Palpatations

[Sawny15]

I attended emergency dept on sunday with palpitations i had all night . But while i was there they stopped . Lots of blood tests but 1 raised a bit ? Heart failure . Ecg showed ectopic beats. Doctor reassured me x said wouldnt change medication bisoprolol 5 mgms twice aday x edoxaban once aday . Waiting for app for a echo scan x 24 hr heart moniter. How do people cope with palpitations that last a long time without keep going to emergency dept . I try to do relaxation xdeep breathing .

[Thomas45]

I used to ride them out. A cup of tea and tried to sleep. AF can be distressing but it's not life threatening in Itself. You are taking anticoagulant to reduce the chances of getting a stroke.

My paroxysmal AF, over time turned into permanent AF, though it's asymptomatic, so I just get in with life and don't dwell on it.

[Sawny15 in reply to Thomas45]

Thank you for your reply . Im trying not to dwell on it but its very hard not to. Hope yours is settling

[Fight-the-good-fight in reply to Thomas45]

Hi Thomas, when you transition from PAF to permanent.

Are the symptoms less severe, or do you feel the rapid heartbeat?

[Thomas45 in reply to Fight-the-good-fight]

I have no symptoms, but my heart is fibrillating all the time. When I had paroxysmal AF it was controlled by Flecainide, and had very few episodes of AF. I do not know when my AF went persistent/permanent.

[Fight-the-good-fight in reply to Thomas45]

Thank you.

[Tomred]

Hi SAWNY, IM IN AFIB THIS PAST 36 HRS ,I RIDE IT OUT, EVERYTHING COMES TO A HALT, MOST TIMES ,SOMETIMES ITS NOT SO BAD AND I CAN CARRY ON DOING THINGS, OTHER TIMES ITS DEBILTATING.

[Sawny15 in reply to Tomred]

Thank you for your reply im finding it hard to ride it out . Hope yours has settled

[Vonnegut]

You are on a very high dose of Bispoprolol and it just reduces heart rate not the irregularity. Flecainide does that for me. (100mg twice daily)

[Sawny15 in reply to Vonnegut]

Thank you for your reply i am seeing the doctor tomorrow i will mention it to him

[Vonnegut in reply to Sawny15]

The flecainide was prescribed for me by an EP I saw privately after my surgery had to admit that the lowest dose of Bisoprolol (1.25) proved too much for me and didn’t come up with anything else! I found him through the AFA. Good luck finding what works for you.

[Dinamite]

I agree with Vonnegut, Fleccanide is a great heart regulator.

[Sawny15 in reply to Dinamite]

Thank you . Will write it down . I am seeing the doctor tomorrow

[Dinamite]

whatever he says, avoid amiodarone. Wouldn’t expect him to think you need it but just a warning. I was offered that and refused. The side effects can be long lasting.

[Sawny15 in reply to Dinamite]

Thank you

[Rhoded]

Hi Sawny 15, I have AF and suffer periodically with palpitations. I was in A and E and like you they stopped after having to wait a while ! Have been a few times. They did bloods and everything fine. But they did refer me for a heart monitor and a referal to see a cardiologist! I have been waiting a long long time to see a cardiologist and obviously the wait is VERY long I was told a 1yr . I did have the monitor on,after an age got a letter which showed extra beats. Said nothing to worry about ! Ok ! They changed my bisoprolol to Diltiazem 60mg as I have Asthma and should never have been on them !! I take edexoban too.Took a while to get used to the change but SOB better. I think stress can be to blame for the palpitations sometimes. And breathing exercises good but you can easily be obsessed when the heart does silly things. I do not drink alcohol now as for me Physiological or not I think does not help. De caffeine tea/coffee too. I feel it helps me. Such a worry but on here sharing good and bad does help.

[Sawny15 in reply to Rhoded]

Thank you for your reply . . I am waiting for 24hr heart tape x echo scan . I havent had an alcholic drink since i was diagnosed with AF in dec . X i only drink herbal teas x decaff coffee x tea . Try to do breathing excercises . Ive bought a colouring book x a crossword book . X going to do some baby knitting . Take care

[TopBiscuit in reply to Rhoded]

I'm confused when I see folks talking about palpitations. What are they? I always thought that palpitations was just another name for AFib.

[Buzby62 in reply to TopBiscuit]

Palpitations Link heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

Hope this helps, I hadn’t seen this before,

found on the main website heartrhythmalliance.org/afa -Menu-Symptoms

[Ppiman]

I have them regularly, and have them now. You need the reassurance that the scan and the doctor's report will bring you as the anxiety will not go away until you feel sure that you aren't about to conk out (which you absolutely are not). Heart disturbances naturally cause anxiety to rise and different people deal with this differently. It's not a matter of "being strong" but of finding a way of distracting the mind from overly-focusing on fear of the future.

You mention"heart failure" and I don't know quite why you did. Is this your fear or what you were told?

Steve

[Sawny15 in reply to Ppiman]

One of the blood tests i had at emergency day dept was raised slightly the doctor said he wanted to rule out heart failure as my ankles were swollen . So i am waiting for a 24hr tape x an echo scan app . . Yes think it is fear . I feel as if i have lost me. I was shocked when the gp said i had AF in dec . I thought it was stress as my hubby had been diagnosed with heartfailure . He had AF for 2 years . Thank you for your reply

[Ppiman in reply to Sawny15]

Let’s hope the tape and the echo bring the reassurance that you need. I expect they will but I can fully understand how you feel just at this moment. I would guess that several here have “been there” as they say.

Steve

[Sawny15 in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you so much. Take care

[Sawny15 in reply to Ppiman]

Saw doc tues . He said after results from ecg tape x echo scan i have PAF With ectopic beats . For now leaving me on bisoprolol 10mg 1 aday x edoxaban x1 a day. X sertaline 50mgms 1 a day which has helped with anxiety . See him again in 2 weeks x

[Ppiman in reply to Sawny15]

That sounds good. 10mg is a high-ish dose of bisoprolol. When I took that dose I got a kind of chest ache, I seem to recall, although it was difficult to know what was what before my ablation.

Steve

[Sawny15 in reply to Ppiman]

No chest ache feel ok. Hope you ok . Take care

[TootingBelle in reply to Ppiman]

Hi Ppiman, I'd like your advice. Just begun AF daily palpitation episodes usually at night. I was told by my A&E doc to go back to A&E if an extra dose of bisoprolol doesn't stop it within a few hours. What I need to know is does this still apply if the heart rate is in the normal range during the palpitations? I see what you say about A&E just pumping more beta blocker in so am minded to wait it out but have been told this is not a good idea since I'm new to this? Also, is an oximeter a good way to check my pulse rate during AF episodes since I find it fluctuates. Many thanks

[Ppiman in reply to TootingBelle]

I often get my palpitations as soon as I lie down in bed at night. Mostly these are just ectopic beats though and not AF. Have you confirmed that yours are AF with a home ECG device, like a Kardia, Wellue or Apple Watch? There's a good chance that they are palpitations or ectopic beats, rather than AF, especially if the heart rate is normal (although my AF this week occurred at only 90bpm).

I expect most people here have been in your position of wondering whether to go to A&E. It's unsafe for anyone to advise whether a visit is necessary, however, unless you've been told what to do by your own doctor as each person's health and heart is likely to be different and risks can't be taken. Usually, if your doctor has seen a scan of your heart (i.e. an echocardiogram or MRI), then this would give them the confidence to advise better one way or another. I know that I would be reluctant to go to A&E given the current state of the NHS, but when the heart plays up, anxiety follows suit and that can play tricks with the mind.

I'm sure by far the majority of sufferers do just sit it out, though, and maybe (if told by a doctor) take an extra bisoprolol or similar to help calm any racing pulse (and doing that can often stop the AF, too - the pulse coming from the bottom left ventricle of the heart and the AF happening only in the the top chambers). Some people are given a so-called "pill in the pocket" (which is often a drug called flecainide) which is taken when an episode sets off and can directly stop the AF in its tracks. This a much less safe drug compared with a beta-blocker, though, and needs a specialist to initiate it to be sure it's safe for you. I can't take it for some reason.

I've never used an oximeter to measure my pulse as I already had an Apple Watch when my troubles started back in 2019, but I am sure they work as well as anything. I do have one and it seems to take my pulse very easily and accurately. You could just as easily count your pulse on your wrist, of course. You'll maybe notice it bouncing around a bit and being irregular. It's hard to work out if it's AF or palpitations from the wrist alone, though.

Steve

[TootingBelle in reply to Ppiman]

Thanks so much, this is really useful information. I will look into getting something like Kardia, I'm still a bit new to these strong on-going palpitations and hadn't considered ectopic beats. Once diagnosed with AF in the A&E the other week, I assumed that was the cause. I have an appointment at an arrhythmia clinic in two weeks so hope to get some angle on what next regarding treatments. Many thanks again - you're a star!

[Ppiman in reply to TootingBelle]

There aren't so many treatments, really. It will depend on how symptomatic you are when your AF happens. Keep in mind that the top of the heart can be jumping around without having much important effect on the bottom chambers. The left ventricle, in particular, is by far the most important as it supplies the oxygenated blood to the body. All treatment is aimed at keeping this healthy in the long term. To protect that, the heart rate needs to be stopped from going over 100bpm for extended periods and to do this, a beta blocker is most often given. These are safe medicines, usually relatively free from side effects, but which can sometimes cause tiredness. There are alternatives, if you can't get used to them. The atrial problem - the AF - itself is of less concern unless it is affecting the ventricles and causing lots of symptoms. In that case. an anti-arrhythmic drug might be given, usually flecainide or sotalol. An ablation might also be offered, but expect a year's wait at least on the NHS. Many people live normal lives with permanent AF. An elderly friend is one and he hardly knows he has it.

If your AF causes lots of symptoms, this will be because the left ventricle is less able to ignore what is going on "upstairs". This happens with some people and the result is to feel tired, breathless and out of sorts, also with high anxiety making everything feel much worse than it really is. AF can make you feel like the worst is around the corner - but it never is, assuming it's only AF that is responsible. Sometimes AF is a result of other heart problems, but this is unlikely. A heart scan is an important thing to have in my view, but a cardiologist can tell a great deal from a full 12-lead ECG. I would still press for an echo-cardiogram or pay privately if it's not available on the NHS.

An Apple Watch is the best of the home ECG devices, I have come to believe, having tried Kardia and Wellue. The Wellue stands out as it ah AI analysis for free and can run for up to 24 hours.

The ectopic beats are often more difficult to deal with than AF it seems from people writing in here. The "thump" feeling in the chest is always worry-inducing and if these come in runs or every 3rd or 4th beat, well - unpleasant is the word! But ectopic beats are considered "benign" meaning of no harm, whereas AF is not. But this is only because AF can cause small blood clots to form and these can occasionally cause a stroke. That's why, if such a risk is deemed to exist, an anti-coagulant is prescribed, such as edoxaban.

Steve

[Girlygolfer]

I use deep breathing exercises and go for a short walk in the fresh air. It normally goes off after a few hours. Take care

[Fight-the-good-fight]

Hi Sawny,

When I was taking bisoprolol my episodes lasted 10 to 14 hours.

I could not function on them. I was switched to diltiazem, 60mg twice a day.

Whenever I experience an episode I take an additional one (pip) and my SR reverts back to normal within 3 to 4 hours.

The episodes are awful and usually nocturnal, so sleep is disrupted.

Good luck.

[Sawny15 in reply to Fight-the-good-fight]

Thank you for your reply . Im seeing the gp on tues 2nd april hope to get some answers . . Although im feelingl bit better x more positive than i was . Still get flutters mostly at night when im resting. . Take care xxx

[Ennasti]

Do you have AF or ectopics? Most people have assumed AF but I didn’t see you mention this - maybe I missed it. I have ectopics (ie palpitations) every day. I can have up to 10,000 in a day. I’ve never gone to emergency for them as I know they’re not life threatening. Definitely unsettling - no argument there. I just keep on keeping on and try to think of them more like a nerve twitching. Annoying but that’s it.

[Sawny15 in reply to Ennasti]

Sorry i havent replied before i saw my gp on tues x i have been diagnose with PAF x ectopic beats . I dont have many ectopic beats get them mostly at night x yes they are unsettling .i do dep breathing excersises which help . X try to think of nice things . X