Hi, am new to whole AF as its not me who has it but my mother. she has had palpitations diagnosis for over twenty years, and had heart monitoring equiptment numerous times over the years. Recently she had a 'cardiac event', and as a result angiograme performed. On coming home, meds were not explained, discharge from the hospital was terrible, she phoned me from the visitors waiting area, and had to carry her bag out herself! which I did not agree with, so meds were undiscussed, as a result we ended up back in accident and emergency a day later. she got her medication reorganised, the changes did not surprise me, as they were ones that i was concerned about. now her lasting problem is she is suffering from cold hands and feet with aching legs and arms. I havent slept properly since it started, nightmares, and I just would like her to have some relief from the leg and arm pain it sounds like she is in such pain when it happens.
new to AF: Hi, am new to whole AF as... - Atrial Fibrillati...
new to AF
Hello Queeniebb and welcome to the forum. Your Mum is very lucky to have someone looking out for her, and I know from personal experience, how difficult and frustrating it can be when you are looking out for an elderly parent. I'm sure you will understand that we are not medically trained therefore we cannot offer advice on prescribed medication, nor can we really comment on perceived failings at hospitals which I know, is not very helpful for you.
You say she has been diagnosed with AF, so it is likely that she has been prescribed a betablocker, probably Bisoprolol, and hopefully, an anticoagulant to help protect her from any risk of having a stroke. If she isn't taking an anticoagulant, that is something you should question urgently. Betablockers can have side effects like those you describe, but sometimes they subside over time, but there are alternatives but you may have to "bang the table" to get the help you need! Of course, all the stress will effect you too, but somehow you must try to prioritise the problems and deal with them one at the time and you Mum's GP needs to be involved whenever possible. Although you have had some issues with your Mum's care, it sounds as if she has received the tests you would expect, it is just a shame the support she clearly needs appears to be lacking, I hope that things improve for both of you, sorry I cannot be more helpful.......
Hi Flapjack, yeah thanks for the heads up regarding medical advice, i kinda figured that was he case, it was just to give perspective on her situation, but i am interested if anyone else has had simillar pains in arms and legs since having Angiogram procerdure or from the medication. no disrespect to professionals just after some experienced opinions and views really. I do feel very much like im in deep water still with all this, however, trying to broaden my view on how to help mum as much as i can.
I had cold feet which I could only heat by soaking in hot water. I have been taken off Bisoprolol as it slowed me down too much, left me very tired. The aching legs are also a side effect I had. Go back to the GP and ask for your mothers betablocker to be changed. Also, good advice from Flapjack, make sure your mother is anticoagulated. It doesn't have to be warfarin, ask for one of the new pills. Hope this helps
sorry flapjack i pressed send too soon on that post, but yeah she has been given anticoagulants and beta blockers, and had other medications taken off like painkillers and given only paracetamol, but they had her on 5mg of bisopralol and all other medications (8in all) to be administered all at once in the morning , and it was just too much for her body to handle. so an adjustment was given when we ended up at the hospital a second time. Our GP will get a chance to have a sit down chat sometime this week if mum is strong enough. I appreciate your practical and helpful advice, its something that restores faith in humanity at this point. Thanks so much 
Hi,
Can't comment on the aching legs and arms but the coldness with hands and feet is definitely a side effect of Bisoprolol. I too am on 5 mg and I take mine at night,. Suggest you read the little bit of paper in the packet for known side effects.
I am on the anticoagulant, Warfarin and I cannot take any pain relief except for CoCodomol and I have prescription grade 30/500. Suggest you 'Google' CoCodomol 30/500 to learn the ingredients and what the drug is all about.
When I was diagnosed and put on Warfarin I was specifically told Cocodomol 30/500 was the only pain killer I could take without working against the effects of the Warfarin. I do not know what the position is with the NOAC's, as I don't take them.
Bisoprolol does take some getting used to and some people are given alternatives. That is something you could explore. Equally, the bit of paper in the packet does warn about suddenly stopping Bisoprolol, it has to be phased out very gradually. You should never stop it 'cold turkey'.
John
Hi and welcome.
AF is a very uncomfortable condition to live with but it is not immediately life-threatening. I have had AF (on and off) for 10 years and had episodes in the most unusual places - the last on a a small boat in Iceland whilst watching whales - LOL. Nothing critical has ever happened but I do feel very rough at the time and for about 24 hours afterwards.
It sounds as though you are not happy with the medical attention received - and doesn't sound good - and I agree that taking 8 medications all in one go is not good. I and many, many other people cannot tolerate Bisoprolol so do go with your Mum and advocate for her and ensure you are signed up with her GP surgery, with her written permission of course, to have access to her medical information. Ensure that she/you receive all copies of consultant letters between specialist and GP - you will have to actively ask this at BOTH your hospital and your GP practice.
Do not expect any joined up thinking - see recent post about Frustration.
Go to the AFA website for all information re AF - information and knowledge is power.
Ask GP for a referral to an EP - Electrophysiologist - who are specialists in electrical problems of the heart.
I am guessing that she also have other conditions and respect that you are not posting any personal information about her meds or other conditons but without knowing what she takes it is hard for us to say whether or not any one medicine has a side effect,
There are a few meds such as Amiodarone, Bisoprolol, statins and a few others which can have the side effects described but it is impossible to say which will cause side effects, if it is symptom of a condition or the cocktail.
Lots of info here:-
heartrhythmalliance.org/afa/uk
hi there CDreamer, her meds were on leaving hospital: alendronic acid 70mg once a week (for osteoporosis) , amlodipine 5mg ( bloodpressure) once a day in the morning, codydramol 500/100mg two every 6 hours (pain killers relatingvto scoliosis) adcal d3 1.5g one twice a day (osteoporosis) , apixaban 5mg twice a day - morning and tea time, lansoprazole 30mg one in the morning (acid reflux and as help for sideceffects of clopidogrel) , clopidogrel 75mg (anti coagulant - following angiograme) one in the morning, bisoprolol 2.5mg twice a day ( beta blockers) morning and tea time, ramipril 1.25mg (ACE inhibitor, dilate blood vessles) twice a day one in the morning and one at night, Atrovostatin 80mg ( colesterol) once at night, Amitriptaline 10mg ( sleep aid to counteract insomnia of amlodipine) one at night.
since going bk to the hospital she has only been taking morning dose of : 1x bisoprolol, 1 adcal d3, 1 apixaban, 1 clopidogrel, 1 lansoprozole, 1 ramipril. and at night, 1 atrovostatin and 1 apixaban.
I will be making a note of your advice, and will seek to mention it to our GP, im sure st this point he will make inroads to these suggestions.
Thank you for all your kind advice,
Shelly
Seems like different people tolerate different drugs in different ways. Some people seem fine on bisoprolol, others like me don't get along with it. There's no way they can tell in advance, so they give it and wait for you to tell them. I've told my consultant and he took me off it as in my case he judged that it wasn't necessary (A&E gave it as "standard procedure" it seems). Like all beta blockers, its job is to lower heart rate, which for me resulted in tiredness. I imagine that if you lower the heart rate of someone who is prone to cold hands and feet (I am not) then it could make that happen.
The most important thing is not to assume that those prescribing the drugs are able to say for sure what effects they will have. They prescribe what is most likely to work and rely on your feedback to judge if it is working or not to be changed.
It's not like a car mechanic, you mustn't be passive about what they tell you. Human bodies vary too much and the combinations of that and different drugs means that there's a certain amount of trial an error in which your mum (via you if she struggles to give it directly herself) needs to play an important role as feedback giver.
Good luck
Steve
hi zozzy, and thanks for your reply, yes i think we forget that we are all different, and as you say we tollerate medications differently as a result. I suppose i have been a little yoo trusting of the medication, but i think that as mum has hotten older that she has had food alergies more often so her tollerances for certain chemicals are not good to begin with. thanks for the kind advice,
Hi CDreamer, thanks for the reply, its very reasuring to hear from other people with this condition as the messages i have read keep me optimistic for her sake.
hi there carneuny, mum is on bisoporolol 5mg, but they took her off CoDhydramol tablets and her amlodipine, and alendronic acid. she has low bone density and scoliosis, plus acid reflux among other things. but its because i read all the different information that comes with the tablets on the little leaflet that i started to realise she might have been suffering from side effects of one or more combination of them. she is taking beta blockers, blood thinners, and anticoagulants, and a statin. but before they took her off co-dhydramol and alendronic with amlodipine she was so weak and really pale, i honestly didnt know if i was poisoning her. worrying thing is i rang GP and he was very confused and angry that i was giving her this much medication. so i had to ring pharmacists at the hospital where she was discharged from to get a clear picture and then phone the gp, as he had less pills on his discharge letter to the one i had infront of me at the time. bit of a mess i suppose, but at least now she only has aches and coldness, which is better than feeling as dreadful as she did during the first day after her angiograme.
Hi queeniebusybee I am on beta blockers too not the same ones as your Mum because I also have Asthma so have Nebivolol which is generally better tolerated by asthmatics.
I noticed the cold hands and feet even though it is summer , not so much now I guess I am getting used to it.
I also had awful pressure headaches and hot flushes every day for 3 weeks which started a month after I began taking the medication , I can't be sure what caused this it could also have been the anticoagulants but the symptoms have stopped now. I felt like giving up but I knew there was no option but to continue or switch to something else which might have had worse side effects. I am glad now that I stuck it out
I don't know if there is a connection but the symptoms began to tail off when I started taking a magnesium and taurine supplement or it could be my body had finally adjusted to the medication.
I still have cold hands and feet but that is a small price to pay for the other benefits, helping to control my heart rate and blood pressure, that beta blockers bring
hi doodle, i have had many kind replies from this forum and although it is reasuring that mum is experiencing very common symptoms to many others who have this same condition, which is reasuring to me in ways you can not imagine. but it is one of those things she will have to het used to. i do hope though that she is lucky enough to not suffer it long. thank you for your kind insight. take care
Statins can cause muscle aches.
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