Can Anyone On This Forum Please Explain

[kocoach]

I just got back a little ago from a few hours visit at my local VA Hospital. While I was there I went into AFIB and had an ekg done. The Dr. came in and said my heart rate was high but it's coming down. I told her I know because I have paroxysmal AFIB and she said you have Chronic AFIB. I told her I know that's the same thing and she really threw me when she said NO you have Chronic afib, saying when you get up, or exercise you could go into afib but it comes back down on it's own. I said yes,I know I've had paroxysmal afib for 35 year's and she re-iterated that I had Chronic afib with a three branch bundle block . Can somebody tell me the difference between the Drs. Chronic and my Paroxysmal afib interpretation? This is a first for me, and I will have to say she was very through with treating me and the amount of tests I went through. Thank You all I'm very interested to hear what you say.

[CDreamer]

It a new one on me as well so being curious I did a bit of a search and came up with this:-

Rapid AFib can lead to a rapid pulse rate, chronic AFib has occurred for a long time, and paroxysmal AFib refers to short bursts of atrial fibrillation. Watch Theodore Chow, MD, of Regional Medical Center, discuss their differences.

To be hones I’m not sure I would agree with paroxysmal being short bursts of AF - depends upon your definition of ‘a short time’. My understanding of paroxysmal is AF which will convert to NSR without interventions rather than to do with the time it takes. If I wait long enough, my AF self converts, well at least it has up until now.

If you take the word chronic on it’s own it purely means constantly recurring so it would be correct to say I, and possibly you, have chronic, paroxysmal AF.

Hope that helps.

[kocoach in reply to CDreamer]

Thank You for that answer as it seems we were talking about the same condition but merely using different wording to describe the same thing.

[Buffafly]

So I found this, seems the doc’s terminology is out of date. This suggests that you have AF all the time but it speeds up and becomes noticeable when you stand up or exercise. Perhaps your AF has become persistent without you realising it if you are asymptomatic most of the time? However I have also found that doctors can jump to conclusions as a cardiologist I saw told me I had ‘permanent AF’ but changed that to ‘persistent’ when he wrote to my GP.

healthline.com/health/atria...

Hope that helps ❤️‍🩹

[kocoach in reply to Buffafly]

Thank you, I will ask my EP next visit in a couple of weeks although he seems very narrow minded "you have afib and this is how we're going to treat it" end of story, although he let me decide on my own for a few months before I went on an anti coagulant.

[BobD Volunteer]

Chronic means long standing. Paroxysmal means it comes and goes. That at least is that here in UK and Europe but I've no iddead what doctors in US may think. Perstistant means it is there long term and needs intervention to stop and permanent is just an agreement between patient and doctor that attempts to return NSR and futile and rate control is the future treatment. You can have chronic paroxysmal in my view.

I often tell people AF is a chronic condition not an accident nor emergency and should be treated as such not rushing to hospital.

[mav7]

If you are in the US, ask to wear a Zio patch for 2 weeks or a holter monitor for a continuous period.

This should determine your AFib status and proper medication. Let the doctors worry about terminology.

[kocoach in reply to mav7]

Have an appointment with EP 12th of september so will bring this up to him. Thank You

[marcyh]

Thanks for this good question. I appreciate the clarifications from CDreamer and BobD but I'm still not clear yet on the difference between persistent and paroxysmal.

Here is a definition: "Persistent atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a type of atrial fibrillation that usually starts as short-term AFib (paroxysmal AFib) and lasts more than a week. Unlike paroxysmal AFib, it may require cardioversion to restore normal rhythm."

I've always thought mine was paroxysmal (it's occasional) but then I have never let it go a week. I can't because it's so fast I can't function without my rhythm med. So what am I? Paroxysmal or persistent?

[kocoach in reply to marcyh]

If your HR is in afib all the time (irregular beats, rapid HR) and does not convert back to NSR on its own that's persistent, but if you go in and out of afib but it reverts back to NSR on its own than that is paroxysmal, it could be like in my case maybe two or three times a week but converts back to NSR within 24 hours on its own, I've gone as long as 10 days without afib but when it does it very rarely does not convert back in 24 hours. Not the best explanation but hope it helps. Best Wishes

[marcyh in reply to kocoach]

Thanks. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought never converting to NSR was permanent AF.

[kocoach in reply to marcyh]

It is the same as persistent afib.