Its def back

[julesp]

After not having any long episodes of af (some short bursts) for over a year had a couple of long episodes and ended up in ae overnight in August as heart rate just wasn't settling. Strange thing was didn't have the usual thumping butterfly feeling I used to get just a feeling of being off and only knew I was in af by my pulse and paramedics saying I was in "fast af". So had tons of metropolol through drip- didn't work. Then 6 hours later extra bisoprolol and back to normal 2 hours later. Since then bout dozen episodes but no trips to ae. Problem I've got now is when heart rate drops back into normal rhythm I faint or get very lightheaded. On list for another ablation but know will be a wait. Do I need to inform cardiologist of the fainting/lightheadedness as this a new thing. Its only happened once before years ago now its everytime I go from af to sinus rhythm. Sorry for long post x

[CDreamer]

Hi and sorry the beast is back for you.

Yes I would report any new symptoms and also be quite careful if you drive and are experiencing black outs and you might want to check the DVLA site if in UK.

[julesp in reply to CDreamer]

Luckily I don't drive. Im going to ring cardiologists secretary this morning. If dont get through will just email her

[bassets]

Sorry to hear it's back. Always a worry when AF turns up again. Best of luck and let us know what the cardiologist says.

[JudiHalf]

That happens to me when coming out of AF, it’s a horrible feeling, but glad the AF is over! Also my pulse rate goes very low, 38 to low 40s which is almost worse than the AF, so I can’t take beta blockers. Luckily I have been AF free for 7 months apart from one short episode after eating a very small piece of chocolate cheesecake at Christmas, and I said while eating it ‘I wonder if this will give me AF’ umm yes it did!

Try not to worry too much, but best to check it out, x

[julesp]

Thanks everyone. Left a message with cardiologists secretary and wait to see if get call back. In af at the minute and just seeing how long this episode lasts and if get the same feeling on dropping back into normal rhythm. If it lasts too long it will be a trip to ae for meds as usual.

[momist]

Yep. That's relatively new to me too, only been happening since shortly before my ablation in June and a couple of times since. I've seen it termed presyncope. If you look up syncope, its the actual fainting process. I've never yet fainted in my life, but the presyncope feeling for me is like a flash of brightness all around me together with a strange creeping feeling all over my skin and I now welcome it as the end of my AF session.

When it happened in A&E after 11 hours on a trolley being monitored on a four lead heart rate machine, I saw the trace flat line briefly as the alarm went off and the nurses came running to see me. I had a big smile on my face.

Thankfully, I've not had a bout of AF now since September, and I'm hoping that the ablation has worked for me. Time will tell.