Bugger! After three weeks barring a couple of very minor relapses, I’m back in pounding AF! Started at 1.00AM and still fluttering away. This follows on from being stuck in it for eight days straight and 14 hours in A&E where they just dosed me up with Bisoprolol, checked bloods and BP etc. and packed me off home once I was under 100BPM , I was actually at 95BPM but that’s not considered ill enough to have any further treatment. I’ve since had a 15 minute telephone appointment with a private cardiologist at £150 (ouch!) who says I’m a candidate for Flecainide as a pill in pocket approach pending an ECG etc. to ascertain the structural integrity of my heart. Meanwhile my approach this time is back on 2.5mg of Bisoprolol (cardiologist said drop it to 1.5mg if in NSR) as originally advised by NHS on discharge and checking pulse is below 100BPM along with self checking my INR, as I already dose my own Warfarin and monitor my blood pressure and sit it out in optimism of it “clicking” back into NSR as it did before but hopefully a lot sooner than eight days like the last time!
Back in good old AF!!: Bugger! After... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Back in good old AF!!
Sorry to hear this, such a hateful condition when it strikes out of the blue. Is it making you feel ill at all and are you doing your best to take you mind off of it? Slow deep breathing can often calm an attack.
Jean
I’m trying to ignore it and have gone to work! It’s uncomfortable but I don’t feel unwell, hoping it’ll pass sooner than later!
I certainly hope it passes soon. I went to work a number of times while in a-fib. It certainly wasn't fun, but delving into my work seemed to stop it, as I believe it took my mind off it. I hope by this time all is well with you again.
My work is quite physical and I definitely struggle when in afib, however I’m pleased to report I’m back in NSR! How long for is anyone’s guess? Typically I get episodes once to twice a month these days ☹️
Enjoy it while it lasts -- which may be longer than you think. Mine was up to a few times a month too, so I "feel your pain."
Feel for you,, try not to let it get the better of you it will pass! Easier said than done i know but it will all get sorted in tbe end.
Sounds good advice from the cardiologist, just need to get the tests done first. I hope you get things sorted soon, best wishes x
Hi. I am in a very similar situation. Back in Full AF since 2 weeks ago. Same journey through A&E. Now waiting for new appointment with my cardiologist to look at possibility of another cardioversion. You seem to be on a very low dose of bisoprolol. I am.on 6.25 and many others on here are on similar or even higher( up to 10mg)
My cardiologist dosentvusually put someone on other antiarrythmics unless the full dose of bisoprolol isnt working for one reason or another. Maybe get a referral to your nhs cardiologist to discuss your options.
Good old NHS cardiologist appointment isn’t until March next year, hence why I’ve gone to a private cardiologist. I’ve another appointment with him next week where we are looking at Flecainide as a PIP approach? The good news is I’m now back in NSR, god knows for how long though??
I went back into Afib 2 weeks after Cardioversion. I believe your heart needs to rest or remodel itself for months after. So I took supplements that take 8 weeks to show benefits and they did! I went back into NSR for almost 5 months now. Check out natural alternatives for Afib. It includes Magnesium Taurate/Glycinate, Hawthorn Berry, Co-Q10, Wild Alaskan Fish Oil, Vitamin D and C. Good Luck!
I started taking supplements as well and like you have been in nsr for 5 months, I take magnesium taurate, vitamin D and fish oil, I was sceptical but am very pleased with the outcome. I also avoid alcohol, caffeine and chocolate.
I was so happy to read your reply and glad you are doing well. Are you having to continue taking any meds along with the supplements?
It is so good to know that others are willing to take their health concerns to a more natural route. The meds especially beta blockers were killing me with a worse quality of life. Sometimes Afib could be caused by mineral deficiencies or dehydration along with other common causes but supplements have a part in helping with those arrhythmias. I am grateful for every day I am in NSR!
Good luck to you and stay in good health always!
Thank you, I was prescribed Bisoprolol to use as a pip and Rivaroxaban. The beta blocker made me pass out on the two occasions I took it! So I just have to ride it out when in afib, my hr goes very low when I come out of an episode.I make sure I keep well hydrated too and avoid eating large meals, I have picked up all these tips from this site, it’s been very helpful.
Take care and enjoy your nsr! xx
Thank you, it’s such a debilitating condition and I really hope Flecainide works for me, I’ve read so many posts on here where people haven’t got on with it or it’s made their condition worse? Fingers crossed that this little delightful episode passes a lot sooner than the last one!
If you can get on with Flecainide it may not stop the AF altogether - didn't for me - but definitely improved life between episodes. However that's using a regular dose. I'm impressed you can go to work though! I moulder on the sofa when mine hits. Definitely couldn't work. Hopefully yours will b##ger off.
Flecainide really worked for me as a pill in the pocket for quite awhile until my ablation.
I’m ever optimistic!! 😂
Cardiologist sounds good. I would say more good than bad comments on flecainide here. Important to stop episodes rather than frequent use of PIP, maybe regular daily dose suggestion to cardiologist if it persists plus a higher dose if you are started on 100mgs like I was and they didn't stop. Urgent look at lifestyle changes. Best wishes.
Flec worked for me. I was only on 2 x 50mg and never had an Afib attack whikst on it except once when I forgot to take my evening dose and went into AFib immediately I got up in the morning!Best wishes
Hi Motov I feel for uou! When my episodes kick off I can almost time them to 48 hours, awful and keeps me awake at night. I flip back into NSR on the 2nd day usually, such a relief! Have you considered seeing an EP privately? I did this and feel I'm in much better hands as they are the specialists for afib. I took flecainide when under a cardiologist and developed a pro-arrythmia that is what prompted me to visit an EP, he quickly changed me from flec and bisoprolol to sotalol and at the moment I am reasonably well controlled. My EP also told me to 'sit out' any episodes as I am medicated (on anticoagulant to reduce stroke risk), unless I feel particularly unwell with chest pain etc. I have adopted this strategy as I don't want to keep ending up in A & E hooked up to machines that just adds yo the stress.
I agree with sitting it out as I’m also on blood thinners, warfarin and have been for seven years following a recurrent DVY and bilateral pulmonary embolism where they discovered I had Factor V Lieden. I monitor my own INR which sits around 3.0 and my GP assured me I was pretty well covered or as good as it gets when it comes to stroke protection. After my last 14 hour visit to A&E I’m keen to avoid a re-visit! The goods news is I’m back in NSR as of last night! I’m making the most of it now as I know it’ll click back over to Afib hell at anytime!!
Hey Motov brilliant news, that feeling when you go back in NSR is wonderful! People who don't suffer from afib don't realise how lucky they are not to 'be aware of their heart rate'. Can you not take one of the new NOACs? I am on apixaban and don't have to monitor anything
I clotted twice on Riveraxiban, so no has to be good old cheap as chips warfarin for me!
Hi there. You have my sympathies. What a life it can be, eh? I’ve also been told to take 1.25mg bisoprolol but as a cardio-protective even while in sinus rhythm. I was told that using it as a PIP is less effective as it takes so long to act. I’m also taking Losartan despite my not having a high BP, again for “cardio-protection”, maybe because I also have LBBB, though?
I gather that flecainide or other rhythm control drugs are given only for symptom control (i.e. they aren’t helping the condition only the symptoms).
My own heart has been calm for a week and more after a month of ups and downs. I’m hoping it stays that way.
Best wishes to you.
Steve
Same as me 1.25mg Bisoprolol every morning regardless of whether I’m in NSR or Afib. I take a further 1.25mg at the slightest whiff of an episode and the plan is Flecainide as a PIP and if I still get episodes then an ablation! All private as there’s no chance with the NHS! Credit and loans for me though, no private health care insurance so I’ll be in debt but hey, what price your health or quality of life?
I’m lucky that my wife’s job had a private health plan attached which we’ve continued for me now she’s retired (she’s the healthy one!). We just couldn’t afford it for the two of us.
I’d maybe think about paying for a stress cardiac MRI if you haven’t had one - around £1000. This will give your cardiologist / EP a full awareness of the structural and conduction aspects much of which they have to guess at otherwise. I had one and it relieved a lot of stress for me. The NHS will be able to take over then, I’d say, to save further expense.
Steve
I was disappointed last night as I'm 3 months post AFlutter ablation and AFib stuck its nasty head out.
Never had Afib before but it felt like a small Jack hammer with fuel flow problems going at over 200 bpm in my upper heart area.
Woke up fine this morning though.
So sorry to hear that Motov. Let us know when you are back in NSR. I honestly don't know what I would do without flecanaide. It almost always works and I don't take bisopropol unless my heart rate is high. The only downside to flecanaide is it can take a long time to kick in. For me the soonest is about 2 hours but it can go on for about 17. I usually top it up with another. 100mg if still blipping when I go to bed and only rarely has that failed. I'm pretty sure now that my Afib is mainly to do with indigestion so I will try the esomeprazole again if it flares up again. So far pretty good since the last flare up in early September. Fingers crossed.
I’m back in NSR as of 8.00 last night but now I’m living with the anxiety of it happening again! It seems to be once to twice a month these days and like you I’m convinced it’s somehow related to digestion? I’ve read a fair bit about it being due to closeness of the stomach/intestines to the heart? I’ve been on Omeprazole on and off for the last seven years as the Warfarin irritates my stomach and I get bouts of reflux, back pain, shoulder and chest pain along with indigestion. Mostly my Afib episodes always come on in the early hours of the morning? I also read an article somewhere saying that omeprazole can help with heart rhythm disorders? The down side of omeprazole is it can weaken bones and deplete magnesium stores with continued use!
Hi Motov again, I take it you can 'stomach' omeprazole? I have to take steroids for Polymyalgia but can't take PPI's as they play havoc with my stomach and I get so much wind and diarrhoea ☹
What time do you have your main meal. Since lockdown we have changed and usually eat around 2 as I find that in about 7.5 hrs after eating I can get a 'blip' so if I eat at say 7 I can awake with a blip at around 2:30. I believe digestion is easier if you eat earlier in the day. I don't often get a reaction in the early hours now. I try and do yoga and breathing every other day. It is hard though because let's face it we are so tuned in to any changes in our heart rhythm and that alone can cause so much anxiety. Keeping busy is also the key without overdoing it.
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