Very tired person

[Dddaaaccc]

I am new to foram. Been diagnosed with AF caused by serious infection. I am digoxin andapixiban. This happened in July. I also have problems with gallstones. I am very tired and find it difficult to exercise, which I enjoyed previously. Idontknow if the medication causes the problems or the disease.

[rosyG]

AF does make you tired but also Digoxin which is usually reserved for older people who are not very active- if you are still active it's worth discussing tablets with your doctor- we can't advise re medications as your doctor may have good reasons to give that to you

[Luludean in reply to rosyG]

Harrumph!!!

I have persistent AF . I been on Digoxin for years and it suits me fine . I was appallingly unwell on beta blockers , exhausted, terrified, and suffering waves of sickness and weakness .I was even put on citalapram by my GP which illustrates the fact that so many medics know nothing about AF and treat the patient as a Victorian hysteric.. I had to fight to come off Bisoprolol, solatol, verapamil, flecanaide and, worst of all amioderone.

As to Digoxin ? I have never heard that it is reserved for older people . What age is older?

Tread carefully ! 💃💃

[rosyG in reply to Luludean]

The doctors I have heard say this st conferences say people who are inactive do well on digoxin so whatever age people slow down a lot I suppose !!!

[Hidden]

Hello Dddaacc and welcome to the forum. Most of us here are not medically trained but are happy to share our knowledge and experiences in the hope that it helps others. If we start at the beginning, AF is a complex condition and over 1 million people suffer from it in the UK alone. It generally falls into two types - paroxysmal which means the AF comes and goes, often without warning or for any particular reason although many can identify reasons why it might happen. The other is persistent AF which really means it is there all the time. The heartbeat is either fast or slow and remains irregular all the time. Very often, the prescribed medication often used (ie betablockers or calcium channel blockers can produce side effects very similar to AF symptoms, normally breathlessness, tiredness and sometimes your head feels like it's full of cotton wool, so in answer to your question, it is difficult to say because you appear to be on digoxin only, which is not very common but may be for good medical reasons. Apixaban is an anticoagulant which is extremely important as it significantly reduces the risk of stroke. Also, it is unlikely to present the symptoms you have.

With the limited information you have provided, it is probably (but not definately) the AF which is making you feel tired, but I suggest you should discuss this with your GP and ask to be referred to an Elecrophysiologist (EP) who is a cardiologist who specialises in irregular heartbeats. I also suggest you read up on the AF information sheets available on the Association's webpage, then ask any questions about issues you do not understand.....hope this helps,........John

[Dddaaaccc in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for replying, I am seeing cardiologist next week so will ask some questions.

[Hidden in reply to Dddaaaccc]

good news, Digoxin is used to slow a rapid heartbeat, but is also used for treating heart failure, but as others have said, it is not normally prescribed to people who are reasonably active. Please let us know how you get on next week, best of luck, John

[CDreamer]

Probably a bit of both, along with the other conditions.

Do you check you HR when exercising?

The general rule of thumb for exercising with AF is to be able to exercise and talk. If you can’t do that then reduce your exercise level.