Merry Christmas: Dear all, Firstly I’d... - Atrial Fibrillati...

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Merry Christmas

Dangerousdriver profile image
14 Replies

Dear all,

Firstly I’d like to wish you a very Happy Christmas, may your wishes come true, but more importantly I hope you all have a healthy Christmas.

I’ve been quiet lately as I’ve been suffering from a chronic prostate infection, a couple of colds that knocked me for six on top of that. I’ve been suffering from a vibration feeling in my chest upon walking almost every morning, which I thought I was imagining initially. After a few minutes, this goes away but when I took an EKG it was showing as normal.

I began pushing the Arrythmia nurses who dismissed my claims almost insinuating that it was in my mind! With no proof such as EKG I because so frustrated I was left with no choice but to raise a complaint which has now led to me having a 48hr holter and ECG in the next couple of weeks requested by the consultant personally. It is thought that this vibration is in fact Atrial Flutter and the vibrating feeling is the top of the heart beating so fast it’s producing Hz which shows as a vibration!

No one knows your body like you do, so it’s hard to take when your symptoms are dismissed out of hand. My symptoms have made me very tired most days, where I’ll even fall asleep if I sat in my car for more then ten minutes. I’m also being investigated in January by a sleep clinic to rule out Sleep Apnoea.

But this morning I woke up with a racing heart, nothing that high, but a 100bpm upon waking isn’t ideal. Then these starting kicking in and I feel really strange now.

I feel lightheaded, feel like I want to vomit with reflux, muzzy head and chest fluttering!

Not the way I was hoping to start Xmas as I’ve got so much I’m meant to do today. Man this journey sucks at time. You begging questioning your morality and life in general. Going from being so active both at work and play to a shadow of my former self. Yes, you become stronger in many ways, but every so often you get a day where you feel as fragile as the day we entered this world.

I guess the message in all of this is push like crazy of you feel something isn’t right, keep knocking on the doors of medical professionals until you get the treatments you need.

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Dangerousdriver
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14 Replies
Padayn01 profile image
Padayn01

Merry Xmas to you also and so horrible that you are feeling crap before Xmas, i know where you are coming from since i was diagnosed of AFIB it has broken me down as a person bit by bit, things i use to love doing i have to do with caution now or not do at all, just going to work and back is a blessing been a tough 15 months for me and the journey ain't over yet, hope you feel better for tomorrow mate

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply toPadayn01

Cheers buddy, you are spot on. Even going to work is a struggle, let alone be a parent to kids, a partner, a son. It’s hard, but then there’s always someone worse off than me, then I feel dumb for moaning.

I really want another ablation, if that will help gain some normality again.

Merry Xmas to you too mate.

Padayn01 profile image
Padayn01 in reply toDangerousdriver

What does your EP say about another abalation? i could be on the cards also for round 2

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply toPadayn01

Said it’s a possibility depending on findings. I had a holter last weekend, but didn’t have as much an ectopic!! Then yesterday I drop it back to the hospital and boom my heart is playing silly buggers again! I had a Cryo and RF ablation last May, but whilst I’ve not had any need to go to A&E since I’m getting regular AF bouts and SVT also. Plus I’m just absolutely shattered every day! Blood tests don’t show anything, so I’m laying the blame at the cardiac door!

Padayn01 profile image
Padayn01 in reply toDangerousdriver

Did the ablation improve your Quality of Life at all?

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply toPadayn01

It has mate, that I cannot deny. It’s not perfect by any means, but pre-ablation I was being brought into A&E so regularly I knew the nurses and Dr’s on first name terms. The sound of the dreaded beeping when you go into A-Fib still haunts me lol. Remember being in A&E a few months ago and hearing that sound and being thankful that wasn’t me.

I can’t do things like I would like now, even intimacy with my partner has been affected by my ticker, but I don’t drink anymore, I’m trying a vegan/veggie diet now and just trying to do what I can to help myself, but it doesn’t always work how you hope.

I would happily welcome a 2nd touch up ablation if it was required.

Padayn01 profile image
Padayn01 in reply toDangerousdriver

How long you been on the vegan/veggie? has it helped i have been on a Vegan diet with only eating meat 2 or 3 times a month find it helped slightly, i find i had to be so careful with any sort of movement including intimacy so i know exactly where you are coming from mate

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply toPadayn01

Erm about two months now, so I’ll still eat meat as you said 2-3 times a month, but in truth I haven’t noticed any obvious difference. I’m certainly not the man I used to be lol, which in turn does no good for your self esteem. But hey ho, I’d rather go that way if you know what I mean!

Padayn01 profile image
Padayn01 in reply toDangerousdriver

I know to well mate lol

wilsond profile image
wilsond

Merry Christmas DD sorry you've had a rough time . Indeed you are right,we know our bodies better than anyone else and need to bang on desks sometimes.

I suspect you do have flutter,i have it too,caused by taking flecanide without a betablocker . It does feel like a whirring rapid sensation like an old fashioned alarm clock. I don't get it very often but know about it when I do! It has a good success rate over 90%i believe ,by ablation. I was going to have both AFib and flutter done but have postponed for now.

So what I'm saying is take heart (sorry!) As it can be addressed if that's what you have . Best wishes and let us know how you get on xx

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply towilsond

Hi Wilson,

Thank you and the same to you! I’m satisfied it can be corrected with another ablation. The EP said that at the age of 42 and otherwise fit and healthy then the odds of an ablation being successful in the long term is far higher then if you were in your 60’s!

I was on Beta Blocker’s and Flec pre-ablation, but I really didn’t get on with it and if anything I think it made my symptoms worse, but I could never prove that! Now I’m on 1.25mg Bisoprolol twice a day and that works for me. If I’m having a bad day I could take another 1.25mg. What annoys me is when Dr’s tell me that 1.25mg is a homeopathic dose! There are some that will feel awful on 1.25mg, so I don’t get that logic. As I said it’s perfect for me, keeps my HR around 50-60 90% of the time.

I’ll let you know how it goes. I dipped my holter back to the hospital and chatted to the cardiac nurse who was going to read my recording data, I gave her a run down on my symptoms and she said she was actually looking forward to seeing my data. She thought the vibrating was A-Flutter too.

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly

So sorry DD, hope you're feeling better now. One thing I have learned is to pace myself and try to avoid situations where I have a deadline but I am fully aware that this is not an option for most people. I hope you somehow manage to cross the most urgent things off your to-do list and I wish you a peaceful Christmas 👼

Dangerousdriver profile image
Dangerousdriver in reply toBuffafly

Hi Buffa,

Thank you, I managed to perk up a bit after lunch and went out to do a few last mins bits of shopping. Felt ok, few flutters, but now I’m back home I feel really hungover almost! My head is heavy, so I’ve promised myself, no booze and no eating huge meals, just little and often.

I’m now on leave until 6th Jan, which is good. Only thing is I’m the best man at a wedding on the 29th. That’s going to be first sober best man speech I’ve done 😂

I wish you and the family a very Merry Christmas too!

As you know, I have also had this sensation of vibration which -like yours- tends to go fairly quickly. But wouldn’t this show up with the characteristic saw-tooth pattern on Kardia (which detects flutter)? I don’t get any symptoms when I get the vibrating sensation and it is “internal” - that is, if I press my hand over the heart there is no sensation of vibration transmitted to my hand. It remains a mystery. At any rate, I hope you get this resolved. Merry Christmas to you and everyone else on the AF forum!

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