Atrial Tachycardia with AFib

[Alpaca555]

Hello everyone

My first post although I’ve been lurking and reading with interest all the great posts since I found the forum a few weeks ago.

I’m nearly 63 and have a full time job in London as a HR consultant. I have 3 grandchildren who I adore and try and do the school run for the oldest (she will be 5 -going on 12 - next week). Life is full, hectic, chaotic at times.

In March I got pneumonia which put me into afib and I’ve been battling with it since then. Rushed into resus at 205bpm was just awful but they stuffed me with digoxin and other things to help bring it down. Then It got a little more complicated when this atrial tachycardia came onto the scene about 2 weeks ago (heart rate a lovely 158+) and my EP guru has been a little perplexed about this recent development... the flecainide didn’t work - in fact it made me very unwell - so he’s recommended an ablation once I’ve finished a course of antibiotics. I have raised white blood cell count which maybe from the tail end of the chest infection or some other lurking infection.

The heart rate at the moment is about 80 to 100 resting but only because I’m taking 10mgs Bisoprolol (5mg x 2) which of course wipes me out and makes life at the moment really difficult - I’m also on Ramipril and Apixaban...

Up to last year I was on no medication, no real problems - but I had to have a malignant melanoma removed from my face a year ago which has a 25% chance of returning somewhere so I’m having to learn to think about myself which is nigh on impossible!!

I’m incredibly unfit - embarrassingly so - too many long hours in front of the laptop and not taking care of myself (up to pneumonia I was putting in a 12 hour day, 6 days a week).

So, I’m a little bit more anxious because I’m not sure what he will find when he does the oesophagus camera thing at the start of the ablation.

Anyway... not really sure what help or advice I am looking for but just wanted to say ‘hi’ as this forum has helped me enormously - just reading about your experiences has felt like such support.

Thank you for allowing me to ramble and for taking up space.

X

[Hidden]

Welcome. I am one of the lucky ones who can take Flecainide along with a whole host of other drugs. Like you was still happily working away when I was 63, flying all over Europe looking at superyachts. Now at 74 a trip to Waitrose and I need to sit down.

Everyone is so friendly here and so knowledgeable.

Di

[BobD Volunteer]

And Hi to you back.

Atrial tachycardia often goes hand in had with AF as I well know. Although a third successful ablation about ten years ago stopped my AF I have had two recurrences of A TACH since then which needed cardioversion.

What I would say is that unless you can change your ways ablation may not be that successful. Life style changes have been shown recently to be as important if not more so than ablation where quality of life is concerned. In my case two jobs (banking and motor racing ) were one too many --so I gave up banking at age 52. Best thing I ever did! Didn't stop me getting AF as the damage was already done I fear but my greatly improved work/life balance did I am sure enable me to beat subsequent cancer diagnosis and at 73 I'm still playing at motor sport and enjoying every day as if it was my last. One day I will be right.

A number of things have been shown to help. Reduced BMI -- less than 25, less meat and processed food (you don't need to give it up. just less of it) less Stress. no alcohol and reduced caffeine intake, and NUMBER ONE stay well hydrated!

It is beginning to be thought that AF may well be a symptom rather than a condition and that inflammation in the body may be a trigger. Chest infections are a well know influence of course.

Yes you do need to think about yourself.

[pottypete1]

In addition to Bob’s comprehensive reply I had AF for many years.

I had a number of ablations for AF the last of which was followed by Atrial Tachycardia.

Believe it or not my EP was pleased about this and said that Tachycardia was easier to treat with an ablation.

Low and behold he performed another ablation last August.

Apart from one relatively short bout of AF in March I have been free of both AF and Tachycardia since.

I do get ectopics from time to time but my quality of life is significantly better now than it has been for years.

Pete

[Alpaca555]

Thank you Hylda, Bob and Pete for responding so quickly!!

Hylda: yes, I'm at the Waitrose trip level of tiredness at the moment which is pretty scary - takes a lot of planning before I leave the house to make sure my journeys have resting places and options if it gets too much - thank goodness for Uber!

Bob: I see that you've written quite a lot of patient support information - they read very well! Could I ask your opinion on whether it is ok to question the EP person before he does the ablation on which technique he'll use etc as I've seen that the freezing route allows for a better margin of error when doing the ablation. I don't want to come across as a 'know it all' but the research I've done has raised a few questions. As for changing the lifestyle!! Wow! that's a big ask and one that I have no idea of how to fix! You don't happen to have written a guide on that for the AF community???

I don't have much of a pension, my pension is basically my house in London and my job gives me spending money for the family (my daughter is disabled and needs more support). I don't know how to be selfish - I never learnt that skill.

If I had known how dangerous the infection was, I wouldn't have left it fester before Christmas for 2 months - the March attach I think was it circling back - Like a shark circling a man in the middle of the ocean sitting on an upturned plastic washing up bowl !

Pete: good to hear that the Tachy thing seems to be more positive than AFib and I'm really pleased you've been relatively trouble free for nearly a year! Well done!

🌻

[irene75359]

Welcome to the forum! You sound so cheerful in spite of having such a tough time lately, with lots of issues going on in your life, and you didn't ramble at all. I also have three grandchildren, and if I get ill (I was hospitalised earlier this year with pneumonia too) I can't do all the things I want to do as a mother, Grandma and wife not to mention many personal interests. So please, it is truly not being selfish taking care of your yourself and your health.

There are others on the forum who are a lot more knowledgeable than me so just share your worries, someone invariably will have some knowledge and will help.

Keep in touch and let us know how you get on.