I recently joined and have read lots of posts which are really informative. I was diagnosed in March with Paroxysmal afib but ive had it for much longer but they ve never been able to get it on a monitor as the episodes were infrequent. I ve had bisoprolol and other beta blockers which don't suit me. Now it is much worse and I'm getting frequent episodes. Several a day. The cardiologist give me sotolol which worked perfectly. My heart felt really stable. However, I was so tired and my HR kept dipping below 40 and i felt breathless so that was the end of those. The cardiologist has referred me to an EP and I'm waiting for an appointment so im not seeing him again. He said I can take the sotolol as a pip if needed. My anxiety is high at the moment, which makes everything worse. I feel abandoned by the hospital, and I ve already had 2 months off work. Do people manage to work with this condition?
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Dickieticker
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Sotalol is rarely prescribed in the UK these days. The most common medication for AF is Flecainide or Dronedorone as a rhythm control but Flecainide is often combined with Bisoprolol.
The Beta blocker Bisoprolol is a rate control drug and if you have a slow heart rate the beta blocker will slow it even more hence <40bpm in your case. A heart rate that low is not good. I was taken off Bisoprolol because I had a slow heart rate.
I think you should try to see an EP as soon as you can as only an EP can decide exactly what the best course of treatment should be. It might be that an ablation could be the best option.
Sorry you are having a bad time Dickieticker - waiting for appointments is a stressful time and feeling abandoned dosen’t help.
My AF started when I retired but I certainly couldn’t have worked before I had proper treatment and got the episodes under control. There are members who hold down hard, stressful jobs and cope with their AF.
Seeing an EP was the best move I made but the waiting time was horrendous so I paid for a private consultation (£150-200), got a treatment plan and went back on his NHS waiting list. It might help to ring your EP’s secretary and enquire about the likely wait which may help you to plan things which should help get the anxiety under control.
I feel for you as I was in a similar situation after diagnosis (without the work worry, though). It does get better and a good EP with an effective treatment plan is the way forward. Do a bit of pushing to get seen or, if you can, go privately for the first consultation. If you decide on a private appointment, make sure that your cardiologist has already done Echocardiogram, ECG’s and other tests as these can be expensive if done privately. Best wishes.
If you get either a Kardia EKG monitor or an Apple Watch series 4 or 5 you can capture your own ECGs when it happens. It would probably be helpful for the doctors to know what form they take. How long the episodes last etc. The Apple Watch monitors your heart rate about 300 times a day and should pick up some ectopics.
I know just what you mean about the bisoprolol and other beta blockers. They gave me sotolol which I gave up on after a couple of days.
Afib seems to hardly affect some people but for others it is a major problem. And sometimes the drugs they prescribe makes everything worse. I hope you get your appointment to see the EP very soon.
Hello DT 😊 welcome, your 'story' is similar to that of many of us here.
It is good you have been referred to see an EP he will be able to advise you better than a cardiologist.
The first thing is to learn to control your anxiety, it increases the levels of stress hormones and that is the last thing you need with AF.
Many of us AFers use controlled breathing and relaxation techniques to help cope with the anxiety and find it really does help.
Once your EP has assessed your condition and if you haven't had one already authorises an Echocardiogram to check for any heart abnormalities you should be able to explore treatments that may help you.
I have a friend with P-AF, she works full time having found a treatment to suit her
Try to stay positive 😊 and remember there is always someone on here to chat with you...
Thank you all for your kindness. I have bought a kardia and I'm busy recording the events to take with me. I have thought about ringing the hospital next week to check on progress so I will definitely do that. I didnt think about going private but that is an option to look at. I used to meditate but find it very difficult to do when my heart is jumping about, but I will keep trying. I think once I have a plan I will be less anxious.
It's certainly worth thinking about going private. My wait was just days compared to months on the nhs. I would suggest asking your gp who he would go to if it was him & of course there are often reviews online of cardiologists in your area.
Studies show that progression from paroxysmal to persistent or permanent AF is more likely if you are overweight or drink even moderate amounts of alcohol. So if these are issues for you -and , of course, they may not be- then address them as a matter of urgency.
Use the time between now and your appointment to prepare. Under the current situation you may have a virtual or even a telephone appointment so be prepared to send your Kardia reports in advance if necessary. Find out as much as you can about AF and the Pinned Post headed “Useful links for Newbies and Oldies” to the right of this page will help. Doctors generally respond well to patients who have taken the trouble to find out about their condition so be sure to have as much information as possible. As has been mentioned, if appropriate, lifestyle issues are very important and need to be controlled so be prepared to discuss this if necessary.
With all the helpful information you have received your appointment should go well, and if it is face to face, think about having someone with you as it is not always easy to remember what has been said. Good luck and please let us know how you get on......
Thank you for your reply. I have been gathering info from this site. Its been very helpful. I am changing some things because of this. I have completely given up alcohol although I only drank a couple of glasses of wine. To be honest that has made no difference. Ive reduced sugar, I do feel better for that, and I dont eat any processed food. I could definitely lose a few lbs though. I've ordered some magnesium taurate as suggested but not sure if to take that yet until I speak to the EP. I've decided to be proactive this week and see if I can find out anything from the hospital about my appointment and the ECG I had a few weeks ago. I will update once I have any news.
Studies show that even moderate alcohol consumption is associated with progression from PAF to persistent or permanent PAF, so you are doing the right thing. The other important factor is weight- prioritise getting this down to your correct level.
• in reply to
Typo: should be “progression from PAF to persistent/permanent AF”
In answer to your last question, it depends how badly you are affected by episodes and what work you do. If you feel unable to work this is something to stress when you contact the hospital, best wishes 🦋
Some people manage fine. Medications and lifestyle changes keep things under control for some.
I had a tough time with multiple arrhythmias which a cocktail of drugs couldn’t control. I had a challenging journey with procedures, complications and hospitalisations but since my last ablation 18 months ago I have been good. I got back to work and I now run my own business.
Don’t think the challenges you are facing now will go on forever. With the right medical team and treatment, better days are ahead. By the way, I found magnesium very helpful.
Having had PAF for many years I was eventually referred to an EP but not before I had 4 or 5 years with my Cardiologist. Experienced the Bisopropol ,Flecainide etc. PIP did not work and Biso gave me unpleasant side effects and the worst was lowering of HR to 40 at night. Made things worse. Most of my AF episodes happened at 2.00 am. It was only once I sat opposite my EP that I felt confident my situation would improve. Had ablation 2 years ago. I feel brand new(but I don't take things for granted).
So, Dickieticker meet your EP and after explaining all and with additional tests,if he recommends an ablation-consider it seriously. Go well.
Yes, an ablation seems the way this seems to be going. The cardiologist did hint at that., so I've already got it in my mind. I do waver from yes to no though. But at the minute, the way I feel I'd have now. Thanks for the advice..
I take verapamil which seems to work quite well so maybe you could try that for now. I also take magnesium taurate which has helped, I’m 35 and fit and heathy and mine was missed for 5 years, i was quite poorly by the time i’d been diagnosed but once I knew I what was causing the issues I immediately felt better! It does get better and trying to control anxiety is probably the best thing I’ve done so I’d suggest that. Rest up, be kind to yourself and I wish you well. Lauren.
Hi..Thanks, I will look into verapamil and see what the EP says. It really is a vicious circle with anxiety as it makes the AF worse which in turn feeds the anxiety. It seems that people go through a lot before they are finally settled to something that suits them.
Yes, it took a while to figure out what meds and at what dose is needed to get your AF under control without debilitating side effects, but you will get your life back and be able to get back to work. If you can't get the meds to give good control, ask you EP about an ablation.
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