Is this af or not

[julesp]

I've got an omron portable ecg monitor off my cardiologist for a month to record any episodes to see where we go next. I haven't been feeling too good this morning and took two readings. They both say my heart rate is about 68 but irregular heartbeat. It automatically saved these two readings. Not sure what this means. Usually when my heart rate is irregular it's about 120+. I'm confused now

[BobD Volunteer]

AF is very distinctive on ECG as there is no p wave . Unless you understand these things which few actually do then best see what your cardio says when you show him. Slow AF does exist although not common and I expect it is ectopics rather than AF at that rate.

[julesp in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob. It's just weird as knew I wasn't quite right but guess I'll find out after returned the monitor. Know ectopics are nothing too worry about so not too fazed by it.

[Rellim296]

The Omron automatically records anything odd and if it thinks it's very odd or particularly interesting, it will give you a 'please show this to your doctor' message as well as recording it. You can get a 'deviating waveform' diagnosis too.

[julesp in reply to Rellim296]

I've had a couple of deviating waveform ones too but only the one saying show your Dr but know that one was def my af by the train thumping along and the other symptoms. I'll just keep taking the readings as and when. Not got to return it until 8th May.

[Rellim296 in reply to julesp]

You can view the readings.

There are four buttons underneath: Menu on the left and OK on the right with the two middle buttons for left/up and right/down

You turn it on and get the 'self measurerment ...' message.

Press the Menu button underneath and the display changes and GRAPH menu is highlighted.

Press the OK button and you get a list of dates and times.

Highlight the one you want to look at (you use the up / down buttons) and press OK.

Then you get the 28 second trace and can scroll across using the right / left buttons.

Just look along it and see what it looks like. Mine isn't anything like what my other half gets.

Press OK and you get the diagnosis and the heart rate.

[julesp in reply to Rellim296]

I have to write down what I was doing at the time as well. I've had a look at the graphs as I've never really seen copies of my ecg readings. Think in the whole 3 year I've had af only kept 5 from trips to a&e. Now i know to ask for copies

[Rellim296 in reply to julesp]

We have an Omron and I like it very much. My other half bought it at a conference he was at once. I find it quite reassuring to look through the graph and see what it looks like. I quite often get AF below 100 beats per minute, especially after it has been going for a while.

Since I have had the Omron, I have not been to A & E. The Kardia costs much less and does much the same job.

[pottypete1]

When I am in NSR my heart rate is 55-60bpm. In AF it is often still only circa 70-85.

I have no new fangled measuring device, I just know from years of experience. I have never been proved wrong when and if checked by GP or hospital.

So in summary- slow AF is possible.

Pete

[Tbernst in reply to pottypete1]

I can tell if I am in AF just by taking my pulse. If the beat is strong and regular I am in SR if not I am in either AF or atrial flutter and even the EP's disagree on the exact type of arrhythmia is present with an ECG trace to work from. The Kardia and the Omron do give a fairly precise HR reading but other than that don't tell you much more than a good blood pressure monitor which will also tell you if you are in SR or not. It is interesting however to know how long AF episodes last and as in your case the SR heart rate is usually lower than AF rate. A good wrist monitor will show low long episodes last even if the readings are not precise. This can be useful in following your progress after a change in medication or after an ablation.

[RoyM]

I can confirm that AF doesn't have to have a raised HR. I am in persistant AF and my resting HR is withing the range 60-65 bmp. Going about my daily routine my HR will tick along nicely in the mid 70's. I take Apixaban and 1.25mg twice daily.

[vonski]

My AF tends to stay below 100bpm and although the rate is low I always end up very unwell. Slow or what they call rate controlled AF is relatively common although it is a deviation from the norm. I'd get it checked to be safe

[julesp in reply to vonski]

I've got the monitor to take readings so once I return it to be analysed I'll get to see cardiologist. I'm not as breathless when in my normal bouts of af so not overly worried just was curious. I know to go to a&e if anything totally out of ordinary happens.

[julesp]

Hi everyone thanks for the messages. I'm heading up to my local a&e for another problem but will ask them to check what's going on with monitor readings as I know them up there after my multiple episodes of af. Plus I'll be getting the usual checks anyway and still not right do something might show up x