I'm new here!

[Stb1968]

Good morning! I am a 71 year old woman, who was hospitalized with a fib a couple weeks ago. I start cardio rehab this week, but don't have a visit with a cardiologist til November, so am just trying to search out answers. Was so happy to find this site. Am in a fib again this morning. Just took 200mg of flecainide an hour ago ....feeling a bit calmer after reading some posts here!

[Hidden]

Hello and welcome, can I suggest you take a look at some of the information available on the AF Association web pages. The following link will at least get you started…….

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

[Stb1968 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you!

[Jacky52]

Welcome Stb1968,

I'm pleased you feel calmer and we're happy you found us.

[Stb1968 in reply to Jacky52]

Thank you!

[Jacky52 in reply to Stb1968]

You're welcome x

[lovetogarden]

Welcome! So many helpful, knowledgeable, friendly people here! And a wealth of info in the posts, I often use the search box to find what people have already posted about topics I’m interested in.

[Stb1968 in reply to lovetogarden]

I am so happy I found this site! Thank you!

[secondtry]

AF and the action you take is almost as varied as to be individual. Be prepared for a marathon rather than a sprint with a cardiologist you trust (change if you don't), drugs if necessary and most importantly Lifestyle changes. At the end Quality of Life should be back. Best wishes.

[momist in reply to secondtry]

Wise words from secondtry . I'll second that!

😀

Welcome from me, and learn as much as you can about AF. Be warned, not all the doctors know much about this, but the ones called an Electrophysiologist (EP) are the ones who know most.

[Byke]

Hello and welcome. I found this site eighteen months ago when I had my first AF episode, I found it quite frightening, but have received so much support on here, it’s a brilliant support network.

[Nannysue1]

Morning and welcome to the club, one that you would probably rather not be in.It is really frightening isnt it but folks on this site are a marvellous support and no doubt will help you to navigate your way through.

Glad you're feeling a little calmer now.

Not knowing your circumstances but can I suggest that if you can afford it, to pay for your first visit go the cardiologist.

Do your homework and if possible get a recommendation .

You will almost definitely get an appointment this week and if will probably cost you around £250. You can then go back into the NHS system going forward?. Just a thought.

Good luck with your journey.

[Jetcat]

Hi stb1968 and welcome. Glad to hear you’re feeling abit calmer. There’s some good folk on here with plenty of knowledge and experience and I’m sure you will find it helpful. Read the links that people may send you and gain as much knowledge as you can it will make things easier. You’ll be ok, and try not to worry too much. ( easier said than done at times I know.!) Take care and take it easy . Best wishes Ron.x👍

[bassets]

Welcome to the kindest group of people I know.

[Ppiman]

If I were you, my next course of action would be to find a cardiologist who has trained in electrophysiology and to have them carry out a full heart scan (echocardiogram or, preferably, a stress test MRI) which, along with my medical history would allow them to find out whether the physical state of my heart or any other medical reasons was responsible for my arrhythmia.

It might also be useful to take with you some ECG traces from an Apple or other watch, or a Kardia monitor, to show the afib or other events such as palpitations.

From what I have read, the following are common adjuncts to, and perhaps causes of, afib: advancing age, high BMI, high glucose or diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high alcohol and recreational drug use and previous cardiac changes or events.

Finally, it might help to know that my elderly friend is 88 and has had afib for very many years, and he's doing fine. My son's friend is 76 and similarly well. It seems to me it is important is to keep tachycardia at bay rather than the fibrillation itself but, of course, your own doctor will be your best guide.

Steve

[Elli86]

Welcome stb.

You’ve found the site early which can only be a good thing. You will find all the help you need here and more. Great people involved in the chat room to answers any questions you have 👍

Was the recent visit to hospital your first? I’m assuming A&E department put you on pill in pocket flecanaide? Or are you taking it daily?

It’s a long journey if you do it alone. But if you use the knowledge on here to your advantage you should be able get to a better and stable quality of life a lot faster than usual 😀👍

[Stb1968 in reply to Elli86]

Hey Elli! Yes, this was my first hospital visit. I am on Eloquis and the pip flecainide. My 2 episodes were 10 days apart. I have a cardio rehab set up for tomorrow, and an appointment in November with a cardiologist who specializes in the electrical system of the heart. I live alone and right now,this is scary. Am so glad I found you guys!

[SuziElley]

Welcome! We’re of an age. It was thought, initially, that I had AF but then they decided it was atrial tachycardia and multiple ectopics form multifocal points. All giving very similar symptoms. This site is lovely. You might also try to find out via the AF Association pages if there’s a local support group to you. We have a lovely one here in Somerset. All the very best.

[Chrissy7]

Welcome! This is a wonderful group full of support .. and first hand experience … could not have gotten through the past year without them.When you are feeling lost or afraid of your symptoms .. or just looking for general advice or support… don’t be afraid to post!

We will do our best to hold your hand when you feel you need support…and guide you somewhat - when we can - through this difficult time ….

[Snowgirl65]

Welcome to the forum. I stumbled on this site when I had many questions about my a-fib. The forum has a wealth of information of which I hope you'll take advantage.

[TracyAdmin Partner]

Welcome to the Forum, please do not hesitate to reach out to the A F Association if you need any support or advice? You may find it beneficial to visit our US website heartrhythmalliance.org/afa/us to view our online patient resources and videos. May I also recommend joining us for HRC2021 A F Association Patients Day taking place virtually on Sunday 3 October. To view the full agenda and details on registering follow the link: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

[Saltcoatslass04]

Welcome to our special 'club' We have all been where you are now,

I joined in April it was the best thing I ever did everyone is so helpful and knowledgeable.

Knowing I was not alone was enough for me to feel so much calmer and better about everything,

As someone on the site told me 'knowledge is everything '

Read everything you can on AFIB.

Things start to make so much more sense.

It will be a journey of ups and downs , staying calm is one of the things I found does help.

Good luck with your journey. There are a lot of us on the same tour. X

[Stb1968 in reply to Saltcoatslass04]

Thank you! I'm not keen on the a fib diagnosis, but at least I'm being taken seriously finally!. For the last year I've been being treated for panic attacks,,patted on the head, and sent home with am anti anxiety drug. At least now I know what I'm dealing with.

[Saltcoatslass04 in reply to Stb1968]

Ditto !! For 4 years I was also 'patted on the head ' told everything was fine, all the tests came back as "fine nothing to worry about"and .....that look !!!

I began to think I was going mad .

It was all so frustrating and terrifying as it was so obvious something wasn't right.

They finally managed to capture AFIB when I ended up in hospital after an accident.

The feeling of ....

At last someone believes me!!

The euphoria ..I wasn't going mad..!!

the fear ,the anger ,the shock, the frustration, Since April for me it has been rollercoaster ride of emotions.

I have learned that life now goes a lot slower and I am coming to terms with everything .

[Stb1968 in reply to Saltcoatslass04]

I too am coming to grips...I just finished up with my radiation for breast cancer, and in the middle of that, was diagnosed with THIS!! Thankfully cancer was caught in stage 1 and I believe it's under control!! This site is a Godsend!

[seasicksurf]

Hi Stb. Since you've started Flecainide I thought you may be interested in some study results. I was on PIP Flecainide for 5 years and when I was new to it was obviously ignorant of what to expect, so I wanted to learn more. Understanding the "timing" for flecainide effectiveness and getting back into SR after jumping into AF was important for me to minimize my anxiety.

The link to the Abstract of a comprehensive study is shown below (not sure if it will show as a link--you might have to type into your browser to pull it up). This comprehensive literature search study looked at many, many different Flecainide effectiveness studies and summarized them. The link is to an abstract of the study. Here's the primary summary result:

Most of the trials used a single dose of 300 mg for oral loading. The success rate ranged from 57% to 68% at 2-4 hours and 75 to 91% at 8 hours after drug administration. The conversion time back to SR ranged from 110 minutes (+/-82 minutes) to 190 minutes (+/-147 min).

Or simplifying--about 2 to 3 hours on average.

Interestingly, my conversion from AF back to SR was usually about 2.5 hours. Typically, I would take my dose and put on headphones, lay down, and listen to meditation. There's nothing else one can do but pass those 2-3 hours.

I know this is just a small bit of information in the big picture--but hopefully it helps you along the way. Best of luck to you.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/125...

[Stb1968 in reply to seasicksurf]

It's so good to hear how this !ed works with others. I guess the real issue for me will be to stay calm while enduring g sam episode. I've had 2 in 10 days.🙄

[seasicksurf in reply to Stb1968]

Hang in there. I know exactly how you feel. Just know the meds will bring you back in relatively short order—until you can arrange for a permanent fix. Jump at the chance if the doc suggests an ablation. All the best to you.