Can anyone explain to me the above, I cannot get a doctors appt for 3 weeks, Iam totally fatigued, i can sleep for 12 hours, walk for 15 mins, then fatigued again. Anyone else with the same diagnosis, thankyou.
AF diagnosis.: Can anyone explain to me... - Atrial Fibrillati...
AF diagnosis.
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saffron007
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It looks like a diagnosis of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) to me. That’s what I had prior to treatment. Although my heart rate was around 80 which isn’t considered very high (especially by those with paroxysmal AF on this forum whose rates go crazy-high!) I was symptomatic like you describe.
DOACs are anticoagulants that reduce the risk of stroke. AF increases our risk of blood clots forming in the heart which can lead to stroke and like most people I had to take anticoagulants right away. It sounds alarming but I feel lucky to have this protection. Can you do an online consultation to speed things up?
Further treatment to restore NSR means an intervention to get your heart beating normally again. So you need to go to the AF Association website and explore their info pages.
Being symptomatic isn’t at all pleasant but has one advantage. And that is you are more likely to be offered treatment to get your heart beating normally and so AF can be better controlled in the longer term. If you do have persistent AF then the sooner you get treatment the more likely it is to be successful. So let them know, especially the GP who is then more likely to refer you to a specialist.
Everyone’s AF is different. My sister has asymptomatic AF and never notices it. Yet I felt every step and every hill when in persistent AF and I could feel my heart beating funny.
Almost everything I know about AF I got from the amazing folk here so keep visiting and welcome to the forum.
Thank you so so much for your reply, i am so relieved i have found this site, i will call the surgery in the morning and voice my concerns. Thank you again.
Yes my husband was asymptomatic and had a stroke last year as he was unaware until his heart was beating at nearly 200 beats a minute going down to 160 . Only then did he start to feel ill but was too late to prevent his stroke which has caused him right sided blindness and severe aphasia as well as heart failure , although he had a successful ablation in 2017 it had obviously stopped working somewhere along the line .so sorry to hear of your husbands passing . If you don’t mind me asking , how long after his stroke did the dementia set in as I worry that my husband is now at higher risk because of his brain damage caused by the stroke . Take care
My husband had 40 bee stings on his scalp, in 2019, i was with him at the time, the paramedics came quickly, he was sent home after 24 hours. He was never the same, it wasnt until 12 months later that they told us he had a stroke in the LH side of the brain. He also had aortic stenosis, his health was declining before my eyes, he stopped communicating, became incontinent, hardly ate, he sadly passed away in Nov 2022 aged 64
That is so sad to hear Saffron. You have been through such trauma and all while Covid was happening.
So young too . What an awful thing to go through . My husband was 64 when he jd his stroke last year . I know I should be grateful he s still with us and of course I am . But he is very different from before , anxiety through the roof at the slightest thing , he doesn’t feel confident enough to go out on his own and he can no longer drive because of his vision . It’s like he s had all the fun knocked out of him . He used to be a proper chatterbox but now because of his aphasia he gets frustrated when the wrong words or can’t find the word to come out . Take care
You can’t wait 3 weeks to start anticoagulants (AC). Go to the surgery tomorrow and insist on a same day telephone call with the duty GP.
Next you need to see an Electrophysiologist (EP) as soon as possible in view of your symptoms, for a management plan.
I’m afraid that means going privately because of very long NHS waiting lists. Expect to pay around £250 for the appointment. Investigations can be very expensive and often the consultant will advise the GP about medication, an echocardiogram and put you on his NHS waiting list for possible electrical cardioversion (DCCV) and ablation.
saffron007 in reply to
Thank you, I will call the surgery in the morning, thank you again.
Hi, i dont want to be rude to your responders on here, but my advice is dont panic, speak to your Dr. you will be put on anti coagulants once AF determined, as regards all the tests mentioned by the previous responder to yourself, these dont happen very fast, i was taken to hospital when i had my first event of 160+ hr, lasting, had no idea what it was, but hspital didnt panic gave me 2 bisoprolol kept them there for around 4 hours and it becgan to come down, then my GP confirmed PAF type and straight onto Apixaban, i dont need beta blockers as my own normal h.rate is low at 50 and these take it too low, its now a year on and its only last week that i had the tests at hospital to see how the heart was operating in general and luckily they found no blockages or anything.
So dont worry, any questions, make appt to see you GP and express your concerns and ask for the answers you need, yes nothing happens too fast with the NHS i know, but if they are worried, the NHS still does act more quickly. Good Luck, you are among so many of us that have AF as for possibilty of Strokes and H.Attack, this of course can happen but its a rareity, and the Ap;ixaban etc blood thinners are the best meds anyone with AF can be taking, words from my Cardio at hospital told me this.
Thank you very much for your detailed reply, i have been in a panic, i was always a confident woman but since losing my husband of 30 years everything is a worry, I cared for him from 2019 till he passed in 2022, its been a awful time, he was a beekeeper and had 40 stings on his scalp, which caused a stroke, then dementia, our public house caused us so much stress/financial its just all been horrific. However life goes on and i hope to get this sorted and start a retirement. Thankyou.
I can sympathise fully with you, my own husband is a very sick man COPD and heart failure make it now that most things are up to me to carry out. and like you on top of this i developed AF last year, but if nothing else knowing my husbands prognosis, makes me appreciate my days, and know that one day i will only have myself makes me worry less about myself. Kind regards,
The main thing being that as patients we have involvement and choice in all decisions regarding our treatment. Like many GPs, mine was not up to date with latest practice and only offered the medication route. GPs can’t possibly keep up to date with every branch of medicine. It was at a public talk given by an EP that I learned ablation could be an option. I agre with you though, no panic!
Yes GPs are only GPs, but once AF confirmed as mine was by ambulande taking me in, GP then put me on the standard thinner and betalocker, then we are referred to a cardio at hospital who evaluates us and takes it from there, during the interim time from GP to them, i could always talk to my GP, who i found knowledgeable, if we cant trust our GP who can we trust. When i had an AF episode i did as GP said, sat quietly took my 2 beta blockers, and waited for it to return to normal, sometimes around 3 hours, thing is not to panic, AF and ageing sadly is very common.
Thank you for your advice, my GP has just called me I have an appointment with her on Thursday afternoon..............😱
Hi, dont even think at this stage about cardioversion and ablation. Just wait and see, many many of us with AF myself included manage our symptoms on meds and a good hospital cardio. cardioversion and ablation are determined by cardiologists and usually given in the cases that meds cannot control.
Best advice, deep breaths, dont panic, and dont lose sight of the woods for the trees. AF is not a death sentence it will be managed by professionals. Good Luck
Some reading for you in the AF Fact File
api.heartrhythmalliance.org...
All patient resources link heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
Once in that website you can also navigate from the Menu button at the top. Knowledge is power as is said here often.
Best wishes
Thank you, this site is going to be so helpful, x
Thank you Buzby
Thank you so much.
Something to bear in mind is that if you were diagnosed via a short ECG it is only a snapshot of what your heart is running at - the rate could be going up and down like a stormy sea! But if it was a holter monitor then that is probably the general rate. More details would be helpful, did the symptoms come on suddenly, how long have you had them, how were you diagnosed?
I have been like this since March 2020, dizzy spells (which i thought was vertigo), I lost my husband and mother suddenly, i had so much stress during the pandemic with my hospitality business, and I was drinking heavily, it appears to have been a cocktail of disasters. This site is going to help me I feel, thankyou............
I’ve just had a few rocky years too, hope things get better for you also ❤️🩹
Alcohol is a known contributor to AF. If you can, reduce or eliminate it from your life. I’ve only ever managed to reduce. I’m looking at balance and have only a couple of glasses a week. Each to their own. Good luck on your cardiac journey. You’ll be ok. Learn as much as you can and steer clear of advice which isn’t based on sound medical advice. There’s lots of crazy theories out there. This site is pretty good though and you’ll find most of it factual - and when it’s not you’ll be sure to see it challenged.
Thank you...
You could also look up info on the vagus nerve and its effects on the heart and there's a cardiologist dr gupta I think on york cardiology who is very level headed
Yes, many here have had the same diagnosis. It means your ekg showed atrial fibrillation -- the most common type of heart arrhythmia -- where your heart does not beat in regular pattern. This may be why you're not feeling well and why they want you evaluated both for treatment as well as anti-coagulation, which can lower stroke risk. It all sounds standard, but if you don't feel well enough to wait the three weeks, let the office know and maybe they can see you sooner.
Jim
Thank you so much for the reply x
There may be additional reasons why you feel so unwell. In particular an under active thyroid gland. And if you haven’t already had them checked, a full blood count and biochemical panel including blood glucose, may also be indicated.
jeanjeannie50 in reply to
Yes, so true re the under active thyroid. I thought my tiredness was all part of AF but I was found to have an underactive thyroid. Taking medication to right that gave me back my energy.
I would agree with the last responder about checking other things out as a heart rate of 79 should not be making you feel that unwell. Everyone is different (and I get had AF for 20 years so obviously gotten used to it) but I only tend to feel unwell when Heart Rate is over 110 and only dizzy when around 130 plus. Some people are more sensitive to changes and you might just be one of them, but I think I'd want to check out why you are feeling so fatigued. Good luck 🌸
TracyAdminPartner
Welcome to the Forum, I am positive all the members will offer you their advice and support based upon their own experiences, however, our Patient Services Team are here to help: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa.... You will also find a wealth of information on the AF Association webpage: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
However, the results must be relayed and explained by a health care professional, so please do make an appointment at your earliest convenience. You may also find our 'Preventing an AF-related Stroke' booklet helpful for a full overview of DOACs (Direct Oral Anticoagulants)
api.heartrhythmalliance.org...
Kind regards
TracyAdmin
booklet
Hi Tracy. It is often my instinct to direct newcomers to Patient Services Team and more generally to the AF Association website. Both have helped me a great deal in the past. However I wish the links were more easily to hand and/or more obvious on the forum pages. And in my muddled head I get confused with the two names, heart rhythm alliance and AF Association. I shall try to be a better sign-poster!
Hello Rainfern
Thank you for your feedback, I quite understand, just to clarify the Atrial fibrillation Support Forum is monitored by the PS Team of the AF Association:
AF Association webpage: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa/uk
Patient Services Team: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
Thank you for your continued support to all the members of Forum.
Kind regards
TracyAdmin
Copied into reminders, thank you !
Bad luck and welcome to our little club!
Next step... (if not already done) ask for an ultrasound scan called an echocardiogram to have a look at the workings of the heart itself. This will help in choosing future treatment.
AF is caused when some areas of cells in the top of the heart, the left atrium, deteriorate, for often unknown reasons, usually, I guess, ageing, but there are other causes. The condition tends to become more frequent over time, often years, with the so called "paroxysmal" (i.e. spasmodic") episodes increasing in frequency. Anxiety ("cardiac anxiety") often makes it feel such worse than it is as the downstairs rooms of the heart are, luckily, very able to cope with whatever partying and chaos are going on above. It can be very hard to untangle the physical from psychological effects of heart arrhythmias, as I have found.
We are lucky that it is only the bottom of the heart that pumps the much-needed oxygenated blood to our organs, so even with AF at the top and the higher and less regular heart rate it an cause at the bottom, the effect is rarely anything of great consequence. In fact, the effects are variable, with some lucky souls barely aware of it, and a few fully incapacitated by it - with most in the middle feeling a bit anxious and rather rough, needing ti sit or lie down till it passes (mine last a few hours). Much depends on the effect of the AF in the top chamber on the bottom and the amount of blood it remains able to pump. The ultrasound will reveal much more about this.
My elderly friend, now 90, has had persistent AF for many years now at a similar heart rate to your own. He's a lucky one as it hardly affects his daily life and he takes no treatment except an anticoagulant to prevent the possible strokes that AF brings in its wake.
Steve
Thank you Steve for your reply, i have a appointment on Thursday afternoon, so glad i have found this site x
I'm really sorry you have had such a bad time of it over the last few years. Stress is a known trigger for Af and so is alcohol as mentioned before. You may find healthy lifestyle changes will help and possibly mindfulness which you can find on line for calm. I hope your doctor can sort you out quickly and tell you what's going on. Keep us informed as everyone is in the same boat here. Best wishes, x
As others have said, stress and alcohol can lead to various arrhythmias.
In my case, my pAF was discovered at the same time as a Vitamin D deficiency, and this deficiency is a know cause of arrhythmias. So I would always suggest you ask your GP for a full set of blood tests, including Vitamin D, to ensure other blood irregularities are not indicating other causes of your AF.
And diet is important too, especially with your stress, and if you read this Forum you will accumulate ideas about what's best for you re diet.
Good luck.
Thankyou, so much
I should have added that since my serum Vitamin D level has been raised by supplementation from the initial deficiency level of 22 nmol/L to a much healthier (latest) 145 nmol/L, my pAF has reduced in frequency from every 30.6 days to every 113 days.
Vitamin D is no cure for AF, but it has definitely improved my pAF since those initial worrying "diagnosis days". And that's a big win in my small world.
(See my Bio for further info)
Sadly, GP appointments in the UK are virtually impossible to obtain these days. I have had to write several letters to mine to even get heard! Getting past the receptionist is the first hurdle in my case. Unfortunately, I had to take the private route to see an electrophysiologist who put my mind at rest. In our area there is a 23 week waiting list to see an NHS cardiologist and when you're worried, as in your case, which is normal, it's unacceptable. Sorry can't be more help but you will have to fight the system as I did. This forum is a tremendous help and has been a lifeline for me, thanks to everyone's excellent advice and experiences. Good luck and keep your eyes peeled on this site!
Hi - Absolutely try not to panic and keeping calm helps overall- First thing get to GP who will be able to prescribe an anti- coagulant - this is the most important medication you very likely need to start as soon as you can to reduce the risk of stroke which is a risk with AF due to clots that can form when blood pools in the heart due to the arrhythmia. BUT do think about getting advice on options 1) to restore NSR if that’s a possibility and 2) to explore treatment options and there are options and this is important as waiting times can be long so the sooner you do this the sooner you get onto a “list” - I saw a private EP and worth every penny (@ £250) and got onto a waiting list for an ablation which took @ 9 months - had an ablation Dec 23 and so far so good - no AFib in over 4 months now. Any questions and concerns just ask this forum - there are some really knowledgeable and fantastic people on here who will do all they can to help you - again don’t panic even though it’s understandable - you’ll be OK, you’re not alone but don’t waste time and start now to get the ball rolling
“Don’t panic!” The advice from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, has never been more appropriate. Take it easy or as easy as possible. Your surgery sounds even worse than ours re waiting to see a doc.
What about Lance Corporal Jones ... I have always taken my advice from this military hero ...
youtu.be/nR0lOtdvqyg?si=r57...
Hi
Ozziebob although I enjoyed the video of Dad's Army which I have seen years ago, whilst we laugh our fellow person is not a happy person. English humour is for some.
I say that when I had one - a English humoured husband.
I left 2 years after a lump in my indirect ingroinal hernia which caused him to laugh and a 12" circular black band of hematomas around my body was funny as well.
I was a very sick young 38 year old who had had blood transfusions after a 'talked in' hysterectomy.
cheri JOY. 75 (NZ)
I think you must be confusing me with someone from your past. 🤔
And my reply was directed to Vonnegut , not the poster.
in reply to ozziebob
Clive Dunn - what a star!
Hi
OK mot English humour but you directed the Don't Panic to Vonnegut.
This poster is anxious and just been received a positive ECG to AF. Not a good thing for anyone.
Your post advertised to watch Dad's Army and "DONT PANIC". It went on and on and on.
Poor Vonnegut.
If you can't see that it was inappropriate then empathy is not in your vocabulary.
I have been recalled for return of Thyroid cancer. I have undergone a CT with contrast and a Pet / CT Scan with contrast. Now on 11th June a MRI for the Pituitary Gland! A CT scan with contrast has been booked in for November.
I would hate it if you sent me a video such as you did.
cheri JOY.
in reply to Vonnegut
And don't go anywhere without your towel!
Vonnegut in reply to
Exactly and wasn’t it “towel day” recently? It was mentioned in the Facebook group.
in reply to Vonnegut
Oh, really? I missed that.
Aside from never forgetting my towel, my lifelong mantra has been, to quote the Vogon's: "Resistance is futile", which feels particularly relevant when it comes to AFib!
Vonnegut in reply to
Too true! But I’m still alive at 80 and succeeded at the deluxe Waffle today as well as Wordle, Waffle, Quordle and a “brilliant” score for Blossom, so brain still working which is a great comfort.
it might be a good idea to eliminate foods high in vitamin K which promotes blood clotting. Several vegetables would be included in that, lists available online.
Hi
Your ECG shows AF. You have AF an irregular heart beat. But your H/Beat is under 100. That's good news.
AF could be making you tired.
Some folks live with AF and do fine.
As you are not on the emergency list seeing a Cardiac Specialist is not seen as need to see a Specialist now.
You say that you have symptoms. They are similar to mine but my rapid AD is controlled. I am persistent.
Its been almost 5 years since the Embolic Left Frontal Lobe stroke.
But I had papillary thyroid cancer too (diagnosed after carotid arteries scan.) and underwent thyroidectomy 4 months later.
Have your thyroid checked out. You may be hypo thyroid not necessary cancer.
I would get your GP to do blood tests on you. Also B12 needs to be 500-700 level at your age.
Take care, JOY
75. (NZ)
Thank you Joy for your very informative reply, i am learning about things i never thought about until last weeks diagnosis.... x
HI
The medical team missed vital points in my care.
There was NO followup with Stroke Ischaemic with AF. I needed to get rid of Metoprolol immediately. That was the med given against my wishes.
A 24hr Heart Monitor would have shown that at 186 bpm with pauses at night was not the right med for me.
This medication and Bisoprolol another Beta Blocker did not control my Heart Rate.
Sadly I have a damage to my heart because I was left for 2 years 3 months then under a hospital heart specialist.
Guess I declined as last year's outpatient's Heart Patient 's phonecall.
Unfortunately you and I have medical needs and we are our own CEOs how it progresses. I had no idea that there was more than 1 beta blocker or othe blockers to try.
Timing of meds is also important.
I also awake early to take daily thyroxine - 1 hour before breakfast. It's automatic now as it's been 4 years 3 mths since my thyroidectomy for papillary cancer.
Take control. Take time and patient to find the best meds for you. Cheri jOY
HR 79 doesn't seem high, I usually run about 76. From what I have read the average person runs 60-100. You might just have a bit of tachycardia and not AF. Hope you see a Dr. soon. To wait that long is scary. Hoping we do not go socialized medical here in the USA
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