Reverting to Sinus Rhythm

[NJ47]

Hi all, before I start can I please once again thank everyone who has replied to my posts; both in words of advice and support. Thank you.

As you'll be aware from my 'Fed Up' post, I was discharged from hospital today following an emergency admission from my GP's surgery yesterday afternoon. (I only went in for advice lol, and ended up getting carted off to hospital).

In the last 3 weeks, I've had 3 AF Attacks. The first lasted 49 hours and then I reverted back to sinus, the second, a week later lasted 56, and the third started around midnight last Saturday, around 110 hrs ago.

I've tried all the usual tricks to get back into sinus, bearing down, coughing, breathing exercises, running up and down stairs etc all of which have worked in the past. Now they're not and I feel trapped in AF. Has my luck finally run out or are there any other techniques people have tried? I need Sinus just once more, as I'm NEVER going to push my luck beyond 30 hours in AF again. For the record, (we Brits tend not to talk about this much, lol), but sex works too!!

Your thoughts/comments please?

Thank you.

Nige

[Hidden]

Must not let my husband see this........

[NJ47 in reply to Hidden]

ha ha Yatsura, lol,..... but then again........

[Goldfish_]

As previously mentioned I'm a fan of "pill in the pocket flecainide " just 50 or sometimes 100mg seems to sort me out every time within 2 hours. I've been using this for 5 years now.

However your secret method sounds far preferable, but may encourage an increase in perceived recurrences!

[Hidden in reply to Goldfish_]

Its flecadide for me! Can you get a cardio version? The quicker they do it the more chance of success.

[NJ47 in reply to Hidden]

Can't be cardio-verted for 6 weeks, and yes, I'm scared I'm going to stay in permanent AF, hence asking the question. My medics want to keep me on my current drugs for now. One thing I have learned is that increasing Bisoprolol won't help. The body just gets used to it so you end up needing more to do the same job. Flecanide and Propafenone and certainly two options I'm looking at. Just desperately want to convert back. Never risking an attack over 30hrs without medical intervention again

[NJ47 in reply to Goldfish_]

So what do I do? Stop? No way, lol

[BobD Volunteer]

Basically NIge, sorry but there is no natural way of getting back into NSR. If there were do you think we would be taking drugs for the rest of our lives? Sad I know but true. Avoiding AF by life style changes stands the best chance of a better QOL but even that is never guaranteed. There are plenty of people with exemplary life styles who have AF. (I hasten to admit I am not one of them. ha ha ) We all need to manage our condition as best we can with the best advice from the best specialist.

[Annaelizabeth in reply to BobD]

Article in the Daily Mail this morning by Tom Uttley, it looks as though he is heading for an AF diagnosis, not sure he realises that yet!

[NJ47]

Thanks, Bob

[Goldfish_]

So are you still not taking any antiarrhythmic?

Is it just bisoprolol and anticoagulant?

[NJ47 in reply to Goldfish_]

Yes still Bisoprolol and Rivaroxiban. Discussing anti-arrhythmias when I see my consultant in 6 weeks

[Goldfish_ in reply to NJ47]

But you are still in af aren't you so I can't understand why you're waiting 6 weeks to make this decision. Why are you not on amiodarone, propafenone or flecainide now?

[NJ47 in reply to Goldfish_]

Amiodrone didn't like me when we tried a chemical cardio-version before and I foolishly missed a few doses of my main ones, (never again), so they want to see if it'll settle on its own I guess.

Thanks for pointing it out though. I'll get more information. Thank you

[P0rtnahapp1e]

NJ47 Glad to hear that you got sorted out. I swear they put something in the air in hospitals which makes you relaxed and carefree, or perhaps it's the relief that any decision making is out of your hands, and the worry of "will I, won't I" seek help has dissipated.

Perhaps you should market your newfound cure and advocate it as a preemptive measure. Great chat up line, although perhaps not suitable for A&E 😂

[NJ47 in reply to P0rtnahapp1e]

Ha, ha. Nothing's worked yet. Still in AF. Now 144 hours and counting. It'll be a week tomorrow. Guess I'll have to try harder lol

[Goldfish_ in reply to NJ47]

So after 7 days you will be classified as persistent af, no longer paroxysmal.

[NJ47 in reply to Goldfish_]

I guess I'm now officially Persistent AF then. It's now over the one week threshold

[Bagrat]

Strange how things that can terminate an episode can also start one ( Not that I'm alluding to the "s" word!!!) It's put dampener on our more intimate moments but as they say "There's more than one way to skin a cat"

[NJ47 in reply to Bagrat]

So true Bagrat, but some things you just can't say no to

[tibetan36]

Just have an AV Node Ablation.......that fixes everything lol!

[NJ47 in reply to tibetan36]

I guess that's next Tibetan

[achillesfib]

Im not sure if youve waited this long that you want to convert until your INR levels are adequate? Otherwise they will do a TEE to check for clots before cardio vert.

[NJ47 in reply to achillesfib]

I'm on Rivaroxaban so no INR needed and I wasn't offered a TEE. At what point should I go back and insist? I really don't want to have to wait 6 weeks

[PeterWh in reply to NJ47]

Hate to say this but ASAP.

If you can afford it then go privately for an initial consultation.

If your consultant is a general cardiologist then I would select an EP from the list accessed on the main AFA website (sort by those who do AF ablations and that will show EPs). Hopefully you can get seen this week.

If you can't afford it then go back to both your cardiologist and your GP at the same time and push for a quick referral to an EP for the reasons you have given and also say that it will become persistent which is a lot harder to rectify. Unfortunately unless you are very lucky you won't get an appointment as quickly.

If your consultant is an EP ask why.

It's not the end of the world if you join us lot in the persistent club!!!

[dmac4646]

Flecanaide may be worth asking about either as PIP or take every day - works for me.- used to have episodes every other day now 4/5 times a year.

[NJ47]

I'll see how things go these next few days dmac. Has anyone experienced a TEE. What are they like and is it safe?

[PeterWh in reply to NJ47]

It is a TOE not a TEE!!!

Yes and no problems at all. In essence a tube down the throat to see if any clots in the heart which can only be seen from the inside and can't be seen from the front of the body.