Diagnosed April 23 via ECG with persistant AF but not the high pulse rate variety most members seem to have. Mine is always irregular and my pulse constantly ranges between 60 and 90. Not particularly aware of it.
Prescribed Nebivilol as beta blocker and Edoxoban as anti coagulant.
Marginal Stage 1 hypertension not yet treated with ace inhib.
Had Echo which revealed some heart structural issues and referred to cardiology on an urgent basis which in the south west means a nine month wait.
I had understood cardioversion may help reverse the AF.
Would be interested to hear experiences from any others with sub 100 pulse rate of the permanently irregular variety.
Written by
Hallane
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All AF is irregularly irregular. That is the whole point of it. The rate is irrelevant and whilst many people do suffer high rates it seems most people who are asymptomatic have much slower rates. Any treatment is only for quality of life provided that rate is well controlled (sub100) and the patient anticoagulated where approproriate.
Cardioversion (DCCV) will not cure or reverse AF although it may make a patient feel better. It is not a cure for AF and can be highly temporary and of course is not without risk.
Obviously life style, including a good BMI (sub26) , a more plant based diet with zero alcohol and stress can all greatly reduce AF burden.
Rate H/Rate is relevant. You mean his rate is irrelevant.
With H/R of 187 on Meterprol with pauses at night (which you could be having and needs a 24-hr monitor) and Bisoprolol 156 H/R day these H/Rates are relevant - it meant uncontrolled sweaty, fatigue and no energy.
To control was to be on CCB Diltiazem. It knocked it down in 2 hours to 51 some 105 reduction per minute.
Some folks are fitted with a Pace Maker to set heart to 60s. 50s Day at rest is low.
That's why the Dr wants you to see a H/Specialist. I went private to get controlled.
cheers JOY. 74. (NZ)
Not clear what you mean with "permanently irregular variety"... Does it mean that your HR goes up and down in the span 60-90 bpm? As BobD said, HR is irregularly irregular when in AF, but permanent change of HR in a wide span means something else - your arrhythmia should be better classified, it may not be AF.
The fact that your HR is low and that you have no symptoms, is good. It means that, despite in arrhythmia, your heart is still pumping well, meaning with large enough blood flow-rate. People with low HR (my resting HR is about 48-50 bpm and, when in AF, at 80-90 bpm) have less symptoms and usually live quite nicely with permanent AF. The secret is in low HR and in much longer time disposable pro one cycle of pumping, which makes the heart more efficient when in AF.
If I'm in AF my HR is very similar to yours,with an erratic rhythm. Not all AFers go into crazy rates. Apparently we are the luckier of the two types as there is great importance given to keeping the rate down so as not to strain/ enlarge the heart. I have never had a CV but understand its given to break extended periods of active AF, and sometimes to see if an ablation could be successful, not as a permanent cure.
My husband has permanent AF with similar rates to yours but is completely unaware of it . He is anticoagulated on Rivaroxaban and life goes on.
On the other hand I get infrequent episodes of highly symptomatic AF with rates in excess of 200bpm which almost always require electrical cardioversion to put me back into normal sinus rhythm. This has been going on for about 30 years & just part of my life . Could be worse I suppose.....
My elderly friend, now 90, has had asymptomatic AF like yours for very many years and takes nothing for it except warfarin. He does occasionally know he has it, such as when walking up an incline, but generally it doesn't affect his life age all.
My own AF has, the last few times, been at 150+bpm, but up till then had, apart form once after my flutter ablation in 2019, often been rather similar to yours, around 85-120bpm and mostly without symptoms (although anxiety adds to them).
What has your GP said to you about your BP? From my recent reading about this, it seems to be becoming a central area of long-term health concern that is well worth our while working on. Weight and sugar reduction combined with extra daily walking or other activity seem to be a way to keep it lower.
Often times a cardioverted patient will then be put on medicines for rate control (like beta blockers) and/or rhythm control (like Amiodarone): my.clevelandclinic.org/heal...
Hallane If you have not, respectfully recommend you verify your heart rate by wearing a medical device heart monitor like a holter monitor for an extended period. At times we do not recognize symptoms of afib and heart rate.
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