Afib and Covid: What I had thought a... - Atrial Fibrillati...

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Afib and Covid

Tellingfibs profile image
47 Replies

What I had thought a few days ago was a cold, has turned out to be Covid. Here I was, prattling on about humidity and all the while, good old ‘Rona’ was brewing. My Afib had been a bit more evident in recent weeks, but not bothersome. My Covid seems to have peaked quickly and the headache and fever have gone and I’m left with just an little infrequent cough. I feel washed out, but couldn’t get much sleep last night and as soon as I woke my Afib was evident. All the chest shaking etc ( fortunately not turning into tachycardia, which is what makes me feel terrible, even ‘lowish’ tachycardia. ) What I am asking - sorry I’m being long winded - is have any of you found a similar reaction, and should I stop being anxious and ride it out ? Did you find the Afib settled again ? There’s not really anything I can do anyway, but some reassurance would certainly help my recovery !

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Tellingfibs profile image
Tellingfibs
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47 Replies
BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

Ride it out. Stay well hydrated and try to eat plenty. I'm twelve days in, still positive and exhausted but nothing bad happened apart from raised HR, migraine aura and a very productive cough..

Tellingfibs profile image
Tellingfibs in reply to BobD

Thanks Bob. When I wrote the post, I hadn’t seen that you ( and a few other regulars ! ) had Covid. It made me feel a bit pathetic I can tell you. But my having Covid may explain why I sent that other post to you individually - Covid brain fog ! Sorry again for that. As it turns out, it was more Covid and less humidity ! I’ll follow your advice Bob, and stiff upper lip and all that…..I do hope you feel brighter soon.

BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer in reply to Tellingfibs

On Wednesday last Sam found me trying to turn the TV on with my phone so don't talk to me abut brain fog. lol 😁

Tellingfibs profile image
Tellingfibs in reply to BobD

That’s hilarious ! Sounds like my husband on a normal day though🤔…..These little things are surprisingly amusing - afterwards !

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer in reply to BobD

😅🧐👏 that’s cheered me up!

It does improve.

Frances123 profile image
Frances123 in reply to BobD

I’ve tried doing that on a normal day🙄. Ive even tried using remote as the phone and couldn’t understand why I couldn’t get a dialling tone! Duh. In my defence they were sitting next to each other 😊

Tudee profile image
Tudee in reply to BobD

I tried to turn myLiving Gas fire down with the remote tv control, coild not think why it wasnt working for anmoment or two.....

shazzafloyd profile image
shazzafloyd in reply to BobD

thank you for sharing Bob your an inspiration to people I got diagnosed with cipd along with airfib for years in 63 I got covid. And have been worried to death it would get worse andI'd end up hospitalised as I'm still posotive after 7 days. Reading your post has reassured me that I'm not alone. You seen to shrug it of thankyou Bob

Aegean56 profile image
Aegean56 in reply to BobD

agree

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly

I had tachycardia (though hovering around 100 first) then a short burst of mild AF, then tachy again. After two days, HR down to 80.

Tellingfibs profile image
Tellingfibs in reply to Buffafly

Thanks Buffafly. It’s encouraging to hear your Afib didn’t continue. My higher heart rate went after my temperature lowered. I believe the heart rate of anyone rises with a fever. I just want to believe Ginger Baker in my chest is going to put his drumsticks down before too long ! I hope you are better now.

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

I had a visit from Rona with pneumonia last year - episode of AF on and off, took a while to settle - about 3 weeks. Unless you are seriously ill stay at home and ride it out. Hospital was the worst place to be in my experience.

Tellingfibs profile image
Tellingfibs in reply to CDreamer

Thanks CDreamer. I think because I feel I have got away lightly with the more noticeable Covid symptoms, I am impatient to get out of bed and start walking up and down the hall so I don’t get to weak. Then when the Afib set in more seriously this morning, I started to worry the Covid had sent me on a downward Afib spiral. Thanks for your input.

4chickens profile image
4chickens

I’m trying to ride it out too, apart from galloping heart, ringing in my ears and a crappy cough I don’t feel to bad, certainly not as poorly as the 1 time I had flu many years ago. Hopefully we’ll all feel much better soon.

Frances123 profile image
Frances123

Ride it out if you can. Rona can upset the body big time and not surprised various bits ache, thump, go doolally and make you feel like you have been through the wringer. Rest, keep hydrated, sleep, watch mindless tv etc and let the body heal. I hope you feel better soon. x

Tellingfibs profile image
Tellingfibs in reply to Frances123

Thanks Frances, I do have this constant feeling that I should pull myself together and ‘get over’ it. I have a sense of my long-dead mum watching over my shoulder and murmuring “ that bathroom needs sorting…” 😄. No acrobats and drummers in my chest this morning so I feel more able to face the day……

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Tellingfibs

The notion of convalescence seems to have disappeared from modern society and there is an expectation that bodies will just bounce back quickly. Overdoing too soon is a sure fire recipe for relapses with viral illnesses. The immune system needs support to work properly especially as we age and it weakens and rest is key.

Becksagogo profile image
Becksagogo in reply to Frances123

pardon my ignorance, but what is Rona?

Ascb profile image
Ascb in reply to Becksagogo

coronavirus

Becksagogo profile image
Becksagogo in reply to Ascb

Thank you. I'm amazed that admin let some posts through but then when I posted last week they shut me down! And I just called it "the C word" as do others.

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Becksagogo

They might have thought you meant something very rude!

Becksagogo profile image
Becksagogo in reply to Auriculaire

oh golly. I hasn't thought of that!

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly in reply to Auriculaire

😂🤣🤣

DLS25 profile image
DLS25

I have just had the covid vaccine and this has triggered my a fib and pvcs. My cardiologist said it should settle after a couple of weeks.

ETHEL103 profile image
ETHEL103 in reply to DLS25

HI yes did for me too.Also had muzzy head and raging tinnitus ,has anyone else on here suffered the same after Moderna?

DLS25 profile image
DLS25 in reply to ETHEL103

yes I have had tinnitus too. I had Moderna. Now 12 days since vaccine. Think it may be settling a little. The pvcs don’t seem as frequent thank god

dedeottie profile image
dedeottie

I have covid too. I feel horrible. High temperature on and off very sore throat and larynx and no voice! Oh and headache and blocked sinus . Loads more SVE s BUT crucially no AF or tachycardia as yet.

My hubby has it too but nowhere near as bad. I don’t want this again in a hurry that’s for sure. X

Tellingfibs profile image
Tellingfibs in reply to dedeottie

Sorry to hear you are feeling so bad. Everyone on this forum is so encouraging; it’s like having a huge support system on call at all times ! I hope you feel much better soon.

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly in reply to dedeottie

I read the new list of possible symptoms and think I had most - skyrocketing fever, nausea, runny blocked nose, sore throat, sneezing, aches etc and in my case a very ‘sticky’ cough which didn’t seem to be helped much by my usual combi inhaler. So asked daughter to get me some simple expectorant cough mixture. I would have phoned the pharmacist first to emphasise the ‘simple’ bit but she said she was working at home so I said not to worry. However she sent her partner off to the chemist - he came back with Otrivine nose spray, so much for ‘ask a pharmacist’ or is there something I don’t know?

dedeottie profile image
dedeottie in reply to Buffafly

I have the sticky cough too Bufferfly. I don’t like it at all! Still, as long as the vaccines keep us all out of hospital and as long as heart keeps behaving I guess in the scheme of things we are ok. X

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly in reply to dedeottie

More worried about my asthma than my heart but true X

dedeottie profile image
dedeottie in reply to Buffafly

Gosh yes. adding asthma into the mix is yet another worry for you. X

JOY2THEWORLD49 profile image
JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to Buffafly

Hi

I understand that you cant have Expectorant with AF.

Or was it because of Thyroxin. I fel it was AF.

cheers JOY

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49

Only natural expectorant. Phenylephrine is the ingredient to avoid, causes racing heart 💓

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Buffafly

Try NAC - N acetyl cysteine. This was recommended by our chemist the last time I had a bad cough . Here in France it comes in sachets that you put in water. It makes mucus thinner and easier to cough up. I found it worked really well. It also supports immune function. I take it every day now in capsule form . I don't know if you can buy it in the sachet form in the uk but I expect places like Holland and Barret might have it in the capsule supplement form.

Do you have a preventative inhaler? The budesonide in the Symbicort inhaler is supposed to help with covid.

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly in reply to Auriculaire

Interesting, will investigate that later. I have similar inhaler to symbicort (cheapie NHS version but works great) which I can use as a reliever as well. I have been using extra. However the cortisone element is supposed to dry secretions which seems to be counterproductive when you need to cough them up. So I cautiously tried the Ventolin type inhaler and it worked much better. The cough seems to be less troublesome now and the runny nose nearly dried up too so all good. Thanks very much for the advice 💗

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Buffafly

I find the Symbicort works well on far less than the dose prescribed. So much so I sometimes forget it ! I find the Ventolin works better as a reliever But if I got covid I would take the full dose of Symbicort and double my NAC . Glad you are getting better.

bassets profile image
bassets

I hope you - and all the others suffering with the virus here - feel a lot better soon. Lots of rest and TLC x

jaffacake8 profile image
jaffacake8

I joined the club 4 days ago and have been reading the replies to your post. It's so reassuring and helpful to hear the experiences of others and I wish you and fellow club members a very speedy recovery.

Elli86 profile image
Elli86

I have it as well! Not as bad as last time. Just feel generally tired, had terrible cough for all of last week but that seems to have passed now 🙏 headache and endless ammunition of mucus still here though. Heart so far playing ball 🤞 think this is day 9 now if I remember rightly. Hopefully jogs on over next few days. Want to get back to the little exercise I’m able to do.

Tomred profile image
Tomred

Hi i would do what you would do with any viral infection .rest, hydrate etc and please dont call it MY COVID. you know how powerful the mind can be. GET WELL SOON.

VinnyR profile image
VinnyR

the short answer is yes, in my case. Afib only happened to me after 1st bout of covid. I am just coming out of second bout and all is well. 🤞 the same for you.

dedeottie profile image
dedeottie in reply to VinnyR

Glad you are ok. It would be interesting to know how many people on here had a milder case second time round. I’m hoping it won’t be as bad if Zi get it again. 🤞

7473 profile image
7473

Thought I was just feeling the cold extremities from my usual dose of Apixabin. Turned out it was Covid. AF has'nt been bothersome of late controlled by 12 step relaxation,although I normally fall asleep before I get to 12. Covid has left me with a filthy mouth, dry throat and long episodes of coughing. Little change even at its worst from the Bradycardia, I've forgotten what its like to have a pulse above mid 50's even with a temperature. Lots of clear fluids seems to be the treatment with doses of Paracetomol. Don 't try Sinutab or anything like it, they'll make you feel terrible.

JOY2THEWORLD49 profile image
JOY2THEWORLD49

Hi

Not sure what you are asking. Covid or AF.

Apparently with AF we cannot take the anti viral drug.

I havent had COVID but was a CONTACT 4 weeks ago.

cheri. JOY

Ablation7 profile image
Ablation7

hope you all recuperate quickly!

Jan1559 profile image
Jan1559

I had covid for the first time at the end of July I to went into AF for over a week it stopped for 4 days then back again for 9 days then stopped again. Then had my covid booster 1st October then back in AF for another 4 days. Now stable and fingers crossed NSR. Every time I have a virus, cold etc I get the AF back. Hope this helps

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