Husband had phoned 111 (previous evening) after the usual myriad of questions and I’d told her my Kardia said ‘suspected AF’, I was asked if someone can take me to A&E which she told me was 6 miles away(more like 8)had been in AF since 22:45pm and it was 3:30am
She then went on to say if I feel worse to ring them again or 999!!!
It luckily didn’t take as long as in the day but still around 20 minutes.
What do you think ?
I think you should read the comments on a previous post 'Not sure about A&E', which are very helpful.
Added problem is I have a horrible coughing virus and earlier in the day I coughed hard and couldn’t stop. My chest is really wheezy. My ribs hurt with the coughing.
I’d hoped that 111 attendant would have got a dr to ring me back but it wasn’t. Was hoping for advice, like take more meds etc. Tried the breathing exercises, I’ve done yoga in the past and meditation, don’t work long term and all it did was to make me cough more 😥
Yet again, no proper advice or information from medics. There’s no cardiac/heart clinic at my Drs surgery, just send you to the GP and mines left.
You do panic when you go in to afib - I know I do.
Has your doc put you any med's ? Flecaincide for example ? If so (with your doctors advice) you could take it as a PIP.
It's a hard call when to know if you should go to A&E. I guess for anyone, if you are in doubt, call a medical practitioner.
The thread that Buffafly mentions is well worth reading. Remember though we are all different and it may depend on other medical conditions you have. It's a thread well worth a read though.
When I was first diagnosed I went to A&E pretty quick if I went in to a-fib and my heart was playing up. Now I try and relax more and see it through. Easy to say I know.
An a-fib attack can last from a minute to a lifetime. For me now I would sit it out for a few hours BUT that's not necessarily the right thing for you to do.
If you are worried contact your GP - take the Kardia reading with you and have it checked.
Paul
I was actually very calm, because I know it would have made it worse. I’d lain in bed breathing slowly but it set off coughing. I did persist on and off, sometimes totally wracked coughing. Fell asleep for around 31/2 hours. Decided to do a Kardia Reading which said ‘suspected A Fib’. So woke husband as HR was 106.
I would not worry about a heart rate of 106 in AF. Perhaps not wise to go to A&E with a cough either in the present climate!
You need to see a GP or Out of Hours doctor I would have thought.
Every thing seems worse at night. Usually best to wait until the morning if you can.
No chance of a out of hrs dr and probably not even during that day at my surgery, probably get told if emergency go to A&E! I don’t have a registered GP as she left at Christmas.
That is so bad. Whereabouts do you live? I'm sure you would feel so much better if you had a sympathetic GP and some sort of plan for when these episodes occur
Berkshire, UK. Think I’ll ring my surgery when closed and see what the options are. We no longer have GP’s who come out visiting, rare as hens teeth. I just have to see one of the locum Drs or try getting an appointment within 2/3 weeks depending on availability. The hospital mentioned getting a Cardiologist appointment, if I waited on the NHS never know how long I’d wait, so I’ll pay privately.
You shouldn't have to do this ( pay privately) but it's the quickest by far if you are able to do so.
Good luck !
Ps on Bisoprolol and Flecainaide The cause was a mixed bag, one I’d inadvertently reverted to the previous dose of 2.5 mg Bisoprolol so reduced it to what it should be 1.25mg. Being ill may have been a mistake to have done that.
So sorry to hear this. I can say this from bitter experience with a heart rate of 106 a&e in my area at least, would have put you in a side bed/trolley and monitored you periodically till the morning. Thats happened to me 3xs now with a heart rate at rest of well over 130. They just want to make sure you dont go into cardiac arrest & are covering their backs.....she says dryly. Come the morning they tell you to go to your GP.......except of course there arent any appointments & you cant get seen! They send a report to your GP.....mine ignored all three reports of all three incidents...infact they ignore requests from the cardiologist to change my meds.....have to chase everything. .
Am hoping to move GPs....enough enough! My new GP surgery try to see you on the day (amazing) & if they cant they have a triage doctor who rings you that day to see how soon you need to be seen! Brill! Fingers crossed...
So Ive refuse now whenever 111 want to send an ambulance just asked for advice in the hope the out of hours doc will help out. Ive no idea if thats wise or not.......
I find it hard not to panic when its full blown especially at night if it wakes me. Which of course doesnt help!! Lol...sigh
I agree a plan of what to do agreed with your GP would be a great idea! Dont know if such a thing exists...
I was sat on a waiting chair most of the time getting a numb bum! Sad to say there didn’t seem a lot of organisation, 6 police who’d got minor scratches and spat at by a woman seemed to take priority.
I did get bloods taken and eventually a chest x-ray. I was going to go the Drs before this all happened, but god knows when I’d get an appointment, they might just have said 111🙄
Just phoned my Drs surgery to find out what you do when closed - PHONE 111 !!
I phoned 111 on Wednesday and constant recording on Corona virus and long waiting time warning. Seem that there is panic in the populace.
Yes, I got the Corona warning
As others have said, we are all different. I don't go to A&E with AF but when the ambulance takes me to A&E for other reasons, my atrial flutter means troponin blood tests and over-night monitoring. Although as I've mentioned here before, pulmonary toxicity officially placed me "close to death".
As to response times. When I had a stroke the ambulance took 40 minutes to arrive on a 999 call, followed by an hour talking to me as I didn't have FAST indicators, then a "blue light" to A&E. Last week after a 111, it took about an hour to come when I was in "near collapse". I'm not complaining. The ambulance crews are great and stretched to the limits as are A&E. Every aspect of my local hospital - Southmead, Bristol - couldn't be bettered and, I'm off to see another department next week. I've seen just about every department apart from Obstetrics - but give it time 
Should I have gone to A and E? Festive AF episode!
Long train trip ahead
This and That about AF
Echocardiogram and AF
