PAF changing experiences

[President2012]

Hi, I do not post very often but read the posts every day. I thought the Patients Day was excellent this year. Brief recap of my history:-

I am 80 years young and have had PAF since January 2001. I would have one or two episodes a year until last year when I had them every couple of weeks. This year is better so far at about 50% less.

Cardiologist put me on Flecainide last year as a PIP. However, when I converted to NSR I would have a head rush and then a blackout so I was taken off them I was changed from 50x100mg Metroprolol to 7.5mg Bisoprolol.

In the past while my resting heart rate has gone down to 46. I was told not to worry if I had no negative symptoms. I also started to get a lot of ectopics and feeling lightheded. I used deep breathing to stop the ectopics but that lowered my heat rate further. Recently I had an episode after 3 month free of AF. I am normally symptomatic but this time felt very little. It lasted 24 hours (previously they would last 6 to 12 hours). On conversion to NSR I had a significant head rush ans then blacked out. I got to see my cardiologist. He told to come off the Bisop, go down to 5mg for a week then down to 2.5mg for a week and then stop completely. I have to take my BP and HR once a day at rest and log it. In one month's time I have to send all the information to him for review. He says if he has to put me back on Bisop I will have to have a pacemaker fitted. I am on day 5 of 5 mg Bisop. I had an AF episode yesterday. It lasted 10 hours and converted with only the faintest head rush. Neither my BP nor HR has changed so far. Sorry for the rant!

Has anyone experienced this sort of thing?

[jeanjeannie50]

It doesn't look like anyone that's around at the moment has had the same condition as you. I'm not medically trained, but I think that's because when people usually pass out due to their pulse dropping so low, they are generally fitted with a pacemaker quite quickly. Let's hope that it's your bisoprolol that is taking your heart rate too low and reducing your dose will be your cure.

Jean

[President2012 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Many thanks for your reply.

[Singwell]

Others may have more to say here but what you're describing as a 'head rush' sounds like a 'reversion pause' when your heart has been in arrythmia and then the drugs kick in and it can literally stop before it reverts to normal rhythm. I will also get presyncope with this and have to quickly lie down in case I faint. It does appear to be documented and your heart can stop for a few seconds.

Others here have reported similar experiences because I posted about it myself when it started happening. In my case it usually happens with an extra dose of Flecainide.

If you go to the York Cardiologist YouTube channel he has an episode about the difference between a black out and fainting - I'd recommend you check this out. It just might be you're getting syncope (fainting) and not blackout, which is unpleasant but less serious. If you tell a medic you've had a blackout they will always want to investigate further. I think there was a talk on presyncope and syncope on the AFA Patients' Day too. It's still available online I believe.

Hope this is helpful.

[President2012 in reply to Singwell]

Many thanks for your helpful reply. I think I saw that listed, I must look it up and also Dr. Gupta. I thought it might be long QT but my Cardiologist said no. He spoke about a gap between the conversion and the next normal beat. Might be similar to what you are saying.

[Singwell in reply to President2012]

Worth digging!

[blulla1]

Hi President 2012,

Have you given this protocol a shot? carrafibdietinfo.com/

I have had PAF with ectopics for 4 1/2 years. I'm 65 years young. I've been trying his protocol for a couple weeks and so far so good.

My ectopics have been greatly reduced nor have I had any AF episodes. Obviously it's still too soon to draw any conclusions but I am encouraged.

The most important factor of the protocol is getting one's serum Vit D levels up to160 nmol/L (~64ng/mL) and reducing calcium intake at the same time to at or below 400 mg/day.

[President2012 in reply to blulla1]

Many thanks. It is a very interesting protocol. The cardiologist told me that during this four week phase of eliminating Bisop I am not to do anything I do not ordinarily do. The one exception is deep breathing which he says is contributing to lowering my heart rate so I am to stop that for now anyway.

[katiefforde]

I've been on Bisop 5mg for a couple of years now. It was helpful but took half my energy and made my legs swell. However I put up with it. Now I'm on Fleccainide as well, I've been AF event free. Not sure this is helpful, President, but I wanted to show solidarity!

I've been wondering if anyone on here has ever come across anyone else who has more or less the same symptoms . I never have! My husband has AF but we have totally different experiences.

I suppose it's nice to be individual!

Katie

[President2012 in reply to katiefforde]

You are very kind. Many thanks