Hello all, I saw the Cardiologist today & didn’t expect any bad news but have been told that my Atrium is enlarged through the episode of AFib. He thinks I may had previous episodes of AFib but indicated that it’s not usual but not unheard of to have enlargement after one episode. He wants to put me on Flecanide PRN & an anticoagulant. I was so shocked that I forgot to ask some questions. I am wondering if most people on here have the enlargement of the heart with AFib & what can I expect, can it shorten your life, is there anything you can’t do with it etc. Also I mentioned that during my episode of AFib, I was weeing every 15 minutes & he wants to look over the ECG again in case I have SVT. If anyone can offer any advice I’d be grateful I’m feeling a bit worried. Thanks in advance!
Advice : Hello all, I saw the... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Advice
Hi.
The weeing is normal- when you're in AF your body secretes a hormone that makes you wee a lot!!
If you get AF under control, the enlargement often gets smaller again- it's just like using a muscle a lot- it gets bigger!! That's why some athletes get AF and they have to de-train. Anti-coagulation depends on your CHAD Vasc Score (see AF Assoc. website) and reduces stroke risk by 60 per cent I haven't taken Flecanide but others will advise who has. Good luck- all loads of questions!!
Thank you! Yes I’ve read about the weeing with AFib although the Cardiologist said it only happens with SVT not sure what to believe really. In any event I think I need to find out which side of the Atrium is enlarged & by how much? Thanks again 😊
Well I noticed it a lot when in AF so he’s wrong!!
I agree with BobD- your doctor is wrong, Bebbe. I have an enlarged left atrium, no problems ever with SVT and pee all the time. The only concession I have to make is not take my lasix just before I leave the house if I won't have access to restrooms right away! Perfectly workable.
My EP told me early on this is normal-many also have enlarged left atria. And many quickly learn where all the bathrooms are in their town. Maybe there should be a GPS for public restrooms! LOL
Listen to BobD and get this guy out of your life. Take care. irina
Change you cardiologist ! He/she is wrong. What else could he be wrong about?
Atrial fibrillation happens in the left atrium so that is the one which enlarges. Remember the left side of your heart pumps blood round your body and the right to your lungs for re-oxygenation and thence back to the left atrium and so on. It is known that well controlled AF does not normally shorten life. it just make it less pleasant for some people. Controlling the AF will usually allow the atrium to return to a more normal size.. I presume that you must have had an echo cardiogram for the doctor to have seen this so unless there are any other issues raised I would relax and enjoy life. Most people with AF have perfectly normal hearts mechanically and the condition often casues us to re-appraise our life styles and improve our diet, BMI and stress levels and actually lengthen our life expectancy.
He’s the only Cardiologist in that area but I could travel to another county maybe? What are you saying he’s wrong about, the weeing? Yes they found the enlargement via the Echo. He stated I am at risk of stroke & so hence the Andoxaban but I’d rather not any thoughts?
TRAVEL!!!!!!!
Change your doctor to one who knows AF and please take the anticoagulant it will reduce your risk of stroke enormously by up to 75% you dont want to take risks with stuff like that !
All the best
TRAVEL!!!! TAKE the anticoagulant as your main risk is from AF induced stroke - your cardiologist is right on that one. Anticoagulant is the primary treatment for AF and really should be your main concern. An enlarged atria can recover - you may not if you have a stroke.
Sorry to be so strong as I know how disturbing this diagnosis can be but get your priorities in order please!
PS - do your own research - start at the AFA website and read all the information leaflets - you can download them. Also research the nearest centre of excellence for Arrythmias and ask your GP to be referred to a specialist EP rather than a general cardiologist.
👍
I think that in the brief time I have been on here (10 months) this single subject has caused me the most concern. I have specialised in crime scene investigation and therefore am, very thorough and tend to miss nothing - even after 15 years away from the job. That said, I am a bit like "jack of all trades - master of none" Over the years I have learned so many little things that have helped a lot and even know the basic workings of a heart muscle and the workings of the left atrium. Believe it or not, a relative died two weeks ago with causation due to the enlargement of the left atrium - probably due to age, diet and excessive exercise over the past two years. So I am an interested party, so to speak.
All that said, what the issue here is common knowledge in a cardiologist, even, dare I say a well versed junior doctor. It's like a qualified electrician telling you the earth wire is coloured blue or the live wire is coloured yellow - it just beggars belief. Had I been given this information through a site such as this - I would be straight off down to the family doctor and ask him for a referal to another specialist = after all it is not your fault so let them do the work - but make sure you tell the doctor what you have been told by the specialist and here and quote the web page reference (the https bit in the address bar at the top of the page) and stand your ground. It is really deplorable and should never happen.
So sorry about your friend - but just to clarify and emphasise that the causation of atria enlargement in that case sounds as though it were probably down to excess exercise in later life rather than lone AF?
My understanding is that if enlargement is due to lone AF then if the AF is controlled then the atria can return to normal size as per RosyG’s post and this is what you are suggesting?
I think we are on the same page but just wanted to clarify. I think we are all a little shocked at the misinformation given by a specialist.
I agree wholeheartedly with your summations. So again therefore, may I suggest that when the rehabilitation team suggest exercising three times a week - it should be bourne into account previous levels of exercise, fitness levels, age and ability, We are deffinately on the same page!
By the way-sounds a very interesting job. As I was getting ready to retire, in the US the field of 'Forensic Nursing' was beginning to come into being. I would have loved to try that. Love all the CSI programs-esp CSI MIami-mostly reruns now.
Take the Andoxaban. Right now you need it. Don't play with stroke risk!
Hi. A little bit off topic. But the cardiologist who I had my results from (not my origjnal) is "no longer working there" according to the manager! He found a problem and said to me "see you in 6 months" didn't listen to me, wanted to up tablets that were causing me issues etc. Reading between the lines I think he was sacked. So.... they are not infalable! If you are not happy, not impressed with their ability. Try to move
The first 2 times I was in hospital with AF, they said it was SVT. The third time AF. It always causes a lot of peeing, and in A&E the nurse could not get over how many bottles I had filled. You would think they would expect this but its best to think they dont know everything.
My Cardiologist is a locum, but been there 3 years and is around 60 ish years old keeps wanting to put me on Amiodarone, but with advice on here I keep refusing. I need to see another consultant too I think.
Right. I'm reminded of something my late brother used to say about doctors: "Someone had to graduate last in his/her class." (I added 'her' to be politically correct!)
Hey ian16527, you’re wise to be wary of amiodarone. My cardiologist doesn’t recommend it for long term use. He thinks it might suit some people for short periods but did not prescribe it for me. I have confidence in his view, he’s one of the leading cardiologists in Australia.
When I questioned why I had not been offered another cardioversion after two previous ones had lasted over a year until another medical procedure had disturbed my vagus nerve. I was told that the echo had shown that my left atrium size showed it as unlikely that the cardioversion would be successful. It can be either atrium that is the culprit. However if they first do a cryoablation it will change the size of the right atrium and they can then do a cardioversion.
There are quite a few online studies on this.
sciencedirect.com/science/a...
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/901...
cardiovcl.sld.cu/corsalud/2...
Thanks for all your comments! I live in West Wales & I doubt I will get a referral to an EP as there are none in county as far as I’m aware but will confirm this? I have already paid privately to see this Cardiologist & may need to track down another? As waiting times are so long! I also have chest pain central & right & left & he said it was not related to the heart but it was more of an inflammatory condition as I have a connective tissue disease. It’s all really overwhelming at the moment but I am hoping I can reverse the situation with some lifestyle changes as if there was ever a time to overhaul things, now is that time! Wishing you all well!
I understand that it can all feel overwhelming but it is your health.
The referral would be to Liverpool or Bristol as the nearest centres. Many people from Wales are on this forum and whilst is may not be as straightforward to get a referral, it is usually about funding issues rather than whether or not there is a speciality within the region.
There is a very strong link between connective tissue disease and arrythmias and I wonder if you might like to look at nutritional deficits? I have found I have benefitted greatly from looking at my nutrition. I have had a lot of issues over the years from Colitis, hypermobility, arrythmias and a neuromuscular condition and found that all of them can be helped by nutrition because they are linked. Reducing inflammation will be the main aim.
The best way you can help yourself is to keep BMI to 27 or less, cut the alcohol, manage stress, improve sleep, eat well and according to your nutritional needs and exercise moderately.
Don’t assume you won’t get a referral - push for it! Yes waiting times can be long but if you are prepared to pay for an initial consultation at least you will be on the pathway.
Best wishes CD
Dr O'Callaghan in Cardiff is an excellent EP
Whats the main symptoms of the connective tissue disease and does it come and go? I have chest pains the same as you, and if I stress these muscles, it gets worse and usually causes an Af attack the next day.
I have Crohns Disease as well, although not a problem when my chest is aching so this leads me to think its an autoimmune thing as well
Hi Ian, I have Sjogren’s Syndrome which can affect the heart but my Cardiologist thinks it’s not the cause of my problems?. Main issues are dry mouth/eyes joint/muscle pain & fatigue. My chest pain is daily like a tender pain mostly. I sympathise with you my cousin has Crohns & it can be horrendous! Take care 😊
Bebbe. This thread is filled with with spot on advice. And I know researching the site will produce more stories and suggestions in a similar vein.
Please heed the many good suggestions-now. A cavalier doctor will not suffer from bad advice he gives to a patient. But your quality of life could change drastically.
Be your own advocate. And, as my friend Jacob says, "Don't take better care of your car than you do your body." You wouldn't take your brand new car to the nearest garage if it's chief asset was proximity, would you?
There are many excellent doctors out there. He just doesn't sound like one to me.
Take care. irina
I had an ultrasound in July of 2018 that showed "grossly enlarged left and right atria". I had been in afib for 2 weeks. They did a cardioversion to get me back into NSR.
A month later I had an ablation done by Dr. Andrea Natale. After the ablation he put me on Flecainide for 4 months.
A repeat ultrasound was done, and both my atria were back to normal size.
I was so relieved.
Good to hear that. Well done
I do hope Bebbe reads and is encouraged by your post.
I am encouraged by all your posts so thank you & it is great to hear that it’s possible to reverse the enlargement! I just have to make the decision if I should see another cardiologist as the issue seems to be that he stated that SVT makes you pee but failed to mention that AFib does this? His advice to go on Flecanide PRN & Endoxaban appears to be the right course of action so I may see how things go? My concern is that why I had the enlargement after only one episode of AFib (although I may have had others?) I have cousins who have AFib & one was in constant AFib for a year with no enlargement but neither did she have high BP. Cardiologist said it wasn’t unheard of to have the enlargement after only one episode of AFib, I wonder how common this is, has anyone else experienced this? My life is very stressful I am a social worker with an adult son with Asperger’s syndrome who lives at home so relieving stress is really not going to be easy. Thanks for listening 😊
Hi, it is possible to have AF episodes without being aware of it. Also I notice that my last episode of AF was described as 'AF with RVR' (rapid ventricular response). Funnily enough I didn't have the peeing with it though I have had it at other times when I haven't felt well but not in AF. So I suspect the peeing is caused by an 'extra' factor - the mechanism is well known but not the initiation. Sorry I'm rambling, thinking aloud! Anyway I don't think you should worry too much yet, you have been diagnosed (many people struggle to get that) and treatment should hopefully stop or reverse deterioration. At least your cardiologist is being thorough! Best wishes 💕
I had slight LA enlargement after the first Af/SVT episode lasting 8 hours. I assume this is normal and the cardiologist never mentioned it after the subsequent echo
Third Episode of Afib and flecinaid question
A bit of clarity needed please!
Paroxysmal Atrial Fib not converting. 
A bit disheartened and confused
