New episode of AF

[samuela5]

Hi all

I have A/F for 2 years, taking Bisop 2.25mg in the morning, Ramipril 2.25 for BP

I had a scary episode at 3 a\m a week ago, went to A\e for assessment and then GP

No other changes, it has settled a bit however still very anxious it may come back in the night, pulse 150, BP 95 over 60, felt like I would pass out.

My Gp said see him in 3 weeks, has anybody been referred to cardiologist for assessment or echo following an eposide.

my preference would be to see cardiologist for reassurance and ?? change in meds

I would appreciate any opinions

Thanks

[Vonnieruth]

I would go to A and E If your worried In my hospital we have a acute medicine ward where they try to treat you and send you home They arranged my echo scan and 24 hour monitor for me Had them done in a three week time scale

[samuela5 in reply to Vonnieruth]

Thank you Vonnieruth

[Melleray]

I think you should see a cardiologist to get an up to date assessment. You have to be quite pro active these days and ask to be referred.

[samuela5 in reply to Melleray]

Thank you Melleray,I will do

[JaneFinn]

Hi Samuel and welcome to the forum

Sorry to hear what you’ve been experiencing - it can be so scary, can’t it?

It sounds like you’re saying you were diagnosed with paroxysmal AF two years or so ago, but haven’t been referred to a cardiologist or EP (arrhythmia specialist) at all? Or maybe you were, but have been discharged since?

I agree that if you aren’t already under the care of one, you should be referred to an EP. Sometimes that can be done direct from the GP, but sometimes it’s via a referral to a cardiologist, depending on the way it works in your area.

They can then give you any necessary tests and discuss a treatment plan.

You could maybe see or ring your GP sooner than your appt in three weeks to ask for the referral? (Not that I think it’s urgent! I just know how long the wait can be and I thought it might help to get the process started.)

I know the anxiety about what might happen can be the hardest thing to deal with. Reassure yourself (if you can) that you were ok after the last episode (horrid though it was) - and have confidence that if it happens again before you see a cardiologist, you can always get to a&e again if you need to, and be looked after. The episodes can tend to get less scary as we get used to them. But I hope you don’t have to get used to them, and that your heart keeps in normal rhythm

Good luck - do let us know how you get on.

[samuela5 in reply to JaneFinn]

Thank you JaneFinn so much for your time in helping me, I have seen a cardiologist 2years ago however things appear to be getting worse with AF/flutter on a regular basis.

I will let the group know how I get on with a referral.

[JaneFinn in reply to samuela5]

Please do As you’ve been seen once, it may be quicker the second time - I’d really emphasise the deterioration you’ve had to whoever you speak to, because as drummerswidow says, some medics can get rather blase about AF. We need to stress the significant impact on our lives to get action sometimes. A wise person on here taught me that!

(I’d also recommend you focus on expressing the physical impact the symptoms cause, as some medics can hear us say we feel anxious and categorise us as an ‘anxious patient’, rather than recognising it’s a specific and very understandable anxiety caused by the symptoms. If that makes sense?!)

Hope you get some great help- Best wishes x

[Drummerswidow]

Samuela5, I would see if you could be referred back into the Cardiac team. I’ve been diagnosed with AF for 2 years now, though I know I had PAF quite sometime before that. I’m an ex nurse so not good at going to drs nor being a patient!! I would generally get fast Af episodes at night which is scary. My GP is quite good so referred me to St Thomas’. They tweeted my medication and I have now had an ablation as I was in AF all the time and also got Wolf Parkinson White syndrome.

I had all the tests done and feel I am being ‘looked after’ which helps reducing the stress of AFib.

I find that people ie some drs and nurses are a bit blasé about AFib. I got told once in A&E that I wouldn’t die from AFib. Considering I had just had a TIA I wasn’t amused! Good luck with the referral!

[wilsond]

Ask to be referred to an Electrophysiologist rather than cardiologist,EPs are specialists in the electrics of the heart,not the structure/plumbing.

[KMRobbo]

My hospital A and E advised me anything consistently over 130 bpm hr then go back to them. Last July I was between 130 and 190 resting for b

Best part of 8 days. I was shattered afterwards, took me weeks to recover.

[samuela5]

Thank you all for your replies, very much appreciated.

Best wishes