Claiming down now but what a difference a beat makes ! Nearly passed out this morning brushing my teeth. Resting HR normal 55 - 65 but felt right dicky when I got up. Checked and it was 117 at rest - very very high for me.
All regular beat and no afib (yet). Flec at the ready ! Feel right rotten. Welcome to the afib roller coaster !
109 just now so a slight improvement.
Paul
Right horrible Paul - if you have no other heart conditions, try a Valsalva followed by slow, deep breathing. I hope it settles soon - best wishes.
Thanks Fin.
I'm doing my breathing exercises right now and watching a relaxing video on You Tube.
Ty Paul
My 'like' button still isn't working.
😡
Sorry to hear this Paul 😕 Really hope it calms down to a normal rate with no AF... I’m sure you’re doing deep counted breathing etc? I find soothing slow music can help too, and doing slow gentle stretching. (You’ve got your own techniques that might work for you, I’m sure.) Do let us know how it goes x
Thanks Jane. Still 109 and showing irregular HR now. Just taken my extra flec so fingers crossed !
Ty Paul
Hi Paul 
I hope things don't develop and that you feel better later.
Thanks Doodle 
Thinking of you Paul
Thanks Tamla
Just a quicky - showing about 7 ectopic beats every 30 seconds on the monitor. Sounds quite high to me ! Maybe that's the cause. Extra flec doesn't seemed to have worked.
Paul
Sorry to hear this Paul. How were you measuring what your heart rate was? I'm just remembering the time that what the rate in my arm was indicating was not true. My heart was beating too fast to register there correctly and this was only discovered by paramedics taking an ECG. I felt hot, sweaty and struggled to keep conscious
Had to send that before I wanted to as my screen stuck. Try listening to the slow heartbeat post on YouTube. The way you described feeling made me think your heart rate must be higher than what you were saying. How are you feeling now?
Jean
Hi Jean. Still about the same - gutted TBH after doing so well. Flec not worked this time and etopic's are working over time shift.
HR dropped a little but still very high for me.
Hope all ok with you. Ty for slowbeat YouTube suggestion.
Paul
It sounds like you're doing the right thing by trying your best to take your mind off what your heart is doing. The more you let it bother you, the longer it will go on. Have you had your lunch yet, that might help. Get your wife to try that YouTube leg raising exercise that is recommended now. Do you know the one I mean? If not I'll try and find it.
Or try tensing one side of your chest quickly, then the other. Have you tried a cold drink, splashing your face with cold water or tensing your heart area and bearing down for as long as you can.
All ok here, thanks.
Jean
Hi Paul......Sorry to hear you have an irregular & high heartbeat , hope it sorts itself soon.Thought the Flecainide would have sorted it out ☹️
Wishing you all the best !!
Sorry you're suffering and hope to hear better news soon. For ectopics slow breathing down to 6 breaths a minute and do it for 5 minutes. I've had lots of ectopics post ablation and thus technique does seem to do the trick. As you know I take Flecainide and recently I've discovered that 'rest and digest' seems to help me convert. I take pill 1 and wait - 30-40 mins; if no good I take pill 2 and wait a further 40 mins for absorption. Then I eat - something with a bit of protein and carbs - 1.5 hours later it all calms down. 🤞🤞🤞 For you!
We haven't heard from you for a while Paul and I'm guessing you may have taken yourself off to A&E?
Hi PaulDoes Flec work for fast regular heart? I thought that was a beta blocker's job and Flec was for fast irregular heartbeat. Or do you think it's going to morph into Afib? What a jungle it all is. Hope all is normal again.
Take care x
How are you this morning?
Just read your posts. Hope you are feeling better now
Hope your back in sinus Paul 🤞
Let us know how you are doing. Lots of us thinking of you!
I don’t understand aFIB. I don’t have high BP, instead always told low but notice beta blockers say for high BP? Last time I passed out cleaning my teeth my BP had bottomed! Sooo confusing... is it fast heartbeat with high BP or irregular heartbeat with low BP that causes one to faint?
I understand that beta blockers are given to slow down and protect the bottom of the heart from the possible weakening effects caused by an overly fast heart rate.
The problem with them is that they can reduce the heart rate too much and also lower the blood pressure a little - as you’re finding.
Afib causes a range of problems or none at all - as my elderly friend knows well having lived with it happily for very many years. I think the physical effects of afib depend how well the bottom of the heart (i.e. the ventricles) copes with all the crazy partying going on in the flat above!
Steve
LOL
Sorry Steve - your post won't 'like'. Cheers anyway
Love the way you described that Steve 🤣🤣🤣
That’s kind! There’s not much fun to be had with heart troubles, really, is there - but you have to smile!
I hope all is well, Paul. I've had something similar since late November, a resting rate of 50-60, with sudden fast occurrences of between 103-125. I've been told to take a bisoprolol on an as-needed basis, but the high rate still sometimes just wears me out physically and I have to rest when it's at its worst. I get a strange and very disconcerting discomfort along with it from below my left rib, often travelling into my back and lots of burping and sometimes, nausea.
It's worrying to say the least. I'm currently awaiting the results of an echo and two-week monitor. It seems to be movement, rather than exertion related, so might well be gastric.
Steve
I can relate to the rib thing and beta blockers, I have that which started with Bisoprolol and now with Cardevilol. IMO its definitely a side effect of the tablets, very uncomfortable, still waiting for it to go away after 9 weeks
Every time I take them I get it. It’s one more symptom to add to the anxiety.
Steve
Do you ever get the feeling they think you're a nuisance and not correct when trying to tell them of side effects
Oh yes, I’ve felt that. I suspect their response is more because they either don’t have an answer or think we are over-exaggerating the problem. The fear is what is hard to deal with at times.
Steve
I agree, I think its the fear of not knowing, I always feel much better when I understand what's happening
Hope you’re ok Paul. My hr goes up to 160 sometimes, and I have found lying in a warm bath works well. (Not always but often enough). You always give good advice here, very cheerfully, and I’ve been grateful at times. Please let us know how you are when you can.
Hope you're ok
Really sorry to hear that Paul. 🤞🤞🤞
Hmm Paul this sounds a bit like flutter. Regular and fast ( for people like us with normally quite low Bpm) doesn't sound like the lurching crazy heart afib beatAre you on a betablocker? Usually recommended if you take flecanide regularly.
If so I am told to take an extra pill if I get a run of regular fast arrthymia ( ie in my case flutter,) but check out with your prescriber first as we are all different!
Hope it settles down soon. Please let us know friend x
Happened to me twice last week and still can't get a GP call. Grrr. Hope you feel better soon.
Hi Paul, just read this, sorry to hear that your AF is playing up again, such a rotten condition isnt it. Hope things have settled down.
Do hope all back to normal now. Just been explaining to my other half that when my hr is 92! That’s not normal for me as I usually come in 40s-50s.
Hope your over it by now, "Wilsond" suggests it could be flutter! unfortunately, if it is flutter the flecainide you took may have made it worst, suggest you go to A&E if thing have not improved by now.
Rollercoaster is right! I hope your heart calms down soon!
Hi all. Will update tomorrow when feeling better. Was kept in but don't feel like typing much now - feel rotten.
Cheers anyway for your support.
Paul
Get well soon, eh? 😀
I take my flecainide for tachycardia. They do help to slow the HR down to normalHope you feel better soon
Sorry to hear this. I hope your feeling better ☘️
Hiya all.
Oh well it had to happen I guess. Went to A&E and they packed me off to a ward (big thumbs up to the staff who were all fantastic).
It's flutter. Taken off flec and put on one dose of Bisoprolol a day (5mg). I can understand why people on the forum say it makes you feel rough - still early days so need to allow time for body to adjust.
I don't get it at all though. The consultant said there's no need for me to go back on anticoagulants - wot ??? Of course there is and I did insist with my heart acting up like this. They took me off flec as they said this 'could' be the cause. Personally I would like to stay on it / take a beta blocker and anticoagulant. As I see it flec has wonders for 2 years and now I'm at risk of full blown afib again (which is coming and going on their monitors).
After being in sinus for so long I feel rough - I know it will pass though.
Now the other thing is he suggested is an ablation for the flutter. He say's the success rate for flutter is about 95 % but I know it won't stop afib returning. What's the point ?
My ideal would be another CV - return to flec and a smaller dose of beta blockers to see if I can pull another year out of the hat.
Once again thanks for all your good wishes - much appreciated.
Many thanks Paul
Blimey Paul! If I were you l’d be thoroughly confused, which I think you are. Utterly amazed that they thought you should come off anticoagulants though, that is just plain stupid. You take care of yourself. Sounds to me that you have a lot more sense than your docs.
Thanks Cha.
Indeed it is confusing ! I decided to come off anticoagulants about 3 or 4 weeks ago as I was in sinus (two years after CV) after talking to my cardio - he said it was my decision and with a CHAD of 0 it was my call. However with this kicking back in there's no way I shouldn't be back on them (IMO). I am now despite the hospital consultant saying I don't need them !?! I don't get that bit at all.
This is why I wonder about the rest of it.
I'm not a doctor so I could be totally wrong. I still think after 2 years of flec working magic flutter may have shown by now. I've now lost that safety net - why not keep me on it - add a beta blocker to help keep out of flutter and see if I can return to sinus. If not then a CV doing the latter to return to sinus might well work.
The beta blocker is already kicking in. Less flutter and HR 64 at rest now (great news - I'm so happy about that but it can / does soon change and goes up very quickly).
An ablation for flutter won't help afib (as far as I'm aware). So as I see it my full blown afib could return (no flec) and I'm back to square one.
One thing is for sure - I won't miss taking an anticoagulant ! I think it was wrong advice to say I don't need them. I explained to the consultant I don't want to risk a stroke from afib thank you very much. They don't like it if you disagree with them but such is life ! A newbie to afib would have followed his advice - not good.
It will take months now to be refered. I still think (for me) flec (even as a PIP) / beta blocker / anticoagulant is the way to go. However the doctors think just a beta blocker.
Hmmm. Time will tell !
Cheers Paul
Hi PaulHope you are feeling a bit better now !!!
Agree it seems strange for the doctor to say you won’t need anti coagulation, as after being diagnosed with AF last September I was told I would be on them for life🙄
If they lessen the chance of having a stroke, I’m happy staying on them.
Wishing you all the best !!
Ty Baz
Tried to ‘like’ your reply Paul, but it isn’t having it. Take care.
Ty Cha
Hi Paul, I think you need to put your update on as a post of it's own as members will not think to look here. I didn't at first.
Will answer your new post, glad you're feeling a bit better.
Jean
Ty Jean
Hi Paul, glad you're feeling a little better. I too was on flecainide PIP for years with excellent effect for cardioverting. Then it just stopped working. The afib started to happen monthly [from previously once or twice a year] fainting on reverting, then the last two attacks resulted in me ending up in hospital with flutter. HR over 200 and I don't think I have ever felt so poorly. I was given another antiarrythmic, disopyramide, to try on discharge, but that didn't work for me either and caused multiple ectopics and short bursts of AF. I am now just on a betablocker, I was also started on Apixaban by my EP [who I saw privately as there were no NHS appointments at the time for at least six months]. I'm more than happy to be on an anticoagulant although wasn't due to take it till aged 65. I can't take flecainide anymore. Touch wood, I haven't had an attack since [Oct 2020] This may be due to the fact that I have changed my diet to unprocessed food [the majority of the time anyway] and finishing my meals by 6 pm. This has resulted in me losing 3 stones and I feel better for it. I'm not sure of the reasons why the flec just stops working, but it did. I've been told by my EP that if I do go into af to take an extra betablocker. So far so good. Wishing you the best of health
Ty Maria. It sounds like things are picking up slightly for you - great news. Well done for losing the weight too. That can make a big difference to your overall health.
Keep up the good work and enjoy your day.
Paul
Is this what happens when arrythmia is about to strike Paul ? I had hard out arrythmia since a year ago but 5 weeks ago theeneven beat went . I jst woke up one morning after the udual erratic sleep and it was gone. Ive had it go for adayor do before. Ihope this is a permanent thing. Im still finding it hard to get any fitness out of excerdise though.
Hi Alp.
"Is this what happens when arrythmia is about to strike Paul ?"
It can be. I did return to afib and it's looking like another CV. I'm pleased yours has gone for now. I suggest you exerise in moderation and don't over do it for a while at least.
Paul
Thanks for the excersise advice Paul.I was diagnosed earlierthis year with atypical flutter. I think that means the electrics go round the opposite way to normal I have a severely enlarged left atrium. Apparently with this condition the usual ablation wont work so i have now been placed on a waiting list for pace maker then av node ablation.
Heres hoping when the cardios call me up they will find i dont need it.
Hi Alp.
The left atrium often becomes enlarged with this condition. Whichever direction your treatment takes I wish the best of luck
Paul
Beat to Beat
Flecaianide. As a pip 
Afib isn't a disease,it's a malady 
stronger heart beat
I had a weird feeling last evening. 
