I'm in persistent AF and my heart rate can drop as low as 68 - now first of all I'm not a medic so far be it from me to second guess your cardio. However your heart rate does not have to be 120 bpm to be in afib. You can be in afib when it it's well below that.
Sorry but I would asked to be referred to a different cardio or an EP (electrophysiologist).
Good luck.
Paul
Edit - Personally I would want to be on some form of anticoagulant. This is something to discuss with your medic and not meant as medicial advice. It won't hurt to ask though and is worth talking about with your doctor or cardio.
Paulbounce thank you for gettng back to me. I take apixiban. I just cant handle this waiting episodes out and feel there must be something to take for irregular heart beat - I am going to see if I can speak to another cardiologist, thanks again
I too am not a medic, but all I can add is to say blood pressure readings during AFib are notoriously inaccurate. What matters is how you feel. Are you dizzy etc?? See this link from Dr Gupta.
Hi Vince 1001 my reponse just disappeared somewhere. thanks for getting back to me. I agree with the link and thanks for this, I was seeing stars and felt horrible. I do need to do something about getting some medicine that can help me manage the irregular heartbeat- I just feel I cant keep waiting this out like its fine. Its not that easy to get to doctors here we need referrals and there are long wait times but I will be speaking to my family doctor tomorrow. Thanks for getting back.
Unfortunately it’s not easy to get to see doctors anywhere these days but persist.
How about buying a Kardia (AliveCor) to record your arrythmias as and when they happen? Available on Amazon. I have the 6L version and found it invaluable in cutting down the time in getting a diagnosis and therefore access to treatments.
Hi CDreamer thank you for this information. I have checked out the Kardia on Amazon and it looks like something I would be inerested in. thank you also for this link.
Hello again Vince1001, do you mind if I ask you what kind of medicine you take. Would you be able to share that with me. My family doctor is unable to help me it seems. thank you.
I use Dronedarone...see link below. It works for me. It was prescribed by a private EP. Its not cheap but fortunately i get it free on the NHS. Your doctor is unlikely to know about this or other anti -arrhythmic drugs, so highly recommend you visit an EP.
Firstly Hi and welcome. You will find support and knowledge here which hopefully will help.
The only way to get a diagnosis is by ECG which if your arrythmia comes and goes is difficult. Without an ECG WHEN YOU ARE IN ARRYTHMIA - your doctor could not possibly know whether or not you are in AF so they are misleading you.
How do you track your irregular heart rate? You can buy several devices which will give you a diagnosis of AF - which can come with a fast or slow HR.
I can empathise as I suffered for many years with these symptoms. There is no one single drug which will help with low BP which will often cause high heart rates and arrythmias but you need to know which came first - low BP or the arrythmias? AND you need a diagnosis first.
I’ve sat out days of feeling of how you describe and even with drugs it doesn’t help, if anything made things worse but there are treatments but accessing them is never easy. You need to see a specialist cardiologist who deals only with arrythmias often called an Electrophysiologist. So how ever long it takes you - get that appointment with the GP and ask for a referral and keep pushing.
There are several posters from Canada who have managed to access good treatments so hopefully one of them can jump in and help you. Maybe put up another post with the Title - Treating AF Canada?
The good news is that I eventually found what helped me which was Pacemaker but it seems I am very much in the minority of sufferers for whom PM helps and I only got that after 10 years of frequent AF with very high HR, 2 surgical procedures called PV ablations which from what I understand is quite difficult to access in Canada
There is a lot of information on how you can help yourself. I found there are very few doctors who are knowledgeable about low BP with dysrhythmia and I never got to see one BUT I did go to one of the Arrythmia Alliance Patient Days and learned more in one session than in the previous 5 years of suffering.
Interestingly it was a Canadian Doctor who gave the lecture.
My suggestion would be to research. The AFA have Patient Day on line nowadays so sign up and watch and learn. An informed patient gets access to treatments quicker in my experience.
Thank you for sharing all of this information with me. I just found out that the cardiologist I have is also an electrophysiologist- I looked up his credentials and I dont know why I am told wait it out. I keep getting irregular heartbeat and keep praying it will go away I am going to contact him again to see what I can do.
AF is not considered an emergency is the reason we sit it out. It feels as though it is an emergency to us, but not considered so by the doctors. Unfortunately there are too many people suffering with AF and too few specialist cardiologists to treat.
I hope you can get to see your doctor soon. The other's posting here have it right - you need to see an electrophysiologist whenever you can. Best wishes.
Your post sounds like your doctor has managed to confuse you. Fibrillation (i.e. the top chamber of the heart vibrating rapidly instead of pulsing slowly and which we can't feel) can happen at any heart rate (i.e. the bottom chamber pulsing, which we can feel in the wrist and elsewhere). I've had it at 85, 105, 135, and 155. Some get it at 200+, I have read. Goodness me ! My elderly friend has it full time and his heart rate is normal (60-85bpm).
When fibrillation comes with a low heart rate, it's harder to treat as the beta-blocker tablet (in your case metoprolol, in mine, bisoprolol) knocks the rate down a bit too far, and, as you've found can bring the BP down too far as well, bringing light-headedness, especially on standing.
A low dose of beta-blocker is what I take, and this works well. Perhaps you could ask your doctor if there's a lower dose that would work well for you?
Hi thanks for this information and suggestion. This makes sense. Right now I am praying I can keep it away until this can be resolved in some acceptable manner.
Steve, do you mind if I ask you, if you take this only when you have an episode or is this something you would take extremely low on a daily basis. thank you.
Hi KC - I only take 1-2 tablets (1.25mg bisoprolol) when I get a racing heart, whether that is caused by AF (which for some reason is rare these days, thankfully) or some other cause. Yesterday afternoon I had a pulse of around 105-120 for around two hours, with no AF, but decided to try to let it settle on its own, which it did.
Hi there. I struggle to know whether I have AF or not these days without my watch telling me as it feels much the same as when I get the other issue I have, which is a mildly racing heart with lots of PVCs (the heart rate is usually about110-130bpm). I get this much more often with the last AF in June.
The symptoms of both are the same: chest discomfort spreading into my back, a feeling of needing to take deep breaths, feeling anxious and discomfort below the left rib cage. I treat it when it’s bad with bisoprolol (1.25mg) and it usually does the trick within an hour.
My only bout of fast AF was in 2019 and it came after I was told to stop taking bisoprolol following my ablation for atrial flutter. That was different in degree witha heart rate of about 180 and it totally incapacitated me, with me ending up being treated in hospital.
Thanks that is really helpful and i can relate to it.
I like the idea of using the bisoprolol to calm the heart rate down. I think i better invest in a watch. Your method sounds very practical to me and i appreciate your reply.
You’ll need an iPhone to use with the Apple Watch. Any from Series 4 will work - if you go for a S/H one, which are such good value, do be sure the battery health is no less than 90% or it might well need a second charge during the day .
Thanks for that also. Its so handy for me that you have this great info and such useful ideas, which is what i need. I like to try and find a way to cope with my Afib by hopefully using a watch and app.
I hate to suggest this but if money allows get to a private EP he will be able to prescribe more help.There are rythmn and rate control drugs only he can prescribe.Likely to be months waiting for an NHSappointment.
Hello Ethel this is a good suggestion, thank you for this. I hope I can find resolution because I just dont want to have anything happen anymore or feel I am not being taken care of. Thank you for sharing this.
Firstly,your cardiologist is incorrect! AFib is usually, but definetly not exclusively,characterised by a fast irregular beat. However it can also be irregular and not especially fast,as in my case.
Cardiologists, although obviously heart specialists,are mostly ' plumbers' not ' electricians' and therefore not the best placed to deal with Arrythmias.
There are options to treat your AF,taking antiarrythmia drugs such as flecanide,either as needed or daily dose ,cardioversion,ablation if indicated. Along with lifestyle adjustments ,good diet avoid stimulants,stress and overexercising,there are many ways to tackle this. Frankly ,I think the idea of just telling you to live with it is appalling!
I would either challenge this or ask for a second opinion.
Hello Wilsond thanks for getting back to me. I dont get this either about waiting it out. Personally I dont think its right. I have made the changes you mention and I am praying that this stays away. I am trying to resolve and trying to see if I can speak with someone else but it is not that easy here. We have to get referrals (Canadian) and it can be very complicated. I feel I am my own doctor. I look into antiarrythmia drugs. thanks again
Thanks Joy, I am so concerned over all of this. I have to get this resolved. When I asked my family doctor about medicine for irregular heartbeat, she said breathe. I am going to pursue because I need help thanks for sharing this information.
Hi JeanJeannie50 thank you so much for telling me this, I am definitely going to be doing this as well as ensuring I always am hydrated. I try to be but Ia am going to pay double attention to this. thanks again.
Just to add Verapimil helped me when my hr was fastvand irregular ,i thought itvwas a fib for 2 years during the pandemic .On ablation it was discovered flutter with atrial ectopics so only flutter ablation done.Verapimil stopped immediately which did concern me.Almost 5 months since ablation and waiting for followup to ask a few questions re said ablation.
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