Experience when AF is triggered

[FedupwithAF]

Hi all, as someone diagnosed with Paroxysmal AF, treated with Bisoprolol and Apixaban I was wondering what others experiences are when on the cusp of going into AF, for me for no apparent reason I feel a flutter in the chest then my heart increases to somewhere around 200 BPM for a few seconds then settles to the usual erratic 70 BPM for the next 20 hours or so, I would be very interested in others experiences?

[wilsond]

Exactly so. A kind of feeling like a bird trapped!

[FedupwithAF in reply to wilsond]

Thanks for your reply, sharing experiences has some comfort and understanding.

[BenHall1]

Back in the day, at the beginning some 14 years ago my sensations were a fluttering in my chest as if several squadrons of butterflies were having dogfights. OR a bag of moist earth containing earthworms all wriggling away and having a ball ! Can't remember what my heart rate did.

[Paulbounce]

Hi Fedup.

When I have been in sinus for sometime I often know the second afib hits. I have never had a HR of 200bpm as it normally reaches 150ish.

Even when back in sinus my HR remains higher for days after. I tend to be 'on edge' for about a week after in case it returns but this does pass.

Good luck.

Paul

[secondtry]

Curious why you are not on an anti arrythmic drug eg Flecainide. My understanding is Bisoprolol controls principally rate only.

I have had the same pre-AF feelings.

[FedupwithAF in reply to secondtry]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Blueflags]

Hi FedupwithAF, I know what you mean, I know when I’m about to go into AF because I feel a flutter with a feeling as if I can’t catch my breath, then a short while later it goes mad!! My highest HR was 191 a few weeks ago. I agree with Paulbounce that for a few weeks after I jump at every little skipped beat as I feel it’s going to start again. 😊😊

[FedupwithAF in reply to Blueflags]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[50568789]

Everybody is different. My alert to AF was always a "lump in the throat", tightness around the neck and shoulders, and then breathlessness on exertion. Rarely seemed bothered by heart rate, though it would be higher than normal, and generally only really felt strong but irregular heartbeat when lying down. Carried on as normal as far as it went but stairs and hills were a challenge, and rowed back on the DIY and gardening.

[Buffafly]

I usually feel a few ‘clunks’ in my chest and then become aware of my heart taking off at speed. I think there’s a little fight where my sinus node is trying to overwhelm the rogue signals. Sometimes it wins but otherwise it takes a time for it to wrestle back control.

[FedupwithAF in reply to Buffafly]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Maril1]

Back in the day I was on Bisoprolol which made me feel weak in that I mean I had no go . I was only in my mid 40s a couple of decades ago. I was quite well built, not over weight and over 6ft and considered myself quite fit when diagnosed with flutter . I would be walking along and my heart beat would suddenly shoot up for just a few seconds but it seemed a lot longer( didn’t have a hr monitor on ) but this happened on numerous occasions . A little old lady asked if I was ok! This made me do something about it , I got a taxi straight to A& E. They said my heart was fine and couldn’t find any problems except my HR was 33 when I went in. They told me to reduce the Bisoprolol then that night during sleep it was even lower so I stopped taking it and within days these episodes stopped and heart rate went over 40 bpm which felt a lot better and never had the sudden ‘shoot up’ episodes again. The EP changed my meds to fleconide . Just my tuppence worth , but sounds similar .

[FedupwithAF in reply to Maril1]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Alan_G]

I was diagnosed 12 years ago and over that time it has become much milder. I have an episode once a month approximately. Sometimes the gap might be 3 weeks, other times 6 weeks or more. Whereas I occasionally get ectopics or feel a flutter in my chest during the day, it never becomes an AF episode. My AF episodes always kick in after I've gone to bed, usually when I'm asleep.

They are so mild though I have to check my pulse just to make sure. Even though my pulse is irregular, it does not raise by much (up to 80 I'd guess) and certainly remains under 100. At rest I'm normally around 60. I no longer feel the need to go for a pee which was very prevalent in the early days of my AF.

The length of the episode varies. it can be anywhere between 4 and 12 hours. I've never had an episode that exceeds 24 hours. It does not affect me during the day in that I carry on with my normal day procedures. I often have to check my pulse to confirm I still have it, although I can usually tell when I'm back if NSR. It is usually a gradual process where the pulse irregularities just lessen.

On occasion I've been able to terminate the AF by going to the toilet for a poo or even having a violent sneezing session. Going out for a brisk walk will also often terminate it.

I'm pretty sure my AF is related to the vagal nerve because I have to take care having cold, sweet drinks as they often cause palpitations that I feel could turn into AF.

[FedupwithAF in reply to Alan_G]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Cavalierrubie]

l get a bubbling sensation and l always know without any device having to diagnose that l am in AF. My heart rate goes high 160 ish and l can burp for England. Like yourself, HR settles thankfully. It’s when it remains high it becomes a problem and a strain on the heart, or so l am told.

[FedupwithAF in reply to Cavalierrubie]

Thanks for sharing your experience, I can relate to the burping!

[FedupwithAF in reply to Cavalierrubie]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[FraserB]

I usually feel a huge thump, followed by a few fluttering seconds of a quick heart rate, then a rapid increase to atrial flutter. Sometimes if I manage to take a deep, long, breath during those few seconds of quick heart rate, before the rapid atrial flutter begins, I can restore sinus rhythm.

[FedupwithAF in reply to FraserB]

Thanks for sharing your experience, some interesting information.

[Auriculaire]

I feel a few ectopics first and if I check my pulse it often feels very slow . This slowness is a more recent phenomenon. Then I feel it become irregular. I dig out my Kardia to check.Usually my heart rate is between 130 and 150 bpm according to the Kardia but I do not feel that in my chest. Nowadays I feel next to nothing there though for my first few episodes nearly 10 years ago it was full on fighting frogs. I often get a feeling of tightness/ constriction in my upper chest and throat but the intensity of that varies and early this morning when I went into afib it was absent. After about 30/40 mins the trips to the loo start and go on for 2/3 hours. Most of my afib episodes start between midnight and 4am and wake me if I am sleeping. They last between 8-12 hours usually though I have had one that was 22 hours when I had a bad virus last Dec. Towards the end of the episode I sweat a lot. As I type this I have just gone back into NSR ! I usually feel a bit wiped out for the rest of the day and take it easy.

[FedupwithAF in reply to Auriculaire]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[FedupwithAF in reply to Auriculaire]

Thanks for sharing your experience, pleased you are back in NSR.

[Snowgirl65]

Definitely like a squirrel running around in my chest!

[FedupwithAF in reply to Snowgirl65]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Shemac52]

I always feel generally unwell, heart jumping, head hurting and fatigue. HR never very high.

[FedupwithAF in reply to Shemac52]

Thanks for sharing your experience.