Hi All
I haven't written for a while but read all your posts most days. I've gone into permanent AF for the first time today. Haven't seen th EP yet but my GP has sent him test results and he suggests I might have sinus node disease and bradycardia AF.
Can anyone enlighten me? Is there anyone else out there with a similar problem please? Everyone else seems to have racing hearts with AF but mine goes slowly and misses beats
Dear Glosbumble, yes I have permanent AF but my ventricles beat slowly due to sino atrial disease and some patches of disease within the Bundle of His. My cardiologist, when I transferred to The Brompton thinks my condition may be hereditary and thinks I may have had changes in my heart from my late teens/early twenties that was missed/misdiagnosed.
I know each of us is different and for me it turns out I shouldn't have had a cardioversion and for an extended period of time it made my arrythmia worse (one reason I transferred to The Brompton). I was advised the medics will need to monitor me for sometime to assess whether or not my condition is stable or progressive? The only medication I take is Rivaroxaban. I have been told I may need a pacemaker, but because ventricles not picking up all impulses I have also been told a pacemaker my not be appropriate for me. Investigations I have had include CT, MRI, Holter monitor over one and two weeks, echocardiogram, exercise stress test.
I am 57 and was diagnosed with the arrythmia in 2013. I suffered with constant chest pain and daily episodes of AF until the 6th March this year when I realised that a whole 24 hours had gone by without any symptoms! Apart from the odd discomfort things have remained stable. I am not sure what this is down to as I made several lifestyle changes earlier this year at the same time, based very much on information I gathered from this forum. I have changed my diet cutting out a lot of processed food and gradually losing weight; I started taking CQ10 and Magnesium. I also reduced alcohol from about 6 glasses a week to none or one or two and only with food. (Members point out changes should be done in conjunction/knowledge of your doctor).
I still suffer with fatigue but this has lessened considerably. I work full time which I never thought I would do again after three months sick leave in 2013, and keep fairly active doing yoga several times a week. Last year I went on a gentle walking holiday and have plans to travel again but sticking to low levels rather than anything too strenuous! I try and take care to pace myself and have found ways to better handle stress. I also did a CBT course to help address insomnia which I had suffered with for more than four decades and I am convinced this has played a part in improving my health.
Oops! Obviously got a bit carried away there. Hope my own personal experience is helpful. Wishing you all the best and happy to answer any questions my post may have raised.
Hope you might be feeling better. I don't know what your pulse rate is , but my AF has never been fast. I had a sow pulse rate to start, in the low 50's, and even in AF it rarelygoes above 70 .i also have plenty of ectopic activity and the space between beats can sometimes feel like an age. I recently had an ablation so can't say how when this will change but I don't think the slow speed is necessarily a cause for more or less concern, at least judging from my conversations with consultants. As always this isn't the place for medical advice but I hope you get an accurate diagnosis and some help. Do keep us informed. Good Luck. Bob
Hi All
Thanks for all the replies- it's good not to feel alone! Looks like I have a way to go but it sounds like my AF is similar to yours in its symptoms Bob. The GP is writing to the EP today so maybe my 1st appt with him scheduled for mid October! Will be brought forward now I'm in permanent AF
Hi, this may sound funny but my AF was only diagnosed after I went to the doctor complaining of a slow heart rate. It went down to around 34 bpm, this caused headaches and dizzy spells. In general I do little exercise but when they put on the 48 hr tape they discovered that when I washed the car my rate went up to 170 and when I did anything energetic like walking for 30 mins it went up to 175. It was then that I realized that the slow and the fast caused me the same problem, I had to stop sit down before I collapsed and wait until it passed. I had my first ablation 6 weeks ago and the slow rate has not returned, although i still get a few fast ones but they pass now after 30 -60 mins. When I was on the Bisoprolol my rate established at around 46 bpm. It now sits at around 62, before I had any treatment or medicines my heart rate was around 56 bpm. Not sure tat this answers your question but as other have said we are all different.
When this happens, it means that the biological pacemaker or sinus node, is about to expire. That means that you will need to have it replaced with a man-made pacemaker. At the same time, your doctor might try an anti-arrhythmic drug. I had the same problem, but now I feel great after my doctor implanted a pacemaker and gave me an anti-arrhythmic drug that has kept the AF at bay. Believe me, the pacemaker made me feel ten years younger at least right away. You aren’t at the end of the rope. A pacemaker might be the solution.
Hi,
Similar to you, over the last 12 months I was diagnosed with sick sinus node syndrome, Bradycardia, sinus node pauses, and AF. My main symptoms were also a slow heart rate, with pauses of 6seconds plus. I am 44. I had an ablation followed by a pacemaker being implanted 4months later (meaning I was allowed to drive again!) I still have PAF, thus am waiting for another ablation. I am not on anticoagulants due to the EP saying my overall stroke risk was low. I go into Af around twice a week for approx 8hrs per time and now I have the pacemaker can take flecainide. I hope my story makes you feel less alone and that by sharing other people’s stories you can learn lots of very useful information. Best wishes for your treatment
Kind regards, Becky
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