Just been diagnosed 2 weeks ago with af. Am finding it scary, it happened overnight. Am due to see consultant on monday. Am feeling nauseous at times my chest feels tight. Yesterday i wen t for a walk and to some shops, today i can barely get out of bed! I was started on 2.5 mg bisoprolol by the urgent care doctor. Couldnt see a gp for a week, he doubled the bisoprolol and started esobadan and statins. Next day i was in an sdec because of vomiting. They couldn’t get heartbeat down. Eventually it came down and they spoke to cardiology who doubled bisoprolol again.
Any encouragement be really appreciated!
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Dudtbin
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Yes, it is a very scary time but at least you are seeing your consultant on Monday.
I assume you are now taking 10mg Bisoprolol. That is quite a hefty dose . I'm not surprised you're feeling like you are. Some people can tolerate that dose and others can't. I find it difficult to move on 5mg so it is not a drug for me.
In the meantime there is lots of really helpful literature to read and digest on the AF Association website. I recommend that you read that so at least you will hopefully have a meaningful dialogue with your doctor on Monday.
If you have any questions then do get back to us here. This is a large community with quite a bit of experience with the devilish AF and we are all eager to help you if we can!
I couldn't tell you but they're many on the forum who do own a fitbit so you should get a response in time. Do you know what sort of rate you are in? Obviously with AF the rate changes rapidly , but the highest ??
I have the Kardia device with my Smartphone which gives pretty accurate readings and ecg printout.
You have to take charge of your healthcare and ASK. YOU are the boss of your body ; no one else.
There is an epidemic of AFIB in America and to a lesser in the UK. And yet the cardiologists don't have a CLUE what is causing it. There is also an epidemic of anxiety. I can hear your anxiety and worry in your words.
Look to ROOT CAUSE of your heart rhythm problem. Because there is one.
✨EVERY CONDITION HAS A ROOT CAUSE ~ without exception.
Sadly, doctors don't know it and they don't look for it. They don't CURE; they " treat".
Did you know that dehydration can cause palpitations? A deficiency of magnesium in the cells can cause palpitations? Chronic worry and unhealed childhood trauma can cause palpitations? And certain foods and chemicals and drugs?
TCM, (traditional Chinese medicine) explains heart palpitations in a completely different way. When the organ systems are out of harmony and balance- for instance when the kidneys are not receiving enough water this creates too much heat in the heart that can cause palpitations. A smart experienced Doctor of TCM can be an invaluable ally. I prefer the acupuncturist who are actually Chinese. Seem to have much deeper understanding than Westerners who have taken a degree in Acupuncture. i'm not saying there are good ones but I prefer the Chinese doctors.
✨Take a deep dive into your own heart healing journey✨. Pay special attention to your feelings and emotions✨ anything unhealed that you have been carrying✨ This would be time to bring your loving attention to that part of you✨
. Do your own research. educate yourself about your heart and make good empowered decisions.
✨Consider HOMEOPATHY. A smart wise homeopath can work miracles with hearts.
✨Let your doctor know that you know your own body and that it is your intention to restore normal sinus rhythm to your heart non invasively.
Speaking from a decade of experience (which went from bad to worse in my case), once you get on the medical track with all those drugs and the procedures they want to do -- it can be scary and it's all too easy to lose your power.
This happened to me.
✨ Stay out of fear; move into Love. ✨The heart was built to hold LOVE. . it was not designed to be an alarm system for fear which is what a lot of AFIB is. we live in scary times!
My Fitbit is fine for recording pulse rate and I can see on the graph as well what rate I’ve been at. However, not so sure about the notifications for AF as I know I’ve had a few irregular periods and yet no notification. Get used to taking your own pulse, you’ll find helpful information on this website and lots of people here.
It is a scary time when first diagnosed. I remember my diagnosis coming over the phone just on Christmas a couple of years ago. I didn’t even realise there was much wrong but the next thing I knew I was being referred to Bristol. Just listen to your doctors and also let them know how you’re feeling. Bisoprolol will possibly make you feel sluggish. Not everyone can tolerate beta blockers. Again let your doctor know, there are alternatives.
a Kardia device on your phone is probably the most accurate. I’ve had mine for 7 years. I used to use it periodically but now use it everyday as I went through a bad spell and was able to show cardiologist.
I’m also on Bisoprolol 10 and Flecainide 50 twice a day. Apixaban too.
A scary journey indeed - we feel you! Just be open to questioning your doctor about the medications and willing to change if one of them causes problems. People vary a lot in what works for them and what doesn't. Bisoprolol nearly killed me - literally! Yet for some people it's fine...
How to start my post off? Yep got it - of course, you feel scared and on edge. It's no surprise when you are first told. There's no shame in that and everyone on this forum started off in the same way - guarantee it. I know I did but let me tell you a secret - afib is not half as bad as I first thought it would be. Not a fraction compared to the fears I had. It won't kill me and has little effect on my life now. I'll tell you something else as well. Your meds are likely to be changed as you progress and different things are likely to be tried. I couldn't take 5mg of bisoprolol let alone 10mg. However, stick it out until you have seen your medic as it can be very effective. There are other options though that may be offered.
I always look at it like this. One - I know I have it and there are treatments to help. Two - There are far worse illnesses to have and afib is a drop in the ocean compared to things like cancer. Three - It's not going to kill me.
I'm almost tempted to give you a 'Paul's Promise' (PP) that it won't be anywhere near as bad as you think. In fact, I think I will - here's a virtual PP from me to you 👍
PS - My Fitbit is ok but it doesn't always give the correct reading. Google 'Kardia' for a better option.
Paul
Edit - Jalia pipped me to the post regarding the Kardia. I have the Kardia device with my Smartphone which gives pretty accurate readings and ecg printout
Thank you so much. I’m so glad i found this forum. I keep telling myself so many people are in a much more terrible place. I think one of the difficulties i have is my husband has AF but when he was diagnosed he didn’t have the same symptoms or feelings- or he didn’t tell me! So i do feel silly at times ! It happened so suddenly, one minute im walking the dogs the next im in A&E. I feel so much better having these replie. Thank you.
Ah, Dudtbin...now one of the things you will discover with AF is that it is very much a mongrel condition! You will rarely find 2 people affected in exactly the same way. My husband is in permanent AF and has been for about 3 years . He is completely unaware of it . In fact he probably wouldn't have known if I hadn't tested him with my Kardia device when he was feeling a bit shaky one morning. The upshot was that I contacted the surgery with my findings and they did an ecg which confirmed and prescribed Rivaroxaban, an anticoagulant . He has since had an echocardiogram at the hospital which showed nothing remarkable.
On the other hand I've had highly symptomatic AF for almost 30 years, been admitted countless times , had 23 electrical cardioversions and 4 ablations. ( had last cardioversion 10 days ago.....) My heart rates have been approaching 250 bpm at their worst but more commonly settling at 140/50+ latterly.
It's true that one minute you're perfectly OK and then all hell lets loose! I can be sitting quietly minding my own business when it starts or turning over in bed. It's how you are affected and how badly it impacts on your life that matters.
I do hope that you find your meeting with the cardiologist on Monday very helpful and reassuring. Do gather together questions which you would like him to answer.
Thank you, that's so helpful. My husband is affected but in different ways. He can't understand why someone who is 20 years older and has had a triple bypass can whizz past him on the golf course!!!
I am just like your husband (i'm 73). Wouldn't have had a clue (due sometimes get tired but is that just old and out of shape or The AF?). Heart rate rarely above 85, generally 65-70. Does he plan to do anything about his?
I had a cardioversion that only lasted 8 hrs or so. Next would be an ablation (Pulse Field in Texas was recommended).. I've read about some folk needing several and still within a few years back to AF! So, thinking why take the risk? I'm taking Eliquis which i'm not all that fond of (thin blood is not the greatest, worried of injuring myself as i no longer heal very fast - expensive as well but OK if i really need it? (do I?) it's my heart and i have but one!
Hi marinoperna , no my husband has no symptoms and having seen what I've been through over the years has no reason to seek any treatment other than anticoagulation. I'm no medic but this to me is the most important treatment.
As far as AF goes any treatment is to improve quality of life. Why put yourself through the risks of ablation unless you are being really adversely affected symptom wise. Dare I say it, in the US many medics are driven by the $$$$$ profit incentive .
One of the problems with A/F is that it can make you feel anxious and that in turn can make the afib worse. Your body knows that everything is not quite right and that makes your brain anxious. It is important to take deep breaths and tell yourself that afib itself won’t kill you and it will calm down again to where you can live with it. At least you are being seen. This is a great forum - very supportive. We all of us here have experience of what you are going through. Anti coagulants important.
firstly I am sorry you are going through this. These meds can take some getting use too , it's a high dose for bisoprolol. This will make you really tired, dizzy, nausea. It will settle but takes time.
I take 3.7mg and know I have taken it. This has definitely helped control my rate. It normal sits somewhere inbetween 55-100 which is very manageable apart from when doing stairs!! 🙄 I also take edoxaban, no problems with this at all.
Hopefully you will be seen soon.I am 50and I am in persistent AF. Been in AF constantly since Oct.
Hang in there until you see someone. Kardia monitor is good and Apple Watch. But try not to get to hung up on them as you can get a bit panicky with them.
I ended up switching my AF report off on the watch as it was making me anxious. The Kardia monitor is good as the nhs will accept them.
Actually my cardiologist asked me to email her a reading last week so she could see what my heart was doing..
It's good you're seeing cardiology soon. Unfortunately Bisoprolol is the most usual offering from A ans E but doesn't suit all. There are other drugs that may work better for you abd your cardiologist should be able to make a better assessment on sering you and running appropriate tests. I'm a bit worried that statins gave been thrown at you though. I'd really be questioning that. See what others say here. It's a scary time when you're first diagnosed. Try to stay calm, ask questions abd don't be afraid to ask why this particular medication abd what it does.
Your consultant may refer you to a specialist Arrythmia team within your hospital. I have spoken to them her in Oxford frequently over the past three years and found that they’re very helpful. If you can get referred to a specialist Electrophysiologist (EP) a Dr who specialises in heart rhythm conditions. They recognise that we all respond differently to different drugs. I reacted badly to Bisoporol but responded well to Diltiazem so there maybe several combinations to get a good fit for you. From experience if they recommend a cardioversion or ablation which may sound a bit daunting do seriously consider them. Arrythmia nurses are specialists too and I’ve found them helpful and supportive so don’t be shy about asking for further help from specialists if they’re available to you.
Good luck and I hope with care and support from medical specialists and this group you feel better soon.
It's an awful time for you. I was in a similar situation, but with atrial flutter, in 2019. That was cured by an ablation but I still have some mild atrial fibrillation remaining (mild because the heart rate stays more reasonable).
You'll need an echo-cardiogram (or cardiac MRI) to create an image of your heart for the specialist to view and to check that all else is "structurally sound" as the doctor will call it. After that, you will gain a great deal of reassurance and likely find that the anxiety will lift and much of what now seems heart related will show itself to have been be anxiety related.
Bisoprolol takes some getting used to as it slows the heart down and reduces blood pressure and output (along with a range of other effects). It's preferred because it's safe in comparison to anti-arrhythmic drugs and, even though it's a rate-control drug, it can have a kind of anti-arrhythmic activity of its own when the AF is triggered by tachycardia.
You could most certainly do without all this, but your life will eventually resume more of a normality and you'll feel a whole lot better.
Hi Dudtin, Yes very scarey when first diagnosed.Glad you found this forum early.It has been a great comfort & font of knowledge.Just re your Fitbit.Depends which one.I have a charge 4 and don't trust it at all .But usually reads too low.I personally use a similar Device to Kardia called emay.It is much less obtrusive if you wish to check your HR on a walk.
YouTube search for emay Vs Kardia or best HR monitor. I'm sure you'll you get some help Monday.
Welcome. You have some very good advice here so I won't repeat it, but as someone told me when I was first diagnosed - it won't kill you. After that I felt able to cope and could calm down. Try not to stress to much as anxiety will only make things worse. ]
Hi,yes lots of good advice on the forum so I won't repeat,but would like to say for me bisoprolol took a long time to get the dosage right,but like others have mentioned that's a hell of a high dose,just try to relax take stock and don't forget it's usually repairable it just takes time .
Hi Dudtin I have had af for 3-4 years and am still struggling with it. I find that bisopropol makes me feel ill and faint. Other beta-blockers similar and fleccanide has no effect. Beta-blockers in general affect my blood pressure, making it too low. I now just take an anti-coagulant every day and hope for the best. It is good to hear that you are seeing a consultant tomorrow who can check your medication etc. I have a fitbit watch which is pretty accurate for checking my heart rate (it does not do blood pressure) when measured against other readings on machines in hospital, other apps on the phone and my blood pressure device. Best of luck in finding thecright treatment - it is a bit like searching for the holy grail but you never know. x
hi, Dudtbin and welcome, hope your feeling better. The bisoprolol will make you feel tired and groggy until you’re body starts getting used to it.!! I’v been on 10mg daily for years now. But See how you feel in a few weeks, hopefully you won’t feel as tired. If you still feel same mention it to the GP and they may be able to try a different medication for you.👍
Sorry about you getting AF its a bugger and does change your life but can be managed . Pulse of 117 not that high mine can goup to 190. Also, I'm probably seen as a luddite, but I do question the use of the techybits. Any movement, stress, anxiety can affect your heart rate and BP, this happens all the time whether a AF sufferer or not, so knowing what your pulse is doing constantly I worry may cause more stress/anxiety. Anyway good luck people on this site are very helpful and knowledgeable so keep on asking questions.
Hi that was my last ecg but in the night according to Fitbit it can go up. To 185 but id not really understand all that, im going how i feel which is not great until about 1 pm then start to feel a bit better.!
Can't give any solace really. Lots of days I feel tired out and rubbish, but currently my pulse is 62 and BP circa 120/80, So can be beta blockers, don't know and neither do docs it just seems thats life now. Sorry thats depressing.
Pulse and bp sound great. Have you had your iron/haemoglobin,red blood cells tested? I feel really rubbish when the anaemia kicks in and I need more iron. Do not take iron if you don’t need it. Too much is bad as well as too little.
They took bloods when i was in sdec but I haven’t seen a gp since to tell me anything, am seeing cardiologist today so hopefully will get some answers !
Just got my blood results this morning, from GP, says everything is ok. My problem is probably related to having a small stroke in March and tiredness seems to be a common side effect that can take ages to go. All you can do is take each day as it comes and some days will be better than others. Thanks
I was you only 2.5 months ago and I also reached out on this excellent forum. It really helped me to read all the posts about AF and I set myself to learning as much as possible about this condition. I also got a Fitbit because it helps me to feel that I am monitoring my own health rather than waiting for a doctor to tell me. I tweaked my lifestyle regarding exercise and diet and it has all helped me take back a bit of control. Important also to try and reduce stress in your life, not easy I know!
same here. I was super fit and am determined to stay fit. In my case I think I had been overtraining for some years and so now I am doing a little less.
We can only try and do our best, and stay positive
Hi there , so sorry you’re going through it. This was me a few weeks ago on this forum, diagnosed a few weeks ago with a HR of 235 + was so scared & was really anxious about reply’s from people as I didn’t want to read anything scary.
However, having said that I’m definitely improving on the anxiety front. I’ve stopped looking at HR on apps etc as found it more stressful & made be a bit obsessive. I was only on bisopralol 2.5mgs for a few weeks but I really didn’t feel great on it & didn’t help AF , I couldn’t tolerate a higher dose so was switched to diltiazem which had given me my energy back .
Still have runs of AF throughout the day which is unpleasant but I’m getting used to it & it’s a slower rate , 75-110bpm if I can count it, although I feel it & pulse all over the place. As been said & reassured by my arrhythmia nurse , yup it feels rough but it won’t kill you.
All the best with your appointment on Monday , write down your questions, you will be fine but it does take a bit of getting used to & trialling medication. I’m hoping to have an anti arrhythmia added in soon .
All the very very best , I absolutely know how you’re feeling. Please keep talking to us and let us know how it’s going.
I'm just one week ahead of you in this journey. Because I had had the Afib attack for 4 days before I saw the cardiologist, they postponed the Cardioversion until I had been on the anti coagulants for three weeks, to avoid throwing a linger clot. It IS scary, and I sure understand that. Bottom line: they have told me repeatedly that you do not die of Afib, but you do die of stroke, and to be on the anticoagulants is key. It's a bit of a journey. Good luck.
Hi there Dudtbin, you’ve come to the right place for support and positivity at what is a scary time.
My experience is approximately 18years ish, sometimes it feels a hairy scary ride, especially in the beginning but, easy as it may sound - try anything you can to remain calm (I hear you laugh) but honestly this is what will feed AF.
I’ve found low salt, zero caffiene helps. As for the Bisoprolol I’m one of the select few who tolerate the hefty doses - this year I ended up at 15mg which was no problem but still the heart rate was dancing. Put me up to 17.5mg, too much, low blood pressure, felt dizzy etc so back to 15mg.
This year I’ve had 2 cardioversions (walk in the park) and 3rd ablation last week has brought bisoprolol down to 2.5mg.
Different meds for different people, AF is different for all of us but what I can guarantee you is, if you’re feeling down, worried, wonder what to ask a consultant-on here there will always be a kind listening ear (well lots actually). Sometimes you’ll think, OK I’ve got this and you’ll be in warrior mode but, like me the last few weeks I was back on the scary runaway train - people on here put the brakes on and I came through thanks to them.
Make a list questions because you’ll forget something, if you have someone to go with you maybe they can make notes for you to go back over later in the day when you think - what the heck did they say about ……. If you have a home blood pressure machine my consultant was grateful for the heart rate/BP together with what you’d been doing (sometimes you’ll find a pattern that might make things kick off.
They do that to you, I was terrified of the 3rd ablation, having had so many lovely calming replies I actually went in, lay on the anaesthetic table, lots of people doing lots of things - I just lay there, calm looking around thinking, this is where you get your life back - totally out of character for me I can tell you - deep breath, you’ve got a handle on this - positive thoughts 🤗
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