Alive, with thanks: update on nightmare

[Redactrice]

Thank you to everyone for replies. I'm still wading through them but trying to avoid spending time on the computer.

I survived the weekend. Saturday night was so bad that the only thing that stopped me from ringing 999 overnight was the fear that I would be told there were no ambulances available. I simply stopped trying to do anything except rest and keep my heart rate from spiking again.

First thing on Monday I was no.16 in the queue to speak to my GP (e-consult wouldn't accept my request, advising me that I needed to speak to a live person -- yes please!!!!). Got an emergency appointment. I had the good luck to see the GP I wanted to see, one who listens properly and doesn't waste time on blaming (why did/didn't I...). He confirmed that I did the right thing in not taking the flecainide because it's an old prescription + I had no idea how long I had been in arrhythmia before the tachycardia episode, but he was not prepared to issue any new prescriptions without input from a cardiologist. He got straight on the phone to the cardiology dept. at the large teaching hospital 20 miles away, which is my preferred place to go (our small local hospital does not have a good reputation, alas).

So, the head of cardio is due to ring me direct -- within the next day or two -- to see how I am and talk through new prescriptions, which will probably involve an anticoagulant at least temporarily. He may want me to go in for cardioversion, depending on whether I'm still in fib.

In the meantime I'm managing with metoprolol twice a day as a baseline, to be increased if needed. I'm taking a conservative approach because I've rarely taken them, so still on 12.5mg, which is keeping me at 65--75bpm at first, but the effect tapers off within four or five hours and I end up in the 80s. The GP agreed that 12.5mg is one step up from a placebo and told me I can take 50mg 4x/day. If my heart rate goes over 100 -- raise the dose. If I raise the dose and I still go over 100 -- call an ambulance. Crystal clear advice.

I finally slept normally last night (the seventh night), THANK GOD, and feel more like myself today, although still in fib.

The GP also confirmed that there were no cardiac markers in my bloodwork from A&E (which no one told me at the time; I inferred it from the fact that A&E sent me home), so that was good news.

Big lesson: I should have phoned the GP in the first instance, but on previous form I thought they would send me straight to A&E and I decided to cut out waiting time by ringing 999, which proved to be a big mistake.

Another one: I need to upgrade my technology so that I can monitor myself effectively. Most of my AF is slow AF (normal or only slightly elevated heart rate). It may have been going on for a lot longer than I thought.

I've postponed the Covid booster I was due to get tomorrow.

Thank you all again for the input. Stay safe.

[jeanjeannie50]

Good to hear that you're slowly getting yourself sorted.

I have a very strong reaction to Metoprolol and my hospital nearly killed me giving me 100mg in one dose. I got up in the ward next day and collapsed. My cardiologist came running to my bed later, thrust a reel of paper in front of me and said look what your heart is doing. Well it meant nothing to me. My AF nurse told me afterwards that I must never take more than 25mg of Metoprolol or it could kill me. So please take care with the high doses you've been told to take.

Jean

[Buffafly]

I’m a bit worried seeing your title - sounds as though you have not read BobD’s ‘essential info for AFibbers’ : ‘AF won’t kill you, AF won’t kill you, AF won’t kill you’ (unless you try to run a marathon in AF). Good you have had a helpful response from your GP though.

[CDreamer]

Well done - GPs are the gatekeepers to secondary care. Once you have talked to the cardiologist you will feel more settled. You now have a plan and I am sure that in many instances all we need is a friendly voice, monitoring and reassurance.

HR under 100-120 is nothing to be overly concerned about in AF but often each person will have different tolerances. My HR in AF was rarely less than 135 and on occasions would be 180 or thereabouts. I could cope with with everyday tasks with HR up to 135 but got tired quickly.

Hope all goes well.

[Desanthony]

That's good to hear. Glad you have been able to see someone and they took you seriously and asked for advice from a Cardiologist. Hope everything goes well from now on. If you are top be cardioverted they usually want you to have been on anticoagulants for a month to 6 weeks I think.

[bgzcle]

Metoprolol is a very good medication to control your BP, however, as many have suggested, use as little as possible to maintain a balance in your blood pressure, using more can and will likely be counter productive and possibly harmful. I don't always follow the doctor recommendation, do to the fact no two people respond the same to the same amount of medications I found trial and error can be just as effective as long as you do it cautiously. Best of luck