Hello.
I am a 62 year old male from UK. In March I had chest pain, dizziness, fast heart rate. I was taken to A & E. AF was thought the likely cause. Following an echocardiogram (normal) a 24 hour ECG (not normal - mean HR 118 peaking at 140 and in AF most of the time) and a CT angiogram (still awaiting results) I am waiting for a cardioversion procedure.
I feel incredibly tired and nervous abut the whole thing. I found this forum and thought it might be good to link up with some others. 😀👍
Best advice is go to Atrial Fifrillation Association (who sponsor this forum) website and read till you drop then ask any questions here.
Thanks Bob.
All the reading material is here
heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
I would start with the AF fact file and FAQs sheets, come back and ask away, you will get plenty of reassurance here.
Best wishes
Welcome ajcooper. It is an awful shock when you are first diagnosed with AF and frightening too. My anxiety went through the roof and made things worse. It sounds as if you are in safe hands, and being thoroughly checked out and cared for. AF is treatable and you can still have a good quality of life. There are many of us sufferers and l am sure you will get lots of help on this forum, as l have. There is so much to take in at first and it can be overwhelming. Stay positive and once they get you on the appropriate treatment, for you, it will all be ok.
Hello AJ, welcome to the forum. Feel reassured that most of us on this forum have been where you are now. Lots with a much higher heart rate and we've all survived.
I first started with AF 19 years ago and went into headless chicken mode. It's scary when you're first told something is wrong with your heart. You will get used to the idea and the more you fret the worse you will make your heart rate go up. I know it's hard to understand at this early stage for you but trust me that is a fact. I think it must have taken me 12 years to calm down. Now I really can't be bothered to give AF the time of day.
What I would suggest is that you cut all artificial additives out of your diet. Artificial sweeteners were a sure trigger for my attacks. Also alcohol and the sulphides in wine can kick off attacks.
I've had numerous cardioversions (Grew to love having them as they always put me back into normal sinus rhythm) and three ablations and am now in constant AF at a lot lower rate (60-90bpm) than I once was. How I wish someone had told me these things before I had any of my procedures but here I am telling you.
Feel free to ask any questions. We always say that there is no such thing as a daft one.
Jean
Good morning AJ and welcome to the forum. I am sorry you find yourself here but be reassured you are in the right place. As already said, read all the literature and please ask about anything you are not sure about or want to know. We have all been where you are and hopefully can share our experiences and knowledge to help you on this journey.
As Jean said there is no such thing as a daft question.
Well done, you have found an outstanding place for helpful information. As Bob says you need to do a lot of homework and accept tests etc etc are stressful so to compensate start by cutting as much stress out of your existing life as possible.....there are alternatives and it will be worth it!
Welcome to the forum aj
I hope you find it as useful as I have, along with the Association website. I am now free of AF after a successful ablation last October. My AF was the persistent variety and very symptomatic in that I could feel my heart bumping around in my chest like a trapped frog even though my heart rate wasnt above 100 when resting. And the worst thing was breathlessness and exhaustion. I had a couple of cardioversions both of which kept me in NSR (normal synus rhythm) for a few days. However, those few days were enough to show that an ablation could be successful, and it was!
I’m forever grateful to the people on this forum who helped me to approach the condition with a calmer mind and with the courage to take the course of treatment I have chosen. Many people move on once their AF is fully controlled - through procedures such as ablation or meds - but a. I’m aware the AF frog could jump out of the box again and b. So much advice here regarding lifestyle is still so relevant! Hoping you have a successful cardioversion!
You will certainly feel tired, which is, I would say, a result of the anxiety heart conditions cause; it is something we all feel or have felt, especially in the early stages and until you get a full diagnosis and, eventually, become used to the condition, recognising that it feels much worse than it most usually is.
The condition affects, primarily, the top of the heart, the atrium, and is an electrical conductivity disturbance that originates in its left chamber, often around the entrance of the four pulmonary veins that bring into the heart the oxygenated blood from the lungs. The disturbance in the atrium leads to several things, including ectopic beats ("missed beats") and, sometimes, AF. The secondary effects are the ones you feel and are on the lower (much more important) heart chambers, the ventricles. This is to force them to beat irregularly and, quite often, faster than comfort allows (last night, till 3.00 or so, mine ranged from 85-125bpm, for example; some get faster rates, even up to 200+bpm, though much less commonly). This does somewhat reduce the flow of blood to the body and lungs and can cause varying levels of discomfort such as mild breathlessness and other symptoms. A few people get much worse symptoms from this, and a very few indeed need hospital treatment.
Overall, though, once you have the results of your scan, you will start to feel more confident and will be offered ways to control the symptoms. This can be tablets or a procedure called a catheter ablation. The tablets either work to slow the racing heart ("rate control" - usually one called bisoprolol, a beta-blocker) or to bring the rhythm back to normal, or "NSR" (i.e. normal sinus rhythm). These latter are anti-arrhythmic tablets, usually flecinide r sotalol in the UK (there are others). These are varyingly less safe and given only when needed by a hospital specialist.
Steve
Its horrible and scary, I got blue lighted into hospital back in covid times, husband wasn't allowed to accompany me and I was terrified. It still scares me if I have an attack but with medications I mostly cope. Had a couple more visits to A and E but have been given extra bisopural to take now if it happens . Good luck.
Thank you, all of you, for your kind and supportive words. It is scary and I have quite a lot of pain - and not just on exertion. I spoke to the hospital today and they say my cardioversion is listed as 'routine' which could be as long as 26 weeks! Yikes! My symptoms are worsening so my current approach is to rest when I need to, especially when breathless and in pain, but try to keep moving about. I am trying to speak with my GP to see if she thinks 'routine' is appropriate with increasing levels of pain.
It might be an idea to let your AF team know that you can be available to take a last minute cancellation. You will of course need someone to drive you home afterwards.
Hi Welcome
I was diagnosed with STROKE, RAPID and PERSISTENT AF then on the 4th day Thyroid Papillary Cancer was found.
Had to wait asap 4 mths for op.
BBs Beta Blockers initially Metoprolol did not control the 185bpm, nor did Bisoprolol 156 after 1 year 5 mths.
ACE was banned already with coughing... never wnted M.
I proved to ban M. as well. The 24hr Heart Monitor Test showed pauses at night when heart rate at night is 47bpm avg My Normal Heart Rate.
My controlled med rgime is:
120mg AM CCB Diltiazem. which takes me down to 60s Day. remains 47bpm Night for H/Rte
2.5mg PM BB Bisoprolol for BP control
=. Day 125/78. 60s
=. Night. 47bpm
A private Heart Specialist switched me to CCB Calcium Channel Blocker and I take far less than he imagined.
Unfortunately hospitals here in NZ put all stroke victims on Metoprolol even when like it said NO it will make me breathless!
All the best. Go to someone who is interested in you.
Before being transferred I had all the plugs on but these were removed before Carotid Arteries test then transferred to my local hospital where no further tests were done.
Imagine how I was until Heart Rate was under control. A zombie who could not exert myself.
It's a wonder I lived through all that.
cherio JOY. 75. (NZ)
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