AF/VT after Covid - My Story

[bowie88]

Hi all, this is my first post. I'm 62 and have been on meds for high BP for about 10 years. I was having palpitations around half a dozen times a year for the past few years, and then after getting Covid in July 2021 (Delta variant) they started getting more regular (every week or two) and for longer, sometimes lasting around 10 hours. My GP said i needed to have an ECG when i was having an episode, to see if it was AF. One time i went to A&E during an episode but unfortunately the palps subsided before the ECG. A doctor suggested i buy a Kardia Mobile pocket monitor, which i did, then when i had my next episode i could take the ECG & sent the readings to my GP. He was then able to diagnose AF. I wore a holter monitor for 5 days then was called in by my cardiologist for an urgent Echo. They found ventricular tachycardia & kept me in overnight. I've been given 2.5g bisoprolol twice a day, & 5mg x 2 Apixaban. Since then my resting HR stays around 50-60 & I've had no AF episodes. However when I do gentle exercise (cycle, slow jog) my HR can soon go up to 130 - is this normal? Also, do you think it was Covid that made my palpitations/AF worse, & might I be able to come off the tablets in future? Thanks!

[Singwell]

130BPM sounds a bit high at your age for gentle exercise, but what might matter more us that your HR comes down again afterwards. Discuss with your doctor and see what they advise. As for the COVID factor, sadly it does look as though the stress on the heart from having this horrible virus might have an impact on function. I suspect we won't know for a while if your experience us typical. Hope you stabilise and hope you'll find the forum a welcoming and helpful place.

[Dpc2019]

I caught covid in January and since iv had a mix of pvcs and pacs and in the range of 7000 a day, had numerous scan s heart looks normal no blocked arteries, just had mri waiting on results, but honestly people suffering all sorts since covid, so I feel your pain

[Hidden]

Hello Bowie and welcome to the forum. I guess the first thing to say is that virtually all the members here are not medically trained but that said, there is a wealth of experience and knowledge which we can share but we cannot advise on medication for reasons I’m sure you will understand.

The second thing is to say is wow, so far you have done far better than most who have just joined us. Obviously, I don’t know what you know but it looks like you have all the important issues covered. It’s impossible for us to say to what degree having had Covid is like to impact on your AF. There are a good few members who have had Covid and as you might expect, their experiences vary enormously. The easiest thing to do it type “AF and Covid” in the search box top right of this page and although I haven’t done it, I think you will find a number of old posts and replies which should help you. Elevated heart rate is quite common when exercising but again, it is difficult to know if this will change because it may be dependent on your treatment plan. Much the same is true about medication. Generally AF is a progressive condition but the rate at which it progresses is variable and I guess (but don’t know) that having had Covid is likely to be a factor. There are treatments such as an ablation which can and often does result in a reduction of medication but the best thing to do is click on the link below and navigate around the AF Association webpages. There is a lot of information there and some might not apply but it will help you to understand more about AF. Hope this helps, I’m sure members who have had Covid will help too …..

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

[CDreamer]

Hi and welcome. COVID definitely makes your heart more sensitive. I find I need to keep my HR below 120 when exercising to avoid any sort of heart activity.

Having had AF for over 15 years now I have found any virus or infection will prod the beast and send it into overdrive. I have had numerous treatments for very symptomatic AF and finally got some peace after pacemaker implant. Since having COVID in October though it is still a lot more sensitive.

I think the body takes a LOT longer to heal than we can possibly imagine so I listen to my body and try to turn off my mind which is telling me to get on with things. When I do what my body says rather than my mind - harmony is restored.

[Auriculaire]

If you were having palpitations several times a year these might have been afib attacks that untreated were putting you at risk of a stroke . Now that your condition has been diagnosed your stroke risk will be reduced due to the anticoagulant which you would be advised to stay on depending on your CHADSVASC score. Given that you are 62 it is unlikely you would be able to stop that as your high blood pressure gives you at least one point on the scale and when you get to 65 you will get another. But your doctor might agree to reducing your Bisoprolol if your afib burden reduced. But as CD says you need to be patient.

[Huntergatherer]

Bisoprolol made me feel awful. Came off them after 1week.

[bowie88]

Thank you all for your advice. I'm now wondering how everyone checks their HR? I seem to get quite a difference sometimes between my smartwatch / mobile & my BP monitor. Yesterday my Galaxy smartwatch said 103 but my Omron monitor said 57??!