Hi all. I was diagnosed with AF on the 18 July as I had trouble breathing, so I went to see my GP. I’ve always led a active life so I was surprised to hear about AF. With in three days I had an ECG in the morning. That afternoon I was to see another GP. GP then made appointments for blood tests and echo scan in local hospital. I was prescribed Apixaban 5mg and Bisoprolol 1.25mg. This is very alien to me as not one for taking pills. The following symptoms continued Breathlessness/ palpitations/ fatigue/ bloating and the biggest problem was not getting to sleep at night, only sleeping about three hours per night. The earliest appointment to see a cardiologist on the NHS was late September. I made the decision to go private and still have to wait till 21 August. I’m now taking Furosemide 20mg because of my feet swelling up. From a active man a month ago to a total wreck now. Has anyone any idea what the cardiologist is likely to recommend. Sorry if this is a bit depressing but thanks for reading my post Cheers PC
76 years old with A F: Hi all. I was... - Atrial Fibrillati...
76 years old with A F
Good afternoon
Thank you for your post on the Atrial Fibrillation support forum.
Hopefully another member will be able to advise what to expect at a Cardiology appointment and what they might recommend.
I have attached a booklet 'FAQ' Frequently asked questions about AF hopefully this might be helpful.
api.heartrhythmalliance.org...
If you would like to keep in touch with the charity please follow the link below:
heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...
Kind regards
SamAdmin
Well it sounds as if you have a good GP who is looking after you well. You have had all the initial tests that are necessary for the Cardiologist to determine your condition as we are all different. The Echocardiogram will show the Cardiologist how well your heart is functioning and if there is anything adverse with it that is causing your AF. Once that is all clear, he will discuss the condition and your treatment in controlling AF. It does come as a shock to all of us. but is treatable and not terminal. Once you have stabilised on your treatment you should have a good quality of life again. I am sure you will get lots of help on here, so ask questions if anything is worrying you. My anxiety went through the roof at first diagnosis, and l would not have coped without this forum and the kind people who helped me.
This may sound strange to you at this stage but THANK GOODNESS you were diagnosed early and have a knowledgeable GP who got you straight onto anticoagulants - Apixaban - first line treatment to reduce the main risk of living with AF - stroke.
It will feel strange at first and may take some months to come to terms with, many of us felt exactly as you describe at first diagnosis. Knowledge is your best friends, know your condition, know your own body, AF is a mongrel condition and has many facets so the more you know, the more data you can collect to work with your Cardiologist/EP the better.
You might want to research the link between heart and stomach if you experience bloating, some people are very sensitive and need to avoid certain foods and drinks.
Bisoprolol causes some symptoms, especially in the first few weeks so things may calm down once your body adjusts to the meds. If you are still symptomatic after 3-4 weeks then perhaps speak to your doctors and review your meds, you have other choices but those two meds are the ones most commonly prescribed in the first instance.
The good news is that AF can be treated and you can live a relatively full and active life with AF, although some people may need to make some lifestyle adjustments.
You will be well supported here from experienced and knowledgeable people who in some instances have had AF for decades. I was first diagnosed in 2008 although looking back I had symptoms for most of my life. I now rarely have episodes and don’t take any meds other than anticoagulation. I now have other conditions which are much more bothersome but I had my moments with AF.
Best wishes
They may firstly try medication to help with your heart rhythm. I am in permanent AF but it is controlled by meds.
Starting the meds was the hard part as some of them take a week or two to have an effect.
I spoke to my heart guy last week on my annual check and told him I was in permanent AF and my heart rates when resting walking and cycling etc, his reply was that he was not worried at all about the AF as the heart rate was good, in his words we don't want a high heart rate as it wears your heart out.
I've stopped looking at my 'watch' ECG now as the last 50 times or more I checked I was in af.....
They may also offer a cardioversion, where they stop and restart your heart to try and get it back into sinus rhythm.
They may also offer an ablation.
I've not had either of the last two items but plenty here have and could elaborate more on that.
On balance after 11 yrs since diagnosis , I owe more to AF in terms of improved lifestyle and hoped for consequent longevity exceeding the downside, which is certainly still challenging particularly early on. I still think this is the case despite attaching a 48hr heart monitor to myself this morning; after an uneventful time for 11 yrs due to my symptoms having recently re-emerged in a different pattern.
If you can clear out stress areas in the rest of your life as an insurance policy to cover your early concerns that would very likely be most beneficial. As well as for other things sleep is important to keep AF at bay. So look at evening routines & possible sleep apnoea.
Lastly, visit, ask questions and search this forum daily. You need to be an active part of your medical team not just a passive patient!
Best wishes.
I think many here will have followed the course you are on. I would not see the cardiologist without having had the echo first, if that can be arranged. That way, the appointment will prove much more worthwhile, since the scan will reveal much that the doctor needs to know. An alternative scan is a cardiac stress MRI, which is the current "gold standard", but, done privately, this will cost up to £2500.
By the way, your GPs seem to have acted in an exemplary manner and have done all that a specialist would have.
Steve
I am 73yrs old and just one year into paroxysmal a fib. My electrophysiologist has agreed to carry out an ablation at the end of this month. I am anxious about this but trying to avoid the drug side effects and hoping for a good outcome.
Glad to hear you have had blood tests to ascertain if there are any irregularities that may have contributed to your sudden AF diagnosis. In regard to this aspect only, I wanted to ensure that a Vitamin D test was included in your bloods.
The reason for my comment is my experience of discovering a Vitamin D deficiency at the same time as my paroxysmal AF diagnosis. And Vitamin D irregularities have a well researched history of affecting various arrhythmias.
In my case, supplementation with Vitamin D3+K2 has much reduced the frequency of my AF events. This is detailed at the end of my Bio.
Good luck.
Hi
Yes we all got a fright with a diagnosis of AF. Breathlessness and fatigue was caused by the med given after stroke which I said no to. Ignored I was told that I could reduce 1-2 of the 3 x 23.75 pills. It didn't make a difference and I couldn't exert myself in any way. Had to sleep.
After 1 year5 months I demanded a heart soecialist. The first thing did was ECG, ECHO and 24hr heart monitored. It showed a heart rate 186 and pauses at night during my normally low 47bpm AF.
Another Changed to Nisoprolol but H/Rate 156 Day and 47bpm avg. Still not controlled under 100. Another 24hr Heart monitor.
Just left there. Some exertion so improvement.
The conclusion of the private Heart Specialist Beta Blocker can't control my Heart Rate.
Introduction CCB Calcium Channel Blocker. 1/2 dose 180mg Diltiazem brught me down to 51 in 1-2 hours. It was scary.
Now tweaked:
AM Diltiazem 120mg for Heart Rate control
PM Bisoprolol 2.5mg for BP control
=. 120-135 (Systolic) /. 69-79 (Diastolic). now 60s H/Rate Day 47 Night. I lost 5-6kg too.
I've been at this regime for 2years 56 months. Happy days. Rapid Heart Beat no longer.
It will be the uncontroled Heart Rate which wears you out.
But the ECHO will show what is going on in your heart. Atrium Chambers or Ventricle Chambers problems and a sensible Heart Specialist will try you on the appropriate meds.
He will generally have you get your screening like ECHO done at the hospital free. of charge in UK.
I have severe Left Atrium Dilation, regurgitation in right Ventricle and a bit of Valve leakage.
Systolic function and oressure normal.
But because of abnormal structure - dilation I can't have cardioversion, ablation or anti arrhymic drugs.
Bur Diltiazem works as an anti-arrhynic drug as it slows the heart dramatically. But you can't have this drug if you have trouble with your Ventricle Chamers.
Best of going forth quickly and sensibly.
cherioJOY. 75. (NZ)
You have a great GP.
I too had to go private after my initial diagnosis by GP as there was no cardiologist at our hospital as they hadn't been able to recruit one for 14 months. I think now there is one between about 5 hospitals so he does a lot of driving between the hospitals to hold clinics there once a week! Going private meant I had all the tests and scans at that hospital that day after seeing the cardio EP and saw him again before I left once he had all the results - he had them within the hour. I belong to Benenden who paid for the consultation and the tests so when the tests were offered had to call them to get them to confirm the tests and scans would be paid for. At the time he kept me on the medication I had been prescribed by the GP apixaban and Bisoprolol but dropped the dose of the bisoprolol as I had started experiencing low heart rate, making me breathless and fatigued. This went on to be quite a recurring theme as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers and any other type of rate or rhythm control medication at what ever dose and sometimes two different types at a time just did not agree with me and we eventually stopped trying to find one or a combination that suited me after a year as they made me feel worse than AF. I was not breathless and fatigued from the time I started taking these medications but became so after between 3 or 5 weeks. So when the medication was changed miraculously it would feel as if that had worked but then after 3 - 5 weeks I was back to square one. Sure things will be more straight forward with you.
Like you I had to go onto Furosemide as my ankles were swelling and at my scan with the Private consultant they found I did have fluid retention elsewhere so kept taking that for a while and have had to use it once more since then.
You will hopefully settle down to your medication and get back to somewhere ear where you were previously once on the correct medication and correct dosage for you. You may be offered a cardioversion to stop and start your heart and get it back into Normal Sinus Rhythm (NSR) this requires a few hours maybe up to a day in hospital and is generally not painful and easy and wonderful if you go back into NSR. If the cardioversion is successful and you achieve NSR you may then be offered an ablation which is generally a longer lasting answer to keeping you in NSR.
At diagnosis I continued to do weight training - slower and lighter weights and was able to enjoy walking mainly along the beach as we had a lovely warm summer that year. So don't give up on doing things just do less and take things easy if you feel unwell or in pain stop.
Take care.
I am 75 yr.old woman. Diagnosed in 2020. I was put on 3 different drugs before ending up with sotolol working the best. 40mg morning 40.g eve. Xaeltro 20mg 1xday. I had an ablation in 2022. Within 2 weeks I started having migraines 24/7. Then went to neurologist and was getting nerve block shots in my head for 15 months every 6 weeks. I have now stopped having the migraines but get 33 botox shots in my head every 3 months. Afib raises it's ugly head occasionally when I get stressed and high anxiety. But, mostly is controlled. I don't believe I would get another ablation. The migraines were horrible. I don't know if it was the meds that caused the migraines or the new meds I was put on. I have a wonderful physiologist that understands my fear of this condition. I trust God to calm my heart.
That's interesting. I had an ablation in March this year under sedation. I repeat one point the pain shooting up the back of my neck. Later that day I suffered an aura migraine and continued to have these daily for about 10 days when they stopped. I was told that they are caused by the transeptal puncture and often stop when this heals. I am hoping I don't get them again they were awful 😞
They were so bad for so long. I do not want to get an ablation procedure again.
Sounds like some of the meds could be causing these problems,can you speak to the dr ? Or cardiologist,but only my opinion and I'm not medically trained just what I have read about from others
Hi i am 77 and only diagnosed last year they have you on the meds, they put me onto, do you have permanent AF, i dont think so from the meds you are on. mine is the Parosymal AF, which is intermittent, hopefully not becoming permanent. My husband has permanent, and is on very powerful drugs to stop this, they work but the side effects are very unpleasant.
Dont panic, AF is treatable, and yourself like me, got idagnosed very late in life, so a lot of ours is expected with general wear on our old organs, we are the lucky ones, many are diagnosed in 40's and 50's, so have lots more years of theirs.
I am sure the Cardiologist will sort your particular condition, as we are all different with AF, different meds, and procedures. and your mind will be put at rest, i am seeing my own one 24th of this month, and have several questions for him, ones that i dont have confidence in my GP to know the answers to. one of my main things is breathlessness on exertion, but at 77 how much of what we suffer is just purely down to older age, I dont know do you.
Good luck and stop thinking the worst the Cardiologist will answer all your questions.👍
Hi All.
I was diagnosed in may with AF I was in Spain on holiday, my feet and ankles were swollen I thought it was the heat until I started getting so short of breath I felt like I couldn’t breathe, my husband and I took a taxi to the hospital I ended up staying for 5 days the treatment was brilliant they said I had fluid on the lungs and an irregular heartbeat. Last year April i had a heart attack and one stent fitted i was on blood thinners for a year then they took me off them. So back to the Spanish hospital they put me back on them also increased my bisoprol and added furosemide. Since I have been home I feel fine I’m waiting for the cardiologist report to see where we go from here.so I’m wondering if it’s because of my heart attack did that cause it. I’m 70 before my heart attack I hadn’t seen a doctor in years I didn’t take any medication for anything. A few weeks after my heart attack I noticed blood in my wee so I googled it wrong choice it said taking blood thinners can cause it. But my doctor said she was getting me an appointment at the hospital the results were grim I had kidney cancer they told me there and then to say I was shocked is an understatement. I was in a catch 22 situation if they stopped me taking the blood thinners to soon it could damage my heart so I had to wait 6months to have my kidney removed. The consultant said if I hadn’t had the heart attack may never have known about my kidney until it was too late as I never had any symptoms. Sorry for the long post but this is the first time I have spoken about it.
To be honest I think your doctor is doing a fantastic job, and great that that you have been proactive in getting a private cardiology appointment. The consultant will now be able to recommend treatment according to the results of the tests your doctor has arranged.
Keep people posted on how you're doing, and any worries or questions on treatment, I know from experience that very many on this forum are immensely experienced and helpful.
wishing you all the best
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