Hi all . After five years free I ended up in A&E last Thursday. (fast AF 160 to 190 bpm.) I'd just about finished my bike ride as well before collapsing on the pavement unable to carry on. I was only a mile away from home.
So, a question about smart watches. Does anyone use one as an ECG monitor and if so which one?
Happy Christmas to everyone. Stay safe and enjoy the festive season as best as you can.
Hi there,No I don't. I use my modestly priced Garmin smart watch to monitor my HR under a range of circumstance. Not so much my actual HR although that is important but how quickly, and how well it returns to what I regard as a normal HR for me at rest.
If I wanna check my BP I use my BP monitor but only at home. If I want an ECG I use my handheld ECG device, again only at home..
For me with well controlled AF via medication and diet, the acid test is the way in which my HR returns to normal and stays there.
John
Thanks for the information John. I have a BP machine at home and I have been advised to take a few reading before I get feed back from the cardiac guys at my GP practice. I might download an app for My edge 1030 that has the capability to show heart trace. I just thought it might be a good idea to take advantage of the technology that has come along in the last five years. Best wishes Paul.
So sorry to hear this that it returned after so long, what did you think triggered it the exercise?
Hi, I was getting really cold and I took a sip of cold water and bang, welcome back to AF. It has settled down but I am back on beta blockers again. Regards Paul
How long did it take to revert back to NSR? and will you be on Beta Blockers for a while now?
I was put on a drip of saline and glucose as soon as I arrived in A&E then a 15 minute drip of Flecainide which dropped my rate to about 118 before going back up to 160bpm. They put another drip of Flec up and set it to run through for one hour. About two minutes in I reverted back to a high but normal sinus rhythm. In all I was in fast AF for four hours. Before this episode I could cycle home in AF but this dropped me like a brick.
So disappointing that's it's return after so long, will you still continue to exercise for now? do you have to see your cardiologist again?
I will be going on the turbo trainer tomorrow. I am waiting to hear from my cardio team.
Turbo trainer? Never heard of that
You put your bike onto a smart indoor trainer (tacx vortex in my case) then link it via Bluetooth or Ant+ to a tablet, computer or phone. Use Swift, traineroad or another third party app and you can cycle thousands of routes, join group sessions or just plod alone by yourself. The app adjusts the trainer to match the terrain or increase the power needed to push the pedals around. A great bit of kit for the cold weather.
That definitely qualifies as a rubbish Christmas present . So disappointing for you after 5 free years . It seems it’s never safe to assume it’s gone
I am so sorry, I use an Apple 5 series watch, not only does it record my AF but I can save it to send or show to my cardiologist. I think my good records are one of the reasons I am on the waiting list for an ablation. I know when I flip into AF and record then, I rarely bother if I am feeling well.
Hi how did you arrange to send your record of AF episodes to your cardiologist I have been waiting for ablation since June and my AF kicks in around every 7 days now so I would love to send them as episodes are also getting longer.
I emailed them to the consultant’s secretary, he added them to my notes and then forwarded them to Prof Gill at St Thomas. If you use Kardia you can email them and Apple Watch they are on the App, you can email them from there. I only sent them at the beginning, now I am referred I don’t bother but I do have them on the App.
Thank you I will call his secretary as only used to get AF once every month
Good luck
Hi I've used the ECG functions on an Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch Active 2, and Fitbit Sense. I've found they all pretty much work the same with similar accuracy. All watches will tell you immediately whether you are in NSR or show signs of AFIB but to read (and email) the full reports you need to have an iPhone for the Apple Watch and a Samsung for the Galaxy Watch. The Fitbit Sense is more flexible in that you can view and email the reports with pretty much any phone (iPhone or android).
I thought they would have it linked to their phones. The fitbit sense gets a decent write up. Witherings scanwatch also has a good review and it's compatible with android devices. Thanks for the information. Paul.
Hi I am so sorry to hear that
It must be worst feeling ever after 5 ys
we’re on meds for 5 ys?
would you consider ablation?
I really hope it won’t come back again
good luck
Hi, after my second ablation (five years ago) I have been medication free. This was a shot out of the dark and not one I want to have again. The rate and rhythm are currently stable due to the beta blockers no doubt.
Please God it won’t come back .
That's a real shame but this horrid club we belong to is reluctant to let go of our membership. We're you AF free due to interventions/procedures? I invested in a Fitbit Versa watch but couldn't get on with it - it was beginning to stress me out so I sent it back. I use a BP monitor which also detects irregular heartbeats. I have never suffered from hypertension but I find the monitor a good tool to use to keep an eye on my pulse and any irregularities in heartbeats. I am currently waiting the arrival a Kardia machine which can let you know if you're in Afib. I have had 2 episodes of Afib to date (though have possibly had shorter episodes that I have just tried to fob off/dismiss - they just haven't been so obvious). I ended up in A&E on both occasions - my first episode involved a very fast heart rate too, it was a 182bpmand my 2nd one was 154bpm. The 2nd episode was harder to get back into sinus rhythm, I was given Bisoprolol and a magnesium IV. They did threaten to keep me in on that occasion because they were having trouble restoring the sinus rhythm. Fortunately, after about 4 hours, it settled down and I could go home - though by that stage, I had been in A&E all night anyway!
I have an appointment with a cardiologist today. I am hoping for a pill in the pocket approach but I am still waiting on an Echocardiogram so I'm sure that no decision can be made on that until they look at the heart structure.
Good luck with your treatment and I hope that this thread has helped re the smart watch decision. You might be quite techie and find that you get on with such gadgets. Have you thought about the Kardia machine?
Best wishes and hope you manage to have a good Christmas.
Sorry to hear this but if sound like you know the case, you may also have been a little dehydrated. So maybe a combination of things.
It was 2.5yrs after my 1st ablation I went into AF, it seemed worse than ever as I’d not experienced it for so long.
Although PIP worked for me post ablation and I could terminate any attacks in under 2hrs.
Only ever gone into AF once or twice when out cycling. It turns your legs to jelly and leaves you gasping for air.
I was chatting to a Cardiac Technician last year. Who told me EPs will now diagnose based on the ECG function on the Apple Watch.
My Apple Watch helped me greatly with my last huge Afib in June 2020. I felt it start with flutter and started monitoring EKG. Kept running it and watching it intensify until I finally called an ambulance and used that info to make decisions. So thankful I had it. Imperfect I’m sure but I’m never without it anymore. Had ablation over two weeks ago and with my sleep app on the watch I saw an explanadle my rubbery legs yesterday morning. I had been in mild afib about 5 am as I slept. 141. Lasted about ten minutes but enough to make me short of breath and weaker all morning. Cardiologist told me to expect episodes for awhile but likely less intense than before the ablation. And so it is. Sorry you were hit so hard. I’ve been on atenolol for years and xaralto blood thinner since June. Hope to get off the thinner after three months but will stay on beta blocker I’m sure. They only got the a flutter in four patches and couldn’t get afib to show off and be frozen. Good luck.
Firstly, sorry this hear about this and it'll be a huge disappointment I'm sure. As someone who recently ended up in A and E with a BP hypo the only thing I can add is - it was cold, you were exerting, might you have been low on electrolytes? That would've floored you is my understanding. Hope you get stabilised.
KARDIA
I notice that some here mentioned the Withings Scan. I have no experience of that, but was sorely disappoint by their MoveECG watch. Although I loved the appearance and utility of it, it just did not measure up in terms of quality. The crystal scratched up really quickly, and eventually broke during a battery change as the cheap plastic case had deteriorated so much that the steel watch back could not easily be put back on.
Be aware that cheap 'activity trackers' that read heart rate don't do so well when in AF, as the concept of reading heart rate through the reddening of your skin due to the pulse is flawed by both the algorithm trying to observe a *regular* beat between *normal* limits, and also by the fact that not all your heart activity generates a pulse while in AF!
Thanks so much for your input. I was looking at the move ecg but will give it a wide berth now. I know when I am in Afib so monitoring my heart rate will probably cause me to stress about it. I'm so cheesed of at the minute. I will let the dust settle and wait until I have spoken to my cardio team before I get ahead of myself.
For years I've used a basic polar watch & chest strap...does the job..when I was first diagnosed some 9 years ago I could see the erratic HR read out when in Afib..wish you well...
Please feel free to call our helpline or visit our AF Association website for further information, including details of the AliveCor Kardia Mobile ECG Heart Monitors.
I am asymptomatic AF. I have a Medtronic pacemaker, and I'm told by their technician that I am in AF about 20% of the time. I go to the YMCA 4-5 times weekly for mostly aerobic exercise. I'm 81 years old. I've never been advised by my electrocardioliist to not exercise. Should I be concerned? Thanks.
I bought the AliveCor KardiaMobile 6L ECG. While it's not wearable, I think it's ease of use, accuracy, detailed traces, and email capability are excellent.
I have both Kardia and Apple watch 4. Kardia always picked up on extra beats and gave mixed readings. Apple watch never has. It also has fall alerts that are amazing. It wasn’t cheap but if you have an apple watch it is well worth it. Has saved me several trips to EP. He loves it. I send him copies of ECG. He reads and calls me. No ongoing costs.
I use a Polar Vantage with the chest strap and transmitter recommended for professional athletes. In general, heart monitors can give false readings compared to a multi-lead ECG trace. However, a cardiac nurse told me that Polar are pretty good at ignoring AF. On a Concept 2 rowing machine I use the Polar transmitter BLE wireless to link to the Polar Vantage, with ANT+ wireless from the Polar transmitter to the Concept 2 PM5 Performance Monitor.
Back in the day I used to ride hard during Spin classes - upto 190 bpm - without a problem. Although I remember once being invited to ride alongside the instructor. Suddenly my heart rate dropped and I felt like I'd just ridden into a hedge. If I'd been riding on the road ("gutter bunny") I would have dropped the bike.
After a stroke I used to put the bike on a Cyclops Magneto Pro turbo in the gerden, until someone stole the bike.
Cheers John boy for your input. I use the Garmin duel heart strap and it helps me to keep my rate down when out on the bike or on my tacx vortex. It was such a shock, after five years, to be back in A and E. I don't think I will get a fitness watch or smartwatch as I am not convinced the will help. I know when I am in Afib and I know when I am not. The ectopic episodes are what they are. So I will stay on the beta blocker until my telephone consultation on the 6th of January. Stay safe and a happy and healthy new year to you. Paul.
76 years old with A F
Back in AFIB after 2 years free 
11 nights AF free on 50mg Flecainide 
7 Years - Unbelievable
Two years post ablation
