It’s a saga but will make it as short as possible!
I have paroxysmal AF, big nuisance but I don’t usually have fast episodes any more, take Apixaban anticoagulant so I put up with it. On Friday afternoon while quietly looking at a book an episode started. As usual pretty nasty for first two hours but then calmed down so I was able to sleep. However, when I took a Kardia reading I noticed that my strip looked quite different to normal so I thought about a possible trip to A&E on that basis but couldn’t be bothered. Sinus rhythm returned on Saturday with a determination of Wide QRS - also new. I felt poorly all weekend and even more so when DrGoogle and helpful poster here informed me I had developed Left Bundle Branch Block since my last episode of AF but since I hadn’t done a recording since March I didn’t know when. On Monday I phoned my GP surgery and asked for an ECG, booked for Tuesday pm, a few hours after which I got a call from a GP telling me to go to A&E immediately. Turns out LBBB mimics an MI so a blood test is necessary to tell the difference. I had a very good experience in A&E where the doctor I saw was very pleased to be able to see relevant Kardia tracings but it wasn’t as helpful as it could have been. No sign of heart attack fortunately.
So being sent back to cardiology to see if my minimal AF treatment needs upgrading. Dr Google tells me that the gold standard treatment is a pacemaker like CDreamer’s but I very much doubt that will be offered.
So, don’t be obsessive but regular checks are good…..