Drop in bp level

[Tomred]

Hi just wondering does anyone's bp drop during paf bout is it rather normal?

[BobD Volunteer]

If it is normal for you yes. Mine usually goes the other way such is this mongrrel condition we share.

[Tomred in reply to BobD]

I like your answer Bobd I never thought of it like that

[Tomred]

Thank you helpful take on it

[Hidden]

The day AF mugged me mine did drop - significantly - from around 150/85 ish down to 76/50 ........ that put me in A & E from where AF was diagnosed. My HR shot up to 156 at that time. I have only had two AF events since April 2015 and on both occasions my BP shot up, can't remember the reading nopt much higher than 150/85 but I think it was higher. Neither events lasted more than a few hours. My last one now was February 2018.John

[Tomred in reply to Hidden]

Thank you carneuny

[Singwell in reply to Hidden]

Still want to know your secret 😉. I know diet is one part and it's made a big difference to me too. But I've had 6 in 12 months and am very envious.

[Tomred in reply to Singwell]

Hi singwell I don't know what you mean by what's my secret could you elaborate please thanks for your posts

[Hidden in reply to Tomred]

I think singwell was asking me ...... just follow my next response.

[Singwell in reply to Hidden]

I was indeed. Thank you!

[Tomred in reply to Hidden]

Sorry silly me

[Hidden in reply to Singwell]

Hiya Singwell,I don't think it is so much about a secret as good fortune and the following outline will give you some idea:-

1) Having the right diagnosis in about 9 hours after onset and getting treatment started in A & E. 2) Being detained in hospital for some 6 days whilst all the appropriate tests were done. 3) Reporting unusual symptoms to my bloody brilliant GP, i.e. bloating, diahorrea, intestinal gurgling and burping and getting IBS and Coeliac Disease blood tests done and those issues eliminated. 4) Then seeing a Nutritionist and getting my guts appropriately sorted starting with Probiotics, then diet. 5) Over the years listening to my body and what it tells me about food I eat .... and now don't eat and finally, monitoring anything unusal that I feel. Fortunately, in a galaxy far away I had a management information system back ground and so it is not very hard for me to keep my own statistical data on what goes on with my heart and guts, so again, any unusual trends that emerge I take the data to my GP and it gives her something to work on. FACTS! FACTS! FACTS! no long winded narratives which she has to try and follow. I am aware also that this condition is about as trustworthy as most politicians and so I just accept that from time to time odd things happen. Yes, I do get bouts of feeling unwell ( for no discernable reason), yes I get irregular heart beats, some of which I can capture on my handheld ECG device, yes I get bouts of very rapid heart rates - which I can usually blame a certain food item or items, yes I still get bouts of feeling ice cold ( the ice man cometh), yes, I still get bouts of palpitations, etc. The main thing is I don't panic. Anything I feel I give it 6 to 9 hours to improve or worsen. Mostly it improves - and my mindset is to keep calm and carry on - treat it all as a joke.

Although I should have retired 11 years ago I still have fun driving buses but, my employer and DVLA are aware of everything and don't have a problem. It is only in the last month I have decided to reduce my working hours from 42 to 28 a week - for no other reason than I have more things to do in my spare time at home. Keeping as active, physically and as mentally as possible is also part of it all. Nothing more challenging than driving a double decker on a narrow Cornish road ( with no passing space or centre line) and meeting an oversize piece of farming equipment coming the opposite way. That gets the brain cells sorted.

So you see for me it is a lot of good fortune, a lot of science both management and medical and not taking things too seriously.

Hope all that gives you an insight into my secret.

Best wishes to you and all those following this. May the new year bring about a return to normal for all of us.

John

[Singwell in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for this John - yes, there's some mighty good fortune there compared with my experience! First episode diagnosed probably 16 hours after onset, pills and then long long silence. Only test was echocardiogram (clear luckily) and I only got to visit the Cardiology department this month I.e more than a year later. Everything else bar one telephone consult I've paid for or found out myself. Including likely hiatus hernia, links with long term acid reflux, stress, changes in BP levels etc. I've learned a lot from your posts - you and CDreamer set me off in the right direction re digestion and diet. Stress levels and anxiety I'm still struggling with - especially that scary BP hypo a couple of weeks back. I'm now going to try out 'let's see how it is in 6 hours time'. Thus wouldn't have been a good plan in the case of the BP but at least I found out about the sodium issue during AF. I know all our cases are individual but I truly wish the medics would give us more assistance in joined up thinking. Thanks again - I need plenty of hope at present as the last two weeks have been rough.

[Hidden in reply to Singwell]

Hiya Singwell,

I'm sorry that your last two weeks have been rough and I wish I could wave a magic wand for you ...just maybe 2021 will unlock that magic code for you. The only thing I could suggest IF digestion remains an issue is to consult a Nutritionist. Reading CD's comments over time she is certainly what I would regard as being in the 'Masterclass' when it comes to things diet and digestion, my personal experience is following Nutritionists advice and never being scared to experiment with food, i.e. trying something for a first time or deleting it from my life. The hardest thing is when eating out, either in a restaurant or with friends .... where I have either limited or no control over the main course meal. Starters and desserts aren't that much of an issue.... and nor is booze or coffee. If you are in UK the BANT website may advise you on a Nutritionist near to your home. The website provides a search facility for this purpose.

Looking at your reply just a couple of asides that come to my mind ..... 1) the ECHO, I had one in September/October this year and the reaction of the guy was interesting....oooh he said, well you can see where the AF hit the left Atria. When I quizzed him he commented that the Left Atria was still very dilated. Meaning that of course I am still gonna be up for an AF event in future, and for that matter a stoke too without Warfarin. Hey ho. So nearly 11 years down the track and nothing has changed ...... except my diet. The other thing ... 2) thinking back over my life I have always been healthy and led a fairly healthy lifestyle but I can trace digestive issues back to my early thirties and Sydney Hospital Dietician, back in the day, began the process of diet and that is the start point of weaning my way off salad type foods and some citrus fruits, that would have been about 1979/80. Which also reminds me .... have you heard of the FODMAPS diet. You may wish to Google it and read up. Can't do any harm - see if it may have some application to yourself. Certainly nowadays if I followed the much heralded 'health mantra' of eat 5 to 8 fruit and veg a day to stay healthy would put me in the bathroom for another half a day. Just doesn't work for some people.

In terms of stress etc. have you ever considered consulting a hypnotist ?

Well, that's it - good luck, may the force be with you.

John

[Singwell in reply to Hidden]

This is all so helpful John. Yes, I know about the FODMAPS and which ones I can tolerate. I've understood now that each of us has a unique set of microbiomes and that's why in terms of nutrition one size doesn't fit all. I've been reading and experimenting but I think maybe you're right - it's time to have my hand held by a nutritionist. The last two weeks have been frightening and depressing - especially when I thought I was managing well. You're not the first person to.suggest hypnosis. I might do a bit more with a therapist who does CBT and somatic work. I did some earlier this year and it did help. Thanks for sharing your journey - I'm normally a positive person but right now I'm down in the dumps.

[Tomred]

Yes too low is a going over all right just had it for 2 days most times in af i can handle it but when bp drops its a different story

[Singwell in reply to Tomred]

You have my sympathy - I'd rather have an AF episode - and that's saying something! Hope you're OK now? Look into electrolytes and good hydration.b

[marcyh]

During my PAF episodes my systolic drops to around 100 but my diastolic rises to the 90s. So the pulse pressure (the difference) which is ideally around 40 is much smaller than it should be. I'm lightheaded and have to be careful to stay in bed until my med kicks in.

[Tomred in reply to marcyh]

Yes I also stay in bed as I a,m wary of falling and the overall feeling of been unwell sucks one minute I feel hot and suffocating almost feel as if I'm going to pass out then it subsides and comes in waves

[Singwell]

This is a very interesting read as I had a horrible BP hypo a couple of weeks ago following an AF episode taking me into A and E with a reading of 65/45. I do not want to go there again! It is 'normal' for BP to fluctuate during an episode but what I was told is that we're in danger of getting dehydrated and losing electrolytes during an episode. Simply put -the body jettisons sodium by making you pee a lot. My understanding is that it is this that causes the BP hypo. In my case, due to a secondary factor of Tildiem meds, my HR also dropped and the two factors sent me into crisis. See my post December 15/16 where other members have helpful advice, later confirmed by my EP.

[Tomred in reply to Singwell]

Wow you must have felt terrible with bp so low i know it's not nice but that sounds super low

[Singwell in reply to Tomred]

TBH death's door comes to mind..My instinct guided me to ask the other half to make me a cup of miso soup. Around 2gms sodium per sachet. Things began to improve after that. Moving on from disaster mentality - it's been suggested to me to wear pressure socks at night if worried. Seems a practical ideas so am sharing here.

[Cha275rL]

My BP rises significantly when I have an AF episode. When I was in A&E last time, I asked the cardiologist why it was so high when I was on pills to control it, and he said he’d be more worried if it was low, because my heart wouldn’t be coping properly.

[Tomred in reply to Cha275rL]

I'm going to have to query with my gp thanks for reply

[momist]

If you think about it, it wouldn't be 'wrong' that your BP falls when in AF. A large number of the 'beats' of your heart are operating when your heart has not adequately filled up with blood from the last beat, and therefore are somewhat ineffectual at actually pumping any blood, and many of those that occur at the expected time are also working on a less filled heart because an earlier mistimed beat has tried to pump it out when partially filled. Of course, if you are stressed by the AF happening then your blood pressure could rise a little because of the fear factor.

I have no certain knowledge of any of this, as my home BP monitor refuses to function when I'm in AF, so I don't know what my BP is when it's happening. I do know that it feels to me that my BP must have dropped, as I feel weak and wobbly, and find it difficult to climb the stairs. I also feel light headed, and quite 'unreal'.

[Tomred in reply to momist]

Thank you very interesting momist

[Respondicus]

Hi Tomred, rarely check it now but recently when I have my systolic has been in normal range but diastolic raised quite high..this morning for example 117....lol looking at most of the other posts im going to make another post as a question...all the best in the meantime

[Tomred in reply to Respondicus]

Thank you respondicus