Odd new arrhythmia

I have PAF and have a hospital appointment next week to determine whether intermittent chest pains (including at rest) are angina or non-cardiac. Since last Friday on three seperate occasions, after walking a few hundred metres , the heart seems about to go into an arrhythmia until I stop walking-after a further few minutes it returns to sinus rhythm. The heart seems to beat very slowly and I am aware of the heart "moving or shuddering" between beats which are very slightly irregular. So: beat-shudder-beat-shudder-beat etc.. I feel completely well and there is no tiredness. You may think this is hardly surprising for someone who has PAF, but until Friday nearly all my episodes were at night and never when walking even long distances. Also once multiple ectopics set in I would go into AF for at least 6 hours. So it's definitely something new (and alarming). Clearly, I'm not asking for a diagnosis but I wondered if others had experienced anything similar or could suggest some possibilities?

[mjames1]

Since these episodes are intermittent, you may want to invest in a Kardia mobile, or preferably a Kardia 6L and try and take an ecg of the event. This will be invaluable for your appointment since they may not be able to duplicate the event you are describing at your appointment. A newer Apple Watch with the ecg function will do the same thing. Alternatively, they may be lucky and duplicate at the office or put you on some sort of Halter to wear at home. Personally, I'd go with the Kardia 6L.

Jim

[Hidden in reply to mjames1]

Thanks for replying. I have a Kardia, but have not yet captured one of these new episodes. I have a Rapid Chest Pain Clinic appointment on Wednesday and am hoping they get to the bottom of things.

[Buffafly]

Bigeminy? Ectopic every other beat - I think….

[Hidden in reply to Buffafly]

That's actually a very interesting possibility. I will look into this.

[Ppiman]

I guess they'll need to look for other possible heart issues, but I, too, get an increase in arrhythmias when I go for an energetic walk, say uphill. It causes some mild chest discomfort, but much like I get at other times. I have asked my cardiologist, and he wasn't concerned. I did have an MRI and a couple of echo scans which suggested all was well mechanically, so I try not to get too stressed about it - that is hard though!

Steve

[Hidden in reply to Ppiman]

On looking at various web pages on chest pain, it's clear that there are literally dozens of possibilities. I just hope it's not one of the more nasty ones. I'll probably get to find out on Wednesday...

[Ppiman in reply to Hidden]

I expect you will. Don't we just live with worry!? But, if the pain goes away on resting (which mine doesn't), then I would say it is being caused (harmlessly) by the arrhythmia, rather than by an insufficiency of blood to the heart (i.e. angina). That's what I've come to accept and given that my cardiologist wasn't concerned, I think it's right.

I did see a video on YouTube in which the doctor suggested that the AF reduced the output of the heart which led to a temporary and mild form of angina. That might be right, I suppose, but my own doctor doesn't call it that at all. Also, a friend of mine has permanent AF and he has never had chest discomfort with it.

Steve