Does anyone get chest pain and breathing problems with their AF? My heart feels fine at the moment (not actively in AF) but I’m on Verapamil and I’m wondering if it’s the side effects of the medicine rather than my heart causing the pain and breathing difficulties? I have been to a&e with this a few times and they check everything out and say everything is fine but don’t solve any problems. Last appointment with the cardiologist said they want to do more tests to work out what changes to make but these are in 2 weeks time and my next appointment with him is in July! I’ve been practicing breathing techniques and doing lots of things recommended on here but it’s not helping. Would love any suggestions or would like to hear if other have similar problems. Thank you
Chest pain & breathing problems - Atrial Fibrillati...
Chest pain & breathing problems
Breathing problems are quite commonly reported when people are in AF. I can feel a sort of ‘air hunger’ when I’m having frequent ectopics which is part of my arrhythmia pattern. I assume it’s because it’s the heart working less efficiently. Is it only a problem when you’re in AF?
The best thing you can do is to have the tests and see if there’s anything else going on that you don’t want to miss. I’ve seen people on here dismiss their chest pain as costochondritis, for example, only to find out that something else is going on. Obviously you want more serious concerns to be ruled out so it’s good that you’re having these tests and IF there is something else it can be addressed sooner rather than later. Let’s hope not. I hope it all goes well for you.
Thank you for your reply. I’m actually having it when I’m not in AF which I find odd. It’s like a pressure in the centre of my chest that sort of fans out. When I exert myself in anyway I find it hard to breathe, and sounds a bit like the air hunger you mention. But my oxygen levels and BP all fine. It’s not all the time. I have an achy feeling that comes and goes but the this much worse pain and breathing seems to be every couple of weeks. I’m in a&e still waiting to see the doctor…
You poor thing, having to go through all this. I really hope it’s going to be fine. Once something goes wrong with the heart - and we’re all AF patients here so we know we’re not quite right anyway - it’s even more worrying when new symptoms appear. Sometimes we can go in and out of AF in a matter of seconds, and we don’t necessarily feel every heart beat irregularity, so it’s impossible to know what causes these symptoms at times. Fingers crossed 🤞
thank you xxx
Hi Green pink,
I’m sorry to hear about your chest pain and breathing problems. I have been having problems with that, too. Mine has been slowly getting worse over a couple of years and feels like I have a heavy weight/pressure on my chest whilst doing anything that requires even mild exertion and I struggle to take a full breath when it’s happening.. I’ve been on Bisoprolol for a little over 18 months and I do wonder if that’s played a part but I’m told not. Although currently in persistent AF the symptoms were present before this began and weren’t linked to AF episodes. I’ve had a CT Angiogram which was a failure as I was in AF at the time, so now I’m booked in for an invasive angiogram in a couple of weeks to see if that shows what’s going on.
I wish you well with your investigations and hope they find some answers for you.
All the best, TC
Dear TC, thank you for your reply. That sounds very similar to me and I wonder if it’s linked to the medication (verapamil) I’m on. I also have a CT angiogram in a couple of weeks so hope to know more then. Sorry to hear yours didn’t work and you have to have another more invasive one. I hope all your tests go well too. Best wishes.
terrible breathing trouble some days just going upstairs is hard
Yesterday I hammered 4 nails in and was breathing like I just sprinted 200 yards
I hope your visit to A&E produced some results as any chest pain or discomfort is something none of us need. I get it quite often, which I suspect is linked to my sliding hiatus hernia, even though the acidity from that is well controlled. During AF or severe ectopic beats, the aching worsens and spreads into the back. It is often under my left bottom rib and spreads upwards and backwards from there. It's all very odd, feels physical rather than heart-related, and the doctors I have seen are never concerned. I have had it so long now that I have come to think it cannot be important!
When my dose of bisoprolol was higher than the 1,25mg I take now (up to 5mg, and then 10mg), I recall having an odd kind of deep chest ache that I put down to those tablets.
Steve
i had that too. I kept saying my chest felt full which understandably they didn’t know what i meant. Also short sharp pains not big pain! Eventually i talked to someone in urgent care and we decided it was anxiety related, never having had anxiety I didn’t know you got physical side effects! When my husband had a stroke recently it all went away i think because i was concentrating on him not me!
Thanks for your reply Steve. I’m wondering if it’s to do with the tablets I’m on too (Verapamil). They gave me the all clear at a&e and sent me away with some codeine which isn’t very helpful. I have more tests in a couple of weeks so waiting to see what they show. Thank you. I’m
I do not know about the chest pain other than when I am in afib, but I do know I had recently been on cardizem (calcium channel blocker) for persistent afib for 8 months. After a time I started developing terrible tightening of my leg muscles but more on the left side. If I even sat down for 5 minutes I had to stretch it and even then it was very painful down to my toes. My left side is where if I have back pain, it originates. I just thgt my back was doing it. WELL….. I just had a ablation 1 week ago, and guess what??? After being off of that less than a week….ALL the pain is gone and I can get up easily without any issues. Also the swelling in my feet ankles gone. It had to be the drug and I was not on a large dose. 150mg
I do not know about your particular one except it is a calcium channel blocker. Has your dosage changed? Is it a new med? Any chest discomfort or change should never be ignored , so much can occur. Hope you are better!
Verapamil was NOT the drug for me. It made it feel horrible, like a walking zombie -- and yes, breathing problems (though not chest pain). Have you been taking it long?
Interesting! I’ve been taking it for about 2 months. What medicines are you on now?
I'm only on Metoprolol Succ. now and Atorvastatin (for cholesterol).
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