Feeling a bit anxious

[Chris1945]

Looking for some reassurance please! On and off for the past couple of weeks I've been feeling a tad light-headed, Kardia readings showed no afib present. Then at 0300 this morning, after 7 months of no afib, I awake to find myself in a full-blown attack. I try to just relax and not take the last 3 flecainide tabs I got to the stage where I had to and even now as I write this, Kardia is telling me afib is still there. Saw my GP last Thursday about the dizziness and the fact Kardia was telling me I was in the late 40s/early 50s (Kardia of course, wont give a reading if heart rate is in the forties) if anything, my heart-rate was too low, so he has asked for a blood test to check for the possibility of my now being diabetic (that's all I need!) Long story short, eventually ended up at my local hospital this morning in the GP out of hours area, a very nice doc took my BP and checked pulse and said he wasn't too concerned as it was 'in the nineties' but he also mentioned the possibility of having a cardioversion which would mean I could come off Warfarin and Bisoprolol....is this the case?

[Hidden]

In my non medical/scientific view - no! Ditto - cardioversions hardly do more than provide short term relief. A few hours to a few weeks, maybe a bit longer. An ablation maybe a more serious option BUT no way would I come off Warfarin. Bisoprolol I'd want to take more advice on. In any event, if it were me I'd want advice from an EP.

[doodle68]

Hi Chris you say....

''but he also mentioned the possibility of having a cardioversion which would mean I could come off Warfarin and Bisoprolol....is this the case?''

I thought cardioversion was 'resetting the clock' in other words putting your heart into normal sinus rhythm but that doesn't mean it will remain like that or that you will never have AF again.

I would want to go on taking anticoagulants in case I went back into AF and this can happen without you being aware of any symptoms. Also I would want to go on taking a beta blocker , unless you can be certain you have removed any contributory factors to AF (in my case high blood pressure) and your heart no longer needs a bit of help beta blockers or some other medication will still be necessary.

Are you sure the doctor said cardioversion and not ablation, the latter can mean some (but not all ) medication may no longer be necessary.

[pottypete1]

I have had numerous cardioversions and ablations.

Firstly you would not come off Warfarin for either a cardioversion or an ablation. Indeed unless they can prove that you have steady INR results for 4 weeks they are most unlikely to proceed.

I found that despite the view some have that cardioversion is only a short term fix on many occasions it gave me months of normal sinus rhythm whilst I waited for an appointment for an ablation. Worth it in my opinion.

I was also on Bisoprolol and was told to keep taking it throughout. I came off it in the end because it slowed my heart too much but that doesn’t happen to everyone.

We are all different as is the approach of each EP so I suggest you talk to your EP and ask lots of questions.

Pete

[meadfoot]

I respectfully suggest (I am not a medic or medically trained just an experienced arrhythmia patient) that he is incorrect in suggesting a cardioversion would mean you could necessarily come off bisoprolol and warfarin. Did he mean an ablation, even so I would not be coming off an anticoagulant with out discussing with my EP.

You need advice from your own personal EP and coming off anticoagulant is not a good idea without a long discussion having all the pros and cons gone through with him.

Please see your GP in the morning and or contact your EP and ask him or her to call you with advice.

Hope your af is settling somewhat now, best wishes.

[Chris1945 in reply to meadfoot]

Thanks everyone, my sincere apologies for the confusion, I checked with my daughter who was with me as to what he said and he did in fact say.... ablation. I guess I have to put it down to anxiety about being there at all so going to try and see GP tomorrow although getting an appointment at the last minute is as rare as hens' teeth! Just checked Kardia still saying I'm in afib, that's the longest time ever for me so not very happy, but thanks to you all for responding....

[KMRobbo in reply to Chris1945]

Of course If you are in AF then a cardioversion of some type soon as possible is a good idea to try to get you out of Afib whilst you discuss the ablation. An ablation could be some months away and would assume you would sooner spend those months in NSR.

[2468abcmuk in reply to Chris1945]

It could be just ectopics that are firing off as Kardia gets confused when you have loads and says possibly Af get it checked by Kardia and get report

[meadfoot]

We have all been where you are it's stressful. So pleased your daughter was there with you to listen also. Hope the af settles very soon.

[Chris1945 in reply to meadfoot]

Thanks meadfoot, happy to report everything seems to be back to 'normal' whatever that might be, certainly it's been the longest episode I've had. Oddly, I can handle the afib rubbish, I just panic over the stroke possibility but I'm sure I'm not alone in that! x

[pottypete1 in reply to Chris1945]

I really think that as you are anticoagulated the risk of stroke is minimal.

Try your best to put that fear out of your mind.

Pete

[meadfoot]

It's a concern ongoing but rely on the anticoagulant it's got to be a help. Glad you feel better now.