ISO others with both AF and AV Block

[acordeon]

I am interested in finding others out there who have both conditions like me.

I have had 2nd degree AV block since my twenties. (I'm 52 now). It's very intermittent. Mostly happens at night when my HR is very low. (Also have some nighttime bradycardia). Have had some daytime episodes that last several hours. Has been 2nd degree for almost 30 years now.

Started with paroxysmal AF almost 10 years ago. Lately it's been picking up steam -- I've had 3 episodes in the last 3 months, all of which ended in cardioversion. I am now scheduled for an ablation for the AF.

I'm looking to compare notes about how to manage both conditions. For me it's a bit of rock and hard place because medications I might take for the AF (beta blockers etc) would tend to make the block worse, so they're never prescribed. Headed toward ablation now when otherwise would probably have tried meds first.

Curious how others have navigated this.

Thanks very much!

[2learn]

Hi, I was told to my surprise, last time, I saw cardio, 3/23, that I had 3rd level heart block. No one had ever mentioned it before and I'd been on beta blockers for years for AF. He said it was no problem as I'd had a pacemaker fitted 12 /21, for bradycardia, and that would look after it.

[acordeon in reply to 2learn]

2learn hmm! Did they give you any theories as to whether the two conditions are related? Like do they think your AF or the meds contributed to the block?

[2learn in reply to acordeon]

hi acordeon, no explanation it was just dropped on me in check up with consultant. No other consultant had mentioned any block when I had ablations or heart surgery. Didn't really take it in at time, but I looked it up on web and seems serious so wrote to consultant and got a couple of lines back saying nothing to worry about as I have a pacemaker which would have been inserted to control block. But as I said no one told me and I was told pacemaker was cos of bradycardia after heart op.

[bantam12]

I have 2nd degree block type 1 and have a pacemaker which allows me to take Bisoprolol without my rate going to low.

[acordeon in reply to bantam12]

bantam12 interesting! Did you get the pacemaker in order to be able to take the AF meds? My understanding is that it's not standard to get a pacemaker for 2nd degree block that has never progressed to 3rd.

[bantam12 in reply to acordeon]

I mainly had the pacemaker because I had awful symptoms from the block plus it allows me to take the Bisoprolol without bradycardia getting worse. I was offered an ablation for the AF but didn’t want one for various reasons.

[acordeon in reply to bantam12]

Gotcha. Can I ask what symptoms you had? And were you in block all/most of the time? And which were you diagnosed with first?

[bantam12 in reply to acordeon]

I had long pauses which could come in runs of every 2nd or 3rd beat, not all the time but would maybe be odd days or longer, this caused me to feel very faint and although I never passed out it was close !

I think the block and AF both showed up about the same time, I had to fight to be taken seriously and get tests done and only a change of cardiologist got me anywhere.

My late husband had 3rd degree block and almost died, he didn’t know anything was wrong until that day when the paramedic couldn’t believe my husband was still alive ! Incidentally he didn’t die from the block !