Back in hospital with fast atrial flutter.

[Samazeuilh2]

I’m in my local hospital with atrial flutter (and some good old AF) at about 150 bpm (following a bypass about a week ago). This seems to switch on when I sit up in bed or get out of bed. Blood pressure is low at 94/59. It’s too dangerous to cardiovert at the moment. They’ve increased the Bisoprolol to 5mg but this doesn’t seem to have solved the problem. I don’t see the consultant until tomorrow but the doctor says it could have several causes. Also couldn’t say whether it would eventually settle or I’d have it permanently. Covid patients in side rooms around 40m away. Scary stuff.

[sassy59]

Hoping the doctor can help you tomorrow. Thinking of you and hoping you stay safe. Xx

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to sassy59]

Thanks!

[Gumbie_Cat]

You are having such a rough ride. Hope things improve soon. I also tend to go into A Fib overnight, and get low blood pressure. Try not to worry too much about the Covid patients, as long as you’re vaccinated. It’s difficult to let go of the fear of catching it.

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

I’ve had 3 vacs (last one Nov 2021). Couldn’t have a booster because of the bypass!.

[Gumbie_Cat]

I caught it in early October - had to postpone my booster until November. I really wasn’t too bad, given the gap since the previous one. My heart stayed steady throughout - though I did go into persistent AFib in mid October. Could just have been co-incidence.

Crossing fingers that you get out soon though.

[SeanJax]

please wear your own mask the most protective one and not the surgical mask and don’t think about Covid anymore. Wear it even while sleeping. You control what you can control. Protect yourself first. I keep wearing my N95 mask although people around me don’t.

If the consultant proposes amiodarone for a short period please take it. You will stop it after 3 months. Give your heart time to readjust to the new blood flow and allow the artery graft to grow to its appropriate size to deal with the blood flow since the artery graft diameter is smaller than the main artery . You will be Ok . Hang in there. The first month post CABG is very rough. Stay positive and stay strong.

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to SeanJax]

As always your comments are valuable. I’ve got FFP3 and FFP2 masks but only the latter are wearable at night, so will don that one. Given that pre -bybass I have had PAF generally below 100 bpm, always at night and usually for no more than 9 hours, but post -bypass have flutter and AF at about 150pm for longer time periods , do you think there is any chance that it will revert to something like it’s former self or inevitably become permanent?

[SeanJax in reply to Samazeuilh2]

in the States the protocol to keep patients post op CABG out of Afib or any other arrhythmia is to use Amiodarone for short period of time studies have been done on this topic. With it, you will be ok and your heart will have time as I said to readjust to the new blood flow. Sinus rhythm begets sinus rhythm. You never got any heart damage so you are in good hands. I hope your consultant will be on the same page as we are here in the states. Stay positive since you get a new lease on your life. They did things until now by the book. Stay positive and stay strong. Hang in there you will be OK for sure.

[Singwell in reply to Samazeuilh2]

I agree re the masks. Wore my FFP3 all night, even whilst asleep. During the day I double masked using a blue one over the top. Fresh mask every 24 hours.

[meadfoot]

Sorry to hear this. You are having a rough time. They will get you sorted though. Wishing you all the very best to return to good health very soon.

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to meadfoot]

Many thanks!

[jeanjeannie50]

Oh no Sam, you're really coming under the hammer lately. Hope you are soon well again. I've had flutter stuck at 150 and it's horrible. Will be thinking of you, let us know how you get on please.

Wishing you well.

Jean

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks for your kind words. The flutter is slower when I’m lying on my back but if I even sit up or get out of bed, it increases in speed. There is another patient here with (roughly) the same problem and we are in a competition - the winner is the one who gets the lowest not highest bpm.

[Afibflipper]

I was in a similar situation earlier this year, it is scary yes. Do you have a device you can listen to music or podcasts, play games - I did word games, sudoku, we recently got one of the Amazon Alexa devices - you can talk to it through your phone (not sure if it will do same things but it’ll tell jokes, work maths out, it’ll do a quiz. It may just distract from the fear periodically to calm you down

Hope you get sorted soon Best wishes

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to Afibflipper]

Plenty of music and books on iPad. Mathematics seems to be a good way to distract from worries, as it, presumably, uses a lot of brain capacity up.

[Afibflipper in reply to Samazeuilh2]

something else that takes your brain/concentration- an App called Happy Colour. Now when you see it you’ll think colour by numbers to easy (yes the large areas are but, there are some extremely tiny areas that can only be found by enlarging the image but you still have to search the whole picture to find them. Not as taxing as maths I know but attention divert. Stay strong 💪 x

[irene75359]

That is such bad luck, I am so sorry you are back in hospital. Please let us know what the consultant says.

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to irene75359]

Have now spoken to the consultant. She says arrhythmias such as AF and flutter are very common after bypass surgery and will eventually settle down. This could take a few weeks. She has given me an increased dose of medication (Bisoprolol) - other medications are available if this one doesn’t work. I will be reviewed tomorrow. She also pointed out that the Queen managed perfectly well with AF for over 40 years. Well, yes, but…

[irene75359 in reply to Samazeuilh2]

Well, let's hope your heart calms down a bit sooner than a few weeks!

[Samazeuilh2]

I’ll give it a try!

[RussJun55]

I've been told (by cardiologists and surgeons) that about 1 in 3 patients will experience AF within a few weeks of open heart surgery. And that in the vast majority of cases it resolves by itself and or with the help of meds. In any event that was true in my case.

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to RussJun55]

Thanks. The consultant is thinking along those lines too. Bisoprolol doesn’t seem to be very good towards that end.

[DawnTX]

honey something I’ve learned from here is about the blanking period. I don’t know if it pertains to your particular surgery but I just found out even with a cardioversion it can happen. When I had the vein of Marshall plus other things done I was told it could be up to a year with healing. I have found out recently that what I have now is atypical flutter Not my afib as such which means some thing did work in April. My flutter was gone following that but evidently his reappeared. Ask about the blanking. I was in the 150s for almost 6 months so trust me I know how horrible it feels. You had an extensive major surgery they should tell you things you can expect and for how long. Sometimes they throw these at us when our heads are swimming Please let us know how you are doing. Healing thoughts and prayers going your way just remember you have a lot of healing to do it’s up to your doctor to tell you what’s normal. I dropped a line to Santa telling him you need to feel a lot better right now before he gets here.

[Samazeuilh2 in reply to DawnTX]

Thanks for replying. I suppose that the immediate post-bypass period may resemble the blanking period of an ablation in that the heart has been under a lot of stress and needs time to calm down. The consultant said she couldn’t say exactly his long this would take, but said several weeks was realistic. At the moment I’m at about 77bpm and in sinus rhythm - the problem is, when I start to move the atrial flutter starts up and the heart rate goes up 150 bpm.

[DawnTX in reply to Samazeuilh2]

Our bodies definitely must heal whatever they call it. As I said my VOM etc. that was done in April I was told up to a year I am not to the year yet but was not improving at all as I said I had in the 150s on a constant basis. For the first time I actually thought I would die because my doctor would not get back to me. Long story personal situation within his staff so stupid but whether they are blocking him or he is a jerk I don’t know I never got to speak to him again after my follow up. He is very well known he pioneered the vein of Marshall. He never came across as being that type of person full of himself but now I don’t know and I don’t care anymore. The thing is only he really knows what he did inside of me and what worked what did not. It’s a terrible place to be with a doctor I am still trying to get my medical records.

you had a very aggressive surgery years ago you would’ve been in the hospital for weeks my dad had open heart. My uncle in Boston at Mass General was one of the first to have a quad done and was out of the hospital in two weeks which they considered newsworthy. It just shows how far it’s gone but how far they still need to go. I wish they would focus on the important stuff as I keep saying. My new doctor seems to do that he is trying to avoid repeating failure from the others not that they failed but I never knew until this doctor that a typical flutter is almost impossible to map which is why it appears to fail. It is not the failure of ablation but the failure of finding the right place. Rather than fail again finding the right spot he is talking pacemaker which I am not happy about. I will probably see the second opinion with Dr. Wolf in Houston if he will see me. Unfortunately he works in DeBakey with Dr. Valderabano my previous. I know they talk to each other so it depends what Dr. V says about me he may badmouth me so Dr. Wolf rules me out.

my last cardioversion in October was awesome I had no breakthrough during the 3 1/2 weeks I kept it. I was 158 and woke up to 82 heart rate OMG it was awesome. Before I even saw the monitor I had a smile on my face and I felt like giggling. I asked if it was the meds or circulation to my brain. My cardiologist said perhaps a little of both but I think he thought I was crazy lol all I know is it was like someone took a heavy burden off my brain and I could smile for the first time in well over a year. I’m smiling thinking about it and hoping I am a successful Tuesday. I’m not looking forward to the meds because the side effects read the same as amiodarone and I think I had every side effect.

please keep us in the loop you are a success story even if you don’t think so yet I can feel it. Just think about how exhausted our bodies already were before we had our procedures then add the trauma of surgery to that. No wonder it takes a while to heal. Anyway that’s my story and I’m sticking to it😊 Where are you normally located

[DawnTX]

that is my biggest concern being surrounded by sick people. My doctors in Florida never wanted me to stay because of that they felt I could heal better at home without risk. I’m hoping for a private room which is still no guarantee on Tuesday as far as keeping away from germs. Please let us know how you are doing