I thought the cardio version last episode would have been the end to this. But nope , like clockwork I was due. I have been journaling and keep track of how I feel. I usually see a dip in HR a few days to a week before ba episode. I seem to have them every 6/8 weeks with one exception in last year of a month a part .
Last episode was really bad . My heart rate varied in low range so low afib and my BP is on low side. It dropped 70/45 last time .
I am quite dizzy so resting . I have metoprolol so will take 1/2 as prescribed to see if it helps but they warned me my BO could go lower .
55 and this has been happening for a year . Non smoker , don’t drink , not overweight and healthy
Very frustrating
Written by
Krissy55
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Hi Krissy, I understand how frustrating this must be. Firstly though, a cardioversion is not a cure . It will attempt to get you back into sinus rhythm at that time . How long it lasts is variable. For some this will be maybe only hours or days and others several years.
I'm no medic but your BP reading of 70/45 is very low and taking a beta blocker at that stage sounds rather unwise !
I think you need to consult with your GP or cardiologist.
Less than 90 / less than 60 is the threshold for low BP so 97/71 is normal. I agree with Jalia, you need to be careful with beta blockers if your BP is already on the low side, but if you are in fast AF it makes sense to take a BB to get the rate down. It’s a bit of a balancing act.
Unfortunately cardioversion is a sticking plaster, but at least it shows that your heart can be in rhythm and therefore potential for an ablation.How has your blood pressure been taken?
If it's on a home monitoring device, they are rarely accurate if you are in af.
At the time my paroxysmal AF was diagnosed it was just because my BP dropped from 136/80 ish to 76/50 in a few hours. I spoke to my GP who organised me admittance to A & E. When I got to A & E they kept me in for 6 days and it took all that time for my BP to get anywhere near ideal (120/80). At that time the only medication I was on was Simvastatin and Ramipril.
There are other beta blockers available and it maybe wise to discuss this with your GP as Jalia has suggested. I am wondering ( just thinking out loud ) why you were prescribed a beta blocker when if you really needed BP medication why you couldn't be prescribed more specific BP control meds, i.e. Ramipril and Felodopine. I was always led to believe that beta blockers were a heart rate control drug yet often these days they are often prescribed for HR and BP - in other words, a multi purpose drug.
In my journey with AF I was placed on Bisoprolol ( up until August 2023 when I switched to Nebivolol ) - with Bisoprolol I was sleeping for England and my resting HR often dropped to 46 bpm at night when asleep and even during the day when I was active and working it only ever got to around 60 ish ... far too low for a 15 stone, 6 ft tall guy. Nowadays with Nebivolol I am much more active with a HR of around 72/74 bpm ish. I have got my life back.
My wife and daughter in law both have low BP. It should help you to a longer life but en route can make it a wobbly life! A beta-blocker only has a mild effect on BP but, as others have said, when the starting point is low, the effect might be too much. Add in AF to that mix and, well - bad luck! I have read that slow AF (which I have had) might need some further investigating so it's worth pressing for a cardiologist's view.
That's interesting. An EP is, objectively speaking, a cardiologist who has taken a course in catheter ablation techniques (often 6 months to 2 years, I gather, presumably part time). This can mean that they then have decided to specialise more deeply in arrhythmias also, as well as in ablating techniques. Your EP might feel that a particular non-EP colleague will have specialised in other areas of cardiac illness that will be useful to your situation.
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