This is my first time in this group so I hope I’m not being redundant.
Does anyone know if you can monitor blood pressure if you are in a-fib at that time?
Over the last 3 days I have had multiple error messages and have used three different devices. I am a dental hygienist so I am familiar with proper positioning. After hours or over night I get a reading. Once very high the others normal.
I was diagnosed on Monday last week, at hospital, I went because I thought I was having a reoccurrence of atrial flutter ( two years ago treated with cardioversion successfully )(they said)
Seeing Cardiologist on 17th , was given Eloquist
Thanks
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50done
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In short, it’s difficult. A best of three average works fairly consistently for me using my Omron HEM-907 which does this automatically at 60 second intervals.
Am Omron 652 should be fine provided you have had it checked yearly- most GP surgeries will check to see if it synchronises with their own monitor. I think Omron advise a yearly or two yearly check.
Mine is extremely difficult even for ER nurses. I absolutely cannot get a reading at home, but my rate is always high. Anywhere from 135-180. I currently am in ER in atrial flutter, awaiting cardioversion, my 16th in 5 years.
I had 2 surgeries due to complications on the first one, but both actually completed the PVI ablation. They did the left atrium first, then the right atrium on second surgery. Not the normal procedure at all. My atrial fib/flutter is severe when it kicks in, it is persistent with no normal beats and a high rate. They are looking at a second ablation, but actually 3 surgeries for me. They believe rocky mountain spotted fever has caused the excessive scarring they found when did my ablation. Heart tissue is damaged, I have none of the known risk factors, only the tick born disease. A fluke I suppose☹️
Hi, I'm not in afib that much and typically for no more than a few seconds to minutes with the odd once every few years of 2 hours; however, when I was in afib for 2 hours, they were able to get my blood pressure reading. I have a wrist BP cuff and was also able to get a reading.
The instruction booklet accompanying the Omron will provide info on the error codes (there are several different ones) and on the maximum level it can record. I am also guessing that blood pressure can fluctuate a fair bit during episodes.
I think it is generally agreed that automatic machines often fail miserably to give acurate readings. The old fashioned pump and stethoscope works fine.
I was told you my GP surgery that a good quality *sleeve* monitor-they recommend Omron-is pretty accurate and they use these in surgery. Apparently wrist monitors are to be avoided as they are considered inaccurate.
When my episode starts, blood pressure spikes high, at the end( hours later) it is low. In the middle when it is really going nuts, I cannot get a reading.
Good luck tomorrow. You will get it figured out, biggest thing is not to let a fib rule you. It is scary at first but it gets easier. Keep us posted on how you are and what doc had to offer.
Thanks! Appointment well , heart in rhythm , echo good 🙄. But he had ekg of hospital visit . Put me on flecanide, boy does it make me nauseous. And didn’t stop me yesterday, but assume it’s too soon. Already posted about my experience so won’t repeat it . Let me know if you don’t see it.
Good Luck with all. I have found that there is lots of great, supportive advice here. I found that when my heart is in flutter mode, my Omron gives loads of error codes, same with GP issued home test monitor
I found when in atrial flutter or AF with a very high rate my BP monitor always came up with an error.
Hi 50done,
The day I was diagnosed with AF started with me feeling as if I was going down with flu. These symptoms began during the early morning and worsened. Back in those days I had an Omron 7 BP digital monitor. As I felt worse as the day wore on, I took groups of BP readings during the day, three at a time and took an average. In those days my average BP was 136/80 + with a heart rate of 85 to 90 ish. I took these readings at random during the day and the readings varied between random error messages with no readings at all to regular readings. HOWEVER, the trend of all my readings that I did manage to get was DROPPING, FALLING BP to the point it settled at around 78/50 (from memory now). I rang my GP, saw him immediately and was sent to local A & E where some 4 hours after admission I was confirmed with AF and treatment started.
So, it was around 9 or 10 hours after having the flu symptoms that I was officially diagnosed with AF. No cardiac symptoms at all, apart from blood pressure dropping.
I later upgraded my BP monitor to a Microlife Watch BP Home which not only takes BP and HR but warns of an AF event. Trust me, I can assure you it is accurate as I have a home handheld ECG machine which confirms an AF event when I lurch in that direction.
So for me my BP device was a game changer/life changer, given the symptoms of flu and nothing else, if I'd NOT had the device I would have stayed with the belief of flu stayed in bed in the hope the 'flu' would have passed, and not been diagnosed with probable outcomes much more dramatic.
I might add that once my Cardiac consultant got his hands on me he wrote in his letter to my GP that I could be in AF and not even know it.
Hi there, when I am having a session of AF my machine can’t cope with the irregularities when my pulse is realLy high so obviously won’t give a true blood pressure reading. Doctors say it is something that d with the electrical something or other can’t remember exact word. He also reckon that you can’t get a true pulse reading with them so to use the old fashioned ones. But I take my own pulse these days by hand. My,machine just goes off the plant when I am having a turn. Xx
I can get a reading on my machine even if I’m in a af episode but then my bp is always ok and my heart rate is normal so maybe these bp machines only can’t work properly if you have a normal bp at the time of having a afib attack
My doc said not to take notice the piulse reading in the automated BP machine as it can show way off. She told me to continue with it fir my BP though....it’s a cuff one I bought in chemist.
Whhich sort of devices were you using? If your blood pressure was very high (which can happen during AF) then perhaps the device could not record it. A sleeve BP device -my surgery recommends and uses Omron- should be able to record very high readings, but some monitors (possibly wrist monitors) may not. I don’t want to be alarmist here; perhaps there is another perfectly good explanation.
In the hospital where I work we have gone back to manual BP readings but obviously you can't do that on yourself. There are machines that 'say' they can give accurate readings when in AF but they are more expensive and probably not the sort you can buy in Boots but see what's available. So I would say you can't rely on machine readings when you're in fast AF.
When you are in fast AF your BP will be labile as each pump of blood from the heart will vary. Hence the symptoms many of us experience of light headedness, dizzy, cold peripheries. It's the AF that needs to be controlled, I wouldn't worry about the BP numbers it's how you feel. I was (am) very symptomatic when I go into AF can't walk about.
But if you have high BP they need to address that as it is associated with causing AF but they won't diagnose raised BP on on one reading.
You're seeing cardiologist soon so hope they will be helpful. Do write down any questions you have so you don't leave having forgotten to ask.
good luck
Amanda
See the abstract of this paper (written in 2001) for comments in AF and digital monitors. It suggests that they are simply not accurate when in AF. So please disregard my earlier reply.
Hi 50done, I have a decent omeron blood pressure monitor and am unable to get a blood pressure reading when in paroxysmal AFib unless I'm starting to come out of it - tend to get a number of error messages before giving up. When hospitalised with it, the normal ward mobile BP monitors also struggle - I think the last time I was in one of the nurses said that they only had 1 BP device that could accurately read BP during AFib attacks. So I'm guessing if you have quite 'violent' AFib that it will only be in your 'quieter' fibrillations that you will be able to get any kind of reading. I believe the old fashioned Dr administered mecury level and stethoscope BP method works. I have no idea if they can be self administered and am guessing that your chances of popping in to see a Dr at short notice for one is the same as mine - none existent!!
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