Arm pain when in AF?

[Borderstories1]

One issue - I noticed terrible upper left arm pain yesterday evening when I was in AF for two hours (outside of my upper arm). It vanished as soon as I self converted to sinus. This pain has happed before when I was on a flight and in AF. That time I had blood tests and scans afterwards and all was fine. Is this a common AF symptom? I am 39 and recently diagnosed.

I had AF only once last month and didn’t have arm pain then. But yesterday did. I am going to see my gp tomorrow so shall ask, just wondering if anyone else experienced this. It’s worrying when it happens because of course I am thinking stroke or heart attack. I also had nausea.

[Jalia]

This is .not a common AF symptom so you are wise to consult with your GP tomorrow especially as nausea involved as well.

I've had episodes of AF for over 26 years, some of them quite horrific (to me at any rate !) but have not experienced what you describe.

[AF59]

Hello Borderstories1, frightening isn't it? However, I have been reassured by various doctors and specialists that this pain I get in my arm (and also in my jaw and neck) when in fast AF is not life threatening and more likely to be stress induced as the AF symptoms are so unpleasant. You do not say what your heart rate was during your AF episode when you experienced this pain, but I have noticed that my arm pain comes on when my hr is particularly high and the AF episode is lengthy. I cannot comment on your nausea as I'm afraid I'm one of those people who can feel nauseous at the drop of a hat and for me AF and its symptoms are many, many dropping hats in one go so I usually feel nauseous within minutes of AF starting. Please do mention both to your gp tomorrow; he will investigate and then hopefully be able to put your mind at rest

[Borderstories1 in reply to AF59]

That’s really interesting and yes the two times I’ve had the arm pain were lengthier episodes with extra high rate.

[BobD Volunteer]

There are members here who have terrible pain both chest and arm which meed morphine to control in hospital so you are not unusual. The distressed heart does not need to be short of blood as in heart attack to hurt and no it is not usually life threatening, just very frightening. That said you are right to get it checked out as you should with any chest pain or shortness of breath.

[opal11uk]

This will need checking out, it might be something or nothing but still get it checked out.

[maxred1]

Yes, just another symptom to deal with. A dull and prolonged severe ache down the left side of the left arm above the tricep. I have had a bit of a torrid time of late with multiple issues and effects. In and out of doctors with multiple blood tests all of which come back clear. Good news in one respect, bad in another. I get to the stage where it becomes difficult to tell doctors how I feel when there are no positive tests to confirm anything. The joys.

My problem is that is me now three years diagnosed permanent AF and my symptoms are as bad as when I started the journey.

[Polski in reply to maxred1]

Have you tried magnesium (not oxide), for six months or more.

[maxred1 in reply to Polski]

Yes. Now on a B12 supplement because doc thinks my Digoxin may be blocking the body's ability to absorb B12.

[7164 in reply to maxred1]

Max

Interesting!

I have to take B12 injections every three months. My cardiologist put me on Digoxin and it wiped me out!!

Do you understand the B12 AF link? Is there one?

[maxred1 in reply to 7164]

The last blood test showed up a B12 deficiency, which I think everyone's got, but my GP thought that there may be a link between me feeling the way I do, the level of Digoxin I take, the deficiency in B12 and the fact that nothing else is making any sense. He wanted either a full course of tablets, or the injections, this all with the view of lowering the amount of digoxin I am taking. I will give blood tests after the course of tablets and we will take a view form there. I have to admit I am feeling slightly better on the B12 tabs.

[Auriculaire]

Can you pinpoint any event that preceded these issues starting such as an infection? Are these heart related issues or more general health issues?

[maxred1 in reply to Auriculaire]

Yes I am pretty certain it is all linked to infection. All coming form the vagal nerve. I did have a blood infection which was supposedly dealt with. It is all linked. Upset stomach, kidney pains, dehydration, aches and pains, particularly one knee joint, very breathless, then chronic fatigue, then I feel well again. Then the cycle begins again. Met a guy who suffered almost exactly like me, similar levels of medication and he stopped, two months ago, taking all meds overnight. Apparently on the advice of a cardiologist friend. I have noticed he has immediately started putting on weight, (BLOATING) an AF sign. I hope he fares well because it is not my intention to do that. I plan to reduce meds, but in a controlled manner.

[Auriculaire in reply to maxred1]

Sounds to me like you have been "floxed". Your symptoms are absolutely classic for fluoroquinolone toxicity particularly the cycles. Do you know what antibiotic you were given for the blood infection or can you find out? If you have been floxed ie had a severe adverse reaction to an antibiotic of the fluoroquinolone class then you need to get advice from fellow floxies as the conventional medicine can offer nothing for this. You should not take any NSAID painkillers . Fluoroquinolone adverse reactions can be delayed sometimes by months so you might not have started with the symptoms while actually on the antibiotic . The fact that nothing shows up in your blood tests is also classic for FQ poisoning.

[maxred1 in reply to Auriculaire]

Ahhhhh, thank you. Funnily enough I had been given an Opiod painkiller for the inflammation pain in my knee, but that appeared to fire up the vagal/stomach issues, downward spiral form there, and recurrent obviously. Symptoms - pain - painkiller and on it goes. The mediactional for the bacterial infection was

[maxred1 in reply to Auriculaire]

Sorry got distracted. I was prescribed Clorithromycin, in line with the the other meds I was taking which are daily 320mcg Digoxin, 10mg Bisoprolol.

[maxred1 in reply to Auriculaire]

Well would you believe it. A Google search - is clarithromycin a fluoroquinolone, and surprise, surprise it is.....

[Auriculaire in reply to maxred1]

No it is not. Fluoroquinolones all have flox in the generic name ( though not always in the brand name) ie Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Ofloxacin etc. However I have come across people on floxie sites who have had similar reactions to Clarithromycin. Have you ever suffered from prostatitis? Fluoroquinolones were very commonly prescribed for that though now the EMA have cautioned against this practice. I was reading on Medscape recently about some study that connects microbiome disturbance to fibromyalgia. Overuse of antibiotics is probably the primary cause of microbiome disturbance.

[maxred1]

All doctors and cardios I have met can give no explanation to symptomatic AF sufferers, other than it should not be happening, and yet look at this forum with plenty of people really suffering bad symptoms. Remember AF is in early stages of research.