I've been back in AF for 4 weeks, and my pulse was 80-90ish most of the time, but this afternoon and evening it's gone up to 100-130bpm, and feels really uncomfortable. I'm on 7.5mg bisoprolol and 20mg rivaroxaban. In my first bout of AF I was on 10mg bisoprolol and my pulse always stayed below 100. Just wondering if I should contact my GP practice about it?
I've been referred for an earlier appt with my cardiologist and received a letter that says I should contact the hospital if I haven't heard from them by 8th December.
Thank you for any thoughts on this.
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Belle11
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Hello. I’m thinking you’re in the UK? I’d say definitely speak to your GP in the morning and if you’re uncomfortable right now, I’d call 111 for advice.
Hello Silky, thanks very much for your thoughts. I suspected I probably did need to speak to someone so it's good to have it confirmed. Yes I'm in the UK, and will contact the surgery in the morning.
I would advise you to speak to your GP in the morning. He may well advise you to increase your bisoprolol. Meanwhile if you experience chest pain or undue breathlessness call 111 for advice.
I hope you can manage to get some sleep tonight. I've been in your position many times and I find that by propping myself up in bed and practising slow deep breathing helps to calm and take attention away from the acrobatics coming from my heart.
Thank you Jalia. It's interesting that you find sitting up in bed helps. I've been having difficulty sleeping for a couple of weeks because of feeling my heart thump in my chest. I often end up coming downstairs and sleeping in a chair. And a good reminder of slow deep breathing!
One of the GPs has phoned me - and it seems it's up to me to try to get an earlier appointment with the cardiologist. I was referred back about a possible cardioversion 2 weeks ago, and the letter I received said that if I hadn't heard anything by 8th December, to get in touch! So I hope I'll be listened to and seen earlier than that, and have the chance to talk about a CCB.
Thank you Vonnegut. I spoke to the Gwho doesn't want to change my dose without the say-so of the cardiologist. And it's up to me now to try to get an early appt at the hospital ...
Do bear in mind that whatever your GP says you would not want to stay in a fast rate until Dec 8th , particularly if you are consistently at 130 and above. That's my opinion anyhow but I'm not a medic, just been in the AF game for 30+ years .
My GP would hsve upped my Bisoprolol!
Is there an arrhythmia nurse at your hospital you could speak to ? Otherwise contact your cardiologists secretary.
I've never heard that we have an arrhythmia nurse at the local hospital. I shall ask! And contacting the cardio's secretary is a good idea. Thank you Jalia.
My experience higher Bisoprolol left me on uncontrolled H/R.
It was a change to CCB Calcium Channel Blocker which controlled my H/R from 156 and 10mg Bisoprolol to 51. Tweaked I ended up with Diltiazem 120mg AM and 2.5mg Bisoprolol PM.
That's what Drs do - simply putting up a med dosage because they rely on Heart Specialists.
I’m on Flecainide twice daily and have only had one very short AF episode 3 months ago, ended with an extra one! One of only two occasions when I reached the maximum daily dose, the other being around the time I must have been infected with covid (with no other symptoms but a positive test).
I do hope you get sorted soon as stress is not good for us!
I had a lovely introductory session with a woman who does acupuncture, yesterday. It is mainly to help with the fatigue I have which is added to as a side effect of flecainide but she took a whole history and may be able to help with the AF too.
So do I, Belle! My digestion seems to be working better but the fatigue is much the same though I enjoyed a very mini walk in the sunshine along our lane, enjoying all the green growth. I’m having a series of weekly treatments so things might well improve for me and I hope they do for you too.
Can I ask, could you explain "really uncomfortable" more precisely? When I get a rate of 130+ I get a kind of chest discomfort, not pain, that spreads through into my back, all on the left. My doctor has told me not to worry about that as it's "normal" for me and not a sign of anything sinister. The problem is that it easily increases my feelings of anxiety, and that makes other symptoms worse, as well, I suppose as pushing the heart rate even higher.
If you feel too uncomfortable, I would go to the nearest walk-in centre or A&E to have an ECG and be checked over. I would guess though, that it's "just" your AF. In my case, I started similarly but with atrial flutter for which I had a successful ablation, only later to develop AF.
Thanks for sharing this, really helpful. Yes, that's exactly the discomfort I'm getting - and into my back at times. It's mostly just below my ribs, and very much to the left. I'm not always sure if it's the AF, or pain referred from my colon, where I have a narrowing just where the descending colon starts, and which can niggle, and sometimes turn into diverticulitis. But from your description, I suspect it must be the AF. I mentioned it on the phone to the GP I spoke to a month ago when this episode started, but he seemed not to have a clue what it might be. It's rather affecting how I feel about food at present, and seems to come on more when I've eaten, or drunk water. Vagal? Or a digestive issue I wonder?
I asked the (different) GP today if an ECG would be a good idea, and I'm booked in for one at the surgery in a week's time! If it gets really worrying, I'll have to brave A&E.
I have diverticular issues, too, as well as a small hiatus hernia and reflux acidity. I’ve a strong feeling that cardiac issues affect the diaphragm and cause the left sided discomfort. Yours sound identical to mine. When all this first started for me, however, I thought it the other way round, and my doctor did, too, blaming all my troubles on the reflux / hiatus hernia. Much of it, too, was anxiety, I now feel sure. In fact, untangling the two is impossible for me to do.
Heart troubles can also cause issues including hiccups and burping, too. In fact, a friend who had a heart attack after a long flight thought he’d only got indigestion (he lived to tell the tale and for another thirty years, eventually shuffling from this mortal coil at 95!).
I hope you. find some solution to this quickly as a rate like this is uncomfortable. I think I would ring 111 if the doctor won't do anything, or ring your consultant's secretary. Let. us know how you are doing? Best of luck x
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