 100 and those (like you, George) in their early eighties could have 20 years ahead. If one appears to be happy enough as one is, doctors will not make an effort to improve one's lot but it can be well worth while aiming a little higher and asking what improvements might be possible.

George2467814 profile image
George2467814 in reply toRellim296

Rellim296 thank you. I agree with what you say and will continue to add to my knowledge and ask questions of my GP and Cardiac Unit at hospital in an effort to learn and hopefully resolve my problem.i have had several ECGs before being told I had AF. And the suggestion is if it becomes worse Zi can have Pacemaker...but some on here feel this is not a solution to AF.

Rellim296 profile image
Rellim296 in reply toGeorge2467814

Whilst things may not solve the problem, anything that improves your wellbeing is a big plus and worth pursuing.

George2467814 profile image
George2467814 in reply toRellim296

Thank you....so true.

George,

I had bad AF 24/7 but that was with the same heart rate I'd had all my life.

It would be good if you can get referred to an EP/Heart Rhythm Specialist just to make sure you're getting the right treatment. Maybe you've already seen one? They are the only ones who specialise in heart electrics. Mine changed my drugs to great effect.

Just a thought.

Koll

George2467814 profile image
George2467814 in reply to

Thank you. Will ask my GP if he can arrange this even if I have to pay rather than NHS.

in reply toGeorge2467814

That's what I did George. A private consultation cost me £150 I think, but there might have been two, can't remember. To say it was money well spent would be the understatement of the year. Some say that you have to be referred to an EP by a cardio, but I was referred direct from GP to EP.

I knew my GP wouldn't want me to have a referral, so I didn't ask her opinion, I just said I wanted one. I got it and the EP diagnosed AF which I knew was returning.

Koll

George2467814 profile image
George2467814 in reply to

Thank youGeorge

PeterWh profile image
PeterWh in reply toGeorge2467814

It was my GP who wanted to and did a direct referral to EP

George2467814 profile image
George2467814 in reply to

Many thanks will approach Gp and ask to consult with EP specialist as you suggest

jossikins profile image
jossikins

Hi, George,

Just for the record, I had a pacemaker put in place last October and it has improved my life no end. The AF is, apparently, still active but I am no longer aware of it. The pacemaker keeps my heart from going too slowly, but also recognised the need for a faster rate if when I am exerting myself. The only medication I am on now is Warfarin and my life has improved no end! By the way, I am 76, so hardly a spring chicken, yet I have had best of NHS care, slow but thorough and friendly. Best of luck. Jos.

George2467814 profile image
George2467814

Thank you that's very reassuring as your situation sound like my own.Did you see an EP or who decided you needed Pacemaker and what were your symtoms ....passing out or fait feelings ?

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