Help! New Symptoms after recent cardioversion.

[Slidingdoors99]

Hi! Hopefully someone can shed some light on this for me!

I began AFib in 2020. I have had four cardioversions the last one was last Thursday. I was taken to A and E when I went into fast AFib with a heart rate between 160-180.

Last summer I was also diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy…

Bristol weren’t prepared to do an ablation so have been referred to St Barts in London where a discussion about an ablation and possibly pace and ablate will happen (also a chat about an AED)

That’s the background…

Anyway since my successful cardioversion on Thursday I am home now resting up.

I’m finding new symptoms in that if I do hardly anything at all around the house my heart is hammering away and I am quite breathless too.

Has anyone else had this happen to them?

Thank you in advance.

[jeanjeannie50]

I've had lots of cardioversions and have never had your symptoms. Are you on any medication to calm your heart rate?

Jean

[Slidingdoors99 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Dear Jean, still there for me I see!

Thank you so much.

I’m on Diltiazem and Doxozosin.

I can’t take beta blockers because they caused my mild asthma to really give me major breathing problems unfortunately.

Today though, my heart has settled down a great deal. Thank goodness!

Many thanks again.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Slidingdoors99]

Good to hear you're ok now.

[Jalia]

This is not something I've experienced after any of my 23 dccvs. In this situation I would be inclined to speak to either your arrhythmia nurse, if you have one, or your GP if you are still like this in the morning.

[Slidingdoors99 in reply to Jalia]

Thank you so much. I woke up today and things had thankfully changed.

I now can’t feel any tremors and can get around the house without my heart hammering,

Thank you Jalia.

[Jalia in reply to Slidingdoors99]

Thank goodness! It can be very worrying, not to say frightening. Hope all stays calm for you now.

[DLS25]

I have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, two years ago developed AF and last week had my first cardioversion. So if you want to chat 😊

[Slidingdoors99 in reply to DLS25]

Yes I really would. Thank you.

Thank goodness I woke up to a much brighter morning this morning and all day my heart has felt like it’s settled back down (at least for now)

I’m not very tech savvy, but perhaps we could privately text via here in the future?

Thank you.

[Hidden]

just a thought, although your heart rate is rapid, is it regular and rapid rather than irregular and rapid. If so, it could be supraventricular tachycardia which can cause breathlessness. If it seems like it could be tachycardia, so maybe carefully try the Valsalva manoeuvre. Take a deep breath, keep your mouth firmly closed, pinch your nose, clench buttocks and adopt a crouched position then try to exhale through every bodily orifice without releasing any pressure on the said orifices. Check it out on google but bearing in mind your recent CV, be careful not to strain yourself or have an “accident”. It can often reduce heart rate but I think you should also make your medics aware ASAP……..

[Slidingdoors99]

Thank you Flapjack.

The ideas that you mentioned were ones that I did try on Thursday evening, but for me, they didn’t work…

I tried everything I have read on here for 2 hours and then (because I was feeling dizzy and my heart rate was climbing) I called 911.)

Today, I would have tried your suggestions again, but thankfully I awoke up feeling so much better.

Many thanks though for your post and by the way, how are YOU doing in this horrible journey? 🤔

[Hidden]

Good to hear that things have improved for you. After two ablations and treatment for an overactive thyroid, I’m doing OK 🤞🤞🤞

[Slidingdoors99 in reply to Hidden]

Happy to hear that!