Isn’t This Fun

[exbcmc]

Hi all, I’m Craig. Not sure how long I’ve had this, I think two years. We are under the impression it hit me when I didn’t take my BP meds for a week. Went on vacation and forgot to take them along. Smart, I know....Meds did not work, so I had the shock treatment. That worked for nearly one year. On its’ return, I was told I was on some very powerful meds and they STRONGLY suggest ablation. I didn’t think twice. For those that have this procedure, for me it was a piece of cake. Although I did get a bladder infection from the catheter.😳 Now, 4 months later, it’s back. On meds again and see doc Monday. Pulse is 127 and my Kardia device says my EKG is unclassified. I truly believe two jack n cokes brought it on, or, 4-5 nights of NyQuil. I’m so glad I found you guys...don’t feel so alone.😉

[li17]

Sorry to hear yours is back. But you don’t seem worry at all, which is good. With good attitude and positive thought, you can get it solved. Best wishes to you!

[Hidden]

Nyquil is a known trigger, so could well have been that.

Also , uncontrolled hypertension is a known cause, but not sure that one week would cause it. I'm pretty sure that my uncontrolled hypertension was the biggest factor in my AF journey

everydayhealth.com/atrial-f...

[jeanjeannie50]

Welcome to the forum.

You need never feel alone with your AF now as we all truly understand just what it's like. It comes in varying degrees and affects a lot of people differently. Some aren't aware they are in AF and can carry on with their normal lives. Others feel their heart struggling and banging around in their chest. I remember feeling I would surely die with my heart struggling so much, but many years later I'm still here and to be honest have never even fainted with it.

Worrying about it almost seems to make an AF attack worse, so it's important to try to use some techniques to reduce this e.g. slow deep breathing.

Any questions you may have, well just fire away as between all members we have experience in just about everything AF related.

Be aware we can only give you our personal experiences and as we're not medically trained we can't offer the type of medical advice that comes from the likes of professionally trained experts i.e. GP's, Cardiologists or Electrophysiologists.

Jean

[BobD Volunteer]

If your Kardia says unclassified and at a rate of 127 it may be atrial tachycardia rather than AF which is often common a few months after ablation. Do see you doctor and get a proper 12 lead ecg (EKG to you on the wrong side of the pond). If you are still anticoagulated a DCCV ( cardioversion ) may be the answer.

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

Hi Bob, when you refer to atrial tachycardia in this context, do you mean flutter? Or is there an a fib, an aflutter and atrial tachycardia as a third entity? Thanks

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

Atrial tachycardia is a fast heart rate with the signals coming from the atria. It is neither flutter nor fibrillation. A Tach is very common post ablation.

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

Thank you. I'm trying to understand the finer detail of all this, as the terms can be very confusing. Having finally worked out that supraventricular tachycardia is an arrythmia which originates above the ventricles, it's easy to assume that it must mean atrial, but I guess not! For ages I thought supraventricular tachycardia was one which originates in the ventricles, and atrial tachycardia was one which originates in the atria, but I think I'm finally beginning to grasp the variations as well as the over-arching terms. It seems I actually have Vtach as well as both Afib and Aflutter. I'm obviously greedy

[cuore in reply to Hidden]

You might want to read this site:

medicinenet.com/#what_are_t...

This site proclaims:

"Atrial tachycardia's are also termed supraventricular tachycardia's and are a type of cardiac arrhythmia that usually result in a fast heartbeat, even at rest."

From the above statement, we derive two things: 1. the heartbeat is fast, 2) even at rest... (plus the origin can be in either atrium)

As in both atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, the heartbeat is fast, even at rest, they are both atrial tachycardia.

In atrial fibrillation "the atria contract rapidly and irregularly at rates of 400 to 600 beats per minute" whereas in atrial flutter " the atria beat excessively fast, about 250-300 beats per minute."

The next and most distinguishing point is what is the pattern of the heartbeat?

In atrial fibrillation the heartbeat is irregular whereas in atrial flutter, the heartbeat is generally regular.

The above is a simplistic overview of superventricular tachycardia vs. atrial tachycardia vs. atrial fibrillation vs. atrial flutter distilled by a layman with some research but no medical training. Perhaps your research will arrive at the same conclusion.

[Hidden in reply to cuore]

Thanks cuore. I think even more confusing for the layman is the potential for muddling ventricular tachycardia and supra ventricular tachycardia,more so because VT is so different and so much more concerning. (Of less relevance for the Afib page, I appreciate, but it caused me some hurdles when trying to unravel what happened to me)

[perkman]

Any heart rate over 100 will give an unclassified reading on Kardia but may not be afib.

Good Luck!

[Vandalbragg in reply to perkman]

Your not alone! Stay strong.