After cardioversion: Hi everyone I... - Atrial Fibrillati...

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After cardioversion

Suemanchew profile image
15 Replies

Hi everyone

I wondered if anyone who has had cardioversion has felt worse when it's worked.

BeforeI had it I was walking about 25000 steps a day now I'm lucky if I get 15000 done, I feel I'm slightly more breathless have been dizzy so going to get an appointment with gp to make sure it's not labrynthitis, bp has been ok and rhr is around 50 I'm still on the same meds as I was before I had it as cardiologist will review meds in 2 weeks.

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Suemanchew
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15 Replies
BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

Generally the main reason for a cardioversion is to see if a patient feels better in NSR. It does happen that some do not. How symptomatic were you prior to the procedure and are you still actually in NSR?

Suemanchew profile image
Suemanchew in reply toBobD

I was very breathless and basically in heart failure Nov 2018 I thought it was my asthma as I didn't feel anything with my heart. Cardiologist believed I had been in Paf for 2/3 months and when I was released from hospital he wanted to give my heart time to recover before cardioversion, I have seen him regular every 4 - 6 weeks.

jeanjeannie50 profile image
jeanjeannie50

Sue 50 is low for a pulse rate and it's probably being kept at that rate by your pills. I feel that once you come off them you will feel a lot better. Why not talk to your cardiologist's AF nurse, explain what the situation is and ask if you can start reducing them because you are feeling so breathless and dizzy. How is your blood pressure?

Jean

Suemanchew profile image
Suemanchew in reply tojeanjeannie50

Blood pressure is ok cardiologist happy with it😀

I've had 20+ DC cardioversions. After a couple of them I've had a resting HR of 110 but still been in Normal Sinus Rhythm. That's been "ok" for discharge but in hindsight I was still in, or had gone into, atrial flutter and hadn't been fully fixed.

Charles1967 profile image
Charles1967 in reply tojedimasterlincoln

Hi...sorry to ask but is it possible to have a cardioversion after one has failed...i was cardioverted on 28th march but a week later boom...ish...my heart raced for a little while and i was back in paf...only got a week nsr out of it..ive not looked into having another just had to carry on with my bisoprolol and apixaban...something i should enquire?? Just a thought...im 51 age an issue?

in reply toCharles1967

you can have multiple cardioversions. I was having one on average every 6 weeks. I had 3 or 4 electrical ones, and about the same done medically (IV amiodorone or flecanide )

They show that you can be in NSR and are a good indicator that you are suitable for an ablation

jedimasterlincoln profile image
jedimasterlincoln in reply toCharles1967

All I'll add is the more you have them the less effective they can be. They aren't adressing the cause simply fixing the symptom.

All of mine have been "emergencies" done either in A&E Resus or on the urgent list in theatres as other forms of cardioversion like IV Flecanide or waiting to revert have failed.

smtmonkey11 profile image
smtmonkey11

Yes, thank you, I had a cardioversion on 15th of May I came round with a heart rate of 30bpm and BP 70/50. The cardiologist immediately took me off most of the medication I was on:

Bisoprolol Hydralazine Andy Digoxin

But left me on:

Apixaban Bumetanide Perindopril and Spironolactone

In the first week I was much worse than when on all the pills but slowly it is getting better and I now only really get out of breath on stairs. So stick with it and get off as much medication as your Doctor allows!

Good luck

Cher17 profile image
Cher17

I felt worse after my cardio version but it only lasted 9 days I am now waiting for an angiogram

Nugger profile image
Nugger

50 isn’t too low, after my cardioversion last year they halved my bisop but my heart rate was going into the 30s, now that’s low, so I stopped taking it & yes I too did 30,000 steps day before cardioversion & did feel worse for a while afterwards, which I was weird cos the last 2 I’d had, I felt great afterwards.

shutz profile image
shutz

No 50bpm is not too low on Bisoprolol, especially if you are sitting down resting. Mine is 49bpm as I type this but will go to high 50s when I get up. I found Bisop to be a really effective drug in regulating my heart rate after left coronary stenting and works great for anxiety which helps as well.

My HR is mid 50s at rest and I feel absolutely fine. I'm not on any rate medication as when I was on bisoprolol it was in the low 30's which was too low (and I felt terrible)

Many athletes will have a HR in the 50's, or lower and it is fine.

I felt terrible following my first ablation. I was in NSR with a HR of 45 bpm but was discharged on the same 12.5 mg a day of bisoprolol that I was on before the CV, despite asking repeatedly if this was correct.

A week later I contacted my EP, who told me to gradually reduce the dose to 5mg a day and went off to give the doctor that had discharged me a good telling off

gixxerboy profile image
gixxerboy

The same thing happened to me after my 2nd cardioversion, was in nsr but they found my output was less ….. :(

Suemanchew profile image
Suemanchew in reply togixxerboy

What did they do for you?

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