Unusual heart movements

[ryan1409]

I was diagnosed with AF some years ago and generally don't have too many problems. Recently I've had episodes of nearly fainting when my heart seems to have skipped a beat. Afterwards my heart races and is all over the place. I take bisopropol but only as a pill in the pocket but it does work. Usually I would know the trigger ie wrong food etc but these recent events I cannot pin down to anything specific. Off to the doctor's next week to get checked out. Just wondered if any of you suffer in this way and how do you cope with it.

[bantam12]

I had that and it was due to 2nd degree heart block, I now have a pacemaker which has stopped it happening.You shouldn’t drive until you have a diagnosis and treatment !

[mav7]

Ask the doctor for a heart monitor/holter monitor for an extended period which should provide info on your heart.

[mhoam]

Hi, I had a number of episodes of syncope, fainting or nearly fainting, before my recent ablation. I was recommended to the site stopfainting.com. It is produced by the clinicians at Imperial College NHS Trust so is accurate and trustworthy. It describes how and why we faint and also provides some practical recommendations for dealing with it.Although still in NSR (yippee!) I can still feel dizzy when standing up quickly, apparently it is called "orthostatic intolerance", i.e. your BP doesn't adjust quickly enough when becoming vertical. taking your time when standing up or getting out of bed can really help

Good luck

[oscarfox49]

I suffered from something very similar while walking after lunch with the dog. Several times I have the sensation of almost fainting and had to sink to my knees to get my equilibrium back. This has happened before and is usually on days when the AF feels much worse. I am on Sotalol 80mg a day. Thankfully yesterday and so far today I have been far better. I think actually fainting can be a fairly regular symptom of AF for some people. As long as you don't actually faint, while you must mention this to your doctor, it doesn't necessarily mean it is a cause for great concern. (My background is AF since 1995, a stroke in 2020, and age of 76).

[ryan1409]

Hi all. Thanks for all your answers which have been a great help. I've read lots on the stopfainting site which has greatly helped my understanding. When I had this last episode two things have now hilighted to me . I drank a coffee that afternoon . I never usually drink it and also had a heavy lunch of sausage rolls. I also realise that when busy at work I just don't drink enough. So now im feeling myself again off to the shops I go to get some bottled water and also try and eat healthier. I really appreciate the support .

[Tiburon]

I’ve had episodes of near syncope that never lasted for more than a second or two. I don’t think at those times I was in Afib. I suspected they may have been related to drinking coffee. Since I stopped drinking coffee, I’ve not had more episodes. When I was drinking coffee, my max was usually a two-shot cappuccino in the morning.

[Sustainedvtach270]

Hello Ryan. I had 2 syncope episodes last year. The first time,I fell as I was walking in a park after an unhealthy meal. I got dizzy, lost consciousness for a short time. I bounced back on my own and refused the people witnessing the incident to call an ambulance. My heart was pounding when walking back to my car. The next day, I was admitted in the hospital and diagnosed rapid afib I was a 57 fit man. A few days later while still hospitalized while walking from the bathroom before having a cardioversion, I fell in syncope again as I was sitting on the bed. Luckily I had a heart monitor, because I went into sustained ventricular tachychardia HR 270, then vfib and cardiac arrest. Help got there very quickly and they shocked me with an ICD.... 2 days later I was fitted with a pacemaker and a defibrilator. I am on 80g sotalol. I changed my diet and was fine for about a year mostly sinus rhythm.. Lately I am having afib episodes again as I tried to regain some weight, I was getting too skinny... Yestorday at work as I got up from kneeling, I got very dizzy. I wondered if it was sotalol because lately I take sotalol in the morning with just some fruit. I hope my post helps you although we are all different.