A.F.information required please .

[Mary4711]

Hi everyone hope your as well as can be expected.just looking for some advice please .I was diagnosed with A.F. in March . I'm taking Apixaban twice daily .I had a couple of appointments with A.F.team ,and was being monitored for bloods by Anticoagulant team .the anticoagulant nurse referred me to my Doctor,to be monitored. I. Have some quickening of heartbeats ,I always take my pulse ,it is normally around 60 .most it goes to is 72.When I was diagnosed it was 86 .what I'm concerned about is I don't feel I am being monitored.when I asked my A.F nurse, believe it or not .she told me the computer was down .and she wasn't sure. They have not recalled me for month's now .so I have made appointment to see my G.P. to ask him ,how it works. I have a number of other health issues ,and try not to goto often, I have been taken to A&E. Twice with A.F. symptoms.but was o.k. came home next day .So any advice about who is meant to be monitoring me ,would be helpful.Thank you .Love and Light too you All. From Pam .

[Hidden]

I am sorry that you've had no replies to this so far.

Apixaban is one of the anticoagulants that gives a constant level of protection so it doesn't really need monitoring at all, although you should have a blood test at least once a year. Warfarin is an alternative and this does need to be monitored as it is affected by all sorts of things and the level of protection may go too high or too low. Many of us like the simplicity of anticoagulants like Apixaban because it means you don't need frequent visits to have it checked.

A regular pulse between 60 and 72 is within the normal range.

Have you been referred to see either a cardiologist or a rhythm specialist?

[Mary4711 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Rellim2.Thank you for your time and reply , apparently there is a cardiologist attached to the A.F.Clinic ,when I was first diagnosed with A.F.,the nurse told me the cardiologist had looked over my case and decided I only needed Apixaban,then she gave me a script for Bisodol,think that's the name ,and phone me day's later ,and said I don't need to take them .so I haven't been referred to a Cardiologist or Rhythm Specialist.i shall discuss this with my Doctor.May I wish you the Best of Health for the future .Best Wishes Pam .

[Hidden in reply to Mary4711]

I'd ask your GP how best to proceed and see if you can be referred to an Electrophysiologist. If you have had a couple of visits to A & E they will have ECGs which show your AF. Perhaps you have already been referred for or have had an echocardiogram. You have anticoagulation sorted. Bisoprolol is probably the medication that you have a script for. I think some people take it when needed only. Many forum members take it daily but your GP will guide you.

[Mary4711 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks again for your concern,there are Lovely people on this forum.i will have a good chat to my Doctor ,he is very good ,and Thank you for all the information.its really helpful ,to put my mind at rest .Best Wishes Pam .

[Bagrat]

I caan understand you feeling a bit at sea with AF. You will get a lot of info from the main AFA site and from reading other's posts on here. You are on an anticoagulant that does not require regular blood tests usually just an annual check. I think your GP is a good place to find out how things work in your area but unless you run into problems I would be surprised if you were monitored regularly. Have you seen a cardiologist or Electrophysiologist? If you have symptoms from your AF your GP may refer you .

[Mary4711 in reply to Bagrat]

HiBagrat.Thank you for your time and replying.No I haven't been referred to a Cardiologist or electrophysiologist.i was just concerned that I was monitored at first at the A&F clinic and at the Anticoagulant clinic.I have been taken into A&E on two occasions with different symptoms relating to A.F. they insisted on taking me in .on one occasion I was on 20mins alert and they were here within 20mins.But I was o.k. came out next day ,just had extra symptoms relating to my AF.i will have a chat with my Doctor on next visit.Thank you so much .May I Wish you Good Health for the future.Best Wishes Pam .

[BobD Volunteer]

Just to add to what others have said, AF is a chronic condition and A and E is not the place to be treated as it is neither and accident nor an emergency. If you are not satisfied with the care you are getting from your GP then in UK you have the right to see an arrhythmia specialist but do be aware that any and all treatment is only for quality of life as there is no guaranteed cure .

Provided that you are protected from stroke by anticoagulation (which you are and unlike warfarin apixaban needs no testing) ) the only monitoring would be annual liver and kidney blood tests to check that the meds are not causing any damage.

You don't mention any drugs for the AF but your heart rate is remarkably low. Anything between 50 and 100 is considered normal and most people with AF have rates up to and over 200 during events so sounds like you are well looked after.

[momist]

I wouldn't worry at all about your pulse rate. Your heart and respiration respond to the body's demands, and increase/decrease accordingly. It is often said that a 'normal' heart rate is anything from 60 to 100 bpm, but a resting heart rate below 55 is not too unusual, and 120bmp is not unusual during any exercise that makes you out of breath. Your resting heart rate will be higher whenever you decide to actually measure it, due to the activity, and anxiety about it will raise that even further!

For us AF sufferers, what is important is the rhythm. And yes, when in AF the rate is often (but not always) increased, sometimes frighteningly so. In my first AF visitation my heart rate reached 280 at one point while the paramedics were fussing around me prior to going to the hospital by ambulance. It has never reached such heights since. My last 'do' saw about 180 maximum, according to my Kardia.

As Rellim2 said, for Apixaban you only need a blood test at least once a year, to check that there has been no impact on your kidney function I think. Some practices do that twice a year.

[Mary4711 in reply to momist]

Thank you so much Momist,for your kind and informative reply ,when I was taken into A&E My heartbeats were very irregular and I had other symptoms,which they said caused concern .and insisted on taking me in to A &E .which was a worry . apparently it was a blip in my system.i came home the next day .I will have a chat with my Doctor just for reassurance. Thank you for taking the time for replying.May I wish you good health for the future .Best Wishes Pam .

[Aprilbday]

Hi Pam

It is good that you made an appointment with your GP- make sure to have a list of questions to ask.

I remember when I was first diagnosed. I felt like I was left not knowing much about A-Fib. I was afraid. I asked a lot of questions later on after I learned more about AFib. Did not receive a follow up with a cardiologist or EP, just the General Doctor. I have been staying on my medicine and haven’t had any more issues unless I overdo it. I don’t think my AFib need the monitoring that some others do.I have other health issues and my regular doctor sees me for that but would refer me to the cardiologist if she thought my A-Fib wasn’t being managed. I am not a candidate for surgery so I doubt if I would ever be referred to an EP because what would be the use? I can’t have surgery.

I hope you get the answers you need soon and you feel calmer in this dreaded condition. Read all you can on here and if you can purchase a blood pressure monitor and a Kardia device. Those 2 things would empower you to monitor yourself and to keep an individualized and accurate history of your cardiac events so you can share with your doctor who would be given a great deal of powerful information from you about how your heart is behaving day to day. Keep reading on this forum but also realize that AFib can be kind of different for everyone so please don’t worry so much if you see some people on here being more involved with their doctors than you are told to be. Just stick to the doctor who knows about your condition and would refer you if appropriate , keep him/her abreast on how you are doing with your own BP readings and Kardia readings if you can, ask questions that relate specifically to your AFib and experience. You will be ok. 🙂Best wishes to you dear.

[Mary4711 in reply to Aprilbday]

Hi April Thank you so much for your informative and detailed reply ,I do have a blood pressure machine , which I do use ,but normally I use my wrist and a seconds clock ,to check it .as long as it's in my normal pace ,I don't worry to much , even if it is beating more erratically .I will talk it through with my Doctor.Thank you so much for taking the time to answer.I leave you with my Best Wishes and hope your well . Regards Pam .

[dizzielizzie1]

Hello Mary- I was diagnosed with Paroxysmal A Fib almost 6 years ago when I was 61--and I am now 67. I saw a member of the cardiac team ( a doctor) two months after my initial diagnosis, who said I would need an anticoagulant when I was 65, then she waved me goodbye. When I turned 65 I made an appointment with my GP who put me on Rivaroxaban , but after several months I switched to Apixaban, as I did some research and discovered it was gentler on the stomach and I have had stomach problems in the past. I don't have any monitoring other an annual blood test as I also take Losartan for H Blood pressure. Unless you are having problems I don't think you will get any regular monitoring--despite the fact that NICE says that patients with PAF should have a treatment plan!! Unlike Warfarin, Apixaban can't be ' tested' to see how well it is working. I have had no apparent problems with the Apixaban and I hope you get on well with it. However, if you are having troublesome bouts of arrhythmia, I would ask your GP to refer you to an Electrophysiologist. Most of us old stagers on this Forum have learned to manage our PAF and I am sure you will too, but it is very scary when you are first diagnosed with it. I have had a lot of good information from the Forum. Keep well Mary.

[Mary4711 in reply to dizzielizzie1]

Thank you so much Dizzie lizzie .Love the name ,for taking the time to reply . I'm fine on Apixaban ,and glad I only have to take that ,it was a shock at first but I really don't think about it ,when I had a problem and knew something was wrong ,I rang 111they were brilliant ,they put me on 20mins alert ,and paramedics came within that time .they let me home the next day ,I was o.k. some sort of blip ,upset my system , I'm going to see my Doctor and just check when I need blood tests etc.May I Wish you Good health for the future .My Best Wishes too you .Pam