EP

Over Easter, I have been in email contact with an EP at my hospital! I'm so pleased. I am going to arrange a private appointment with him. I'll be phoning tomorrow. My episodes of AF are now daily, either mid-evening or early morning. I feel like I've been kicked in the chest by a horse! Last night was bad, I had actual chest pain, with slight heaviness in my left arm. I used my sublingual spray and this helped to stop the pain. After that, it was 'normal' type AF...lasted for 5 hours. On the advice of the EP, I am going to my surgery tomorrow. My diuretic tablet was stopped on my last stay in hospital in Feb and now my feet and ankles swell every day. He wants me back on the diuretic from tomorrow. My cardiologist stopped me from taking Amiodarone last Aug, because I was so ill with it. I'd been on it for over 3 years and apparently, patients are'nt supposed to stay on it long term. So why was I? I was'nt put on an alternative, because we agreed I'd try without and see how I got on. If AF came back, I'd be given an alternative, but I havent been offered anything and the episodes are so frequent now, its exhausting me. I'm breathless more frequently, too...hence my decision to go private, at least for an initial consultation. Any physical treatment and I would have to go NHS.

10 Replies

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  • Fingers crossed they get to the bottom of it and come up with a better plan than you've had already!

  • Well done Margar for taking control You have made the first step towards a better life. No doubt you will be offered ablation in which case take it. I know I know it's been said before that if you go to see a carpet salesman he will sell you a carpet. But if that is what it takes so be it.

    Bob

  • Thanks, Bob. Maybe now, I'll get the treatment I feel I should have had a long time ago.

  • Great news, margar - I hope all goes well with your consultation.

  • Thank you. As we had to cancel our holiday, I'm using some of the money saved to pay the private fee...it'll be worth it...I hope!

  • dear Margar, wishing you all the best when you see your EP and that you get your questions answered and your medication sorted out.

  • Thank you, Bryonny, I hope so, too.

  • One thing about diruretics is that you may lose Potassium, which won't help AF, so make sure they have considered this with your medication.

  • I was on frusemide before my last hospital stay in Feb. They stopped it when they increased the strength of Bisoprolol at that time. But swelling feet is indicative of raised blood pressure, so that's why the EP recommended that I go to my GP.

  • I think the sooner you see this EP the better. Can't answer any of your why questions only say that this is not an uncommon story in my area. Quite a few people on this forum saw an EP privately and then were treated on the NHS. Even if you go privately for treatment such as ablation or pacemaker you will not get it sooner than you would on the NHS locally as there is limited to access to the cath lab.

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