4 days of intermittent ectopics and AF

[wendy6]

I haven't had any AF since my successful Ablation in 2016. I do get odd runs of Ectopics but infrequently and not bothersome. I recently started new meditation for My Trigeminal Neuralgia...its Gabapentin started it 12 July.

4 days ago suddenly started getting AF just walking up stairs or making any physical moment set it off. Just short runs of AF. Went on all night couldnt sleep at all. went to A&E at 7am.all day but each time I got taken into room for ECG it was normal. I could feel it was normal told them. But being left in a hard chair in waiting room for hours in-between blood tests even just walking up corridor to loo sent me into AF. But they were so busy I couldn't catch nurse at right time.so all tests normal sent home after 10 hours.

I saw local GP yesterday she couldn't give me any meds for Arrhythmia, I'm on Betablockers and Apixiban already . She has referred me to Cardiologist but will be weeks before I get appt. Since then I'm getting constant runs ectopics with runs of AF all day. .im exhausted.

how do I cope with this, worried my heart is being damaged.

[mjames1]

Sorry what you're going through. Like the car that never makes noise when you take it to the mechanics, afib often goes away by the time they hook you up to an ecg machine! For that reason, both the noise in your car and your undocumented afib episode often don't get taken seriously. I think that's what is going on here.

My suggestion is to get a Kardia 6L. It's a small device you can keep in your pocket that generates an ekg and therefore document episodes whenever they happen. Once you have a documented ekg, your episodes will be taken more seriously and the right treatment plan will be implemented.

It may also turn out that it's not afib, but another arrhythmia, and again, the Kardia device will document what it is.

Jim

[Hidden]

Good Afternoon Wendy, sorry to hear you have been having a rough time with things recently. Please feel free to reach out to our Patient Services Team ([e-mail] 01789 867 502) if you would like any advice, support, or even just a chat, we are more than happy to try and help.

[wendy6 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you I will do that

[Hidden]

Agree totally with Jim but if you got on OK with the EP who did your ablation then ask to be referred back to him or her. It’s better to get seen asap because they can prescribe medication which should control the AF until a treatment plan is agreed as this will reduce the risk of your heart “re-modelling”. NHS appointments tend to take a while so if it’s possible, consider seeing the EP privately. If you decide to go down the route of having another ablation you might get put on his list quicker than waiting for an NHS appointment…….l

[Auriculaire]

Have you looked up the side effects of Gabapentin? It could be that that's causing it.

[wendy6 in reply to Auriculaire]

Yes, thank you. One of the side affects is palpitations.

[Auriculaire in reply to wendy6]

The only way to find out if it is definitely the medication is to stop taking it and see if the afib goes away. Then to "rechallenge" - start taking it again to see if it comes back. If it is the Gabapentin then another med needs to be found .

[wendy6 in reply to Auriculaire]

Yes I know Ive been doing that but cant just stop it. Can cause terrible withdrawal. Thankfully I was still on very low dose. So Im now on 100mg from today...didn't take morning tablet this morning less palpitations already. Of course Im now destined for awful TN pain attacks and also neck pain as have Occipital Neuralgia as well and it was helping this too 😭

[Auriculaire in reply to wendy6]

Is there no alternative that would deal with the pain without the arrythmia? Sounds like a terrible choice especially with your ablation having been a success.

[ETHEL103]

Get yourself a kardia and take your own ecg to show your gp.

[wendy6 in reply to ETHEL103]

I a similar monitor that records ECGs and I can save and print out. Ive got 97 ECG readings over the past few days, nearly every one showing arythymia and PVCs. Showed Doctor these she said yes they show arythymia but in not enough detail you still need to see Cardiologist . GP unable to prescribe any meds. GP has done an urgent referral.

[BlueINR]

So you were not connected to any kind of monitor while you're were at the hospital, for heart rate and rhythm? That seems unusual if you were having any type of odd beats. Whenever I've gone to the hospital for irregular beats, one of the first things done is to connect me to a monitor that not only displays where I am but also at nurses' station.

[wendy6 in reply to BlueINR]

Annoying no...when I went in yeats ago to A&E as you said I was permanently attached to a heart monitor for hours so it recorded any changes. But this time they have changed triage procedure...you get checked in and because when I arrived I wasn't having palpitations they stuck me in waiting room on hard chair. There I waited for 5 hours. Being taken in to a room for blood tests occasionally and 3 ECG's during 12 hour period. Back out into packed waiting room it was horrendous. During the hours of waiting I was going in and out of AF! Nearly fainting with heat.

[Gillybean123]

I have been on Gabapentin for quite a while. Are being weaned off them from today. I don’t think I have had any problems with them but I can’t see why I am on them anymore as the problem they were prescribed for has now subsided. Let’s hope you get an appointment very soon. I have been having palpitations on and off all week with the odd bit of AF. It’s got to be the heat. When I have AF it so wears me out for quite a bit afterwards. It does get me down and gives me mood swings. They say they are learning new things all the while about AF but I wonder if sometimes we get pushed aside a bit. Anyway hope things get sorted soon. Try and relax and do some deep breathing. Anything that you think starts it off don’t do it while you are like this. All the Very Best. Gill Bean x