New to AF

[Bigomlet]

Hi everyone

I’m a 44 year old male, relatively healthy, play sports a few times per week, cycle a couple of times per week and have an active job 20k + steps per day.

After a severe Covid pneumonia episode where I was hospitalised for 5 days, during my recovery 5 days later I went into AF.

I took myself to hospital where I was admitted, they got me on the monitor and my heartbeat was 146. After 2 beta blockers 2.5, no change and my rate was going higher. Once it got to 188bpm and I heard the nurse say “we may need to take him to resuss” i thought I was on my way out. I felt an overwhelming cold wave come over me, it was scary.

Eventually got it under control and ended up on the conary care unit for 6 days.

Heart went into normal rhythm after 3-4 days and had mri, echo the lot. Said there was a small discrepancy on the heart but nothing of great concern.

Now on 7.5mg of bisoprolol per day, 5 morning 2.5 evening.

I’m due my first appointment at the AF clinic in 4 weeks so just wondering what to expect and what’s potentially on the horizon.

I’ve started exercising again gradually, starting nice and easy and will increase intensity week by week.

Has AF affected people training or playing sports ??

Any advice would be welcome

Thanks

Bigomlet

[Hidden]

Hi Bigomlet, welcome to the forum. Most here are not medically trained but I wonder if all this was tied up with your Covid experience and that things might get back to normal for you over time. Wouldn’t that be great! Prior to your appointment, I suggest you find out as much as you can about AF and using the link below may be a good starting point.

healthunlocked.com/afassoci.........

I’m afraid the “extreme” sporting activity is a known cause of AF and we tend to advise caution with any sporting activity until things stabilise. The term, listen to your body is frequently used and if it tells you to slow down then it’s best to do just that.

It sounds like you are on a good plan for treatment. Generally there are two ways to manage the symptoms, one is medication and the other is ablation (or a combination of both). The link will navigate you through all this in some detail together with videos which are not to scary. I suggest you take a look then come back with any questions in preparation for your appointment......hope this helps.

[Bigomlet in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the reply FlapJack, I’ll have read with my brew in a minute.

I’d be a little gutted if I couldn’t commence with my football come the 30th March when we can resume again, but health is my priority for now.

Cheers

[Bigomlet in reply to Hidden]

I did have a situation in 2019 where my heart beat was irregular for an hour or two.By the time I waited in A&E to be seen and got hooked up to the ECG machine it had gone back to normal again.

Wore the tape for 24 hours and it never shown up with anything abnormal.

My family do have a history of heart rhythm problems. A combination of AF, fast heartbeat, slow heartbeat, variable heartbeat etc. My uncle now has heart failure and at least 5-6 family members have a hereditary condition called cadisil or CADASIL syndrome, involving cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy.

I’m thinking I was heading this way anyway but definitely the Covid has triggered it

[Hidden in reply to Bigomlet]

Are you familiar with the Kardia mobile device. A single lead version is adequate for most people and costs around £100. It enables you to take an ECG, anytime and anywhere and the reports produced are accepted by medics. Well worth googling and if you have any questions, ask here, it is a very popular device.........

[Bigomlet in reply to Hidden]

As much as I want to keep my eye on my health, I don’t want it to become an obsession where I’m doing an ecg every hour cause I’ve been for a bike ride or as walk.I’ve got my fit bit that I wear which is enough for me to keep tabs on my HR.

If I go into AF then it’s very obvious to me ( it has been the 2 previous times) as my whole body vibrates in a strange way, so at the moment that’s not needed.

Thanks

[Hidden in reply to Bigomlet]

Sounds good to me.....all the best.

[Ianc2]

The other thing you can look at is the diet that you follow?

[secondtry]

My advice won't be popular but I would be take a year off from you sports and any other above average physical/mental routine. Long Covid could contribute towards triggering your AF and the priority has to be stopping all AF for 12 months. You can then 'press the restart button' once you feel you are back in control.

[Bigomlet]

Ouch..... 12 months 😢

[TheHud]

I have found it very difficult to manage activity with having your heart restricted. I was initially told to give it at least a year to allow my system to adapt and not put additional strain on my heart. I have a condition called Hyperadrenergic Postural Tachycardia Syndrome and due to extreme (over 200bpm) and BP (over 270/110), with rapid drops down to HR 55 and BP 86/45. I have various palps and a mildly hypotrophic right ventricle.

The point is don't try anything until you have seen the doc and got a plan from them. Yes, you need to monitor your HR and BP. What we are finding based on new members to PoTS and other dysautonomia groups, is many post Covid people are getting a diagnosis of PoTS, some neuropathic, more with my type Hyperadrenergic, the odd hypovolemic and deconditioning variety. So check standing BP it will show any autonomic dysfunction, the bisoprolol will keep your HR low, so its BP you perhaps should check. However, getting checked via an active standing test, google it at Pots UK, it can be done at home initially.

Good luck with the activity plan, you will get there

[Bigomlet in reply to TheHud]

BP over 200 must be scary, I though mine at 188 was bad enough. I did read on another site that one guys reached 270, didn’t think that was possible.

Definitely will wait until after my first clinic appointment before doing anything too strenuous.

I’ll try that BP check now, my mum has a monitor.

Thanks Hud

[Bigomlet]

Just done the BP test....

Lying down was 124/69

Standing was 121/77

Seems ok ????