Difference between Ectopic Beats and AF

[tom0985]

I have had generally at night time what I consider the start of AF and have taken another pill of bisoprolol in addition to my daily dose which has calmed it down within 30-45mins max. This has happened 3 times in the last 3 weeks but has got me thinking if these are in fact AF or is it ectopic beats. The sensation is more of a beat…..pause……beat beat beat……pause……beat (repeat). It has often come on when I’ve been lying on my front or on my side.

Just looking to understand the difference between the two and if I am doing the right things my treating it as an AF episode and taking additional bisoprolol.

[BobD Volunteer]

Ectopics are actually premature or missed beats. They are considered benign and seldom treated by doctors although yes they can be annoying. A leading EP once told me they are a good thing as it shows the heart is trying to go into AF and failing. If your underlying rate is regular with missed beats then they are ectopics but if the underlying rate is irregular probably AF but the only real way is to get an ECG done as this will show what is what. .

[tom0985 in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob. Sorry to be silly but what do you mean by “underlying rate”? I have been diagnosed with PAF so these come and go in the same fashion as AF but I’m doubting as potentially I am getting rid of them sometimes within minutes

[BobD Volunteer in reply to tom0985]

Within the beat, beat, beat, pause, beat etc are the beats regular or all over the place. ? I have had missed beats every 2nd,. 3rd 4th etc up to 11th and start again at 2nd but the timings were regular so ectopic not AF. So beat,miss beat beat miss beat beat beat miss Get the picture?

[tom0985 in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob. Mine are 3 beats pause beat pause 3 beats pause and so on without and let up until I either sit up and it eases or if that doesn’t happen I take a bisoprolol 5 mins later and it goes fairly quickly.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to tom0985]

Try the slow deep breathing. Use stomach not shoulders and slow to less than 6 breaths a minute for at lest five minutes. Works a dream in many cases.

[tom0985 in reply to BobD]

Thanks Bob - does this sound like ectopics to you?

[Hidden in reply to tom0985]

I would recommend getting a Kardia which would distinguish the two for you fairly accurately.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to tom0985]

yes this is why I suggested the exercise

[tom0985 in reply to BobD]

Thank you - when I say “beat beat beat” I should add that this is 3 rapid beats followed by a pause, then a beat, then another pause followed by 3 rapid beats” and repeat… may not have been clear about the 3 beats. They are rapid in quick succession.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to tom0985]

Go direct to jail do not collect £200. Best get an ecg done.

[KMRobbo]

Go and get an ECG. If you have a walk in centre near to you then see if they have an ecg and try going there rather than an A&E.I still gave ectopics nearly 4 years after my ablation. However my missed beats are very variable. I can miss a beat. then 15 regularly spaced beats, then another missed, then 6 normal the a missed , then 23, then 3 good before another missed. If you are missing a beat every 3 it is quite difficult to see what is regular.

How are you taking your pulse? I find the best method is to take your pulse on the left side of your neck, 1 inch below the back corner of your jaw, using fingers NOT thumb. You can usually feel the pulse even when breathing normally.

AFib pulses are all random. I always was high rate anyway ( 165bpm) and you can't tell what is going on!

[tom0985 in reply to KMRobbo]

These tend to always happen late in to the evening and are short lived so i don’t think I could get to an ECG in time.

I normally take my pulse on wrist but will try as you suggest, thank you.

My pulse is resting around 60-65 at the moment and BP 130/80 generally.

[Hidden]

I just came across this post and wondered if you had any new information since you wrote it? I have been experiencing similar symptoms recently. On waking this morning I noticed my pulse was quite slow but I was getting some ectopics (or AF?) . Sometimes single ectopics and sometimes two in succession occuring roughly every minute. When I got up I ate breakfast then reclined in an arm chair. I got about 3 or 4 very slow ectopics in succession. This is something of a new pattern . Position seems to be an important factor-reclining in an armchair or lying on my back in a bed seems to make the situation worse.

[tom0985 in reply to Hidden]

Hi sorry nothing to add since as no reoccurrence however I agree my posture makes it worse or can trigger it