I’m new to this.

[Teddy2015]

I’m so new to this & feeling lost😞.Dont know what the outcome is going to be either?Awaiting a holster monitor fitting & then a echocardiogram. I’m slightly breathless at night & a bit spaced out.some nghts I feel like phoning ambulance for tight chest & feelings I can’t explain is this normal for AF?Doc at hospital did say it was AF.😟😞

[Hidden]

Hello Teddy. There is no normal for AF. We all have a brand of our own. It can be vigorous and last a short time, it can be mild or severe and come and go now and then or it can be there all the time, just an irregular heartbeat that's not even noticeable.

The outcome can be very good. It's a condition that can be well managed with attention to lifestyle. It tends to progress but there are lots of ways of dealing with it.

Your monitor will show how often it occurs and you will be more in the picture when you have the echo results.

[Teddy2015 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Rellim2.Puts it into more of a perspective.

[Hidden in reply to Teddy2015]

Good! It may be that you have had AF for a while or your heart may recently have decided to have the occasional wobble.

Plenty of information and experience available here!

[Hidden]

Hello Teddy, and welcome to the forum.

This may sound blunt, but most of us when told we have AF feel as though the end is nigh! Provided you follow the advice of your medics, this is not the case. There are well over 1 million folk in the UK with AF and probably another 250,000 who have it, but don’t know it yet and provided the condition is controlled, the belief is that no one has died of AF. Very often, the anxiety associated with not knowing what’s in store will make the condition worse so the best thing you can do is to read all the information available on the AF Association webpages as they cover everything you need to know to move forward. It sounds as if you are in good hands because it sounds as though you have started your treatment plan which will enable your medics to determine the best route forward for you. You are probably taking a betablocker such as Bisoprolol or similar and these can cause the side effects you mention but these should improve as your body adjusts, but if it doesn’t, there are alternatives.

If you get chest PAINS then yes, you should consider calling an ambulance but aches and breathlessness are common symptoms which should ease once your medication has stabilised. It is not going to be easy, there will be lots of ups and downs and there will always be help here on the forum. Hope this helps......

[Pandabear123 in reply to Hidden]

Hi! Try not to panic! I was diagnosed in May last year, quite by accident! It has been a rollercoaster ride all the way. I had one cardioversion at the end of August which put my heart back to NSR for about 2 weeks and then back to AF. They prescribed Amiodarone in September and I have suffered with indigestion, heartburn , constipation etc. Had a second cardioversion in December which put me back into NSR and so far I have remained in NSR, BUT....my pulse is so low under 50 sometimes below 40! They say this might be another side effect of Amiodarone too! Yay!? I like you have panicked and been to A&E three times, but glad I went if only to be reassured that everything was okay and I wasn’t about to have a heart attack!! But it IS frightening, and you DO panic and feel so scared....very normal response to your diagnosis. Reach out to everyone you can for support and love! I’ve only just discovered this forum and wish I had found it sooner because I find it really encouraging! Also, the A&E staff were brilliant and never made me feel like I was wasting their time and always encouraged me to come in and get it all checked out if I was feeling super rough! But I also try and do some deep breathing, as I felt sometimes I would panic and exacerbate my symptoms. Don’t feel alone!

[Teddy2015 in reply to Pandabear123]

Thanks Pandabear123 .Are we encouraged to excercise ?Iv changed my diet to healthy as overweight due to disability.weight is coming down slowly.

[Pandabear123 in reply to Teddy2015]

Teddy2015 - absolutely exercise! I have lost nearly 8stone since my diagnosis as this was quite the wake up call for me! Suddenly I was facing something that I couldn’t necessarily control, but losing the weight and increasing my exercise would go along way to improving my chances of staving any further heart failure issues! My cardiologist said to exercise, don’t go mad, but push yourself to keep your mobility and weight loss up. I walk for at least 30 minutes (having two labradors helps!), I do aquacise, swim, and occasionally a toning class along with using a cross trainer. The cross trainer I started very gradually, I could only do 2 mins, now I am doing 20 relatively easily. I would say that the main thing is to start slowly, baby steps, stop if you feel unwell, and if you don’t manage to do exercise on a particular day - don’t worry! I have found that consistency, being kind to yourself, pushing yourself to make little changes is the best way forward. But I would check with your GP or cardiology department before embarking on anything major! Onwards and upwards!! 🤗

[Teddy2015 in reply to Pandabear123]

Thanks Pandabear123

[Teddy2015 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Flapjack

[Hidden]

Hi it does get better had af since Sept was really scare them I found this sight so help full on meds and there are working well just being to feel my old self again but doing things different so it will get better

[Teddy2015 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Redbull45

[meadfoot]

Welcome to the forum. You will get ongoing support here as there is always someone about to offer a shoulder and encouragement.

When the heart goes into af or whichever arrhythmia it is very scary and those who have had it for years are just as subject to feeling unnerved as newly diagnosed.

When the heart goes out of rhythm and very fast, irregular or very slow it is frightening and all our base instincts kick in causing us to feel the basic fight or flight instincts we are born with. It's little wonder we feel so scared and unnerved. If going to a and e while you are new to this and not having had a full diagnosis or treatment plan then do so. Don't feel you are wasting their time. Once settled you may well feel confident to ride it out at home. Work with your medics to find the best treatment plan for you. They are clearly moving things forward for you given the holter monitor and echocardiogram is underway.

Read all you can on this forum. Best wishes.

[Teddy2015 in reply to meadfoot]

Thanks meadfoot

[CDreamer]

I think you have had some good answers - all I would like to add is that many of us have had to consider AF as a chronic rather than acute condition ie:- it may be life changing but is very, very rarely life threatening. When illness strikes it provokes a crisis within and we must learn to adapt to survive and thrive so hanging on to how we used to be and craving to return to that state isn’t always helpful.

None of us knows what our outcomes will be but there are some treatments which some people respond to very well and never have another episode ever again. Others find lifestyle changes make a huge difference ie losing weight if required, taking moderate daily exercise, reducing & managing stress levels & improving sleep quality.

Most, if not all of us, found that adapting takes time and acceptance and understanding of self and others.

Knowledge helps you talk to your doctors informatively and will help you make the choices of which treatments may help you most so I would encourage you to go to the AFA website and learn as much as you can and to continue to read post here - I think I leaned more from a few hours on this site than the previous 7 years with AF from medics.

Best wishes and know we are here to listen and support. CD

[Teddy2015 in reply to CDreamer]

Thankyou CDreamer.Vry helpful

[Hidden]

I was diagnosed last September.... pretty much the worse day ever. At first I thought of nothing else... it was awful. However you do get over that and learn to live with it. Lots of changes .... all huge for me. No alcohol being the biggest change. I can’t say that is easy and I still struggle on a night out with my mates. However when you think of your health... had to be done!

I’ve had 1 cardioversion so far and take Bisoprolol, Apixaban and Ramipril.... honestly you do get used to it.

Time does help... suddenly you’ll realise that a day has gone by without thinking about stupid AF....

Good Times do return 👍😄

[Buffafly]

Hi Teddy, I can't improve on the previous posts but I do encourage you to ask questions/have a moan here because the best thing about this forum is that people are willing to talk about AF and it's effects which doesn't happen in real life. I know four people with AF and none of them are interested in having any discussion about it! This is definitely a situation where it's good to talk so always feel free to say/ask whatever you like. Best wishes.

[Teddy2015 in reply to Buffafly]

Thanks Buffafly

[Fenderman]

Hi teddy

Ive had af since 2012 and i found the diagnosis a big shock.i really worried and took myself to a and e a few times and each time i went back to normal heart rate.it took me some time to accept that its happened and il have to live with it The good folks on here told me its unlikely that you will die from it and they were right so far 7 yesrs on and counting!!!

Bisoprolol did not work for me and past few yesrs ive been on sotalol plus warfarin for possible blood clots.

Bouts of af are getting more frequent but most last only from minutes to an hour on average.the longest duration has been 3 to 4 hours and thats when i feel more depressed and worried but so far ive always reverted to normal heart rates.my pulse averages 60 bpm when not in af and 120 when in af.

Some days i dont get any bouts of af and its a great feeling.

I have always found this forum a help in both reassuring that life can still be enjoyed enjoyed and with practical advice shared by so many.

Everybody suffering from af gets down at times and this forum can help you to remain positive.

Good luck to you on your journey and remember you are not alone.everyone on this forum are ready to help you with advice and words of comfort.

Richard

[Teddy2015 in reply to Fenderman]

Thanks Fenderman

[Hidden]

Hi no how you feel l got paf since sept 2018 just starting to feel myself again not 100% yet but the new me is getting there take care