Collie dog1

[colliedog1]

How long shud i wait before goin tohospital when my heart starts banging away......am sick of liying in a&e for 10 hrs hooked up to monitors......x

[Goldfish_]

It sounds like you know the routine.

There is no simple answer as it really depends how much it is troubling you and how fast it is going.

[Hidden]

Do you have pills in the pocket? I know the feeling of sitting in A and E too well. I now have flecadide has a pill in the pocket which gets me out of AF when I go in. I think some people have beta blockers as pill in the pocket too.

[Buffafly]

You do not need to go to A&E at all unless you have symptoms of your heart being overstressed eg chest pain, breathlessness, faintness or dizziness, sickness, sweating etc. Some people can tolerate a very high heartrate without too much trouble while others keel over if their rate goes over 100! If all the hospital is doing is monitor you then you may as well rest at home.

Perhaps you need a review of your treatment if this is happening often?

[BobD Volunteer]

I think the clue is in Accident and Emergency. AF is neither unless you have chest pain or pass out.

[Bagrat]

Given lots of conflicting advice by HCPs. I don't have pill in pocket. Coronary Care - come straight in we don't mind better safe than sorry.

GP leave it 40 mins.

Cardio consultant- if during the night try and get back to sleep ( unless chest pain etc) I tend to have a pulse in the 180s. Oh and nil by mouth after midnight in case you need cardioversion the next day.

As I associate bouts of AF with dehydration all advice good in parts!!!

I feel it depends how you are FEELING. I have never felt ill with AF just concerned. Only ever had one cardioversion the first time I had AF pre medication regime.

[jeanjeannie50]

I think you will know when it's time to go to A+E. You wont be feeling well at all and get a sort of gut feeling. The first thing I'd do is take my medication (Flecainide 100mg). If that hadn't worked in say 4 hours I'd take another tablet and if the second tablet didn't work and I still felt ill on moving I'd ring either my GP's surgery or the NHS advice line if out of normal hours. However, if I felt extremely dizzy on movement, or had chest pain I'd ring for help immediately.

My AF would have to be making me feel quite ill before I would consider going to A+E. I've never gone there without being advised to by a medic and then that's usually by an ambulance requested by them.

I live on my own, so have no one to keep an eye on me when my AF tachycardia kicks in. If I had someone with me my routine may well be different.

Jean

[colliedog1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thank you Jean......i usually wait a couple of hrs....only to lie in a&e for another 7 hrs...so i mite as well wait at home if i dont feel to bad....thanx agen..xx

[oltimer]

Tough on you `Collie Dog` - Get used to it! - because you have alot of it ahead of you & - `YOU ARE IN HOSPITAL ` - `BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE A&E IS` ! Join the ranks of those who are patient & who wait a lot for attention. There is no miracle pill that can be administered which will allow you to jump off your trolley & walk out & carry on your normal activities. If you are in A/F then a course of action will have to be decided upon which will probably involve further confirmatory investigations & so stop whittling about when you are going to be permitted to jump off the trolley & carry on with your normal activities. So be `patient` because that`s what you now are. - A patient` So -` Welcome ` from us ` patients` on this forum. Best of luck Bro`

Ol Timer

[colliedog1 in reply to oltimer]

Thanx but i now all this...i just wondered how long to wait before goin in to hossy.....and i dont like your tone...you are spiteful...and im,e not a he either.

[Dodie117 in reply to colliedog1]

Before my ablation, my episodes lasted approx 6 hours, 4 or 5 times a week. I never went to a&e as nothing they could do. So my advice, unless you have chest pains get comfortable, try to distract yourself and stay at home.

You may need to see EP and review meds or consider ablation.

Good luck🍀

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Dodie117]

Did you have someone at home with you when you had your AF attacks?

[colliedog1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I was on my own...but...my neighbour is a nurse..she took my pulse and said i needed to go in.....was 10 hrs in a&e...just waitung hooked up to moniter.......next time i think i wil stay at home longer.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to colliedog1]

I think if you know that your episodes usually go within a day I'd choose to stay home.

[Dodie117 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Not always. But usually yes. Realise it is worse if a!one

[oltimer in reply to colliedog1]

He there! I do not wish to appear spiteful but after 57 yrs. as a nurse & a lot of those years as a cardiac nurse I speak from the other side as my knowledge of how we tried to free up beds for emergency admissions. I was a Night Superintendent for quite a few years in a cardiac hospital with no medical back - up & I sometimes was in despair as to how to accommodate a new patient who merited admission to the unit but I had no one who I could move to a ward. This caused me much anxiety & I get a bit `tetchy` when I read of a patient such as yourself who were left overnight on a stretcher in A & E as you don't understand how hard we tried & what difficulties we faced & so I give you our point of view - SPITEFUL - `No!`-. BITCHY - `Yes!`- and with good reason. I am pleased I`m out of it.

Oltimer

[degsy76 in reply to oltimer]

oltimer i think you are beng a bit harsh on this person just because you were a nurse please have abit more sympathy if living on your own you do panic more and makes your af worse

[Yachtgirl]

I think being in hospital in A&E both helped and hindered me when I took myself in the first time I experienced AF. I knew it was AF straight away as I was a coronary care nurse some years ago. I was SO sick, nauseated, faint and hospital gave me some feeling of safety, plus medication for nausea, IV fluids as I was mildly dehydrated. I self reverted in four hours so no need for further treatment , just the monitor. Now I know a lot more about this condition from AF Association and from members of the forum I would wait a while unless I felt really ill, breathless or had chest pain. The hindering came from the stress and tension that goes hand in hand with A&E, lack of sleep there from noise of everyones monitors and lack of sleep is not helpful. Do discuss with your own GP or Cardiologist what is right for you and make an action plan together.