My journey so far

[Trotters70]

Hi Everyone hope all are managing this life changing AF. So far I have had PAF since September 2017 and was getting AF every few months then it started to increase to once a month then this last fortnight 5 times, 4 of which I ended up in A&E with it. Seen Cardiologist in July because each episode I was getting chest and left arm pain and because of this he upped my Flecainide to 100 twice a day alongside taking my normal 1.25 Bisoprolol and apixapam 5 twice a day. Life can only been described as struggling everyday to function and misery. After taking the 5 episodes in the last fortnight he ordered a ct catheter angiogram which I had yesterday and showed a healthy heart and no plaque or narrowing of arteries. He then stopped my apixaban completely and said to use Flecainide as pip. The only med that am on now is Bisoprolol 5mg. Scared at first as I had to stop apixaban 2 days before the angiogram which I felt safe in case of clots. But today I have felt more alive than I have done in months Bp 106/64 resting heartbeat 54 and no fast Af. So my instructions now is if I go into af take Flecainide 100 and a diazepam and if af continues after 2 hours take another 100 Flecainide. If after 4 hours still in af then I am to take myself to A&E. Feeling apprehensive but relieved that nothing serious wrong with heart as I feared this the most and am not taking these awful drugs. So ablation soon then hopefully no AF.

[Hidden]

Well, you seem now to have a plan of action and there's good news so things would seem to be better than they were which must be encouraging. Your AF has been quite insistent! Hopefully you are now on top of it and can feel less burdened.

[Trotters70 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Rellim2 yeah feeling more optimistic and a little more hopeful. I think it’s because I have been giving more information now rather than living with it and trying to figure out what the best action plan is. Knowledge is power! And a good cardiologist.

[wilsond]

I hope the new regime helps,similar to my new one but without the bisoprolol.One thing,why did they stop the apixaban? You still have AF but are not anticoagulated now?

[Trotters70 in reply to wilsond]

Hi wilsond they stopped the apixaban because I scored 0 on the CHA2DS2-VASc Score for Stroke Risk Assessment in Atrial Fibrillation.

[wilsond in reply to Trotters70]

Good,just checking! Xx