Rant

[Mo-ararat]

Somewhere in cyber space I have lost both my first and second attempt to send this message, however each time I write my level of frustration, anxiety and anger fade, but they are still enough to try one last time!!!

Basically on Friday I went into tachycardia 110bpm it was after too much gardening and 8 months following a successful ablation.

Booked a GP appointment on Monday, alas my usually GP was on holiday so I saw, who I now believe to be a trainee GP. She called me twice before I went to the surgery, the second time was to tell me not to drive and always have someone with me. Saw her had ECG and bloods taken (which all proved normal), it was obvious she was very very concerned she even told us that she was anxious, but wouldn't say what she was frightened might happen. She told me that I would have go to hospital, I did requested to see a cardiologist I guess that was impossible, so it was a medical registrar that she spoke to, they didn't want to see me, but did prescribed bisoprolol. When I returned home I emailed a local cardiologist requesting a private consultation he couldn't see me until the end of November, he was on leave but he would be available to read emails and respond accordingly, I have had no response to my email and copy of the ECG yet.

Pulse stayed the same, I was (am) breathless on climbing stairs but doing almost everything that I would normally do.

The GP rang me again on Tuesday afternoon, this is when unfortunately I scrummed to the infectiousness of her anxiety. She still wanted me to go into hospital yet again her request to the the medical team was refused. I was quizzed on the exact times I took the medication and told how important it was to take them, as though I was a child, any attempt to explain my position and experiences of this situation (I had in the past been admitted with Pulse rate of 200) was discounted. That night I had trouble sleeping any reduction in pulse rate had disappeared. Cognitively I knew that I could take some control back but my emotions were getting the better of me. She asked me to call her on Thursday, which I wisely decided not to, in the mean time i contacted the Electrophysiologist that had performed the ablation (that unit is quite some distance away form my home) to see if he would see me privately ( that will be on 31st of October). This felt good and I was much calmer. Then yesterday morning she called me again. In simple polite language I told her that I was finding her anxiety disempowering and for me it wasn't helping my heart. Then the bulling came. Yes she was very worried. Her worry was that my BP would suddenly drop and I would have a heart attack. But she had looked it up and if I went to A and E there was a drug that I could be given to put me back into regular rhythm. I had previously told her that chemical conversion did not work on me. This had been tried twice in the past on two separate occasions.

I couldn't sleep last night, none of this is doing my heart rate any good, I know that this anxiety doesn't belong to me its hers, but can't help getting caught up in it, I guess that the Bisoprolo isn't helping.

AF community what ever you offer I know it will be right and hopefully tomorrow I will wish that I hadn't made this third attempt to send this post. x

[Hidden]

Not sure what your current situation is, but I wouldn’t think a sinus tachycardia of 110 would necessarily explain your breathlessness. Bisoprolol would be expected to slow it somewhat so maybe there is something else going on.

It is not always easy to distinguish atrial flutter from sinus rhythm in the presence of atrial fibrosis, which tends to distort the p wave and can result from a long history of AF or ablation.

In your position I would consider going to casualty and not leave until I had seen the cardiology registrar on call. I do think the cardiology team may have been less than supportive of this trainee GP, whose apparent anxiety may reflect concern not just for you, but also any possible repercussions for her if there are problems.

[Mo-ararat in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Oyster. My pulse rate is now under 100bpm and I have heard from the local hospital that I will have an urgent appointment soon!!!

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi Mo

It's odd, but I had a very similar thing with a young female doctor. My heart rate was 115 and had been like that for a few days. When I saw her she told me to go to hospital right away. In the past I've been discharged from hospital with that rate and even higher, pending a cardioversion to follow weeks later. A friend who lives near the surgery picked me up as, like you, I was told not to drive. I sat in a side room in A&E for several hours and then my heart suddenly went back into normal rhythm. The young female doctor we saw at the hospital was very efficient, kind and caring. My daughter actually told her that we all thought she was really lovely.

Could you go back to your surgery and speak to another, more experienced, doctor just to put your mind at rest?

By the way you need never regret posting on this forum, it's always good to hear of other people's experiences good or bad.

Hope you soon get sorted.

Jean

[Mo-ararat in reply to jeanjeannie50]

As always Jean thank you for your words of wisdom. The rant did help me and I did regret sending it to the forum the next morning. I know that she was only doing her best but for me I would much rather be empowered than patronised, and patronised is what I was left feeling.

[Buffafly]

In my experience GPs do not need to be trainees to be completely ignorant about AF. I do not feel being risk averse is a bad thing, having suffered at the hands of GPs who were not careful enough. Hope you get good advice from your EP.

[Mo-ararat in reply to Buffafly]

I agree with you about the advantages of GP's being risk averse, however I would have really rather we discussed the risk together.

[Wabid]

I understand your frustration, because I have the opposite problem. Medics are in possession of incorrect facts regarding my history, and no matter how hard I try, I can't make them believe that the information they have in black and white is 100% factually wrong! As she is someone who appears to be open to communication, I would ask her if she would explain to you in specific detail, why she feels you are unusually at risk. It's not difficult to give a proper explanation in laymans terms, but I have found that a good number of doctors communicate with all their patients at exactly the same level, with no complexity or detail, using the most basic terminology possible. Explaining the thought process behind their instructions/conclusions really isn't difficult, but they sometimes need reminding that we have brains and thought processes of our own.

[Mo-ararat in reply to Wabid]

Agree with you completely. On several occasions I asked her what exactly her worries were I even asked if she thought I would have an heart attack, she never answered except at the end of the last telephone conversation. I was also worried but I know that I needed a cardiologist which is now in the process of being arranged.

[KMRobbo]

Ignore the GP refused request. If she wants you in hospital assume she is right any go to A&E and tell them how bad you are. If you are commited they will have to do some tests which may reveal your real issue.

If you think you have a problem do not back down until you are satisfied.

[Mo-ararat in reply to KMRobbo]

Thank you Robbo.

[AIW58]

Hi

I entirely understand your frustration and how all this had created an anxiety you don’t need. My only suggestion is to see if there is an arrhythmia nurse at the hospital where you had your ablation. If you are still tachycardia and feeling unwell with it then as others have said you could go to A&E. I suggest in normal working hours (Mon-Fri 8-5) not a weekend. Also worth asking the docs you’d see privately if you can be contacted if they have a cancellation so you don’t have to wait so long. Not sure what tactics you use to relax but I find entrainment helps: listening to a heart beat ( you can google for it just make sure it’s slower than yours!) and deep breathing.

Make sure you keep you fluids up too as maybe all the gardening was too much. Good luck.

[Mo-ararat in reply to AIW58]

Thank you.