This is my first time writing. I was recently diagnose with a.f. I have no symptoms that I am aware of. It seems to be there all the time.

[Sinclairsime]

I am waiting on results of 24 ambulatory monitor. How do they find out the cause. Can’t walk far due to breathlessness I take so much meds I feel they could be to blame. Anyone know how they diagnose.

Cath

[BobD Volunteer]

Nobody knows why we get AF and there is no cure. All treatment is for improving quality of life only. We know what it is but not why I'm afraid although there are lots of things like binge drinking and over exercise which can start it Cath. Go to AF Asssociation website and read all you can as knowledge is power.

[Sinclairsime in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob. I’ve got loads more to ask but will do it bit at a time.

Cath

[Aprilbday in reply to BobD]

Wait. No cure? I actually thought ablation was a cure for some. Some people say they have no more AF after ablation. Some are off of anti-coagulation meds and off of rhythm meds. Are some people “cured”? What am I thinking?

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Aprilbday]

It depends how you define cure. I haven't had AF since my third ablation ten years ago and are not on any arrhythmia meds apart form warfarin but still have lots of other arrhythmias like ectopics and occasional tachycardia. I just say I don't have AF NOW but since all that has been done is to remove my symptoms I do not say I am cured. Since nobody yet know why we get it is this a cure?

A leading London EP told me that any and all treatment for AF is only ever about improving quality of life.

As far as stopping anticoagulation goes I would rather lose part of my anatomy as there is no evidence to suggest that successful ablation removed stroke risk. If you had a zero Chadsvasc before ablation and only went on anticoagulation for the period of ablation and recovery then fine your risk is low and many people stop. With a Chadsvasc of 2 or higher this would be a bad thing even though you may think that you have no AF. The procedure itself changes the interior surface of the heart making eddy currents more likely which could result an a clot forming.

One needs to be both optimistic and realistic in this game.

[Aprilbday in reply to BobD]

10 years!! That’s certainly wonderful in itself!!! The caution you take is smart.

[doodle68 in reply to Aprilbday]

Hi April a 'cure' denotes a permanent cessation of something, as I understand it there is no guarantee AF will not return after ablation.

What ablation does do is improve quality of life and for some people, AF may never return but the possibility is there.

We have a lot of members on here for whom ablation is not successful, imagine how disappointed they would be had all been told it was a 'cure'.

I have read some studies where it is now recommended that those with qualifying risk factors for anticoagulation before ablation should continue with the medication afterwards and I would certainly feel safer doing so.

[Aprilbday in reply to doodle68]

Excellent point! Thank you

[doodle68]

Hello Cath welcome...

you say

''Anyone know how they diagnose.''

...The cardiologist will look at the readings the monitor made of your heart beats, various heart conditions have a distinctive pattern. Then they will decide the best course of treatment for you .

Try not to worry if you can. learning to breathe slowly and deeply can help with the breathlessness.

[Hidden]

Hello Cath, I see you have been a member for nearly 6 months so I imagine you have seen a good few posts which hopefully you have found helpful. The problem with responding to questions like yours is that AF is a complex condition which tends to affect different people in different ways and bear in mind there are around 1 million sufferers in the UK alone, you begin to understand the difficulty in providing answers. As BobD says, the more you read about AF, the more likely you are to understand more precisely how and the reasons why the condition effects you personally.

If you are awaiting test results then clearly you have been referred to a specialist. There are a number of tests which help the medics to determine a treatment plan specific to your condition so it sounds as if you are moving in the right direction. You mention breathlessness which is probably the most common side effect of AF. The problem is that some of the medication used can produce the same side effects therefore it becomes very difficult sometimes to know exactly what is causing the breathlessness so it is important to ensure your doctors know if symptoms vary, especially if they make any changes to your medication.

If you are taking anticoagulant medication this will have already been covered but if not, it is important to make sure you are properly assessed for the potential risk of stroke. You will find details of the CHADsVASc score on the webpage which is used to assess stroke risk.

Hopefully this will help for starters, but please ask if you have any questions and the folk here will do their best to help you.......

[IanMK]

I, too, had no symptoms until I had a case of fluid on the lungs. In hindsight, this had been building up for a few months as evidenced by a persistent cough. Initially I was diagnosed with heart failure, then dilated cardiomyopathy. I had blood tests (on multiple occasions), ECGs an echocardiogram and a cardiac MRI. I was advised by the cardiologist that they may not find a root cause. My present symptoms - mainly unpredictable breathlessness - seem to be side-effects of my meds.

I was concerned about the length of time between appointments so took an option I was fortunate in having of going Private. I’m now in the process of recovering from an ablation.

AF affects more people than than many would think - you will appreciate this yourself since you had no symptoms - and it is disappointing that the wait for NHS treatment is endemic, particularly considering the cardiac remodelling that takes place with AF. You will read here that AF begets AF and it can only really ever be considered to be in remission.

[Vidlufc]

The problem is af is so person specific and causes unknown it's difficult to give precise advice. All I can do is share my experience to highlight one cause. Simply put I had an episode of af at Christmas which was worsened by a reaction to amlodipine. I had blood tests, a chest x ray, urine tests, a 24 hour ecg, all revealed problems so I was told it was lifestyle, specifically drinking. I gave up cigarettes, caffeine and reduced drinking and sugar. During the next 3 months I had 2 further attacks, one caused by a reaction to perindopril and the last one by what I finally twigged was the cause, gluten intolerence. This is all possible due to irritation of the women vagus nerve. 3 months gluten free and I have had no repeat of af, all other nasty symptoms such as bloating, excessive wind, pins and needles in my hands face tongue and lips, diarrhea and stomach cramps are all gone as is thankfully my hay fever!

[Vidlufc in reply to Vidlufc]

Er that should be revealed no problems and it's just the vagus nerve, nothing to do with women lol