Length of AF episodes

[Lindabob]

So having an episode of AF that lasts for 3 days or so, does that make it quite severe, mild, average? They completely exhaust me and I find I can't do much at all. Any observations?

[jennydog]

My episodes tend to last 6 hrs or so. I can hopefully sleep them off. I have, though, woken up with AF which is why I take 2.5 bisoprolol at night. Since my ablation my episodes are much milder and I do not have to take to my bed.

To confuse things further, I had a 7 day monitor fitted and it showed a 36 hr episode which did not square with my event diary. BUT my EP had said that he thought that I was having more AF than I realised,

Many people have no awareness of arrhythmia. We're all different. SEVERITY is the crucial factor.

Best wishes.

[Lindabob in reply to jennydog]

Thanks jennydog, they have never managed to catch anything on a monitor, but they had 24 hours worth on the monitor by my bed while I was in A and E. Still not sure why they need to catch it again... Thinking of getting an Alivecor.

[jennydog in reply to Lindabob]

I have been very critical of monitors. I have had 3 fitted over the years, all for 7 days. Before the last one they had suggested a 48hr one but I refused - it was 7 days or nothing. This proved to be the right decision as it picked up one episode on day 4, during the night.. It was a loop monitor which was essentially a permanent ECG which I did not have to manually trigger.

Perhaps I was lucky as I have presented to both the Cardiologist and EP in full- blown sweaty AF ( probably stress-related as I can go months without problems )

[baba in reply to Lindabob]

Could you go to your GP surgery or A&E to get an ECG done when you are having an episode? And get a print of the ECG for your records and to show to doctors at future appointments.

[Lindabob in reply to baba]

I did that many moons ago... I have a sneaky feeling they are keeping me at arms length until I jump up and down and make demands.😄😄. Won't be long now😁

[BobD Volunteer]

What makes it severe is of you have black outs, chest pain or similar. The length of episode is not relevant.

[Lindabob in reply to BobD]

Ah... Not so bad then, I just feel wobbly and a bit lightheaded at times. thanks Bob 😊

[Jason1971]

Hi Lindabob, Last year I suffered from episodes lasting from 12 hours to 4 days. My symptoms were not severe, so I just rode them out. Things picked up a little after that and since my ablation the recent episodes I have experienced have only lasted no longer than 20 mins.

[Lindabob in reply to Jason1971]

Thanks Jason, that's encouraging😊

[Hidden]

What is your heart rate during these episodes Linda ?

[Lindabob in reply to Hidden]

It was up in the 120s when I was in A and E , not too bad, but I do t know what other have been, probably about the same I guess.

[jeanjeannie50]

My heart can go berserk for months until I can get fitted in for a cardioversion.

[Lindabob in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Blimey😳😳😖😖

[Francis43]

My last episode lasted almost 10 days, just unpleasant and slightly scary, not high heart rate, just very uneven - plenty of time to see GP and then cardio who wanted me to add amiodarone to my pill cocktail. He said the side effects were minimal except for sunlight and liver tests. I downloaded the maunufacturer's leaflet and did not like the sound of it at all, plus I found that my simvastatin dose should only be 20 mg not 40mg when taking amio which the cardio never mentioned, indeed as I take diltiazem it should have been cut to 20 mg 3 years ago according to government drug safety update 2012. Back to GP and she said amiodarone is an old fashioned "dirty" drug which hits too many parts of the body besides the heart rate and as I have chronic leukaemia anyway she backed up my decision not to take it but said the cardio would not like her saying so! Altered my simva dose immediately. All this excitement put me back into sinus rhythm before I left her! Cardio was duly unamused. GP is in her late 30s and cardio has been a consultant for 30 years and says he has about 200 patients on amidarone without problem. I have only had very few AF episodes since they started 2 1/2 years ago - GP diagnosed it straight away and got me to haematologist pdq for heparin injections and warfarin. It does seem to me that a wide cocktail of pills may do a great job for some and be very necessary but for others they can combine badly in the body and make me feel lousy. Sorry to be so long winded!

[mikeymike7]

Hi Lindabob, prior to my ablation, my AF periods lasted between 48 hours and 12 days. They came entirely at random and I felt very tired when they were occurring. Was on sotalol, which kept the rate to between 90 and 110, which was mostly manageable. Went to bed for long periods when feeling rough. Since the ablation in January, I had an AF attack of two hours a week later and then another short-lived one in June. Still get ectopic runs which can be energy sapping but these seem to have diminished too. Main problem is my continued anxiety, but even this is diminishing. Been down the flecainide(IV and tablet), bisoprolol, amiodarone route + at various times aspirin, IV heparin and warfarin. Never had an electrical cardioversion. The flecainide worked well for a year at 100mg in the morning and 100mg at night but was contraindicated following a scan. The beta-blockers kept the rate down, but bisoprolol was not one I got on with at all. The amiodarone doses were "one-offs" in A&E, didn't like what I read on the internet! Episodes started as infrequent five years ago, then got gradually more frequent and longer lasting. The PVI cryoablation has given me hope! It has been brilliant so far and I regret not having had it done when first offered four years ago but I was totally psyched out by the whole thing and hoped it would all just go away! At the moment I am drug-free but have sotalol as a PIP, mainly for peace of mind but I would take it without hesitation as I got on with this one OK.

It's a really crap disease! (Mind you, most diseases are!!)

[Thomas45 in reply to mikeymike7]

Initially mine would last up to about twenty hours, and happen up to 5 times a week. When I was put on Amiodarone they reduced in length but not frequency, and I also had chest pains and feelings of panic. After 10 months I was put on Flecainide and they reduced in frequency and length. As the Flecainide dose was increased - I've been on 150mgs twice a day for the last 7 years - they are few and far between. I can't remember when the last one was although can remember it lasted 2 hours, while the 3 before that lasted from onset to going to sleep (about 30 minutes). That's 4 episodes in about 2 years.

[Lindabob in reply to mikeymike7]

It's an amazingly random condition, and everything i read of people's experiences, it seems we are all very different. Thanks for taking the time to reply 😊

[cherylbyrd]

All Afib can be severe, no matter how benign it may seem. My husband, Bob, had seen cardiologists from time to time over the course of several years because he occasionally experienced short periods of a rapid heart beat, and they never detected Afib. But last year he had a stroke attributed to Afib, and after he had been out of the hospital for about three months, he wore a 14 day monitor which picked up Afib about 13% of the time. He did not usually realize when he was in Afib and often episodes occurred when he was asleep. So my advice is to take any Afib seriously. And if you think you have a problem, don''t take no for an answer. Bob had two cyroablations at the same time three weeks ago - one to ablate thee five pulmonary veins causing Afib and the other to ablate atrial flutter - which was discovered after the first procedure was underway. They took about 3.5 hours. He is doing well and seems to now be free of these problems. He'll know for sure when his heart has had 3 - 6 months to completely heal. As far as I can determine, cyroablation in the hands of an experienced EP is more effective than other types of ablation. I am surprised at the number of UK folks who have had more than two ablation procedures. Bob's EP in Fort Myers, FL USA has an impeccable record and an outstanding reputation in the medical community here..

[Lindabob in reply to cherylbyrd]

Wow, that is quite a journey, again unique. I am so pleased he well and improving, thanks Cheryl 😊

[Emsysy]

Wait until you are in permanent AF !

It's better then. Just forms part of your daily life and you don't have to worry about episodes any more or if and when the arrythmia will start up again.

Seriously, get your rate controlled with the right medication; forget about the rhythm and just get on with life as normal (hopefully).

[Lindabob in reply to Emsysy]

I'm too young for all this crap, I shall go down the ablation route first and see what happens😊

[IsobelBrown54]

Hi Lindabob,

You don't mention if you are on any meds or have seen cardiologist or EP etc.

My last episode lasted for 3 weeks, but was not too symptomatic after the first few hours. I take beta blocker, blood pressure medication and and anti coagulant. On my first visit to my EP he prescribed a 'pill in the pocket' for me to take the next time I go into AF, which he hopes will return my heart to sinus rhythm, but that was 4 months ago and so far, touch wood, I haven't had another episode, so haven't tried the PiP. It seems episodes in different people can last anything from a few minutes to being permanent, but the important thing is you see the right specialists and are given the right medication for you.

Good luck,

Isobel

[Lindabob in reply to IsobelBrown54]

I am on Bisoprolol and rivaroxaban. Cardiologist suggested PIP with Bisoprolol, doesn't work I'm afraid.

At the moment my episodes are lasying 3 or 4 days every 3 weeks or so. It's getting progressively worse, breathless and feeling faint at times and totally exhausted. It's a bugger😕

[yanbart]

Hi Lindabob. Just read your post. My episodes last 3-4 days and happen every 3 weeks or so like you. Not so long ago I could set my clock to the middle of each month, but now I fear that they are becoming more and more frequent with time. Yes, I agree it really is a bugger! Take care, yan