Something new…..

[OldGrit]

At my annual pacemaker check recently there was no trace of AF and the pacemaker itself was functioning at less that 1% of the time which is the lowest ever.

However there were a number of episodes of “a more structured arrhythmia” on six days spread between February, March and April.

Each of the episodes I had already noted in my diary as I thought I had experienced some PAF.

A letter arrived yesterday advising they were episodes of Atrial Flutter and occasionally some rapid ventricular response. The longest episode was 12 minutes.

I keep a daily diary of activities and sleep (I have long term sleep issues ) and each of those days corresponds with mix of prior bad nights, stressful events (finance, idiocy, news) and being cold and unable to get warm ( mountain house and heating failure) . In one case I had put my body under enormous stress which was my own boneheaded fault - not at the gym but shifting a large amount of building materials. .

Nothing since, thank goodness. (At the time it felt like PAF but not as bad )

Treatment according to the letter was to increase my bisoprolol to 2.5 twice a day.

I currently take 1.25 as a pip when I have one of these events ( and normally I to go to bed and rest ) …I may increase the pip dosage but a daily dosage of 5mg would be a massive change.

So for now, continue with edoxaban and the gym …. and perhaps winter sun and more relaxation…and no shifting pallets of bagged sand and concrete

The new diagnosis was an unexpected and unwelcome surprise but it shall not beat me down!

Does anyone have a similar experience or have any wise comments on the proposed medication or any other aspect of this diagnosis?

many thanks,

OldGrit

[Tapanac]

obviously I’m not a doctor, but my EP raised my bisoprolol from 1.25 to 2.5 when I had a pacemaker implanted. However it lowered my bp too much snd back down to 1.25 now. I would have thought in my experience going from a 1.25 pip to 5 mgs afib seems a big jump.

Bisoprolol as you know is a rate control and something like flecainide is a rhythm control.

I think I would contact your EP again as the jump is quite a large one for occasional afib

All the best to you

[OldGrit in reply to Tapanac]

Thanks. I appreciate your response. You confirm what I was thinking….

I had what felt like a light flutter yesterday evening, I took 1.25 and rested.

I don’t feel ill with this - just uncomfortable.

After a reasonable sleep I feel fine and just about to walk into town.

I worry that an increased dose would leave me feeling less energetic and unable to enjoy getting out and about on foot … so I will discuss with my consultant…