Not Sure What to do Next

[spinningjenny]

In March I saw my EP who put me on the waiting list for an ablation for SVT. This will be my second, the first was in 2014 for Afib.

I have been reasonably well throughout the summer with a heart rate in the mid 90s until the end of September when my heart rate suddenly shot up to 150 and stayed there for several days. My GP increased my Bisoprolol from 7.5 to 10 mg and things settled down to mid 90s again.

On the Monday before Christmas my heart rate has once again gone up to around 140. Sometimes I’m in afib and sometimes flutter. It may be coincidence but on the Monday I started a new pack of tablets which are a different make to those I’ve had previously.

Do I wait until Tuesday to get in touch with my GP? Do I phone 111 or 999? (I have a huge fear of going into hospital just now). Do I phone the arrhythmia nurse at the hospital where my ablation is due to take place? I have no upcoming appointment with anyone nor do I have a date for my ablation? I feel fine if I just sit on the sofa knitting but I get very breathless if I move or stand for any length of time.

[Paulbounce]

Hi Jenny.

You wrote

"Do I phone 111 or 999? (I have a huge fear of going into hospital just now). Do I phone the arrhythmia nurse at the hospital where my ablation is due to take place"

I think trying to contact your arrhythmia nurse is a good idea. I fully understand your fear of going to hospital right now. 111 is also another option for you.

Personally I would act if my HR reached those levels. I would suggest doing the correct breathing exercises too - they can help lower your rate and help you relax.

I'm sure you'll be fine but keep your eye on the ball.

All the best for 2021.

Paul

[spinningjenny in reply to Paulbounce]

Thanks Paul. I will contact the nurse as soon as I can but I don’t think they work weekends. If HR goes up any more I will have no choice but to contact 111 I keep hoping it will come down on its own.

[Peony4575 in reply to spinningjenny]

I think you should contact 111. Try not to worry too much about having to go into the hospital. Have had to go to a&e twice and spend a day at a hospital we refer to as Covid Central having a procedure during a Covid peak . Emerged unscathed by Covid . Know several other people who have done same not to mention people I know who work there seeing patients every day and haven’t caught it. Just take usual precautions. Staff get tested twice a week these days. Please don’t let Covid put you off going into hospital to get sorted out

[spinningjenny in reply to Peony4575]

Thanks. I think I will. Its gone on long enough.

[Peony4575 in reply to spinningjenny]

I think you should. Please let us know how you get on x

[Hidden]

Hi there,Back in the day, prior to be diagnosed with AF my BP and HR were for many years averaging around 136/85 with a HR of high 80's to high 90's. The generally accepted norm for HR is between 60 and 100 bpm. The day I was diagnosed my BP dropped progressively from around 150/85 down to 76/50 and my HR which was in the high 90's increased to 156 bpm.

So, with this experience in mind if your BP is nice and steady and not wildly varying either up or down I wouldn't worry too much about HR and phone GP on Tuesday. If however the high HR is causing you any other health problems then phone 111 now.

Based on my own experience and nothing else as I'm not a medical professional, I regard that yourHR as being far too high. Something like 72 bpm is pretty good. With AF, again in my view there is a definate correlation between BP and HR and the onset of AF. I am on 5 mg Bisoprolol and I am running a HR of between 63 and 67 bpm daily and I'm a 6 ft, 15 stone guy. But that said each of us reacts differently to medication. I've been on this dose for nearly 11 years. Hope that helps.

John

[jeanjeannie50]

Being in a constant rate of 140bpm for days is not good and I understand exactly how you are feeling. I would dial the 111 no. and hopefully they will send paramedics out to do an ECG.

My daughter works at a large hospital, she tests herself for covid twice weekly and tells me that the covid wards are sealed off from the rest of the hospital and you can only get to them from an outside door.

Please let us know how you get on.

Jean

[spinningjenny in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Interesting day. Phoned 111, was told off for not ringing sooner, sent straight to A&E. Was given Adenosine - a truly ghastly experience. The doctor said "It will make you feel like s**t." He wasn't wrong. It didn't work and I was given iv Amioderone. That didn't work either. I'm now wired up to Coronary Care while they decide what to do with me.

I needn't have worried about Covid. Turns out I've already go it! Symptomless at the moment. Hope it stays that way.

[Peony4575 in reply to spinningjenny]

Am glad you phoned 111 and you are in the right place being looked after . Hopefully your Covid won’t progress to symptoms it doesn’t for a lot of people but i query whether the breathlessness you ve been experiencing may be something to do with it . My daughter, an intensive care consultant caught Covid at work in the first wave and her only symptom was breathlessness when moving about . Please let us know how you are getting on x

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to spinningjenny]

So glad you rang the 111 number. Is your heart rate still as high as it was and are you at home? Sorry the treatments they tried didn't work. I wonder why they didn't consider cardioverting you, unless no one was there that could do that with it being a holiday.

I've heard reports of Covid tests not always giving correct results, but don't know how true that is.

Hope you soon get back in to normal sinus rhythm. Keep us posted please.

Jean

[spinningjenny in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I'm still in hospital with my heart rate exactly the same. I will ask about cardioversion. I've just been moved to a Covid ward which isn't too bad.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to spinningjenny]

Will be thinking of you and waiting for news. Do you have family you're in contact with?

Jean

[spinningjenny in reply to jeanjeannie50]

My husband's at home eating left over turkey.

[Peony4575 in reply to spinningjenny]

Yup that’s what mine would be doing . Keep us posted . You are in the best place with a heart problem and. Covid. Is your husband getting tested or just going to self isolate ? Where I live you can get tests on request no wait usually apparently

[spinningjenny in reply to Peony4575]

He's just going to self isolate unless he gets symptoms. Our daughter is go ing to pick up any odd bits of shopping we might need.

[Peony4575 in reply to spinningjenny]

How are you doing ? Any progress ? Hope you are ok

[spinningjenny]

Heart rate seems to be coming down thanks to ever increasing doses of Bisoprolol. Not sure how far they can safely go with that. I'm already on 10mg daily which is normally considered the maximum dose. Hopefully it won't be too long before my ablation. I'll try to chase it up when I get home but I hate to be thought of as trying to queue jump.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to spinningjenny]

Good to hear that your heart rate is coming down. I'd guess that they don't like the fact that you need such a high dose of Bisoprolol. Hence an ablation quite soon.

Is your heart in atrial flutter, it sounded a bit that way when you said it was at 140bpm. I wonder why they haven't tried you on a different beta blocker drug like Metoprolol, Bisoprolol did nothing for me whereas Metoprolol did and still does now.

Has a consultant been around today, or not in as it's a bank holiday?

Jean

[spinningjenny in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Hardly seen anyone. Hoping consultant will be in tomorrow. I have afib and flutter. What to give the girl who has everything?

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to spinningjenny]

I have the same, what a bind it all is! The only good thing I can say is it doesn't cause us dreadful pain. Hope a consultant is in tomorrow and you can soon go home.

Jean

[Peony4575 in reply to spinningjenny]

Hope you are ok . How are you getting on ?

[spinningjenny in reply to Peony4575]

They are giving me digoxin in a drip and sre going to increase my Bisoprolol to 15mg per day. I've to stay in hospital another night at least.

Another Covid test has come back negative so I can't have it as there is no such thing as a false negative. Good news except that I am in a Covid bay with three other ladies who have all had it.

I will have to isolate for 14 days when I get home.

[Peony4575 in reply to spinningjenny]

They need to get you back to normal before they let you out . Excellent news about the negative Covid . I hope they accelerate your ablation after this do. Please let us know how you get on with your new drugs. Take care x

[Peony4575 in reply to spinningjenny]

You may find the doctors hurry it along for you . Thank you for letting us know how you are and good your sense of humour hasn’t deserted you . Fingers crossed you ll soon be sorted keep us posted

[Peony4575]

Good morning . It’s miserable not being able to have visitors when you’re in hospital . How are things coming along ? It’s been a tough nut to crack

[spinningjenny]

Lots of iv digoxin overnight seems to have brought my heart rate down to around 80. I have had my Bisoprolol increased to 7.5 am and 5pm and digoxin tablets are also being added to my drug regime. Hopefully I will be able to go home soon.

It's very kind of you to take such an interest. I really appreciate it.

[Peony4575]

Not at all am very concerned . It’s frightening when arrhythmia s take their time to respond . I was in hospital for a day recently and felt very cut off . It’s very good news that you have shown so much improvement and hope you will soon be on your way home with an ablation soon to follow . Take care x