Not Afib after all

[Gilldy]

Hi - ive been on this group for s few months now and have found it informative and supportive. Today I saw a different stroke consultant- a breath of fresh air after the last one. He says there is no evidence of me having Afib - the 24hr ecg did not show it although the last consultant said it did. The difference here was that he showed me all he scans and talked me through them. He said that the anticoagulants I have been taking for the last 3 months won't have been protecting me from further strokes and to go back on clopidogrel and aspirin asap. Those of you who've seen my other posts will know i have struggled with allergies and intolerance to to warfarin and NOACs so i am relieved to be off them but worried as to how safe I will be on aspirin anc clopidogrel. He sent me for an angiogram so he could see what is happening with my arteries in head and neck and I'm waiting for a phone call this afternoon with the results. Not sure whether to be worried,relieved or what.

[Bagrat]

I can understand you having mixed feelings about this new information. Considering the problems you have had with your allergy problems with anticoagulants I would certainly feel relieved but a little confused! If he explained it well and you have confidence in him that is a step in the right direction. Aspirin and clopidogrel are accepted treatments when the risk of a clot is not caused by AF. and it is reassuring to have ha d an angiogram.

[Goldfish_]

Seems odd that 2 consultants said differently about your 24hr ecg. Do you think the first was wrong?

[Gilldy in reply to Goldfish_]

Hi - yes sadly I do - i have thought all along that he wasn't interested and didn't pay attention. Also I have never had any symptoms. Having said that you obviously believe them when they tell you you have it and it's s bit unnerving now - I should have taken my warfarin an hour ago and it doesn't feel right. I think the first consultant was looking at someone else's notes. I shall definitely put a complaint in.

[Goldfish_ in reply to Gilldy]

I suspect he was trying to help, but if an error was made it can be helpful to clarify. It would have been easier for him to say there was no af as no prescription or explanation would have been required. Presumably you must have had some symptoms for a 24 hr ecg to be requested?

It would be helpful to understand it all as it doesn't quite all add up

[Gilldy]

Hi - i had a stroke at the beginning of August so that's why I had the 24hr ecg - the 2nd consultant showed me this ecg and said he couldn't find any evidence of afib. The first consultant said it showed six runs of afib. One of them is wrong.

[tibetan36]

Get a third opinion........to me that's playing around with your emotions let alone your life!

[Gilldy]

Do you know that's exactywhat my daughter (a sister on a@e) said. I think you're right.

[Paddinton]

I think an exact diagnosis can be difficult. I got one from my GP (SVT), one from the local cardiologist (Atrial Flutter degenerating to A Fib). and from the specialist at Freemans, AVNRT. The last two from the same ECGs. The last one also admitted it could be something else, but they can check that when I'm in for an ablation so they ablate the correct area.

Best of luck with your results.

[Gilldy in reply to Paddinton]

Good luck with your ablation- hope it goes well.

[Oldcarol]

If you showed afib on ANY EKG, u have afib-whether it be paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent. As u know, some of us have symptoms and some don't.

Ask for a third opinion and take all your info and recordings from the first two. Also 24 hour monitor isn't necessarily a proof of no afib. Wish u well. Hope u never have any episodes of afib and/or hope u find out exactly what is going on.

[djmnet]

I would think it's possible to have two different results on 24-hour ecg. If you're not persistent or permanent, then on any given day it's possible to be either in or out of afib, isn't it?

[Gilldy]

Yes . There is only one 24 hr tape in question. I've had others that were clear of AF but this was the only one which was supposed to show it. The first consultant said i had 6 episides of AF on it but the second one checked the same tecording and says it doesn't show any AF at all. i can only think the first one was looking at the wrong one i.e. someone else's

[Hidden]

Good luck Gilldy

I hope you get sorted

Nimmering