What does your AF feel like?

[AmbieBambie]

I have SVT and am scheduled for a Ablation. I thought I possibly might have AF as well, sometimes my heart feels like it’s vibrating, and chest pressure/ cramping, irregular, but my cardiologist & EP’s haven’t said anything from my heart monitor results so I haven’t said anything. But now the kardia I just got is say Possible AF 2x before I went to bed, and once waking now I’m middle of night. It also is giving me “unclassified” and “unreadable” readings. And a “normal” in between. The lines look like just little bumps. I was in Urgent care3 days ago for shortness of breath & not being able to stand without my heart shooting up. They gave me oxygen, fluids, and I was low potassium. I feel like that potassium pill might have gave me more chest pain so I didn’t take it yesterday

[jedimasterlincoln]

AF is chaotic, irregular and fast.

Atrial Flutter is fast but regular.

My flutter makes me feel worse, like the intake of breath you get in anticipation of something - but it is constant - and pounding hard. At its worse it makes me dizzy and short of breath, it makes climbing a flight of stairs slowly seem like you've just run none stop for 20 mins and are on the verge of collapse.

AF is similar, and sometimes has associated chest discomfort, but I don't get the persistant pounding, I get skips and leaps and stops and starts, or so it feels - though the symptoms have usually been the same.

[TamlaMotown]

My AF feels like my heart has morphed into a huge fish that's trying to get off the reel flip flopping in my chest. Truly terrifying 😨

[Contra21 in reply to TamlaMotown]

How long does it last? Scared i have it. I get that feeling lasts a few secs

[TamlaMotown in reply to Contra21]

Hi Contra so far my worst episode was 5hrs & that's when I was diagnosed in April 2018 by an A&E doctor. I have had 1 episode since then that lasted about 90mins.

I have always reverted back without intervention so far.

Probably had about 2 or 3 episodes prior to diagnosis over the years which lasted about 20-30 mins when I had no idea what was going on.

Scary stuff indeed

[Contra21 in reply to TamlaMotown]

So if mine last 3 to 5 secs is Ectpics? I dint know how to differ, thanks so much for replying

[TamlaMotown in reply to Contra21]

There was a post just yesterday 'how do you tell ectopics from afib'

[Hidden]

Bag of wriggly worms in the chest (fast AF)

Pat x

[nikonBlue]

yes, fish and wriggly worms.....all from the base of my throat it feels like right down to my lower stomach. It's pretty horrible and when accompanied by chest pain, almost unbearable. I've had breast cancer too so have some pain in the area near my heart so sometimes I'm never quite sure if it's that causing the chest pain or indeed my AF! Never easy eh? I'm having yet another monitor for 24hours but it never seems to 'catch' these episodes of which lately there have been way too any for my liking.

stay well everyone

Blue

[AmbieBambie in reply to nikonBlue]

I’m so sorry you’ve been through a lot!

that’s how mine will will like wiggly & just a weird feeling I can’t explain. My SVT never shows up on the ekg in the hospital, but a 2 week heart monitor is what showed that I had 7 episodes and 2 episodes of VTach. You should ask to have it on for at least a week or two.

Did you have symptoms of breast cancer? A lump on my left breast has gotten bigger & now is so painful, and sometimes I can’t tell if it’s my chest or my breast that is having the cramping pains. Other times it’s a throbbing pain, a constant deep bruise feeling. It feels like a hard rock nodule. Breast cancer runs in my family, & my primary felt the lump, but other docs don’t take me serious because of my age. I kept being persistent and have an appt with a breast specialist this week. I’m thinking maybe a cyst that needs drained since it’s painful.

[Buffafly in reply to AmbieBambie]

Hi, that does sound like a cyst - I have had lots - but you are right to persist about having it checked out. I hope it's OK ❤

My AF usually feels like a mad butterfly to start because it is mixed with ectopics but once it 'settles in' I mostly just have an anxious feeling and a sort of ripple in my chest if I think about it. Too fast and I get breathless, sick and dizzy and a squeezing pain in my chest or throat area.

If you look at Kellyjelly's posts you'll see she had SVT morphing into AF so it is possible. It might show up at your ablation. Best wishes 💜

[Buffafly in reply to Buffafly]

PS 'Unreadable' usually means you wobbled while recording and AF is usually over 100BPM.

[nikonBlue]

Lordy, you're not having it easy either. See what the breast doc says and lets hope it is just a 'fatty lump'. I'm 3 years post diagnosis now (I'm 64) but am having other issues healthwise that makes me fearful that this 'beast' is back again. No wonder my AF is rampant right now as stressville is where I'm living right now and stress definitely aggravates the AF. I also have a brother going through his own chemo at the moment so life is in turmoil. You see how you get on and please do let me know. My BC was discovered during a routine mammogram and I had no pain before the surgery. The pain came after and is tolerable but confusing as to whether it's coming from the AF and my heart. All so complicated !

take care

Blue

[AmbieBambie in reply to nikonBlue]

Thanks! I hope it’s that.

Agh I can imagine, I’m so sorry.

I’m wondering if stress made my svt come on strong, it started way more frequent 2 weeks after my mom past, this last Feb. I’m sorry about your brother & wish the best & a fast remission for him & hope the beast is not back! Beast be gone!

[TamlaMotown in reply to nikonBlue]

I love the term 'stressville' I've been living there for quite a while too 😝

[Thomas45]

I had Paroxysmal AF for about twenty years and it then became permanent but asymptomatic. I don't know feel anything most of the time but it's relatively slow (about ninety beats a minute,) and while I may have a number of normal beats they are followed by one very irregular beat. It feels as if the heart has stopped and then I get two very weak beats then regular beats again. Overall about six to ten irregular beats a minute while the rest are regular.