Collie dog 1

[colliedog1]

does anyone keep goin in and out of fast af.......my heart is banging away for a few mins...then if i move around it slows...then i sit and it starts agen...do i stay or do i go to a&e....dont know what to do.

[Goldfish_]

I think this was answered on your previous posts.

In a nutshell, it's very much up to you and how unwell you feel. You know what the routine is.

[colliedog1 in reply to Goldfish_]

i dont feel unwell really...just very stressed.....dont want to go and sit in a&e for hrs...but feel uneasy staying at home.....its all very worrying.

[Hidden in reply to colliedog1]

Is the issue to do with the fact that you say you are stressed? When you're sat you're thinking more and therefore there is an increase in anxiety which can cause fast heart rate. Is there something that can take your mind of it? Mindfulness exercises or a good film?

[colliedog1 in reply to Hidden]

I find the longer its going on the more stressed i am getting.....i dont like the thudding heart feeling......also worrying about goin out incase the weather gets any worse...anxietyu is very high at the mo...am realy trying ot get it under control.

[Hidden in reply to colliedog1]

headspace.com

I have just started to use this website (or it is an app too) there is a 10 day trial which introduces mindfulness. I'm finding it really useful.

[BobD Volunteer]

The clue is in the name Accident and Emergency. AF is neither, it is a chronic condition. OK if you have chest pain. or are passing out that is different. Learning to deal with this condition is the first priority or should be.

[colliedog1 in reply to BobD]

Thank you...i am really trying to get the anxiety under control.....cant stand the thumping heart tho.

[Goldfish_ in reply to colliedog1]

But it will keep recurring so you have to come to terms with that. Unless you are going for ablation

[Vony in reply to Goldfish_]

Coming to terms with it is a process. Easier said than done

[10gingercats in reply to colliedog1]

Somehow you are going to have to manage it because unless an ablation resolves the problem for you youwill be stuck with it. You have to try and find ways of dealing with it.... breathing exercises or Mindfulness as Richard has suggested here.

[azriverrat in reply to BobD]

In the US I found quickly the emergency room couldn't do anything for me and more likely to mess it up.

If it was a weekday I called my cardiologist or EP if it got bad for their opinion. Weekend unless dieing just suffer.

[Bauldy]

You will go to A&E they will monitor you, check you are not having a heart attack and when you go back to normal they will discharge you, that after waiting for hours.

I have been to A&E twice first time was when my af started they second time when my af affected me different both times I believed I was having a heart attack. I do have a heart problem and angina .

my episodes can be intense but I think I may be managing my af better so I become less anxious, understanding the unpredictable condition is hard and seeking advice when unsure is a must and if you believe it is more than your af or anxiety then seek help .

[Rellim296]

What happened last time, Collie dog? Did the AF subside or have you been instructed to take any medication to improve it?

[souljacs4]

I would feel more stressed waiting in A&E four five or even six hours and trust me you would not be a priority. if you have breathing difficulties or chest pain then its time to see someone.

[Vony]

Really feel for you Colliedog1. AF can certainly be worse on sitting down if it is triggered by the vagal nerve. My EP has explained to me that this is why lying down at night and sitting of an evening is worse for me.... Ironic that being up and walking about makes my heart slow down. Even when I have been in coronary care where the policy is bed rest, they let me walk around the bed with a portable monitor in order to slow my heart as the more I sit the worse I get!!! So sometimes it is nothing to do with state of mind.. It is for a very physiological reason that the heart speeds up and goes into arrhythmias on sitting. It is very anxiety provoking at times having arrhythmias. How long do your episodes normally last? I have discussed with my EP when to go to hospital and this was the advice : 1.if feeling more unwell than I usually do... Like out of the norm for me. 2.chest pain. 3. If in arrhythmias for 24 hours or more. Everyone is different though. I have attended A and E after only a few hours in the past because of how intolerable symptoms were and they told me I was right to do so. If you are not certain, why not ring the out of hours GP and ask advice. They know more about your individual health than anyone on this forum. And regarding the anxiety, it is totally understandable. I think people who have not had symptoms for a long time can forget how frightening it can be. Don't let anyone tell you to just get on with it... You will get there in your own time. Medics talk about the "burden of arrhythmias" for good reason... They are a burden and are so disruptive and horrid. But you can learn to live with them and not be so frightened and stressed by them. Many people attend A and E due to AF and SVT especially in early days of diagnosis so do not feel that you shouldn't go if you are not certain what is going on. My colleagues in A and E are very sympathetic to anyone presenting with cardiac symptoms. Docs will assess and advise you. On the other hand, if your episodes usually subside quickly enough, it may be easier for you to sit it out at home. If someone is with you, talk through how you feel and enjoy their support in the comfort of your home until it passes if you can. Best wishes and keep us posted xo

[colliedog1 in reply to Vony]

Vony...thanx for your reply...i was in A&E on new yrs eve..10 hrs....only to be sent home with no new meds...have got an app with my cardiac doc on 23rd feb....am goin to ask about seeing an ep....as no-one seems to be doin much...have had scans of heart and other tests and all normal.....xx

[Vony in reply to colliedog1]

That's great that your heart is structurally normal... Very reassuring. Definitely ask for referral to an EP. In my experience where I live, cardiology services are very slow and my GP has said this is such a problem. I have been told by GPs to fight my corner which scares me that this is necessary but also good to have supportive and realistic GPs. Has your heart settled any? How are you feeling?

[colliedog1 in reply to Vony]

It seems to be trying to behave...keeps goin back to normal...then starting up agen....i feel ok in myself....now i am startying to calm down...goin to try and get some sleep.....thanx for being so nice and talking to me..xx

[Vony in reply to colliedog1]

Glad you feel a bit better. I had an awful night both physically and with worry because of it the other night. People on this forum were absolutely amazing at helping me through. This forum is great at these times and we are in the company of people who understand.. Have been there and got the blooming t shirt!!!! Get a good night's rest. My ticker went back to normal about an hour ago after firing away for a few hours. Horrid feeling. But lovely when it goes back to normal. Mine also 'tries' for a while to behave sometimes before it finally does so. Sleep tight xx

[Vony]

PS it was only through attending A and E in the early days that I got referred to an EP. I was told after my first time going to A and E and being admitted to CCU that it would probably be a one off or rare event. It wasn't. It started happening every day from then on sometimes all day and one week later I went again as I couldn't bear it. Then I was referred to an EP when I told the cardiologist it had been a daily occurrence.

[Vony]

PS. The going back to normal then starting again is because of it being paroxysmal... ie. It comes and goes. My EP tells me paroxysmal AF is the most difficult management stage and t he most torturous so it is 'normal' how crap we feel about it according to him!!!

[Buffafly]

Question is, why do you feel anxious? I think your brain is being fooled into thinking you are in a dangerous situation by your thumping heart so you have got into a spiral 'my heart's thumping so I must be in danger, I'm in danger so my heart's thumping, my heart's thumping so.....' You are not in danger so you need to find something distracting to do to break out of the spiral. Eventually you'll come to believe you are safe even if very uncomfortable but it takes time. Best wishes.

[Gracey23]

I am sending you hugs from a fellow AFibber. I hope you get some relief soon and just know that we all get anxiety from it and no we don't get used to it, it's a horrid feeling but it will pass. Be well my friend and let us know how you are doing, Gracey

[Jomama]

I have a similar problem. I have paroxysmal afib and I get it now and then, but MOSTLY after I've eaten a meal and am settling down for the evening in front of the tv on the couch. It is definitely a vagal response, since if I don't sit down and relax after eating I rarely go into afib. I would suggest to not sit around too much in the evening, particularly after a meal. Easier said than done I know. Dehydration can also send you into afib. I find if I've eaten a bit too much sodium or haven't really been drinking enough water it can send me into afib. Last night I had a short bout but drank about 5 tall glasses of water and converted. This happened when I was diagnosed initially in the ER; I was in afib (finally caught it on an EKG) and it looked like my heart really wanted to convert but wouldn't. My bloods indicated that I was a little dry so they gave me some IV fluids and boom! I converted before the bag was emptied. I think for me at least, I need to really make sure that I drink a lot of fluids during the day. I'm tired of this situation and am scheduled for an ablation on 2/8. I definitely don't have it as bad as some on this forum, but I just don't want to be on strong meds all my life. I would run, not walk, to an EP. He/she will be best suited to help you manage this condition. Good luck to you!

[Vony in reply to Jomama]

Wow your triggers are so like mine.... In the evening after sitting down for a meal!!!!

[ultramarine]

Everyone on this forum has been where you are colliedog and it is difficult to work out when you should call for an ambulance and at night it seems so much worse. I finally came to the conclusion that 3hours was enough for me because my episodes consisted of SVT/AF together and were not nice, the decision I arrived at was also helped by reading my high heart rate using the Alivecor device, if it went over 150/60 with peaks of 180 for a long period I knew I was in for a hard time in controlling it..I did use all other manoeuvers first and also took a 'de-gas' supplement to get rid of wind.

In saying this it is a very debilitating condition and wears you out a lot, so much so that you cannot think, so its best to have a plan and a time frame in order for you to cope. If you are on your own its so much harder to deal with emotionally but you can do it.