I invested in a Kardia machine and captured some events. Great bit of kit. Printed them out and took them with me to see surgeon yesterday (possible hernia op). Showed them to her and she identified "extrasystole" on them. Wants me checked out by cardiologist before she will operate. So finally some progress of a sort.
Anyone any experience/insights on this condition?
I've added one of the printouts below.
Do you care to post some ecg rhythm strips, maybe as images, here?
I have one saved as PDF. Not sure how to post.
I am not technically minded. I assume you could take a screenshot and post the image but younger minds will advise. Maybe remove any identifying annotation.
That's how I did it Badger, but Alan will have to start a new thread, I think as we cannot post pics within a thread - unless that has changed recently.
I've managed to add it to my original post above.
Yes she said that too. Mine are intermittent, random and quite pronounced. I can feel them distinctly and it feels very uncomfortable. If particularly bad, as they get near to ending, I have to urinate several times over about an hour or so.
I read that in some places ECG's are read by a computer with a human review. ECG's are not the be all and end all of a diagnosis. I can add extra beats through movement in my back and neck and also stop them and this can change with each chiropractic adjustment and I have had about 60 now. Eventually, someone will figure out how the autonomic nervous system really impacts the heart. Figuring it out is one thing; finding a solution will be more challenging.
Actually, the heart is run by the autonomic nervous system, that is totally unconscious. The autonomic nervous system is highly reponsive to neurochemicals that are released by emotions, like anger, fear, anxiety, stress, sadness, excitment, etc. The self diagnostic devices can make some people more worried and apprehensive. Some even become totally obsessed with them. No automatic electronic device can replace the doctor’s judgement. The best medicine for heart troubles is happiness, cheerfulness and positive thinking. Let the doctor carry the burden of the worry, not you, after all you can’t do anything about it.
Thanks for those words of wisdom Tachp. Ironically the symptoms often appear when I am relaxed. It seems almost random. I’ve had this problem for some years. Over a decade ago I was diagnosed (heart missing a beat then running to catch up) and was prescribed digoxin and flecianide which seemed to resolve things. Five years later tried coming off them (meds review with a physician/Endochrinolgist) and all was fine until a couple of years ago when they reappeared. GP was fairly certain it was my Thyroxine dose and reduced it, also added bisoprolol. By the time I got to see a cardiologist and had a 24 hour ecg, ultrasound etc. three months later, they had all but stopped and nothing showed up on the ECG! All fine for several months then they started again around Oct 2016. Occasionally to begin with and now are sometimes almost daily.
I got the Kardia because I wanted some evidence to show the GP to convince her there was an issue that needed referring. Having and ECG when I’m having an episode could otherwise be hit and miss. I saw a consultant surgeon on Monday re a hernia and showed her the printouts. She recommended seeing the GP with printouts and wants me to see a cardiologist before she operates. The surgeon said it looked like extrasystole but I needed a proper ecg and a cardiologist to look at it properly. It was actually something of a relief to have captured some evidence.
I do everything I can to be as stress free as possible and am actually quite content and happy with my life but these episodes are very disconcerting and uncomfortable. I had one last night very late and had to sit up in bed for an hour before my heart stopped leaping about enough that I. Liked lie down and sleep.
Dear Alan, nobody knows the exact cause of AF. I only said that emotions make any heart condition worse. Incidentally your Kardia print does show an irregular rhythm and some ectopics. An irregular rhythm is usually indicative of AF. The ectopics are really not clinically important. Having AF shouldn’t panic you because its a benign arrhythmia that will not kill you. Except that it may lead to the development of blood clots. But as long as you take an anticoagulant, you should be safe. The only problem at this time, is that your impending surgery might have to be postponed, because surgeons want patients off the anticoagulants temporarily before they operate, to avoid excessive bleeding. In your case you cannot be taken off the anticoagulant at this time, because it’s protecting you from having a stroke, since your heart is fibrillating. Your cardiologist will tell you when you can safely stop temporarily the anticoagulant in order to have surgery, after the AF gives you a break, but definitely not now.
Hello tachp
I can't find any reference to taking anticoagulants in Alan's posts.
I assume that the doctor who diagnosed him as having AF, started him right away on anticoagulant medication, since it’s the current standard of care. If he is not on anticoagulants, it’s a grave error. That surgery will have be postponed anyway. Incidentally, your dx of AF and ectopics was accurate. The spaces that separate the heart beats are all different or irregular. I think it was a bright idea of Alan to get the Kardia. I live in the U.S. and I’m not familiar with the British health system.
You are on the forum and you bought a Kardia so I'm guessing you have atrial fibrillation. Do you have paroxysmal AF?
How does the Kardia report this strip?
Are you in the UK?
I thought I had AF but the surgeon who looked at the strip (which Kardia reports as "possible AF") says it looks like "extrasystole".
I am not a doctor or medically trained but to me this ECG rhythm strip looks abnormal.
The rhythm appears to be atrial fibrillation. There appear also to be some ventricular ectopics.
If this was my ECG and I was in your position, I would ask for a GP appointment tomorrow morning and ask the GP to look at the traces, and record a trace during the appointment.
My Kardia software never reports "AF". It only ever commits to saying "possible AF ". Rightly or wrongly I have assumed that means definite AF because they claim 98% specificity, and it always feels like AF when it says that.
Thanks badger. I left a copy of five traces with my GP and a note explaining that the surgeon had advised an urgent referral to a cardiologist. I’ll chase it up if I haven’t heard anything within the week.
I am a in the UK.
Alan, are you on an anticoagulant? Did you manage to see your GP as I suggested? Don't mean to meddle, just wanted to check you are on the right meds.
It sounds like you may have symptomatic AF. Anticoagulants would generally be prescribed unless there was a reason not to.
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