A-fib, irregular heartbeat, raised bp monitoring

[the_shiny_cat]

Hello I have had very sporadic heart palpitations for about 4 years now but since Sunday it's been pretty much constant. I have managed to catch 6 a-fib episodes on my Apple Watch along with many irregular heatbeats but I wanted to get some kind of evidence together before I go see the cardiologist to give them a better idea of what's going on so they know what they're looking for. I bought the Wellue wearable device which comes with a recording app but it doesn't look for A-fib or anything really - just records it and doesn't even write it back to Apple Health. Is there a Windows or IOS app anyone knows of which will both record and alert if things are wrong? The device connects via ANT+ and I can get a Windows dongle for it if I need to. Thanks in advance.

[rosyG]

Think a Kardia device might be better as you a forward onto your doctor

[the_shiny_cat in reply to rosyG]

Thank you for your reply.

I looked at those but they're ones which you have to stop and put your fingers on to take a reading. I find that when I feel it happening, by the time I have stopped and got the app on my watch and started a reading, it's finished. So I need one which monitors all the time. I find just getting up and walking to another part of the house will start it off, but stopping to take the measurement calms it again. It's frustrating that I have only been able to catch 6 AFs and about 12 irregular heartbeats when between waking and about 3pm it's pretty much constant for the last 6 days.

[mav7]

Would schedule cardiologist appt at the earliest date possible.

is it possible to visit your cardiologist and be fitted with a medical device heart rate monitor to be worn for an extended period prior to your appointment ?

Are you taking an anticoagulant of any type, even .83mg aspirin ? Very important if episodes have became constant.

[the_shiny_cat in reply to mav7]

Thank you for your reply.

I've seen the doctor and had a baseline ECG (which lasted about 20 seconds), and am now waiting for the doctor to call me back to let me know what happens next. They said that I will have a holter monitor for a day so I really hope they will see it then. This is why I'd like to measure it now while it's at its worst so they can see. I'm not taking any medication at all as I've not been told to.

I also forgot to mention that while hoovering my heart got up to 125bpm (my resting is 60) and 20 minutes later it was still at 112 so I had to sit down and wait for it to calm down before continuing.

[mav7 in reply to the_shiny_cat]

Heart rate seems like typical AF.

Good you are receiving medical care. Relax, things will be fine. Everyone in this Forum has experienced similar.

[Ppiman]

I bought the Wellue device and found the same as you, so swapped it for a Kardia to use along with my Apple Watch. In fact, I now realise, the Wellue ECG was fine. It produced an excellent recording, one that my doctor would have been able to use just as he did the recording from the watch or Kardia.

What the Wellue doesn't do is label any arrhythmias it detects, but your doctor will be able to do this from the trace you save. Having a label is reassuring but is limited since an Apple Watch can legally only label what its certification allows, such as AF and fast/slow heart rate; Kardia adds a couple more notifications (wide QRS / PVC). The Wellue trace will show all of these but leaves you to work out what they are.

Steve

[the_shiny_cat in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you for your reply. Did you get the white or black Wellue? I could only afford the white one which allows 30 minutes of saving traces and doesn't tell you anything about them - I think it's more for workouts as it vibrates when I reach 120 and 170 bps. It looks like the black one is more medical but I can't justify $299 if it turns out this heart thing isn't as bad as first thought. Does the Kardia record 14/7 and tell you when something is happening?

[Ppiman in reply to the_shiny_cat]

Mine was cheaper even but I can’t remember which it was (from Amazon UK). The Kardia will only record up to 30 minutes, I think.

If you want long-term recording, I think the Zio is the best but that is only available via a doctor. That said, when I had one for two weeks, my heart behaved itself almost throughout! Typical.

Steve

[Stentrunner]

I took my Apple Watch ECG to A&E. Got referred to a cardiologist who arranged a 24-hour Holter and then a 7-day one. These provide the constant monitoring needed to pick up paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The cardiologist said the Apple Watch ECG was better than he’d expected, and the printout is now in my medical records.

[the_shiny_cat in reply to Stentrunner]

Thank you for your reply. I didn't think mine was urgent enough for A&E as out of lots and lots of ECGs I've taken on my Apple Watch, I have only caught 8 atrial fibrillations. Did you go when you found your first one? I've shown my doctor and I'm waiting a reply. I guess things will be slower now with everyone putting everything into Covid.

[Stentrunner]

I went after my first one. Well, during it, but of course it had finished by the times they got the ecg hooked up! That was nearly a year ago, just after my first jab. But they booked up the appointment for the Holter monitor quite quickly, just two or three weeks later. It was several months before I was put on new drugs.

[the_shiny_cat in reply to Stentrunner]

Ha yes it always seems that whenever you get anything tested, it goes away for the duration of the test. Typical! This is why I wanted to get something to capture it all now while it's happening rather than in 2 months when it's calmed down and they can't see it at its worst. So far I have 9 atrial fibrillations on my watch and lots of irregular heartbeats from the Wellue, yesterday I had 49 in 30 minutes. So glad I have the evidence to show them.

[Gertsen]

Ask for a Zio monitor you have it on for two weeks. And you also write in a booklet how you feel