what next heart rate high again and I am now symptomatic

[grandadbren1]

I had heart bypass 2013 and pacemaker 2015 due to af and low hr. Then

3 years ago I started taking digoxin to lower high heart rates and it seemed to work.

I have just been to Spain on holiday and ended up hospitalised 2 days due to chest pain and breathless all tests revealed no heart attack, echocardiogram was good, ecg good but did show I was in atrial fibrillation which I have been for years and last 3 years it has been persistent but asymptomatic. I was discharged but I kept getting attacks so flew home early last Friday I had an attack of chest pain and breathlessness in Leeds bradford car park and ended up going to a and e again with no results and they sent me home with gnt spray which does not ease pain at all

I have done 2 pacemaker downloads and one showed heart rate had gone up to 180 for sort time. I am awaiting contact with arrhythmia nurse but I have been out this afternoon and really struggled with chest pain and breathlessness and came straight home did a download and shortly after it all became subdued and just left me with a dull ache on top ribs. I am taking paracetamol for pain but I am concerned this can’t interfere with warfarin and inr.

It seems these high heart rates and afib are causing my pain and shortness of breath can anyone advise me what next. I was told go to a and e if in pain but I would be going every couple of days at this rate

[CDreamer]

Can you contact your EP/Cardiologist’s secretary and ask for an urgent appointment? If you have an Arrythmia Clinic you might get an appointment with the Arrythmia Nurse.

If you have unexplained pain you might ask for further investigations including Microvascular Angina.

You may find the reply by Milkfairy on this post on the BHF site interesting.

healthunlocked.com/bhf/post...

Hope you get some answers and please do look after yourself, best wishes

[grandadbren1 in reply to CDreamer]

I have now been contacted by pm clinic the arrhythmia nurses have contacted consultant and I am going to be seen by consultant within the month the pain is supposedly with the af they are also changing my felodipinine to dilpiazam I am praying for an improvement.

[Jackiesmith7777]

How are you feeling now ?

[grandadbren1 in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

Hello JackieI managed to get an appointment with my gp Friday and he was very helpful he rang the arrhythmia nurses and managed to get confirmation and permission to change my felopdopinine to diltiazam and I took my first dose Saturday morning and within hours my heart rate had come down to 55/ 60 at rest. I have been out a walk to day and kept checking on exertion and it was only 90 ish so I am hopeful . I know I am in permanent af but up until recently I was asymptomatic even though heart rate could be as high as 180 which they managed to control originally with dogoxin. However my problem past few weeks has been heart rate going high again. I note from your previous posts your husband seems to have similar problems does he see an electrophysiologist /cardiologist?

Brendan

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to grandadbren1]

That’s what we’re waiting for . I presume we ll see the consultant about another ablation or cardio version . He was asymptomatic when he had his stroke although he said he had a really sharp pain in his chest about a month before and had become breathless . His heart rate was 165 going up to 185 and he didn’t feel a thing . As you might have read in my posts it was only when he had to sit in a chair in the middle of the night that I thought was because of his asthma so I listened to his chest for wheezing and his heart was beating so fast . A and E sent him packing with amprimil , no luck from GP next day as I was still worried and he had the stroke on the Friday . So fingers crossed we ll have an appointment soon . Thank you for replying .

[grandadbren1 in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

So sorry that happened if it had been identified as af he should have been in blood thinner to help prevent that happening. I hope he is recovering well from the stroke . My advice is make sure you are seeing an Electrophysiologist as they are the experts within cardiology for af. Whereabouts in the country are you? I go to Leeds general infirmary.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to grandadbren1]

Swindon Wiltshire . Great Western Hospital