Persistent Afib

[Swimsyroke]

Thank you all for your encouraging replies to my post yesterday. Yes unless I have something wrong with me or I over exercise my heart rate does not go above 100.

The only worrying concern is the Kardia readings which consistently show a variation of between 2.5 and 6.5 squares in one reading. If you can all reassure me that it is the overall result that matters and not the rate at which the heart beats in one reading I will be happy.

The reason I bought the Kardia is not to be fixated by it but because my pulse is usually so quiet that I fiddle about for ages trying different points to try and connect with it and find that very difficult.

Thanks all. This site is fantastic.

[BobD Volunteer]

Just go on how you feel and put the machine away would be my advice.

[Swimsyroke in reply to BobD]

Will do Bob. Just thought I'd set something up so I could show the cardiologist and try to come up with some intelligent questions when the time comes!!!!

[Desanthony in reply to Swimsyroke]

Do you have low rate AF? This is what I have. Started off in Persistent right from diagnosis and any type of beta blocker or rate control medication took my heart rate down so low it made me feel ill - down to mid 30's at rest. Tried about 6 different medications in the first year and all made me feel worse than just the AF alone - it came to a head one Saturday morning when I felt too ill to even walk down stairs - and this from someone who just the previous year had been exercising easily nigh on every day at the gym but since being put on beta blockers or various combinations of rate control medication could only manage to walk slowly. Once I stopped the beta blockers and rate control medication and was just taking apixaban things started to slowly get better. Had 3 successful cardioversions which kept me in NSR for 3 years in total - 1 year 9ish months and 15 months consulted with and EP in my cardiologists team to have an ablation but Covid put paid to that - would have been having the ablation in the April when lockdown started at the end of March. Was offered one in following October but that was cancelled as covid outbreak in the unit with 15 people both staff and patients involved! Still in NSR at the time from 3rd cardioversion and by the time the started the whole thing in motion again the following June I had gone back into AF and after scans etc they found my heart had re-modelled itself and enlarged so a cardioversion or ablation would be unlikely to stop my AF at this stage. So now in permanent AF my resting heart rate is in the mid 50's - occasionally as high as 58 and hardly ever goes over 120 - 130 even when I exercise - which I am pleased to say I am back to going to the gym doing circuit training at least 4 times a week. As long as you feel well that's fine. I check my BP once a week - well I try to but usually forget so it may go to once a month most of the time now - usually taking 3 readings when relaxed and take the average. I use a chest worn blood pressure monitor when in the gym - which would alert me if my heart rate went too high and wear a fit bit most of the rest of the time just to keep check on things though to be honest my checking the read out on my fit bit is rare as so little seems to change at the moment. though I am aware I should check occasionally incase something changes and I need to alert my cardio or EP. Now and again I check Af using a Kardia - just to see if anything else may be happening but things have remained the same.

[wilsond]

Pulse same as me! Wrist or throat,useless.One of the reasons I bought my Kardia was for rate reading.Yes its like blood pressure,it varies across the day,as it should,like our heart rate. Which is why,if there is an issue with levels you are asked to take readings at different times for a set period.

All the best x

[TuckerHeart]

Hello. I have an Apple Watch 7 that I monitor my heart rate and I can also do my own EKG. Pretty accurate. When I was in Afib the EKG showed the same and you could see it on the graph. After my Cardioversion my EKG was normal and heart rate where it should be as shown on my watch…Hope this helps. Best to all. Denise in California