A question about heart rate.

[dedeottie]

Well, unfortunately my A.F. is now back with a vengance and with a little bit extra in the shape of a constantly high heart rate. Reckon there is enough to keep the monitor happy anyway! I went into A.F. At teatime yesterday and that lasted 12 hours despite starting my usual dose of flecanide . I think that has now gone but my heart rate is stuck at around 115. I've rung the arrhythmia nurses but have had to leave a message. I'm hoping that it will come down as the flecanide gets into my system. I can't take more bisoprolol as I have first degree heart block. I don't feel too bad so my plan is to keep taking the pills and see how I go. What do you all think? Hopefully the nurse will ring back at some point.

I'm not feeling quite so positive now! X

[Hidden]

Hi Dedeottie !

I wouldn't worry too much about your heart rate if you're feeling OK. It's not very high compared to what it could be. You may well be in Atrial flutter. This has happened to me after a bout of fast AF. This is sometimes an indication that you are going back into NSR ( or so I was once told on CCU ).

Keep pestering your arrhymmia nurse until you get proper advice !

Regards Sandra

[Rellim296]

Well, all caught on your monitor! But it's not what you want at all. So now it's not irregular but it is still fast, although not that fast. I think I'd sit it out and see how it goes and I imagine the rate will slowly drop. Or you will suddenly find you are back to normal.

Unwelcome episode, though pleasing to have it on the monitor.

Time for a treat of some sort, I think.

[dedeottie]

Thanks to both of you for your really helpful answers.

My A.F. was controlled by flecanide before the ablation so it's a double blow to find it is not quite so clever now.

Happy Joe, have you had a second ablation? I am down to have another but am hoping it doesn't continue to make it worse not better.x

[rosyG in reply to dedeottie]

Deodette I'm really sorry to hear this news- I wonder if your heart is playing up because of the disturbance of ablation- I'm not talking about the normal blanking period people discuss- it's just that when I had the first football match type episode of Af it seemed to take ages to settle after that - it's as if any interference sets up an irritability which takes ages to decline. I hope it starts to improve

Jo you seem to be having a very hard time but coping very well.

I hope they come up with a good treatment plan that eases things a bit more for you

[dedeottie in reply to rosyG]

Thanks Rosie. My Arrhythmia nurse has called me in for an e.c.g. tomorrow to discuss with E.P. on Monday as he is on holiday. What a joke since I've been wearing state of the art monitor for 8 days! There is no way of taking a reading from that as it has to be sent away, analysed in depth and then returned to E.P.

I think it could be electrical impulses firing through a gap in scar tissue.

Anyway, onward and upward. I am just carrying on as normal but not walking up any hills so as not to raise H.R. any further.

Maybe I will know more after the E.C.G.

Are you going to the conference? If so, I hope to see you there. X

[rosyG in reply to dedeottie]

Sounds a sensible plan- do take care- No I'm not able to attend conference this year- I will miss seeing people but am teaching on the Saturday and I've looked at the trains but can't get there until midday on Sunday

If ever you feel you could get to Waterloo, Ian's get togethers ( very close to the station) are great for catching up. Relim manages to get bargain tickets and come a distance!! It's great to see everyone

[dedeottie in reply to rosyG]

Thanks I will look into that.x

[dedeottie]

Hi Relim , husband says he is taking me out for tea. I don't much fancy,but have decided I may as well go and have someone else cook for me than sit and mope. I remember Bob and some others saying the first ablation made them worse though I don't understand why.

Hey ho, never a dull moment.

Looking forward to seeing you at the conference. I am travelling across on the day so hope the train isn't late. X

[Rellim296 in reply to dedeottie]

That sounds good. I'm hoping for a bit of P and Q on the AF front. I've had three sessions in eight days which is unusual as I usually have 6 weeks or more between one and the next. They haven't been fast (95ish) and they haven't been long lived. Just to be different, I've been much much better since my ablation and as you know I don't take flecainide, apart from four (might be five) PIP doses of 50mgs in the past year. No complaints! I do hope yours resolves speedily and the monitor has a dull time.

I'm off to Dublin for a few days and hope the heart behaves.

I'm arriving early on Saturday 3rd Oct and plans have gone awry so may be exploring the canal system for a while! I'm getting the train home on Sunday evening. Looking forward to seeing all & sundry. I missed lots of people last year because I didn't match noms de plume to names / faces.

[dedeottie]

Good luck with all that. You are an inspiration. You are also right ,we just have to keep going forward.x

[dedeottie]

Just an afterthought.......

Thank goodness I stayed on anticoagulation, otherwise I would have had that to worry about too. X

[Rellim296 in reply to dedeottie]

How nice to be so young! Good thing you reminded your EP about the TIAs.

[Rellim296]

You deserve a treat as well, Jo. Hope you have a good session with your EP.

[bear4ble]

Could try 200mg Co Enzyme Q10 and 1.5 to 2 grams L-Carnitine. Check out 1994 Scandinavian study. Sorry haven't got the reference at the moment.

[dedeottie]

I have now seen my arrhythmia nurse (E.P. on hols till Monday) she did another e.c.g. and was able to put my mind at rest over some things. My heart rate had come down to 106 and like you Happy Joe I seem to be able to manage ok with that. She confirmed that the rhythm was asupraventricular tachycardia and said it was a "very organised rhythm" which is apparently very common after a first ablation. I will almost certainly need another on to tidy up the gaps in scar tissue. I may need a cardio version while I wait for the second ablation but since they are not very successful with tachycardia I am hoping they just leave me as I am unless that rate is going to cause damage.

My E.P. Will be back on Monday as will the results of my heart monitor, so I will know more by the end of this week.

Our bodies are amazing things. At the start of the week, my new hearts New rate/ rhythm felt really challenging and now it all feels normal. I can see how some people on permanent A.F., can't feel it.

[bear4ble in reply to dedeottie]

I had to read Health Defence properly to understand what the doctor meant ( not what he was saying.) I try to take my own mwdications instead of hoovering the pills which have been thrown at me. Never give up!