Symptoms?

[Arkwight]

So after my post yesterday regarding my diagnoses, I hope it's OK to start a new thread with a specific question. This way any answers won't get lost in all the very helpful advice I received in my post of yesterday.

The symptoms that lead me to visit the doctor was that strange headrush/dizziness you sometimes get when you stand up quickly which culminated in actually blacking out for a couple of seconds on Thursday morning.

Since then I haven't blacked out again, but still have that feeling of dizziness when I stand up to some extent or another.

An I to assume that as long as my heart beat is irregular, I will continue to get this feeling or could the dizziness stop but my heart beat still be irregular?

Hope that makes sense...

[farmerwalt]

Hi Arkwight, dizzy spells when you stand up are often caused by low blood pressure or the heart not pumping as well as it should. It can also be a result of medication that you are taking. I have been persistent AF for years and have to be careful when standing up or getting out of bed. When getting out of bed I sit on the edge of the bed for about 20 seconds and then stand up. The other important thing when standing up, from a sitting position, is not to rise too quickly. I don't get it all the time but still take care, just in case.

So, with you it could be something that will only happen occasionally, but if you are careful when rising up then hopefully it shouldn't cause too many problems. It would also be worth a visit to your GP to have your blood pressure checked. He/she should check it with you sitting and then get you to stand up and recheck it.

Hope that helps.

Walter.

[Arkwight in reply to farmerwalt]

Hi Walter

I had my blood pressure checked when I went to the doctors yesterday to find out why I had blacked out briefly the day before. My blood pressure was fine but that's when he discovered my irregular heart beat and did an ECG which confirmed I had AF. So I assume my dizziness is being caused by my heart not pumping properly because of the irregular heart beat as opposed to low blood pressure.

[BobD Volunteer]

You don't have to have AF to get dizzy when you stand up quickly. This is usually due to blood pressure dropping. It may be due to low BP thanks to AF but not everybody gets this. AF is a very mongrel condition and we all get different symptoms and experience different levels of those symptoms.

One may have an irregular heart beat with AF and be able to carry out one's normal life or one may be laid so low that one will need to go to hospital. Another occasion there will be little or no symptoms. Many people with AF are asymptomatic i e they feel nothing and only find out either during a chance examination or in some cases after a stroke has occurred due to that AF. There really is no generalisation and we all need to become experts on our own AF.

Please start as many threads as you like with any questions but also do check through the archives as many subjects have been covered. There are also some pinned posts which cover FAQs.

Bob

[BobD Volunteer]

Forgot to mention. If you have a drivers license you must not drive. If treatment stops the blackouts then DVLA may allow you to start again but please for now don't as even if you do not have an accident you are still breaking the law.

Bob

[Arkwight in reply to BobD]

Thanks for that Bob... I can drive but don't presently have a car. I do however have my beloved motorbike for which my wife had already confiscated the keys.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Arkwight]

Sounds sensible.

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I used to get that dizzy feeling when standing up but since my AF has been under control with Flecainide and Mg/CoQ10 supplements I don't seem to get it now. Good to get a positive out of AF.