Hello everyone I am new to this group and seek advise from experience. I was taken to AE end of feb in AF after 6 hrs they treated it and I returned home with no medication. 3 weeks later another episode but by the time ambulance called ECG back to normal, same again a week later and went to AE ECG normal but I was given meds as it was by 3rd episode. Amlodipine,Apixaban,Bisoprolol. Over the past few weeks as I have had poor side effects with the meds and OBS all fine I have stopped all tablets other then Apixaban. Plan to come off Abixaban in 3 months cardiologist said.
I have never been so focused on my BP and pulse!
My question is I am a 56 yr old Woman and resting pulse according to my Garmin watch is 60-75 but when I go up the stairs it can to up to 120 130 before it immediately comes down. This seems very high to me.
I had a heart Ecco and that was clear. I have not done any of my usual exercises as too worried about raises heart rate so I just walk now 2 miles a day.
So worried about getting another AF episode as they have no idea as yet what caused it or if it will come back again. ....
Any advise very much appreciated on how to manage and If this is usual for pulse .
The elevated heart rate that you are experiencing during AF is quite normal. You should exercise don't be afraid of raising you heart rate when you are in normal rhythm. Sound like you are in the beginning stages of developing AF. You need the meds to control the AF and to prevent a stroke. Stay the course with the meds, it not uncommon to have you meds change by your doctor until they find the ones that work for you. Good Luck
My all time best advice in such cases is don't look at your machines but go on how you feel. Your heart rate will rise on exertion as that is what it is supposed to do and return to normal quickly afterwards.
I know that in the early stages of this mongrel condition we all tend to obsess but it isn't helpful and the stress increases the chances of AF events. I find keeping busy and distracted the best medicine. Read all you can especially from AF Asociation website so you understand more about it as knowledge is power.
Thank you both.. I have to admit that after my initial request from my cardiologist to record my OBS at home due to not being able to see anyone physically with covid I was wondering if there was now any point to my watch with pulse .. other than me obsessing!
At this stage they are not sure if my initial episode was a one off and they can’t confirm the other two as I had no recording of AF on my ECG record the ambulance did.
I am trying to learn as much as I can and then found this group 😊
I like to be informed so can deal with things better but I do agree the stress it makes me feel constantly in a state of alert can not be Helping anything ..
I would like to echo Bob's advice, I am just coming out of a phase of absolute obsession with my heart rate and it really does not help. Concentrate on how you feel in yourself and what you are able to do without feeling exhausted or unwell. there is no doubt that checking your puse with your fingers or a Kardia machine adds data but also... worry because (For me) when it was OK I would worry it would go bad when in afib I worry it will never go normal and every skipped beat felt like a sign of impending doom.
Focus on yourself and feelings and my other advice is don't rush to ditch the anticoagulants unless you have bad side effects.
This is indeed a brilliant group and BobD's advice is sage, always.
Sorry to hear you have had the shock and welcome to (potential) AF. I'm no Doc, but I might be in less of a rush to get off the Apixaban, as it is that which will protect you from a stroke. If you are developing AF, then it will come and you won't stop it. What you need to focus on is not worrying and stopping the dangerous stroke risk.
I'm a couple of years younger than you, but have enjoyed AF since my early teens, so there is definitely life after AF!
Sorry to hear your of your condition and how much it is worrying you. I agree with sfh3l that dont rush to come off the blood thinners as having episodes of AF does increase risk of a stroke and the consequences of having a stroke could be far worse than the side effects of the tablets.
The wrist devices are not medical instruments and the pulse at your wrist is also not the most reliable. AF also tends to confuse them so dont be ruled by them.
The best advice my cardiologist gave me re exercise (Running) was “If you can’t talk walk” it worked absolutely fine and I then worked with a pulse monitor and set my limits at the top end of the scale. I’m 60 and if my pulse goes over 170 on a run I walk for a bit. I’m l have been lucky enough to have had a 1 off successful ablation 6 years ago but still run with a monitor on so as not to push my luck! If your heart rate comes straight back down again and doesn’t stick high then you should be OK
Speak to a cardiologist let them set parameters you’ll be surprised how wide they are... good luck with your journey I’m now 60 and completed the 3 peaks challenge a year ago so don’t be restricted. This is not an ending it’s an adjustment
Hi and welcome - people deal with AF very differently and it can be quite scary until you realise that AF is not an immediate, life threatening emergency but because it is our heart we tend to worry and AF can be very symptomatic. Not stressing and relaxing is incredibly important and collecting information about how your heart behaves is also important as keeping a journal with specifics can really help your doctors help you.
A&E rarely treat AF which is normally treated by outpatient clinics - which of course are not operating at present. My best advice is to read all you can regarding AF and it’s treatments on the AFA website heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
After you know the questions to ask, visit your GP for a referral to your nearest arrythmia clinic - it may take a while but at least you will be on the waiting list.
I would agree that staying on anticoagulants (prophylactic treatment for AF induced stroke) is very important. It may also save a lot time should you ever be offered a cardioversion or other treatment such as ablation should you be unfortunate enough to have further episodes.
I was the same age as you when first experienced AF and I didn’t have a second episode after my first for well over a year. In the next 5 years the episode frequency increased and I had treatments of varying sorts over many years. From having very symptomatic AF every other day 2 years ago, I now have only the very occasional episode, normally when I am ill with a virus but that has been a long road since 2006 when AF first started.
Keep yourself as fit and healthy as you can. Many people are in constant AF and yet continue to live very active lives and exercise regularly but the trick is to keep exercise at level that supports your heart, without feeling a strain. The time to be concerned about your HR is when your resting HR exceeds 120 for more than 24 hours in AF.
Eat well, sleep well, exercise and ensure you drink plenty of water and watch and manage the stress. Worrying about having another episode is not helpful - if you do then stay calm and focus on slow breathing, ensure you are well hydrated by sipping water - you may find you pee a lot but that goes with AF territory and therefor even more important to keep drinking water. Post on here if you are scared, nearly always someone will reply pretty quickly. Know that AF can be triggered by dehydration. Keep a symptom/emotion/thought journal and after you have done your daily entry - forget about it and get on with your day. I find that really helps clear my mind.
You will find lots of useful help and support from this fantastic group.
Hope some of that helps
Best wishes CD.
Wow, thank you all for taking the time to reply with such thoughtful detail replies.
I was indeed incredibly anxious yesterday and yep I did have a short episode last night for a few mins only where pulse went up to 125 and then followed by high blood pressure. I took a single bisoprolol and it settled before bed, but I for very little sleep so not helpful.
Now my BP is high but settling and pulse is normal. No idea if I should take another bisoprolol or just wait .. I have emailed my cardiologist but don’t know how busy he is to reply.
I will try not to obsess, i think your all so right there as I think of nothing else at the
moment. It just feels so scary as the heart is very difficult to put out of your mind ..
G'day from Australia, GM57, I hope you're feeling a bit better and less anxious. There's some pretty good advice from the posts above about how to adapt yourself psychologically to this horrid condition. I'm close to your age (I'm 52) and my AF was diagnosed after I had a stroke in October 2018. As some of the posters above pointed out, AF is thought to be a common cause of some strokes. I have been on Apixaban since then and I have no side effects from it. You might want to talk a bit more to your cardiologist about its benefits - it is meant to prevent the sort of stroke that I had. It is part of the new class of anti-coagulants that generally replaces the older drug, Warfarin. There is heaps of information on the internet about Apixaban (it can be more expensive than Warfarin, but doesn't require regular blood tests). Anyway, hang in there. Unfortunately, when you are in your fifties like us, you have to accept that AF is going to be a long road ahead. The people on this forum will help you on that journey - I know, because they helped me.
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