Running in families

[24yearsandcounting]

well, I have had 17 replies to my post so far, and it is becoming clear that AF can affect several members of a family, over several generations.

I would like to thank all who replied to me; I don't feel so bad about it now.

[Hidden]

I think maybe there is a link going back further than we realise. How many of us recall the breathless episodes and near fainting attacks of females being dismissed as ' just one of her funny turns ' ?

Sandra

[VeeT]

I was diagnosed in 2013 and knew nothing about AF, never heard of it before. About two years later I came across my mother's death certificate and one of the 5 causes of death was AF. Because she was nearly 91, had deteriorated rapidly and been type 1 diabetic for 45 years I didn't take much notice of the causes at the time. Last week my brother was diagnosed with AF too.

[souljacs4 in reply to VeeT]

My mum had the same on her death certificate she also had CHF, she had a fall about six weeks before she passed away and broke her hip, she was 75. Her mother also had fainting attacks which we now think were AF they didn't really know much about AF then, she died at the same age as my mum. I have had AF for 3 years so I think it may well hereditary

[VeeT in reply to souljacs4]

My mum fell and broke her hip too. Beginning of the end. She never complained of palpitations though and wasn't on anticoagulant so to see AF on certificate was a shock.

[jennydog in reply to VeeT]

VeeT I have been diagnosed with CLASSIC AF. I can feel that my carotid pulse is erratic but I have never been aware of palpitations. If drives me to distraction to see 'palpitations' written on things like blood sample forms. I feel that it demeans a really rotten condition.

[VeeT in reply to jennydog]

My palpitations felt like my heart was trying to jump out of my chest for up to 15 hours each time. Much less severe now and a lot shorter episodes since my ablation though I do have runs of ectopic beats. My brother has never had palpitations. His AF was picked up on ECG because he passed out.