Fatigue...

[Bramley01]

Hi I'm newly diagnosed fast AF waiting for echo a d cardiversion, I have started endoxaban 60 and bisoprolol 2.5 once a day, but the fatigue is awful, does this ever improve, I'm stressing about returning to working 12hour shifts. Any advice please 🙏

[Bailey2004]

hi, I struggled on and off with fatigue for last 3 years but after failed ablation in January I took the last 3 months off work and took up yoga, meditation and basically removed all stress from my life. Feel amazing for it as could even start exercising again even with short lasting episodes and I’m going back to work on Monday to try. My advice is to take time for yourself if you can. Hope your symptoms improve.

[Bramley01 in reply to Bailey2004]

Yoga has been suggested to me before, it's something I'll give a go ,thanks

[Czech_Mate]

Not sure if there is any general recommendation as it seems that AF affects different people in different ways. For me the fatigue comes and goes; that's what I find so difficult, it makes it so hard to plan things and I hate it when I promise to do something then let people down.

Your situation could be different, but I had to give up the nice little part-time retirement job I had with the village council here as I couldn't be reliable.

I try to have a basic routine and add to it when I feel up to it. (Today I'm in basic mode).

Cheers

[Bramley01 in reply to Czech_Mate]

Yes I know what you mean, I hate committing to do something and then letting people down

[Jalia]

I agree it is quite awful to begin with. Not something you expect. Your faster heart rate will make you feel weary. Do you know what sort of rate you are in? Also Bisoprolol will be slowing down your system and add to the tiredness. You should get used to this in time and it may become less of an issue.

I hope you get your cardioversion soon. It will make you feel like a new person. ( I know as I've had a grand total of 23 since diagnosis almost 30 years ago).

[Bramley01 in reply to Jalia]

On a good day I'm running at 90 ish but somedays it can be 50, echo next week so hopefully not too long for cardioversion

[Jalia in reply to Bramley01]

That's not too bad at all! You need to experience 240+ bpm as I have done!! I would imagine that it is the Bisoprolol which is causing the fatigue mostly. As I said, the dccv should make you feel much better.

[Bramley01 in reply to Jalia]

Thanks that's reassuring

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Jalia]

crikey that is a high heart rate . I thought my husbands was high at 160

[Jalia in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

160 is still high enough though! It was' all hands on deck' when I presented at A&E with 240+ as you may imagine. I haven't experienced that rate since my last ablation 2 years ago.

[mav7]

Welcome to the forum, Bramley !

Fatigue is common especially when beginning Bisoprolol. It will improve. Keep a positive mental approach.

Should it become unbearable, talk to your doctor but keep in mind sometimes we have to bear side effects to control our heart rate.

[intheweeds]

So about the bisoprolol, I was on it for only 2 weeks because my resting heart rate was too low to cope with it. It works so well to pull down our racing AFib heart but in my case I wasn’t in AFib continuously. So most of the time it was pulling down my normal resting heart rate, if you see what I mean.

I am not on any drug just now, because the AFib is intermittent. If I have an episode I can take a bisoprolol because it really does work.

It’s a bit scary having an episode and I am sure I will end up on a drug of some sort. The bisoprolol didn’t work for me. It made me really fatigued and woozy and even affected my liver enzyme level. I wasn’t on it long enough for my body to adjust to it, so maybe it’s a case of it will get better eventually for you?

Perhaps ask your doc about other drugs that may work? And the echo will shed more light on your situation as well. I am still waiting for mine 7.5 months now!

Know that you are not alone and it seems that there are many of us out there and on this forum who have the AFib…lots of support and positivity whenever you need it.

Also ask people how they handle work shifts with this drug…definitely ask your doc as they need to help you manage it. Ask for help.

All my best wishes to you. Stay strong

[Bramley01 in reply to intheweeds]

Thanks for your reply, much appreciated

[LordGabriel]

I waited nearly 5 months for my first cardioversion after being diagnosed. When I had it … it was like night and day! I felt so much better!

It lasted 13 months. Then during the 2nd covid lockdown I was lucky enough to have my ablation.

That will be 3 years in October.

So hopefully you will get back into rhythm with your cardioversion and then be a candidate for an ablation.

I still take the drugs btw, Bisoprolol included. 1.5 so a low dose. I feel tired of an evening but I’m sure that’s cos of just normal work and being 57!!

[Bramley01 in reply to LordGabriel]

Thanks for replying, it's good to hear positive things, so glad things have improved for you

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to LordGabriel]

Did they recommend to put you on blood thinners after as a precaution if it stopped working . Thank you

[LordGabriel in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

Yeah I’ve asked a few times to stop the drugs but they say to continue, just in case.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to LordGabriel]

I wish they had said that to my husband as he has recently had a stroke because there was no aftercare following his ablation in 2017 with meds for prevention of clots etc . His AF had come back with a vengeance , were the consultants words this week. We don’t know when as like I said in previous post he didn’t even feel it beating at 160 + beats . He now has severe aphasia and reading and writing is like a foreign language to him at the moment because of the damage caused by the stroke .

Regards Jackie

[LordGabriel in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

Oh that’s awful. Sorry about that. I did notice mine but the doctor said there could be a time when I didn’t so I stick with them.

Maybe things will improve in time with your husband? Hope so.