How to tell if I have AF

[FMW62]

Hello everyone, Is it possible to tell if you ae in AF? I have a long and complicated heart history including a prolonged period of AF when I was hospitalised. I thought I was finally recovering well, but these last couple of days I have felt unreasonably tired and collapsed. Is it likely I am in AF? I am seeing a nurse this afternoon to have my INR measured, but am unsure how assertive to be!

[Hidden]

check your pulse, if it is regular you are not in AF

[rosyG]

yes- pulse check is good- but also ECG shows a typical pattern with AF

[FMW62 in reply to rosyG]

Thanks to both of you. It seems I'm not in AF, but my INR is oscillating beserkly. Always something new!

[rosyG]

Try and have same amount of green veg each day!

[FMW62 in reply to rosyG]

I do! I eat a pretty stable diet - my husband is on Warfarin too, so it helps us both. His INR is stable, mine is apparently random. Incidentally, the nurse this afternoon said that Warfarin can help prevent AF.

[Hidden]

Heavens, you have had a rough time with your heart in the last few years. Have you considered getting a KARDIA ecg device to check for AF as and when? Very useful.

Have you had a check to rule out anaemia as a cause of your tiredness, with you being on warfarin? Thyroid problems are also a common cause of ongoing lack of energy.

[FMW62]

Thanks for the information - I had not heard of Kardia before, but will investigate. Yes I am hugely anaemic and have devised an acceptable way of life to cope, but yesterday felt I didn't deserve the level of exhaustion. I had a leak along the stitches of my artificial mitral valve (the result of a drug allergy), but had it repaired after Christmas. To begin with my blood count leapt dramatically at roughly a point a day, but this stopped after a month. I think I need a GP appointment to try to find out which bit of me is malfunctioning now! Long live the NHS!

[R1100S1]

My INR used to vary a lot, even though I maintained a good regular and boring diet. Fortunately doc changed me onto rivaroxaban perhaps that may help

[FMW62 in reply to R1100S1]

Thanks, I will ask about that.

[Thomas45]

When I started taking Warfarin my INR was all over the place, so after 4 months I was put onto Rivaroxaban. Unfortunately I had a very rare side effect from Rivaroxaban and gave up taking it after 12 days. My GP gave me the choice of going back to Warfarin or trying any of the new anticoagulants. I chose to buy my own Coaguchek meter and go back to Warfarin, which I am still on five years later. Oddly my INR soon settled down after buying the meter.