I just want to share my first real encounter with AF...I was officially diagnosed about 6 weeks ago,and iam waiting to go in for a cardioversion.Two nights ago I came in from work (iam a full time musician) it was roughly about midnight,I was making a cuppa suddenly heart went into overdrive,for the very first time I felt breathless,weak.and dizzy...I thought to myself what's this?...then started sweating profusely..my head,hair,neck,was wringing with sweat,then I could feel it spreading all over my body..crawled upstairs to lie down in bed...then I could feelin my stomach I wanted to be sick...crawled to the toilet and vomited violently...called out to my wife...I said phone nhs 24...I thought I was for "the off" felt drastic...the nurse on the phone sent for an ambulance after my wife explained the situation,tho she did ask if I has any pain in my arm neck or jaw etc..I said no..just sweating badly ,sick.and weak..while waiting for the paramedics,I took an extra 2.5 Dispaprolol...by the time they arrived say 15 mins,I felt better,my heart rate went down,but the offshoot was I was taken into A/E...they took blood etc.checked BP...bout half an hour later,young junior doc came in and said we will keep you in,blood test shows it might be a mild heart attack,but we will do another blood test in 6 hrs time ,can't really tell with one blood test..put me in a ward where I never closed an eye all night,(hard to get to sleep after a visit from Mr A/F)...took more blood at 9am...The duty consultant appeared lunchtime,she said the symptoms were caused by my heart being unable to cope with the sudden surge,and it didn't look like it was a heart attack,and then explained that AF was a very common condition reg. heart problems.and these can be relative symptoms of the condition,and the conclusion was to up the ante of the betablocker Dispaprolol to 5mg that in effect is doubling the dose
Is sweating,vomiting,dizziness,weakness,a common combination of your average attack may I ask...has anyone else experienced this kind of attack,and was it a regular occurrence.I don't fancy the idea of having a "time share" in my local A&E with these sort of experiences......Thanks Again ...Terry...
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You did not mention what your heart rate was when you went into AF but when I have had severe attacks I get up around 250 bpm so weakness and sweating are to be expected...nausea is just an added bonus!
I hope the increased keep it in better in check for you.
Probably the severity of the attack Lorna would make your mind up...tho to be honest this was a real nasty attack,but after taking the xtra med my heart rate did slow down quickly...it was only on the advice of the paramedics that I went into A/E..
What a dreadful experience! Not nice at all. AF isn't the same for everyone, and most of us don't have such severe attacks. The thing is, there might be a sort of a pattern but episodes don't go exactly the same way. But you have one, you survive, the medics learn and you learn. You have tests, your pills change. Next time you don't panic as much, unless it's worse than usual and after a while you settle down with a regime that suits or get referred for further treatment.
I thought I had all angles covered Rellim,but this attack came out the blue and very quickly...should know better the next time...will try not to panic Thanks.
The more it happens, the sooner it starts to be just an annoyance.
Yes!! This is exactly how mine started! Sweating so much that I could see the sweat dripping off my fingers! Was terrifying! Never felt so scared or ill! Luckily I have only had this maybe 3 times and now my heart just seems to go out of rhythm without those awful symptoms! I hope you feel better soon x
I get the dizziness and faintness, have to lie down immediately. Or I should say "I used to get ...." as I haven't had an episode since September. I have learnt how to control my AF with a beta blocker and flecainide. You will learn too, but in the meantime my advice is to ask questions, get your doctors to write everything down for you, and don't hesitate to call an ambulance or go to A&E if you're concerned. It will get easier!
Iam on Flecanide as well as dispropolol Ptotg...this is a new journey for me..hopefully will learn to live with it like all my friends on this forum have to..Thanks.
Had all that apart from the vomiting, poor you what a horrible time, hope you get it sorted,haven't been to my A and E (fingers crossed )since I had my pacemaker so that's a bonus!
AF is a very mongrel condition so everybody has their own private version. Many people have no symptoms at all and are quite unaware that they have AF until maybe they have a crippling stroke or it is found during a general check up.
Others (fortunately a minority ) have extremely violent symptoms such as yours and are unable to manage the condition on their own. needing hospital attendance. Unfortunately A and E staff are not always sympathetic to these poor souls.
Obviously in your case you must not drive until the symptoms are controlled as you would be breaking the law which states that you must not drive and must advise DVLA if you are incapacitated or distracted by AF which would be suggested by your description.
I never had fainting or blackouts during my AF journey but plenty of fatigue and on one occasion at the end of a very long and tiring day a little dizziness for a few minutes.
As has been said, read all you can from the fact sheets on the main AF Association website so that you can become your own expert. Check out your stroke risk as I am sure that you will have already been told that AF makes us five times more likely to have a stroke. There is a calculator on the website-- CHADS or CHADSVASC-- which feeds in various conditions and gives you a risk score. Since you are waiting for cardioversion I presume that you are already on warfarin so maybe this is irrelevant .
You will also surely understand that cardioversion is not a cure for AF but may give you normal synus rhythm for some time. How long is very individual.
Become proactive with your AF and seek the right treatment. An electrophysiologist is an expert in heart rhythm problems and if you do not get satisfaction from your local cardiologist then ask to see one. Ask ask and ask as many questions as you like. AF is scary as we all know but a problem shared etc.
Yes Bob iam on Warfarin,my specialist had me at 1 on the score...but said it was better to be on it to be safer...it is a mongrel condition,affecting folks in different ways..taking an episode like I had is very frightening,but at least forewarned is forearmed so to speak,in the event f another one in the future...Thanks Bobis input is as always valued and knowledgable Thanks..
You can't have a cardioversion without anticoagulation normally. If not then you must have TOE first to check for any clots in the heart. Need four weekly readings in range.
That's correct Bob...I'm checked weekly ,so when I hit the four. Weeks back to back in range..I expect I will get the Cardioversion I will need to call the Specialist's secretary to give it the "hurry up" I'd expect..Cheers Bob.
At the very least ask for a holter monitor, for 24 or 48 hours.
As a musician I imagine you are used to feeling the vibrations of loud music in your body. There are people who think that can bring on heart rhythm changes including AF. I have experienced the feeling myself. There's also a recent post from a lady in Canada who was at a music festival and her AF had come back after being absent for a while. Coincidence? Maybe not.
There are cases of people with irregular or fast heart rate who revert to normal rhythm by just listening to regular heart beat sounds.
A way of knowing what your heart beat/rate is doing, is to check on an 'Alivecor' device attached to your phone (many of us have them, I think they're fantastic).
Hi Fallingtopieces....your musical angle is a thought,..but prob a little bit out the ball park...funnily enough when iam playing,i can the odd time feel the flutter,it's when iam not playing the flutter is far more noticeable,especially at rest,and at night time..alivecor will def be on my agenda shortly,..as far as magnesium.. that might be worth looking into...I see a lot of talk about it on the forum..Thanks
Yes once, plus extras! I had small amount of fluid around my heart so that may have affected it. My advice is same as for a heart attack, do not lie down flat as your heart works better if you are propped up.
I am sorry you had such a horrible experience but I hope with help from the medics and advice from AFA and this forum it will be the last time.
Terry, when I see what you went through it made me think my a fib is not too bad ,I don't feel my heart thumping no sweating no symptoms: when I was waiting for my cardioversion back in feb,, I was on 10mg hope everthing goes well for you and try a not to stress (easier said than done)
How do Terry, steady on with what happens next, there isn't a hurry. I have been Afib for 4 years, controlled now with flecainide. It works well, and keeps me out of trouble. Remember as well, the condition isn't curable, just manageable. An ablation may well remove the symptoms for a while, maybe years, but they will return. There is lots to think about, and many decisions to make, but make them based on what you know about you, not what others think you need to do,
Hi Terry..well the blood tests didn't show up a thrombosis as far as I know..the doc explained my heart is a sponge...and it was just over-run with the rapid heart beat...my blood pressure was normal when the paramedics checked it...the mobile ecg they done at the house showed up the flutter in the reading...nothing else...so fingers crossed...Thanks
Hi Eleanor...well your the second reply that did mention that loud music can set it off..you know,I may just monitor my situation at my gigs...I play six gigs weekly..have done for a good number of years...maybe just maybe it could be a trigger...even physchologicaly...who knows...tho to be honest since I have been diagnosed and given medication..Flecanide and Dispaprolol I feel sometimes it has kinda "rattled" it...my heart went into normal rythmn itself before I started the Med...since I started Med.i don't feel it has went back into a normal rythmn at all...the medication just seems to "Mask" the symptoms.you know a sort of dull heart /skips /beats...then an attack like I recently took...bang!......but we are all different ...Thanks Eleanor.
WHAT I meant to tell you,I have been prescribed Flecainide as"Pill in The Pocket"I have to take 3x100mg all at once only when an episode comes on,this puts my heart back in rhythm within 40 mins to 2hrs,wonderful drug for me,
Using it this way ,have not had an episode since 1st March,touch wood!!
Hi Terry. Sorry to hear you had such a violent episode. I too experience violent AF episodes with the symptoms you describe. My EP has told me that because my AF seems to be vagally mediated (triggered by the vagus nerve), that is why the vomitting snd sweating can occur. As for the dizziness, i definitely get that more when i am in atrial flutter as my heart goes very fast when in flutter and i have pauses of 3 seconds. The dizziness and feeling about to pass out is horrible. I am sure that together with your EP you will get to the bottom of it and get it controlled. I have a high threshold for attending A and E as I am in arrythmias for several hours a day but if i have violent episodes like this I am straight to A and E or 999 as it is just intolerabe to be so physically compromised. I always find the staff in A and E to be amazing and in fact have told me off many times for sitting it out at home for too long. I am always treated as a priority when admitted like this owing to the heart rate. See, you have to make sure your BP doesn't suddenly drop or pauses get too long. Look after yourself and Best of wishes with everything
Thanks Vony...had my cardioversion thankfully,now on Bispropolol 7.5 daily..and 2 x 100mg Flecanide,plus the Warfarin of course...the beta blocker def slows you down..but that's a small price to pay to keep the AF at bay...so far so good...All the best to you...Terry.
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