This is my first post. I have been reading posts of others so I thought I would se if anyone can help. Approximately 2 months ago I went to the ER, thought I was having a heart attack. After many tests and EKG's the cardiologist said I might have possible A-FIB, al though he said I had a young hearth for my age which is 75..
I have had multiple bouts of chest pain and pressure which last approx 8 hours. My BPM averages around 136 to 146. These attacks wake me up in the middle of the night usually and it seems like when I ear real spicy food like hot wings it seems to trigger my attacks. All I know it's a lousy feeling and it also feels like I just ran three miles, hard to catch my breath. I'm wondering if this could be a stomach issue instead. Would be interesting in hearing from you on what you think.
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kenmar41
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Hello Kenmar, and welcome......guess you are from the USA, so I can think of a few non health related reasons why your heart has gone into overdrive!!! Forgive me for stating the bl***ing obvious, but I am hoping you are now giving "real spicy food" a miss, certainly until things have settled
I'm surprised you EP cannot be more specific about your condition, especially if you have had all these tests whilst the heart was behaving badly. Maybe there is something else causing your problem, but I suspect it will be difficult for folks on the forum to make judgements based on what you have said, although I'm sure you will get lots of opinions for you to consider.
In the UK, you would be encouraged to revisit your medical team quickly, especially with chest pains, as this is potentially serious if it continues unchecked. I'm not medically trained therefore not able to be more precise, but please get your condition checked as soon as possible.....best wishes, John
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One other thing which is extremely important. You make no reference to taking any medication. Regardless of the speed of your heart beat, if it is irregular at any time, you need urgent advice from your doctor. Most folk are able to check their own pulse, but if you are not sure, check the AFA webpage, google or YouTube and you will find masses of information. If it turns out that you have AF, that in itself is very unlikely to kill you, but if you are not taking an anticoagulant such as warfarin or one of the more modern alternatives, you are likely to be at risk of having a stroke. Apologies if you are aware of this, but if you are not, the consequences could be serious.
No, all I take is a 81 mg Asprin daily. I am making an appointment with a Cardiologist ASAP. I have only had approximately four episodes and they are like two months apart and my heartbeat runs approximately 136 to 146 BPM. Appreciate your advice.
In the UK our GP's (Doctors) are instucted not to prescribe Asprin for patients with AF, as this can seriously increase the risk of bleeding. Asprin is used for other heart disorders so we need to be careful here, but as a matter of urgency, you should check this out with your Doctor.
Thankyou, I will. I have an appointment on the 15th. Will let you know what I find out.
Ken, I would try to relax until your next appointment. I am in the US and I was also just on aspirin 81mg until my ablation last week. The reasoning for me was because of anemia, they would wait and I'd switch to an anticoagulant for 3 months after ablation. Within 2 months of getting attacks that sound very similar to yours, I had seen a cardiologist and an electrophysiologist and had all kinds of tests. I found that stressing out over having a heart attack or stroke just made matters worse. Best of luck and let us know how the appointment goes.
I have vagal AF which comes on at night- it is also linked with food as the vagal nerve is affected, particularly by size of meals!!
However, the pain in your chest needs further investigation - whatever is causing the chest pain may be causing the AF- as AF is not usually painful in the absence of other factors
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