High heart rate after AFIB episode.

[Jetcat]

hi you lovely people. Iv had ectopics this last few days but tonight after work I ended up having a AFIB episode at home that lasted around 30 minutes and self terminated. Iv taken some ECGs and are in NSR but with a ectopic beat jumping in now and again but my heart rate is around 85 to 90 at rest in bed.!! It’s always usually quite a bit lower than this after past episodes and I’m a little nattered about it.? Iv no pain,dizziness, sweating or anything.

has anyone else had this happen to them.? Or am I letting my anxiety take over again.?

many replies will be greatly appreciated.

Thankyou all.

Ron.

[CDreamer]

My HR takes a while to settle if I’ve had fast AF 12-24 hours but add on the anxiety?????

I don’t think that is a particularly high heart rate but then my resting rate would be 65-75 anyway and after AF it would easy be 90-100 for 24 hours and jumps if I walk across a room. If you feel well, your AF has ceased then get a good night’s sleep as that is the best way to recuperate. Take care and ensure you are well hydrated.

[Jetcat in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks CDreamer. much appreciated 👍

[CDreamer in reply to Jetcat]

Hope you had a good nights’ rest.

[Jetcat in reply to CDreamer]

I didn’t get that much sleep to be honest unfortunately but strangely enough I don’t feel too bad to say I need my sleep.!!👍 early night tonight should do the trick.?

[Threecats]

Hi Jetcat

When I was paroxysmal it would frequently take a few hours for my heart rate to settle back down to its normal range following an AF episode. It seemed as if my ticker was “irritated” by what it had been up to and it took a good while for normal service to be resumed😊 Mind you, being the anxious animal that I am probably didn’t help either!

I hope you had a good night and things are calmer for you this morning.

All the best, TC

[Jetcat in reply to Threecats]

Thanks TC, I didn’t think of it like that but it does make sense.👍 I don’t feel too bad this morning and I only got about 5 hours sleep. I’ll have early night tonight 👍

[Keswickman]

Hi Jetcat,

I had exactly the same yesterday. I have some ectopics virtually everyday, sometimes for a few seconds, sometimes bigeminy for hours. Yesterday had a couple of short ectopics and then at lunchtime had what I believe to be an AF episode which lasted 30 minutes and then NSR. It was the first time I have felt AFib, heart felt like Animal from the muppets playing drums. Heart rate didn’t get above 90 and then settled back to normal around 55.

Was very unsettling and like you, the anxiety kicked in. I just remembered a post from a while ago saying’ AFib won’t kill you, Afib won’t kill you’. Deep breathing and tried some positive thinking brought me back to normal self. Like CDreamer said, a good sleep helped. I took my mind elsewhere, some ‘headspace’ definitely helps when the anxiety kicked in. Strangely, as it felt different to the ectopics I’ve had for years, it made me think that the anxiety I’ve felt with them isn’t too bad. How the mind works.

I’ve also read some of the patient stories on the York Cardiology website and the videos on YouTube. They definitely help with the anxiety and give lots of reassurance when the mind goes into overdrive.

Stay hydrated, sleep well and positive thoughts.

Best wishes

Nick

[Jetcat in reply to Keswickman]

Thankyou Nick. Very appreciated mate.👍

[Jetcat in reply to Jetcat]

What is bigeminy Nick.? the amount of ectopics I get sometimes is a lot.!! I can 4 missed beats a minute on bad days. But it’s usually 2 a minute for 5 minutes then a 5 minute gap then back to ectopics it’s very annoying and unnerving sometimes.!!

[Keswickman in reply to Jetcat]

Hi Jetcat,

Your ectopics, whilst unnerving, don’t appear to be too bad. I agree they can be unsettling, even a few now and then.

Mine come on, usually after eating too much or too quickly, and can range like yours for a few minutes with only a few a minute. However, on occasion they can literally last for several hours and they can number 20+ a minute. Bigeminy is when every other beat I ectopic. I haven’t worked it out exactly, but reckon on some occasions I am upto a few thousand a day. This amount is quite rare, maybe a couple of times a month. Then suddenly it stops and back to normal. Thankfully a recent echo shows my heart is structurally normal.

All the best

Nick

[Jetcat in reply to Keswickman]

The last echo I had was 5 years ago and it came back same as yours structurally normal thankfully. I’ll just battle on with them and keep intouch with you lovely people.👍

[Thomas45]

Normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100bpm,. As others have said it takes time to fall. There's nothing to worry about

[Jetcat in reply to Thomas45]

Thanks Thomas, I feel abit more mentally calm now I’m back in NSR. Iv got a cardiologist appointment soon hopefully.?? So I’m going to see if there’s anything I can try to calm the ectopics.! Iv been getting lots this last few months and their more troublesome than the AFIB to be honest.!!

[Teresa156]

Hi Jetcat,

My HR is also raised for a few hours after Afib and when I look back over the episodes I have had over the past few years on my applewatch, I can see that the heart rate does vary quite a lot too afterwards. This is before and after medication as some events I had was before I was formally diagnosed. As others have said, anxiety can definitely play a part too.

Do let us know how you are today and if it’s settled more?

Teresa

[Jetcat in reply to Teresa156]

Hi Teresa, thankyou for your reply. I feel better this morning especially to say I didn’t sleep much.!! I’m going to have an early night tonight when Iv finished work. Still having a few ectopic beats but not as bad as they were.👍

I’m going to try some different magnesium supplements.? Iv been taking normal magnesium but I’m going to read up and see what other sort may help.? Glycinate.? Taurate etc.?

[Teresa156 in reply to Jetcat]

Hi JetCat,

I’m glad you’re better, though sorry you didn’t sleep well, though that’s understandable …I take magnesium glycenate and magnesium taurate together…and higher than the ‘normal’ dose, but only because I don’t seem to absorb it that well and my levels were just in the ‘normal’ range on the ‘recommended’ amount…if you can, it might be worth asking for a magnesium level blood test from your GP? they should do it (mine does) but you have to ask for it, as well as Vitamin D as well, if you can?

I buy Nutri advanced magnesium glycenate ( sometimes on offer of buy 2 get 3 free) -and Viridian magnesium taurate, though it’s been out of stock everywhere recently so I switched to ‘Bio-care Magnesium taurate, which are about the same price and slightly higher Mg. I buy it on line from either ‘Body care’ or ‘Revital’. Both good, but Revital can be slow as they use RM and take longer to dispatch unfortunately I buy the mag glycenate direct from Nutri advanced. Both magnesium’s are expensive. Some buy just the glycenate and add taurine separately but it’s too much of a palava for me and I wouldn’t know how much to take, so prefer to take it like this - already mixed 😊

If you ever increase your dose of any magnesium , best to do it slowly over a few days.

I take mine throughout the day, breakfast, lunch and about an hour before bed ( and my largest dose then of 250mg) I take approx 575 mg a day ( but as I say, that is quite a lot) and I do believe it’s really helped me. Though I know it doesn’t for everyone unfortunately. I hope this helps….

All the best to you. Sorry I prattled on! I could talk about magnesium all day lol.

[Jetcat in reply to Teresa156]

Thankyou very much for your help. I have been taking magnesium but it’s the standard stuff and does seem to have helped . But I’m definitely going to switch now.👍👍

[FSsimmer]

Anxiety will not help, My RHR is about 80. I had a recent Halter test and my rate average was 90, periods of tachycardia etc. I was on Bisoprolo 5mg which is now increased to 7.5mg daily. Cardiac nurse said she was not unduly worried about my rate ( I am paranoid though !! as I have longstanding Afib ). That said it can take some time to sort the rate out. I am fortunately mainly asymptomatic...Some folks say get a monitor watch, but for me it will just stress me out and tell me what I already know, I am in Afib all the time!!!

[Jetcat in reply to FSsimmer]

Yes I’m a worrier too unfortunately.!!! It’s strange because Iv been worrying more about ectopics than I have my AFIB.!!! And you do rite not wearing a health watch too.? Iv got a Fitbit just to count steps but if I’m having one of those days😳😳😳 I’m glued to heart rate section.!😡

How long have you been in permanent afib simmer.?

[FSsimmer in reply to Jetcat]

Well, Dr Says its Long Standing Afib...Two years now, apart from 1 week in NSR after ablation. I am now waiting for a cardioversion, but I dont give it much hope. Think they will treat me with rate control. I have no problems taking medication and have minimal symptoms. Perfectly fit up to two years ago. I am 69 this year, so must not grumble!!...Take care

[Jetcat in reply to FSsimmer]

I love that saying mustn’t grumble.👍 they say if the rate is controlled and we’re anti-coagulated then we ok. Iv been formerly diagnosed with AFIB ten years now although I know Iv had it longer, I’m presently paroxysmal but things could change, So Iv got all this to look forward to.?

But I’ll be saying the same as you.!! Mustn’t grumble, we still here living and enjoying life.👍

[FSsimmer in reply to Jetcat]

I feel a frustration here!!....I am in a funny position as I have a health background. I was a nursing lecturer at a University here in the UK, so I have background knowledge; which in some ways makes it worse. I was speaking to an experienced Dr colleague some time back, after I retired and we were talking about health anxiety of which I suffer, and regarding disease process that we get he simply said 'what can you do'?.....I was a runner, I kept fit, I did not smoke, take drugs and drank only occasionaly, no family history of Afib, so what did I do to get it??....Just don't know, so I have to make the best of a shitty situation. So I CAN grumble ( and do ), but I just get on with it. If I dwell all the time it will make things worse. I do watch my pulse as I think they may have a problem getting me back into NSR now, so rate control if the way forward.

[Jetcat in reply to FSsimmer]

I get my days sometimes to FS.? I hate how the health anxiety is always hanging around.? It makes things alot more difficult to carryon with, especially I’m at work and iv got to try carryon as normal.!!!!😡 it’s draining.