Arm ache

[Colutd]

Hi

I had my 2nd ablation a year ago for paroxysmal AF and so far so good but every now and then i get a horrible feeling inside my chest area that is difficult to explain but it feels like something is about to happen to me and fills me with dread and then after a few seconds, it goes away again.

After each occasion i seem to be left with an aching left arm and i get this sometimes without the aforementioned feeling but then the ache usually goes after a few hours but yesterdays episode of getting that feeling and then the arm ache is still with me at the moment.

I am awaiting an NHS appointment for my usual annual check up for the AF but no date given yet and i was wondering if any other AF sufferers experience this arm issue at all or if anyone has heard of others mentioning it and if they know what the cause is?

i would love to purchase something to capture what my heart is doing when i get that feeling but my apple watch or a kardia devise would not capture it in time as it would need to be live and already recording when it happened so if anyone knows of such a devise, i would love to hear about it. A holster from the NHS would do it but it can be a month in between occurrence's sometimes.

[jeanjeannie50]

I can only tell you that if I had what you are describing, I would be straight on the phone for emergency medical advice. You must know that any odd feelings in your chest and left arm ache can sometimes be symptoms of a threatening heart attack. You need to get it checked out asap. Please call the NHS 111 no right now.

Jean

[mjames1]

Like Jean says, get it checked out now at the hospital because better safe than sorry. And a good idea to go now while you're arm is still hurting then to wait because it may make diagnosing more difficult.

If they give you clearance at the hospital, EKG monitoring might be a good next step. Ask your doctor for a 7 to 14 day ekg patch. If you want to do it yourself, check out the Wellue 24 Hour EKG monitor.

Jim

[Jalia]

Sound advice from Jean & Jim. I'll be very interested to hear how you get on. I've had what you describe but only fleetingly. I put mine down to a longer than normal sleep on my left side......

[RobertTonkiss]

after recently having had a massive heart attack I like James and Jean emplore you to contact 111 or even ring 999 as any chest pain accompanied by pain down the left arm could be symptoms of a heart attack it is better to be safe than sorry

[Ppiman]

The feeling of dread (called "impending doom") sounds very much like a natural anxiety response. Do you feel hot at the same time at all? As a part of this, strange feelings in the arm and even the side of the face and jaw can be had - like aching and tingling. The chances of its being a serious heart issue seem very slight given your background since you will have had echocardiograms and similar, but, still - presumably you have told your doctor about this? If not - I think you should.

As for an ECG device to "catch it", yes - there are three available that I know of. I bought a Wellue 24-hour home ECG which works perfectly, and the company now make one that will record up to 72 hours. They are well priced for what you get and ordered from their web page, there's often a discount. I see it on Amazon, too, but a a higher price.

The Wellue device uses "AI" to interpret what it finds and needs a laptop or MacBook to be able to do this. The results are comprehensive compared with other devices and are free of charge, however much it is used. The summary report and ECG charts it creates are excellent and, since it uses two adhesive chest electrodes to collect the data, the signal is "clean" and noise free, unlike any device that uses fingertips. It's the nearest to a home Holter available, I should think. Your doctor would be able to read the ECG well, too.

Steve

[Jetcat]

it may be worth getting it checked out for peace of mind. It may be anxiety related.? But get it checked out either way 👍