Is my Afib back ?

[colkat]

Hi all , not been on for some time now, the Cardiac nurse discharged me, I was taken of warfarin , kept on the flecanide and viazem and was doing its job.. 3months done the road, no energy, stomach cramps ,lack of sleep and palpatations have returned, thinking its down to a visit back to the Doctors, not sure if its the Afib rearing its ugly head again but is this usual symptoms of Afib, dont want to make a fool of myself.. Thanks Kate x

[BobD Volunteer]

You need to check your pulse and see if it is irregular. The doctor may be able to do an ECG which would be conclusive if you have those feelings at the time.

[Jong1945]

Kate, you should be able to tell whether it's Afib or not by feeling your own pulse - easiest if you feel your carotid artery at the side of your neck, just under your chin. If it is *irregular* (either fast or not so fast) that would likely be AF, if it is fast and regular, possibly Flutter or sinus tachycardia, if it's normal rate and regular, that's normal sinus ryhthm (NSR), or it could be mostly regular and normal rate but with extra/missed beats which can however be quite frequent, even every few beats - which is NSR + frequent ectopics. It coudl of course be something else so do get it checked, either way.

You will never *ever* make a fool of yourself going to see a Doc for an arrhythmia. It will always be treated seriously. Some GP surgeries will do you an ECG on spec, otherwise it would be your local A&E or local Walk-In / Minor Injuries. Even if where you go doesn't have an ECG machine, a Doctor or Nurse will be able to feel your pulse and tell you roughly what they think it is.

Go do it!

As a matter of interest, the link between gastric problems and AF or ectopics is getting very much more recognised these days, though not every doctor knows about this. Check Dr Sanjay Gupta's videos on Youtube. You might find that taking Gaviscon (ordinary one, not the "Extra" one) helps. I find this helps me wth my ectopics almost like a wonder cure. My burps and gut pain disappear and with that the ectopics also disappear. Had I not had an ablation, these ectopic episodes would certainly have triggered AF episodes. If you still have gut pain I would suggest getting some Gaviscon ASAP and trying that, but *not instead* of a visit to Doc's/A&E

[colkat]

Ive checked my pulse on several times since this last post and it seems quite faint and irregular, thats probably while im feeling washed out x

[Hidden]

Consider ringing the pacemaker clinic, get them to bring your appointment forward and ask if they could arrange a Holter monitor or similar.

If you have another prolonged spell of palpitations, follow Johns advice to get an ECG asap before the palpitations stop. Be assertive, be difficult if necessary, to get what you clearly need. Take a friend or relative to back you up.

Consider an urgent appointment with any of the GPs to ask whether you should restart an anticoagulant, perhaps one of the new ones, at least until your situation is clearer.

Good luck