Constant AFib wrist meter advice

[bobkeen]

After a decade or so, my P Afib has recently become constant, so I now need a wrist monitor to keep tabs on just how bad it's getting without using my Kardia or pulse Oximeter on a finger. Advice on the best available model would be appreciated.

[mjames1]

If you're in constant a fib what exactly are you trying to measure? Heart rate?

If that's the case, the Apple Watch will do a good job, plus it also has an EKG function

Jim

[CDreamer]

Many to choose from, I think it really depends upon which smart phone you already have for compatability and which functions you will use. The iWatch paired with the Health App on iPhone will give you more than you could possibly need including oximeter - but be warned - it’s not that accurate at night as you are likely to get odd spikes both low and high especially when you move about in bed.

I started with Fitbit years ago but the build was appalling, they literally fell apart in a few months so in the 1st year I think I bought 3 and spent about twice wham I would have in getting the iWatch in the first place.

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

I use Microlife BP monitor. It shows BP and H/rate with memory.

It takes A1 batteries - the snall ines x 4.

cheri JOY. 74. (NZ)

[Thomas45]

What does "constant"mean? Is your AF paroxysmal or persistent? Is it symptomatic or asymptomstic?. Can you feel it?What do you hope to achieve by having another monitor?

If it is persistent, that is that you are in AF every second of every minute of every hour of every day for more than 7 days, a GP, cardiologist or EP will be able to feel it.

[Ppiman]

If you have an iPhone, then there's nothing to match the Apple Watch in my experience. My cousin has a Samsung equivalent, but it seems less well sorted than the Apple app. The Apple devices can also alert you to high pulse rate as well as AF and produces a very interesting and useful graph of events over time.

Steve

[Buzby62]

Apple Watch for me but only if you have and are familiar with the iPhone and Apple system.

I would think carefully why you want to see figures for what you already know, looking at your wrist every few minutes is not good for the AF-Anxiety vicious circle and also the added stress of getting to know a new gadget, they are not perfect and have limitations and it helps to understand how they work.

Hope my opinion is helpful but it is just an opinion, good luck.

[Offcut]

I have had persistent AF since 1992 diagnosis. I have had many CV and 3 Ablations My humble opinion is if the Doctors insist on a monitor, then look at getting one. But if you have one it could make the anxiety worse which will make the heart beat as you do not want.

My doctors accept that my AF is invariably going to show its ugly head whenever I am checked over and as long as it does not feel like my heart is bouncing around my chest, I accept it and so do they. I am a complicated soul with many conditions But I have found Meaningful and Distraction Techniques help so much. You could also look up

anxietyuk.org.uk/

Be Well

[Buffafly]

I would think if your AF is ‘getting bad’ you wouldn’t feel well? So then a check would be called for. I have a watch/band which monitors my HR every five minutes and shows my resting, average, highest and lowest HR and how long I spent in each level of ‘exercise’ (I don’t exercise but my band goes on my HR!). It’s fun and can be useful when I have PAF but I don’t think it’s accurate and I’m not sure how useful it would be in Permanent AF.

[Desanthony]

I wear a fitbit charge. Have always been in persistent and now permanent AF had 3 cardioversions which kept me in NSR for 3 out of 4 years but missed out on a timely ablation due to Covid. When I first had the fitbit I checked religiously every day to see what was happening - I am not obsessive just curious. I still wear the fit bit and read the weekly e mail it sends me. When I started back in the gym I wore a chest monitor with wrist read out so that I could be sure of keeping my heart rate whilst exercising under 130. after possibly 6 months I managed to get used to that rate of exercise and ditched the monitor. Now I am happy to say that I rarely bother unless I feel ill and then I use my Kardia to check what's happening and then look back at the HR on the fit bit and look at the time my HR spiked (sometimes high sometimes low) to try and work out what may have caused me to feel ill - so far haven't worked it out but feel that maybe one day I will. A few weeks ago had a spike at 160 and have no idea what caused it as I was sat int he chair at home and didn't feel ill it just happened that I checked my HR that day and saw it there.

[bobkeen]

-Thanks for the replies. I'm trying to keep tabs on my heart rate and Oxygen levels when I exercise. When I'm on my trike I use a Garmin but it doesn't show Oxygen levels of course and I find that the chest band is uncomfortable. I just wondered whether anyone thought that wrist devices are any better than the pretty useless TomTom I used years ago. -

[CDreamer in reply to bobkeen]

iWatch is very good for both HR & O2 stats and measures not constantly - you would run out of battery power very quickly, but every 3-4 minutes.

Heart Info for week

[CDreamer]

Hope this gives you some idea. I’ve used iWatch since first introduced and now on my 3rd and love it, not just for the biological recording but everything else you can do with it.

O2 sats