Pins & needles and heavy left arm in AF

[Graham194]

Hi,

I'm now waiting on an ablation. Going by my last wait on the NHS (11 months) this won't happen to around Christmas time.

My bouts of PAF have really gathered pace over the last week. I'm now on my 5th in the 7 days. Each one is 2 to 3 hours and l really suffer after each one - just feeling ill and worn out. I've also noticed that when l am in AF my left arm feels dead with pins and needles. My left hand also goes a different colour to my right. I also get a very slight pain in the top left of my chest. This is very slight and wouldn't surprise me if it was wind as l usually take slugs of Lucozade to make me burp (sometimes seems to help with the AF).

Does anyone else experience anything similar? Should l be contacting my consultant?

Thanks.

[Jalia]

If I experienced the symptoms you describe I would be hot footing to A&E when I had an attack. At the very least bring to the attention of your GP without delay.

[jeanjeannie50]

I agree with Jalia, that's what I'd be doing too! Saying it's an emergency question, could you speak to someone at your doctor's surgery?

[Graham194]

Thanks Jalia and Jean. Bout of AF has just finished . After 2 hours in AF am now feeling pretty awful. Am now left with strange feeling like I'm still in AF but am in NSR. The nature of the beast is certainly changing...... I'll take your advice and speak to a GP this afternoon - hopefully....

[Jalia in reply to Graham194]

Please do and let us know how you get on !

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Graham194]

My doc said to me the reason we feel so tired is because our heart rate has been so high, it's a though we've been running in a marathon for hours.

Did you manage to speak to anyone?

[Graham194]

Felt that bad I drove myself to A&E. Checked in at desk explaining how bad I felt/dead left arm etc) - nice smile from the lady as she said take a seat. 45 minutes later I was feeling slightly better (and very frustrated that I hadn't been seen) . In the latter part of that 45 minutes I was thinking what may have kicked the AF this morning. I'm pretty sure my triggers are gastro related (I have a floating hiatus hernia). I did realise that I had eaten an unripened apple (we live backing onto an orchard) before my AF started. On top of that I had half of a ham sandwich about 1pm. This was when the bad feeling in my chest really kicked off. At about this time I took my BP which was very high for me (156/90). Anyway, with me feeling quite a bit better I thought sod it I'm not sitting here any longer - those places don't do anything for your stress levels anyway. The receptionist didn't even ask why I was leaving........

So, quite possibly, the unripe apple could have triggered the AF and the half of ham sandwich could have made me feel even worse. Not sure about the dead left arm and pins & needles. I suppose if ones stomach/hernia is pressing on your heart this may cause that sort of symptom.

I'll go and see my GP tomorrow to explain all this tomorrow if I can get an appointment.

If I can find a gastroenterologist that deals with gastro/cardio it may save me from having an ablation? It may be worth going private for the first referral.

Anway, thanks for your interest. Good luck to us all in this nasty world of AF!

[Jalia in reply to Graham194]

Whilst I don't think you were wise to leave A&E I can understand.

Why is it we so often feel a fraud when we turn up at A&E??!!......and our symptoms don't seem so bad ! Hope your GP will be able to get to the bottom of all this.

[Hidden in reply to Graham194]

If you are in AF a home blood pressure monitor is unlikely to give a correct reading

[Wightbaby]

Hello Tinturkey. During an episode 6 years ago, my RIGHT arm became very painful, heavy and went completely white. I was unable to use it to even support a book, let alone dress etc. I was very alarmed and went to A&E. I told them i was worried, as I thought i was having a stroke or had a blood clot. "No! It wouldn't present like that" I was told! "could be an RSI" 2 hours later, episode subsided and despite still being unable to use arm, i was sent home.

Next day, my line manager (who just happened to be a nursing sister) sent me straight to my GP. To cut this short... 2 weeks later I saw a vascular surgeon, who checked me over and said what i had described was a "text book" blood clot, and i was very lucky, it did not go the other way!

I was only taking aspirin at the time, been on Warfarin ever since, but it took me a long time to get over this scare.

Like everyone else, I think you should be seeking advice about your symptoms.

[Madscientist16]

Consider yourself lucky. I have BCBS insurance in Illinois and have been waiting 14 months to get approval to have an ablation.