Heart rate 214bpm

[Lesleyray]

Hi, should I be worried? This afternoon went into a AF episode after my last one 3 weeks ago, currently on waiting list for my second ablation, now 17 months in.usually when I’m in an episode my heart rate tops is 140 bpm. Suddenly whilst in AF my heart went up 214 bpm, felt faint and very hot. Phoned 111 who arranged ambulance to come who in turn advised 2 hours minimum could I get myself to hospital, said no, to weak. One hour later went into sinus rhythm so cnld. Is it worth advising my doctor about this or just treat it as a one off and wait to see if happens again.

[Speed]

I’ve only ever hit 215 when out running and it would then settle to 115 when I stopped and sat down. Seems very high if you’re not active at the time. If you weren’t active at the time then suggest a call to your EP nurse or secretary for advice would be appropriate.

[Lesleyray in reply to Speed]

Hi thank you for replying, I’m going to ring the doctor tomorrow for advice, I was just sitting down but was so scared as this is not normal for me

[Peony4575 in reply to Lesleyray]

Sounds scary

[Lenaropes in reply to Lesleyray]

Your heart can not pump effectively at that rate. An example is make a fist and open slowly. You can make a strong fist. Try open and closing fast. It becomes weak. This not only is ineffective pumping but very stressful on the cardiac muscle. Yes please follow up with your physician.

[Lesleyray in reply to Lenaropes]

Hi, thank you for your advice, will try that. I have just spoken to my cardiologist secretary, because of Monday she is going to highlight this to my cardiologist as she could not believe I’ve been waiting 16 months, hopefully will have good news in a few days re an a appointment date for my ablation as my doctor could take a while to follow through this with them, fingers crossed

[jeanjeannie50]

Let someone know about this please, either your GP or EP if you have one.

Just once, I've had the same as you've described, feeling faint - struggled to keep conscious, sweaty and felt nauseous Paramedics came quite quickly and by then I felt a little better and my heart rate had dropped to 160bpm. They were bemused because my wrist rate said 60bpm and heart monitor they put on 160, it caused a big debate between them as they hadn't seen that before.

I was taken to hospital and the cardiologist there said he had seen it before. From now on I never trust what my wrist says and feel my carotid artery for my pulse. I spent several days in hospital afterwards.

I've never had it again, but am now another ablation (3rd) down the line.

Hope you stay well now.

Jean

[Lesleyray in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thank you Jean

[Frootbat in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Yes that’s an apex radial deficit which can happen in af. I get that myself and had to google to remind myself about it as remembered monitoring that in patients as a nurse many years ago! Never thought I would be doing it on myself! 🙁

[mjames1]

Absolutely let your doctor know!

And more important get from them a detailed home plan what to do if it happens again and under what circumstances to go to the hospital.

My first home plan was to take a rate drug like bisoprolol and/or Diltiazem to get my rate down to safe levels and then wait to convert naturally. Later, my home plan was to take the anti-arrythic drug, Flecainde as a PIP.

Since I got a home plan over 30 years ago, I never had to go to the A&E for an afib episode.

Very important to know in advance exactly what to do in different scenarios. Puts you in a lot more control, take a lot of stress away and most importantly, makes you safer.

Jim

[Lesleyray in reply to mjames1]

Hi, Jim, ringing my doctor tomorrow, I take flecainde as a PIP and I think that helped get back into sinus rhythm

[Paulbounce]

Hi Lesley.Given the sudden increase in your heart rate, feeling faint, and experiencing discomfort, it's advisable to seek medical attention immediately. If you experience similar symptoms in the future, it's crucial to get prompt medical help.Always know the nearest hospital to you and how to get there quickly. You'll be ok I'm sure but play safe.

Paul

[Lesleyray in reply to Paulbounce]

Hi Paul, going to ring the doctor tomorrow just to be on the safe side, very difficult to get hold of my cardiologist as she only works 3 days for the NHS other days private

[Paulbounce in reply to Lesleyray]

Good to hear Lesey. Defo consult a medic.

Enjoy your evening.

Paul

[Lesleyray in reply to Paulbounce]

Thank you Paul, early night I think

[Speed in reply to Lesleyray]

And we wonder why waiting lists are so long….

[Peony4575 in reply to Speed]

She will be seeing the maximum number of patients one way or another so doesn’t impact the total number of patients waiting to be seen only where they are waiting to be seen . If she was spending her time off in the golf course that would impact total number of patients waiting to be seen . Lots of companies give private health insurance because they want their employees back at work

[Finvola]

Certainly this needs to be reported to your physician - cardiologist or GP. Let him/her know that the increase to 214bpm happened suddenly whilst you were in AF and that you self converted to NSR.

Sympathy - it is scary - I had a short burst of 200bpm but luckily I was wearing a Holter monitor at the time so it got caught and analysed.

[Lesleyray in reply to Finvola]

Hi, doctors tomorrow for advice, normally my resting heart is 50/55 bpm so this was very high for me

[Finvola in reply to Lesleyray]

That's good Lesley - relax and enjoy your early night.

[Foxglo]

This must have been frightening for you. Definitely tell your Doctor who as well as giving you advice might be able to write to the Consultant letting them know it is getting worse and urgent. Just another thought have you considered phoning your Consultant's secretary and letting them know you are able to accept short notice cancellations. I expect you are keeping good records so you can show your Doctor. I wish you well.

[Easternmost]

Sorry to hear that you had a sudden episode. My heart rate hits 220 - 240bpm during an episode and this will happen like a switch flicking. Stress, dehydration or even bending/twisting are my personal triggers. I was diagnosed with flutter and ablated in 2020. Another episode in 2023 has seen me resume Bisoprolol 2.5 twice daily. Important to be anti- coagulated as well.

It is very frightening to have a very high heart rate, so I do sympathise. I’m female, age 56 .

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[bassets]

Sorry you have had this very frightening episode, but glad you. are feeling better at the moment. Please seek advice and let us know how you're doing? x

[Bingofox007]

scarey stuff. Definitely get an ECG done, I had similar once and ecg indicated anterior infarct, ambulance fromGP surgery to assessment unit. Turned out to be ok but was reassuring to get checked over. 214 is too high to not follow up. Take care 🦊x

[Byke]

Hello there, I too have been in that position. I have been in hospital four times in the last 18 months and am waiting for either heart bypass or stents, but this will take more than a year. My heart rate goes between 190 and 230. I wait half an hour and if it has not gone down I go to hospital where I am given intravenous drugs to bring it down. This is the routine I was given by the cardiologist. I hope all goes well for you ,take care x

[Sheepbreeder]

Whilst your heart monitor is displaying beat per minute it can be misleading. The unit might be calculating based the time interval between any two heartbeats, the average number of beats over 10 seconds or the average over 20 seconds. It's possible but unlikely to be the number of beats over the previous 60 seconds as this would introduce a substantial lag in the accuracy of the display relative to the actual rate at the time of the display. (If over the course of 2 seconds you went from 70 bpm to 200 bpm it would take another minute for the display to be accurate in real time) AF typically has a very irregular interval between heartbeats which is why the displayed bpm can vary widely depending on how it is being calculated by the device.

I once felt my heart race, looked at my watch and saw 220bpm and just had time to steady myself a bit as I collapsed on the bathroom floor. Coming around a bit later (not sure how long I was out) I crawled to the bedroom and called an ambulance. A few hours later I had my first CV, to be followed by several more over the ensuing 20 years.

[Jajarunner]

Advice your EP. He will probably move you up to the list. It happened for me with all three of my ablations. Good luck 👍

[Confused01]

Hi there…definitely don’t ignore.

That said I wore a holt for 7 days and in that time my bpm showed as under 49 many time but also 214bmp twice in that week, yet Consultant diagnosed bradycardia 🤔.

[GranmaWendy]

I would say def worth telling your Doc, if nothing else, it might make them move you up the list a little for your ablation

[Nightmare2]

hI, I have paraxysmal AF and agree yours went up quite high but it went down easily didnt it, i would inform my carers, but for now would not worry too much. For myself, i am off bisoprolol as my resting heart rate is around 50 so takes it too low. my Cardio has said when i get an attack, take 2.5 mg of bisoprol and to come off them daily, so all i take is Apixaban 2 daily.

He doesnt believe in invasive treatments unless AF is a continual thing, but you say you had 2 ablations already with PAF, for myself i would not have this at this early stage, but every case is different. My Cardio has left mine that if it become more often i can have pace maker to raise h.rate in order to give me bisoprol daily, but he says, this is invasive so while managed PIP, keep it this way. I am 76, never had a heart problem in my life. dont smoke hardly ever drink and walk daily. but AF seems to decide for itself doesnt it.

[fibnum]

Two hours minimum for an ambulance!?

Make arrangements with a relative, friend or neighbor to be on call and pay them to take you to the hospital, if needed, in the future. Is there a taxi service?

What do people do when they have an actual heart attack??

The response time where I live now is about 6 minutes. I am very fortunate, I know.

I hope it was a one-time occurrence.

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to fibnum]

hi

ON HOME ST JOHN'S AMBULANCE COMES STRAIGHT AWAY. OUR MSD PAYS UNDER OUR DISABILITY ALLOWANCE.

cheers JOY NZ

[Snowgirl65]

You certainly had a scare. Just to be safe, I'd definitely let your GP or EP know of the event, at least to have it documented in your records. I hope you don't have any more of them.

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

YES. See Heart SSPECIALIST.

only CCCB Kept my HEART RATE CONTROLLED.

For ask sprcial try DILTIAZEM pop. or loe dose daily.

I was left 187 on metooolol. With pauses for 15mths rapid and persosteny with fatigue, breathlessness.

typing left arm just home from rotor cuff repair.

cheers JOY.

[Lesleyray]

Hi everyone, thank you so much for all your replies, I rang my doctor who asked me to see him which I did, he is going to write to my cardiologist re what happened yesterday and to request an escalation for my ablation. He advised whilst it was a worrying episode that as long as there is no severe chest pain etc to take extra Flecanaide, if frequent to go back to surgery for reassessment. If BPM is high whilst in AF and not reverted back within a reasonable time to ring 999! I have arranged with a neighbour to take me if needed as a wait of 2 hours for ambulance would be too long. This morning other then an ache heart side felt back to normal, phew. Hubby can’t believe how I bounced back after last night

[Slidingdoors99]

No! Please! This is far, far too high.

Please inform your medical team.

[Lesleyray]

Hi, I have phoned my cardiologists secretary this morning as I felt I couldn’t wait for him to write, always time consuming. The secretary was shocked I have been on the waiting lists for 16 months, she is going to discuss with the appointment coordinator to urge a confirmed appointment and to advise my cardiologist re last Monday as she said this was unacceptable, so hopefully events will start happening, will keep you updated