Awful night with heart & ectopics

[DaveT81]

I'm past 3 years post my first ablation, now 39 years of age and by God, my heart just feels as if it wants to kill me.

It's my own fault, as last night I went to bed thinking 'heart's been much more settled the last 48 hours, hopefully it stays that way' after months of almost constant activity. I haven't gone back into afib but I've had regular, forceful and scary ectopics.

Only individual ones don't tend to be scary but they're started to knock the breath out of me, give me rushes of blood to the head and really stop me from getting to sleep at night.

But last night I was terrified. As I said, got into bed, read for a while, then turned over to go asleep and then they started again. They were different though, I was getting a tight, twisting feeling in my chest before they came and sometimes I'd feel a tight feeling, like my heart was trying to come out of my throat.

At one point my throat felt very tight and I felt as if I was having trouble breathing as my heart raced and pounded away. Just as I was about to fall asleep through exhaustion, my heart lurched, and the pause felt as if it lasted about 2-3 seconds, which caused my breathing to, well, basically stop and I shot up in bed panicking, trying to gasp for breath.

Funny thing is, I had a 14 day Zio patch on a couple of months ago, two private cardio appointments and he assured me from that and my previous heart echo and ct in the past 18 months that my heart is in good shape and I have a low risk of stroke so... I just don't know what to make of this now. I've woken up with a sore neck and a banging headache. I'm also quite scared as I felt like I was going to die last night.

I'm not new to ectopics either, I've had them for 3 years and they've changed regularly enough to make sure I stay on my toes but last night was very different and I'm still getting a slightly faster hr and weird twinges in my chest this morning.

If anything it's the breathlessness that scared me most, having to force yourself to start breathing again is so frightening.

For what it's worth I have ME, breathing issues, IBS, and high blood pressure on top of the afib.

Wasn't a question as such, just a post to get that out and see if anybody else has experienced anything similar.

[BobD Volunteer]

I really think you need to speak to your doctor about this. Any breathing issues or chest pain must be investigated.

[DaveT81 in reply to BobD]

Yeah, I am due to have a surgery on my nose on Tuesday, so I'm thinking I may contact my GP again after that. As I'm a bit wary of going back about my heart, having had the investigations again a couple of months ago.

[Buffafly]

You are brave, I’d have called 999 😨

[DaveT81 in reply to Buffafly]

Having already seen the cardiologist again so recently, I just resigned myself to dealing with it. If something bad happens, it happens. I'm going to see how it feels through today.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to DaveT81]

Remember AF is seldom fatal unless you are stupid enough to try and run a marathon whilst in AF Dave.

[DaveT81 in reply to BobD]

Thanks BobD, it's so exhausting sometimes. Every big bout of ectopics seems different and brings new and awful symptoms. Just so hard to get used to.

I think because I already have breathing issues (which are being looked at as dysfunctional breathing) and I am awaiting surgery on a deviated septum on Tuesday, that maybe the ectopics are just exacerbating/taking advantage of that to make it worse.

Either way, I feel like I've been through the ringer today. Headache, tired, a bit shaky. Is it possible to have a panic attack whilst alseep? hahaha

[Barny12 in reply to DaveT81]

Hi Dave,

As well as having AF, ectopics etc I also have a deviated septum and dysfunctional breathing issues. I didn't realise there was any treatment for the breathing problem - do you mind if I ask what the treatment consists of?

[DaveT81 in reply to Barny12]

Hi Barny12,

Well at the moment I'm being given physio-therapy to try to help me... 'right' my breathing issue. I'm not 100% convinced that it IS DF, but I'm happy to give it a try to see if it helps.

I'll see if I can find the website the NHS physio told me to look at.

[DaveT81 in reply to DaveT81]

Here we are, the website I was told to look at until I'm able to see them face-to-face: physiotherapyforbpd.org.uk/

[Barny12 in reply to DaveT81]

Thanks Dave, looks interesting.

[Mark_tourguide]

Just sending some support Dave -I don’t have much useful to add, although AF episodes often seem much scarier than they actually are.

We’re all in this together!

[DaveT81 in reply to Mark_tourguide]

Thanks Mark, I do think that support is more helpful that people realise sometimes because it can be very lonely and scary when these things happen in the night and you can't make sense or rationalise them.

[Hidden in reply to DaveT81]

Most of us go through the same feeling , wondering, wishing, not knowing, what's this new pain or feeling, is this it, etc. As Drummer187 says it can be a rough life where you feel you are barely surviving or maybe NOT. Not feeling well and being a caregiver to a son with sudden seizures and bad OCD is a difficult situation. At the same time one doctor tells you you'll just have to manage, while another doctor tells you you are in serious condition. Try this, try that and still you are nowhere.

Without lorazepam or Clonazepam I don't know how I would manage my day.

Are you on any anxiety medication or did I miss it? Dave, my prayers are with you.

[Drummer187]

I feel you man! It’s rough living this life. Some days I feel like I’m just surviving. It’s distracting and stressful.I really think and feel our cortisol levels impact this along with heightened anxiety! I wish I didn’t feel them! Ha

[DaveT81 in reply to Drummer187]

I have to be honest, I've never looked into cortisol levels. I may have to.

I have always been conscious of my potassium and magnesium levels, and so I take Mg supplements and I drinks potassium rich smoothies most days. My levels are relatively normal but there must be some reasons these ectopics just come out of nowhere and ruin your life at times!

[Palpman]

I know how it feels. My heart is constantly thinking up new ways to frighten the life out of me.

Sometimes it is a smooth tachycardia for 3 months and 2 months rest.

Then it is 20 ectopics a minute for 2 weeks and 1 month rest.

Then it is flopping around like a fish out of water for a week and then painful ectopics like now.

Can't wait for an ablation but think I've been forgotten.

[DaveT81 in reply to Palpman]

Yeah, it just never stays the same. At times I pray for afib just so my heart will feel less... unsettled once an episode is over. Ectopics just feel as if they're a warning of something much worse but never quite happens.

I hope you can get your ablation sorted soon. It'll be hard for a few months after but then should sort itself out for you.

[Aegean56]

Curious if you are on any medication for rate or rhythm control as some can be proarrythimc ie can induce certain irregular beats/ rhythm. Also you don't mention if these are PVCs or PACs. Most important if you are symptomatic with anything suggestive of ischemic heart or coronary heart disease you should speak with your cardiologist and perhaps your electrophysiologist

[IanHaines]

For these Thumper in the chest times, the overnight period is our AntiChrist, Dave! All through this year I had PVCs. Around 2 weeks ago, they went, without me doing anything. I don't know why they're there, they were different to those I've had since 45 years ago and I've no idea what made them go away. I feel your apprehension, truly.

[DaveT81 in reply to IanHaines]

Thanks, Ian!

They really are our anti-christ, you're right there. I had another awful night last night. Hard ones, soft, disturbing ones, breathlessness, panic. Woke up this morning feeling like a ton of bricks had dropped on my head too!