Well - I am due a Pacemaker implant for my AF and was all ready for the procedure on 29th November, but it was cancelled the day before. It has been rescheduled for January. Having had a quiet well behaved heart for the past 59 days, I was beginning to wonder if I should be having this procedure. But just to remind me, suddenly went into AF yesterday. Off to A&E as some of you know I am very sensitive to movement in AF and my pulse will soar to 250+ if I do not keep still.
After about 6 hours, I remembered the Valsava technique, and tried it a few times, and went back into NSR. I have tried it before, but it did not help, but this time, I persevered and it did work. So worth trying. If there is anyone who is not familiar with this technique, here is a link:
An unrelated question but I am puzzled by your sensitivity to movement when you are in AF. My rhythm at rest is generally atrial flutter rate 60 but will double sometimes if I move about. Did your EP explain the mechanism behind your more dramatic jump in rate?
Thanks for the link. I guess the valsalva would not help or maybe not be a good idea with predominantly vagal AF.
Will be following your progress in January, good luck with the P&A. Can I ask where you are having it done and whether it is guaranteed your EP will do it?
Hi - I don't know why movement affects me so much. When I read about others who can carry on (albeit more cautiously) when they are having an episode, I am amazed. At the beginning of my episodes, I can move slowly, so I take the opportunity to go to the loo!! get my records and overnight bag together (just in case I need it), and then as the episode progresses beyond about 2 hours, then if I even attempt to stand up , it will soar to very fast rates, with violent pounding. Horrendous! EP just says it's my particular condition, and the A&E people know why I am there.
I am having the procedure in Bristol, and as it has been scheduled for a different day to the one my normal EP does his surgery, I have asked about who will be doing it.
Thank you. I’m not surprised you decided finally to go ahead.
On the question about your EP, I wondered whether we can as NHS patients insist on a particular consultant for an elective procedure. Pacemakers with 2 and occasionally 3 wires must require considerable expertise to achieve a good result. One or two here have had problems with wires needing resiting.
I would not want to find at the last minute that my EP had changed, if I did not know how much experience they had of the required PM configuration.
Dr Gupta has an interesting video on Vagal AF. With high vagal tone, AF is generally slower, so vagal manoeuvres are presumably less likely to work. Many have mixed vagal and adrenergic AF, so it may be that the rate of their AF episodes (and therefore symptoms) will vary.
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Will it work (part two) yes it did!!!
Recently diagnosed - trying to manage this
something is working 😊
