I am 66 and got diagnosed with AF last November and am on anti coagulants and beta blockers. I have been relatively fine since then other than the odd ectopic and fluttering but just for a few seconds. Then three days ago in the early hours of the morning I woke up with a thump in my chest and my heart beating very oddly. I took an extra beta blocker and sat up most of the night as it felt so uncomfortable. It gradually got better as the day went on with just the occasional ectopic and I managed to sleep that night. Then the next morning, about 5am it started again. I have a little hand held monitor and it was showing missed beats, triple beats and all sorts of strange rhythms. I phoned the doctor and they suggested a go to A & E to get a 12 lead ECG. By the time I got there I was rocking in my seat it was so uncomfortable - I could feel every miss timed beat. They got me through quite quickly and when I had my ECG every time my heart missed a beat my chest would move up from the couch. It was quite involuntary and the nurse said she had never seen anyone do that before. The doctor didn't seem bothered despite the ECG showing three different pattern and said it's AF and upped my betablockers and has asked for another 24 hour ECG. Strangely enough after the ECG everything calmed down - I don't know if lying totally flat for a few minutes had anything to do with it. My question really is how does AF feel for you? For me it was so uncomfortable I didn't know what to do with myself. I don't think the doctor really appreciated my discomfort. I'm now really scared of the next episode. I'm still not totally right and still keep feeling the odd missed beat but feel a lot better than I did.
How do you feel when in AF? - Atrial Fibrillati...
How do you feel when in AF?
I was diagnosed last September as had gone to A&E after contacting 111. I’ve not been as bad as you have but have had episodes lasting all night. Sometimes I just get a flutter for a minute or two or otherwise strange beats for 4 hours or more. I’ve also had my heart give four almighty thumps in the past. Frankly I feel very scared and uncomfortable but unless someone has experienced AF or any arrhythmia they just don’t have a clue.
I hope things settle down for you. Xxx
I don't think the doctor really appreciated my discomfort.
Many doctors seem that way but they do. He saw the ECG and took appropriate action.
I don't have link but others may provide links for controlling stress and anxiety. Try to relax - sounds like you are receiving good care.
In answer to your question, many have a different reaction to AF.
Everyone has a different experience, some don’t feel anything whilst others, like you, are very symptomatic.
At its worst, AF for me was completely disabling & I couldn’t even lift head off pillow without passing out as HR shot up whilst BP plummeted. Controlled I could carry on with normal activities albeit much slower & fatiguing quite quickly.
I could nearly always see my heart jumping out of my chest & I likened the feeling as if I were Popeye in the cartoon of same name. cartoon when he saw Olive. AF is uncomfortable & scary but it’s not an emergency and you are better being propped up rather than prone but also sometimes lying on floor with legs up at 90 degrees for 15-20 mins can help. Other Vasovagal maneuvers can sometimes stop an episode.
If you notice your AF is mainly at night get checked for sleep apnea & consider researching vagel AF.
Keep very well hydrated & replace your Electrolytes because AF depletes them when you pee a lot. Breathing techniques help and most of all distraction - listen to music, audio book or watch a film. The more you focus on the sensations the more you notice the symptoms. Eventually you do acclimatize, although newbies find that strange.
Your 24 hour monitor will give more information for treatment options. Unfortunately waiting times to see a specialist tend to be lengthy so be prepared for a wait.
I know the feeling of your heart jumping out of your chest - it's horrible - but I love the Popeye analogy! I have wondered about sleep apnea. My husband doesn't think I have it (he doesn't sleep that well so quite often hears me sleeping) and I am normally well rested in the mornings but I will mention it to the doctor when I next speak to him. I have just picked up a 3 day monitor from Nuffield Health - decided to spend the kids inheritance
I would book a cardiologist and an Alternative Practitioner (e.g. an AF experienced Naturopath) private appointments; the latter suggested to me a Mg compound and CoQ10 supplements which I checked with my medics (raised eyebrows, minimal comment!) before I started taking them. Plus do lots of reading on this Forum, keep a diary of good and bad days and be persistent with all things.
I get AF quite rarely, thankfully, and my Apple Watch or Kardia pick it up well - when I can catch it happening. Often it lasts just a few seconds, though. I get runs of ectopic beats much more regularly, and a racing heart even more often. The Apple Watch and Kardia both show these as NSR or inconclusive, I feel much the same with all of them with general strange left-sided chest discomfort and strong pounding feelings. I haven't looked at my chest during these times, but I imagine it might be visible. Lying down can most certainly make it worse.
I imagine that anxiety is a symptom that magnifies all the others. Having an MRI and echo helped that for me as up till I had those, I was fearful for the future, thinking my heart was weakened. I wonder whether you might have felt relief once you had the doctor look you over and that calmed things down? Anxiety is natural but not always obvious to some people, I gather.
Steve
I'm sure anxiety made it worse. I have had an echo but no one has mentioned an MRI. I've just been fitted for a three day ECG and the lady who fitted it was so very helpful - far more than the doctors - and took a lot of time explaining things to me. I feel a lot happier about things now but it's still very scary and I am dreading having another episode. However as my beta blocker dose has been doubled she did say that this will have reduced the likelihood of it doing so.
I think it’s a truism that AF won’t kill you but it can sure make you feel like it will! 😳
Steve
Sandy, so sorry to hear this--I know that terror we feel when everything's going cattywampus. Increasing my metoprolol to 25 mg helped rather dramatically, but it took several weeks for it to take hold, so your increase might eventually be very helpful. When anxious, I still get ectopics, but the slow diaphragm breathing, longer slower exhale through pursed lips, does quiet them down, usually. "Tapping", called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), has also helped me and no fear of any bad side effects. You can watch free videos online to learn how. Very calming. Keeping you in my prayers and thoughts! Diane
What a lovely word - cattywampus! Can I add it to my vocabulary? Oh I will have to look at Tapping. I think I have heard of it before but never tried it. Thank you so much for suggesting it.
I describe mine as my heart feeling like a jelly fish flopping around in my chest! You do get used to it and hopefully it will happen much less (and less severely) as it gets better controlled. Good luck!
Hi sandy ..lying down flat on my back or sitting down with my back flat against the back of the chair is usually a strong trigger for my afib episodes especially before i was put on medication ... also mainly in the evening and in bed like you...it maybe you need a different medication or the one your on now just the dose tweeking ...all the best andy.
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