New here, but not new to AF and ectopic beats.

[PhilHendry]

Hi folks,

I’m new here, but am not new to AF. My AF began, I believe, when I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease (hyperthyroidism) in 2004 treated with Atenolol (to bring the associated tachycardia under control) until the Carbimozole brought my thyroxine levels down. The Carbimozole dose was gradually reduced over about a year, whilst monitoring my thyroid, until I was euthyroid on a zero dose. The Graves’ Disease has been fine for the past eleven or twelve years, but since then I have had infrequent episodes of an irregular heartbeat... And numerous efforts to try to ‘capture’ it via ECG, Holter monitor, etc - none of which worked.

That all changed early last December, when I had more than 24 hours of arrhythmia, which finished up with me going to A&E. ECG revealed Paroxysmal AF... but only just... Two minutes after hooking me up, I was back in NSR. A&E doctor said to see my GP, with a recommendation for beta blockers and anticoagulents.

My CHA2DS2-VASc score was essentially a big fat zero, indicating no need for anticoagulents. GP tried me on the lowest dose of bisoprolol fumerate, but after a few days on that I began fainting every time I stood up from sitting, and my resting heart rate had dropped from its usual 50bpm to below 40; BP had gone from 115/65 to 85/45. So that was stopped pronto.

I have since seen a cardiologist, who was very reassuring… And who told me that the AF and the ectopic beats which I also suffer from were probably unrelated (I’m a long way from convinced!), and we discussed possible treatments for the AF - ablation or ‘pill in a pocket’ (100mg Flecainide).

I’ve had two more AF episodes since, the most recent being on Monday 30th October. That left me completely ‘wiped out’ - spent three days on the sofa feeling awful. I saw my GP on 6th November, and now have ‘pill in a pocket’… Hoping not to need it!

Stress seems to exacerbate the ectopic beats, and may well play a role in the AF… But having ectopics is unpleasant - I feel every one - and that stresses me… vicious circle time!

In my youth (I’m 54 now) I used to be a competitive swimmer, and I still train a bit (just 10 - 15km in a typical week, instead of the 35+ I did when I was young). I’m trying to rest at the moment - I swam twice last week - Monday’s 2.5km session may have triggered the AF episode; I swam a short distance (1,000m as five gentle 200m swims, monitoring my heart rate between each swim) very gently last Friday with no ill effects. But I haven’t done any this week; despite the temptation, I’m making myself rest and giving myself a chance to recover. I’ve just walked two or three miles each day. If I’m okay over the weekend, I’ll start swimming, gently, with 800m on Monday.

The AF happens rarely - but is really horrid. The ectopic beats are a nuisance - they upset my equilibrium and stress me, which makes the whole problem worse.

Hey-ho. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, or so they say, and I ain’t dead yet (though AF surely makes me feel as though I am). And hey, it qualifies me for a free flu jab - so it’s not all bad...

[UScore]

Welcome to the community

I was surprised to be offered the flu jab yesterday when I saw the GP. I wasn't expecting to be on the list for another 20 years at least!

[Finvola]

Hi Phil and welcome. Ectopics are a plague for many of us - we notice them more than people without arrhythmias and they can be debilitating.

Have a search in the box at the top right of the page for Gupta ectopics - Dr Gupta has made some excellent videos about them and a breathing exercise which helps some of us.

I agree with you that stress makes them worse, but I found that once I could breathe as Dr G suggests and get rid of them, they don't stress me out (quite) so much.

It's an awful way to qualify for a flu jab! 🙂

[Deb-A]

Quite frankly they don't appear to have you under control . You don't need to go forward in your life wondering when the next episode will occur , that's crazy . Have you been evaluated by an EP . Sounds like a good idea to me .

You don't want to chase or react to a problem symptom but try to keep it from happening . If you don't have the kardia app and accessory I would get it .

Ectopic beats , PAC's , PVC'c maybe some AFlutter ?! I would want to know what is truly occurring .

Btw your not old lol

Good luck

[PhilHendry]

Thanks folks! I’m seeing the GP again on Tuesday, hoping that we can thrash out a bit more of a plan - hopefully most of Friday’s blood test results will be back. I’m feeling incrementally better each day, and think that, unlike last Tuesday, I may actually be feeling well enough by then to be able to think straight enough for a sensible conversation.

[PhilHendry]

Feeling quite a bit better today, after a long chat with a friend yesterday - who happens to be a GP, and has also suffered AF - so she knows exactly what life with the condition is like.

Good enough this morning to ‘risk’ a short, gentle, swim. Just 1,000m, in five easy 200m swims; three on full stroke, one on legs only, one of arms only. And since then...

Symptom-free. No noticeable ectopics or anything - just hours of ‘boring’ (but oh-so-nice) 50bpm NSR. Bit tired, but that’s not surprising having done next to nothing for a couple of weeks other than walk a couple of miles each day.