Different feeling

[Marymara]

Hi everyone, I am wondering why sometimes my AF doesn't bother me, I'm aware of it but that's all, other times it makes me feel horrible, I wonder if sometimes it's flutter which maybe feels different, or maybe perception, I thought I always knew when in AF, holtor monitor told me otherwise, anyone else get different experiences?

[WillowHawk]

I think I went 2 years not knowing. Then 2 years knowing but no big deal. Then this past summer felt all kinds of weird and weak- not myself. I am 2 months post ablation and feeling myself again. That’s probably not helpful. Among the many ppl I know it seems to vary a lot as do the doctor recommendations- wide spectrum. That makes our job harder as patients!

[secondtry]

Yes, I am currently experiencing (according to 48hr monitor) AF, pauses and other arrhythmia., which don't stop me doing anything and only occasionally make me feel uncomfortable. I hum which usually gets rid of it within 10 secs and my cardiologist was not surprised to hear that works.

I have for 20yrs done 2 brisk 20 minute walks per day and recently had another echo cardiogram, which was fine. My cardiologist has run out of drug ideas (he knows I am not keen on anymore apart from Flecainide) and referred me to an EP, who has put me on the waiting list for an ablation. In the meantime I am on my own to work out other options. Any suggestions welcome!

[Marymara in reply to secondtry]

I was told ablation won't work, had it for too long, upper chambers too big.

[secondtry in reply to Marymara]

Do let us know your plan, once a decision has been taken.

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to secondtry]

I think I'll try humming a few Christmas tunes to see if it helps my AF, thanks for the reminder. Have put my Christmas cushions on my settees. Christmas bedding on too. Building up to doing the tree and swags. Love this time of year.

Sounds like you're doing well in your effort to stop AF. My only tip would be to avoid eating/drinking anything containing artificial additives.

Jean

[CDreamer]

Sometimes it’s really difficult to tell but I know that ectopics and AFl ALWAYS make me feel a lot worse than plain old AF.

I forgot about the humming thanks secondtry for the reminder.

[Marymara in reply to CDreamer]

What's A F L??

[baba in reply to Marymara]

Atrial flutter

[Saltcoatslass04]

I also have times when I am not aware I am in AF . My dog behaves really strangly around me (very clingy ) or I have to urinate vast amounts. These are signs that let me know I am having an episode.Other times it floors me completely and I really struggle It can lay me up for a few days afterwards .

After three years (since being officially diagnosed, there seems to be no pattern to this crazy "illness".

I look on it as living with an eccentric old aunt She is harmless but some days she is just crazier and more active than others.

[Marymara in reply to Saltcoatslass04]

It's bugs me when people say it's harmless, it's not, because of it I have heart failure and I kept the rate down.

[Ppiman]

Having had fast AF and AFl, although accepting we can all respond differently, my experience is that both can feel equally awful but that the arrhythmia itself cannot be felt, only the ventricular consequences.

It seems to depend on how well the lower part of the heart responds to the quivering and chaos up above, and whether the valves cope well, too. Usually, it seems, the ventricles can turn their back on the upstairs party and just get on with their own work pretty well, maintaining a good output; sometimes they can't, and they accept too many signals through the AV node and beat too quickly and inefficiently. This tachycardia can cause the valves to become inefficient and allow blood back into the heart, reducing output further.

I have read also that some of us can cope well with low heart output, whereas others cannot, with no apprenticeship reason why.

Steve

[Tomred in reply to Ppiman]

Hi Ppiman, what is afl , first ive heard of it.

[baba in reply to Tomred]

Atrial flutter

[Tomred in reply to baba]

OH,,,, I should have got that one , lol.

[Ppiman in reply to Tomred]

Sorry - as you'd mentioned it, I used the abbreviation without thinking. AF and AFl are very similar in their effect (AFl being much harder to treat with drugs, though). The effect comes not from the atrial arrhythmias but that both seem to knock out the action of the sinus node, the heart's natural pacemaker. This causes the ventricles to have to respond to different signals and rely on the AV node which doesn't always cope brilliantly, thus we can get tachycardia, palpitations, chest ache and even breathless feelings from the slightly reduced EF (heart output).

Steve

[Fastbeat1]

I honestly think " ignorance is bliss " when it comes to AF symptoms ?

[Marymara in reply to Fastbeat1]

If you suffer from anxiety you need to understand everything

[Fastbeat1]

Sorry to hear that .

I have anxiety also and when I was trying to understand about all of AF it made anxiety far worse , this is because you cannot understand everything about AF .

[Marymara in reply to Fastbeat1]

Yes I get that, we are not cardiologist.

[Lizziedoodle89]

Yes I get af while asleep and totally unaware but then can get flutters when awake and makes me feel weird at times then others not so much