AF Association

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Loop monitor. Any experience with this?

Wondering if anyone has any experience with this. I was in af (flutter) for most of last year until a cardiovetsion in September. I continued to feel unwell and had a loop monitor (reveal Linq) inserted in February. Anyway the past couple of weeks I've been feeling really unwell so contactedy cardiac nurse. I've done a full download on my loop monitor and consultant "thinks" he can see af but now has requested I have a 48hr holter monitor. I'm so confused about what the difference is and now thinking having the loop monitor was a waste of time. Anyone had anything like this before?

6 Replies

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Dr Gupta did a video on the pros and cons of various types of cardiac monitors and from what I can remember, but you would have to look it up and watch, the various types - from Kardia to loop - can all disclose different heart rates and rhythms which can help in diagnosis. Suggest you search for it on here or on YouTube.

Thank you CDreamer! I will watch that with interest x

Hi Becky, I’m sorry to hear you’ve been feeling bad And I really can’t understand why you’d need a holter monitor when you already have an implanted loop recorder! I was told my Medtronic Linq would be more sensitive even than one of the portable loop recorders.

The one thought that occurs to me, though, is that the parameters (for mine at least) that’s it’s set to means it doesn’t record short bursts of arrhythmia unless I activate the recorder at that exact time. It takes more sustained arrhythmia to trigger an automatic recording - and even then it only records a few minutes before it began and a minute after, so it doesn't get the full picture. Maybe a 48 hour recorder actually records the whole time, and that’s what’s needed for you?? That’s just a guess though! I’m very interested by CDreamers reply about Dr Gupta’s video on this topic. I shall watch it and no doubt learn a lot, as always with the wonderful Dr Gupta!

Hope you get some good answers from the holter and that you feel better soon x

That’s exactly right. I’ve had the LINQ for 2 years and only recently found out it will not automatically detect afib episodes less than 2 minutes long. A Holter will record every beat while you wear it and this will detect shorter bursts.

Hi Becky , I had the st Jude’s loop in for 3 years and feel almost every bump in my heart , I pressed the activator every time and the technical team said it was ok but I new it wasn’t , cut a long story short I had a run of PAF 3 weeks just before it was due out and I pressed the box even though I was in hospital at the time and was wired up to there monitors and it picked up the same AF ! But I honestly thought it would pick up anything without pressing the box as I was told , however it doesn’t unless it goes over 160 🙄 so confusing but I would say maybe you’re dr is wanting to make sure it is AF 👍🏼

Thanks for all the replies, my loop definitely isn't picking up on anything and af was only visible on the full download that they asked for. I've checked my heart rate myself a few times, it never jumps above 120bpm (I take bisoprolol) and I didn't realise that it wouldn't pick up short episodes, seems silly that it isn't recording them but they're bad enough to cause symptoms. Hopefully after my 48hr holter I'll know more about what's going on. Thank you.