After a few extended periods of arrhythmia while in Spain recently the first thing I did on my return was to send a download of my pacemaker to the arrhythmia nurses at the BHI.
They phoned me back to say that they had examined the download and had found 4 episodes of AF in the 19 days of which the longest was 1 minutes 15 seconds and the other three were less than 45 seconds.
I explained that the discomfort I felt lasted well over an hour in each case and on over 6 occasions and I was told that they were “possibly ectopics” and these are not picked up by a pacemaker. )I hadn’t heard this before)
I have a full review next week but while it was interesting to know what the state of play is with AF I think I should be concerned about the other arrhythmia I am experiencing.
On reflection it was not as debilitating as a full blown PAF attack but very uncomfortable nevertheless. It’s a shame that the pacemaker has apparent limitations.
Any views on ectopics and when they become a concern?
You must know that a pacemaker will not stop AF and even after pace and ablate, whilst the pacemaker will ensure a stable ventricular rate which should alleviate things like fatigue etc, the atrium can do whatever it likes and you may well feel this.
Ectopics are a normal function of a healthy heart and are not considered dangerous. Everybody gets than but we AFers do notice them and fret over them. Do try the slow deep diapragmic breathing exercise we promote (less than six breath a minute for at least five minutes using stomach not shoulders ) as this works a treat if you do it correctly in most cases.
I had a pacemaker to deal with bradycardia - AF came later.
I also understand about ectopics being normal and I am well versed in all the breathing techniques that can deal with short runs of ectopics and have had successfully used that on many occasions.
I am concerned with ectopics that last a long time - eg well over an hour sometimes two, despite all the best endeavours through the methods to settle them down. I’ve not experienced episodes of that duration before and with such regularity and with any obvious cause.
After 5 years of almost no AF after PM implant I am beginning to experience more arrythmias again but like you, although AF can last a few hours and I can sense it in my body, the HR is controlled to a certain degree, I am not that symptomatic - more than usual fatigue but the big thing is that I don’t take days to recover. Last check I had about 1.5% of AF, some Tachycardia but nothing over 130 and I put that down to too little hydration and electrolyte imbalance. I don’t worry about it and just go take things easy for a few hours and do something that I enjoy. No I don’t think you should be worried - you have had it checked and the AF episodes were so short you can take it the PM is doing what it is supposed to do.
Ectopics are a fact of life but the breathing exercises really do work. Worry is the WORST antagonist for heart arrythmias.
Yes my pacemaker is doing what it should do - it’s one of my best friends!
My heart rate is usually 55 - 63 and my bp is an average of 117/69 …this last week and that’s normal for me ….. unless I’m in the middle of a rare PAF attack when it’s all over the place. Similarly when I have one of these extended ectopic sessions ,although the bp then doesn’t go quite as wild nor does the pulse.
Often using the breathing exercises has helped to curtail these runs of ectopics. However when the event go into hours despite best endeavours then it becomes concerning …. and yes, I understand that any anxiety doesn’t help.
In short I agree with everything that you say but I wonder if there is a point that everyday ectopics become a concern in anyone’s experience.
Very comprehensive thanks. The one thing that’s stands out is use of a nasal spray. I bought one as I am affected by pine pollen but I didn’t read the paper insert …, I never do.
I just have looked it up and although it doesn’t contain the ingredient mentioned it does carry a warning about potential tachycardia/ palpitaciones. I’m not sure that my use of it coincided with the incidents but it’s the one lead I’m aware of. ( I don’t drink any with caffeine or alcohol, I watch my hydration , I’m slim etc)
Significantly since I arrived home back to the cold and rain things appear to have settled although I tried to provoke it with a bit of gym work. Am I reacting to too much sun and warmth 😳
I gave an appointment later today to discuss with my GP
And you can get help for worry - CBT is good - have you ever thought about how to change your thought process? Worry is a negative cycle of thoughts and feelings so changing the negative cycle can be done.
Or MCBT Mindfulness based CBT? Human Givens is another very good methodology. Difficult to access through NHS but you might also look at Counselling Agencies in your area as they often offer reduced rates. CBT is usually short term 6-10 sessions maximum.
I agree with CDreamer. I had a pacemaker implanted about 5 months ago because of bradycardia and some resultant pauses while sleeping , still getting used to it. As before the implant, I only have rare and brief bouts of Afib that are asymptomatic, but I do have many ectopics. My cardiologist has said not to worry, but of course…I do worry. And as stated by CDreamer, anxiety is a problem, and makes them worse. Slow breathing helps. Plus, I am trying very hard to get beyond paying too much attention to every errant heart beat. It is instructive for me to realize that when I am totally involved in something else…playing golf or pickle ball or engrossed in a movie…I don’t notice anything. But sometimes the minute I finish I notice something…hmmmm. I know there is a lesson in there and I am still trying to apply it. 😎
I too used to be alarmed by the odd thump but now I only get concerned when it goes on for 1 or 2 hours + but now I’m back home all is calm at present so I’m happy. I must look up pickle ball …….
Pickle ball is a lot of fun, competitive but social…plus it is a great sport for aging as it gets the heart rate up, features a lot of joint different movements, bending and so on.
hi, stress of being away from U.K. plus air travel might have caused it. Funny that as soon as you were home things recovered. Stress and anxiety are one of the major factors of most things and unless medical tests prove otherwise it’s best to try not to worry.
Xx
When something is different I always ask myself what have I changed - in my diet, exercise, interactions with the world at large etc. Reflecting on all this the only difference is a nasal spray - apart from that I changed nothing.
Spain is my happy place and I enjoy the language the food and the people and certainly the country side where I have my mountain refuge.
A slight bit of stress maybe from having to deal with 10m3 of reinforced concrete but then I wasn’t moving it just watching to make sure it went down in good order…
Perhaps I was missing simply my other half !
I’ve got my appointment in 15 minutes and another in the hospital next week. Meantime I’m feeling good….
The active substance is xylometazoline hydrochloride. Each milliliter of this solution contains 1mg of xylometazoline and each pulsation contains 138 micrograms of xylometazoline hydrochloride. The other ingredients (excipients) are dihydrated sodium dihydrogen phosphate, dodecahydrate disodium phosphate, disodium edetate, benzalkonium chloride, sorbitol (E420), hypromellose, sodium chloride and purified water.
Side effects that may occur rarely include: Anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, hallucinations, tremors and sleep disorders in children. Tachycardia, palpitations, increased blood pressure .
Currently everything has normalised so I’m very happy with that …
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