afib 😪😪

[lambretta1968]

Back in AE with afib , heart was 150 bpm , also have heart failure is this the end 💔

[Cavalierrubie]

No, l don’t think so! I have just been speaking to a member who had an ablation and it reversed his HF.

Heart Failure is an awful term and sounds like the end. It just means your heart is not pumping as it should. Lots have had this reversed with the appropriate treatment. What is your health plan at the moment?

I always have fast AF with HR up to 150. As long as it doesn’t stay there for too long it’s ok.

Don’t get down, because it certainly is not the end. You are not alone and hope some more encouragement comes along on here for you.

Chris

[lambretta1968 in reply to Cavalierrubie]

hi Chris, i left AE with a prescription for bisoprolol to lower the heart rate and to wait for the Cardiology department up in Edinburgh to get in touch . Today has been a bad day , thank you so much for your support

[Cavalierrubie in reply to lambretta1968]

Yes, always something to mess your day up! Bisoprolol should get the HR down. That’s what l take as a PIP. Cardiology will sort you out and probably recommend an ablation, but l am not a medic. AF is scary at times. Good luck.

[lambretta1968 in reply to Cavalierrubie]

I had a ablation at the start of January, at the time it had been successful 😪 thank you , wishing you best of health

[Cavalierrubie in reply to lambretta1968]

Oh sorry. It wasn’t on your profile. (Being nosey!). Perhaps you need a top up then? You take care and keep smiling.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to lambretta1968]

If you had it then it is still too early to shout fail IMHO.

[Karendeena in reply to lambretta1968]

Do you mean January 2025? If so this could be expected as you are still in the early days of the blanking period

[Threecats]

Hi lambretta1968,

It’s alarming when the term heart failure is bandied about for sure but, as Cavalierrubie has said, it’s a horrible term that just means your heart isn’t working quite as efficiently as it did.

My mother was hospitalised with high rate AFib and heart failure 12 years ago. In her case it was the continually high heart rate that had been going on a long time due to untreated AFib that tipped her into heart failure. She was put on meds and is still going strong. She’ll be celebrating her 90th this year, so I reckon there’s hope for you yet😊

I would suggest you push for a referral back to the EP who did your ablation to follow up, if you haven’t done so already, of course.

All the best to you, TC

[lambretta1968 in reply to Threecats]

thank you so much , gives me hope ❤️

[Threecats in reply to lambretta1968]

You’re welcome. Whilst we’re upright and breathing there’s always hope😀 I have permanent AFib and was diagnosed with mild heart failure last year but I’m still here, too and not planning on going anywhere anytime soon😀

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Threecats]

Your dear mother is amazing. That has cheered me up today too. Thank you.

[Threecats in reply to Cavalierrubie]

I’m glad to hear that😊 She is an amazing lady, for sure and still keeps me in check😂

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Threecats]

Bless her. Take great care of her, as l am sure you do. She is irreplaceable. 🥰

[Threecats in reply to Cavalierrubie]

I do my best, for sure. Happily she only lives a 5 minute walk away now, so I see her daily . Have to be careful doing jobs for her as she still wants to do everything for herself - apparently only old people need help - goodness knows how old they are 😂

[Cavalierrubie in reply to Threecats]

😂😂😂😂😂. That’s why she is still here!

[Lupaal in reply to Threecats]

Reminds me of my late mother in law, at 89 she used to say she was off to help the old people!

[Qualipop in reply to Lupaal]

Hahaha, I have a friend aged 85 who is still working full time as a carer. She often talks about her old ladies who are ALL younger than she is. She has dogs and horses and often drives the length of the country to dog shows on her own.

[Karendeena in reply to Threecats]

This is my mum at almost 97!

[opal11uk]

No, it's not the end! I have been in perm A/F and heart failure, dreadful terminology , for over 2 years and apart from breathlessness and fluid retention, for which I am medicated, life goes on. You are receiving treatment for your condition so live life to the full, within your capabilities and don't waste it worrying about your death, that comes to us all in the end but we have to realise that worrying about it is not going to help and does no good anyway lol xxx

[fairgo45]

I'm also in permanent afib and was diognosed with Heart failure as well as left distolic disfunction also known as stiff heart HFpEF is treatable with jardiance it really changed my energy levels I was very breathless with minimum excercise before

I know initially I thought like you it was depressing news but jardiance changed all that so have a chat with your GP or cardiologist you won't regret it

[lambretta1968 in reply to fairgo45]

thank you

[oscarfox49]

I agree that 'heart failure' is probably the worst term that anybody could have ever come up with it, especially as it is not 'accurate'. The French and many other languages refer to 'cardiac insufficiency' which is far more understandable. If we have AF our hearts are not operating as they should, but when your heart fails, you are dead! That's not the case in 'heart failure' as described of course.

I have a friend who was diagnosed with heart failure two years ago and went back to the UK. He is actually better now than he was then and they are wondering if the diagnosis was correct.

So listen to what your medical experts say and advise and don't be too depressed by the clumsy terminology. It depends very much on what the details of your diagnosis say, or don't say.

[AmandaLouise77]

Heart failure is a horrible term . Just try to think that your heart isn't working quite as well as it should and needs some help. A year ago I had just had my ablation, having been in persistent AF and moderate heart failure. A year on I'm still in NSR, the heart failure has been reversed, I've just come home from a fabulous skiing holiday where I promptly burst into tears when I realised that finally I'd got my old life back. I'm planning an expedition cruise in the Arctic this summer. Early last year I thought my life was finished. I could barely walk to the car and had to rest climbing the stairs. There are treatments and drugs that can and will help you.

[Lilypocket]

Hello

If you had an ablation in January the heart is still sorting itself out ( you are probably still inside the blanking period) . After my ablation my heart went bonkers and my EF dropped to a very low number but today while not 100% Afib free I consider it a success ( 6 episodes last year instead of 180 before ablation). Don't be too despondent I'm sure you will get sorted .

Wishing you the best

Take care.

[Vonnegut]

Try to keep calm with gentle breathing and positive thoughts and us supporting you!

[Slidingdoors99]

No, no! Really it isn’t. 🙏🙏🙏

[Lizziedoodle89]

Hope you are doing better,

[Karendeena]

I have had heart rates much faster than that lasting over 36 hours each time, what makes you think it's the end? My mum had AF and heart failure and is still with me at almost 97 thank God ❤️

[Kernowafibber]

Hi. I was in exactly your position about 18 months ago. I am now on a whole range of meds and my ejection fraction has improved. I am listed for a third ablation and hopeful that this will allow me to reduce them. Heart failure is a ridiculous term And I was certainly devastated when they use that term with me whilst I was in hospital. Try not to worry or overthink.

[mikefff]

Hi just wishing you all the best. Was in ae last time at 200ish bpm!

[Jetcat]

hi 68, I don’t think you’re going anywhere yet mate.👍

My sister inlaw who also has AFIB was diagnosed with H/F. She thought she still had Paroxysmal because she only felt it now and again but thanks to a overnight hospital stay she found out she was having it a lot and at a high rate. She left hospital with some different meds and 18 months later and after some tests and scans she no longer has H/F and her heart function has improved greatly.👍

[Mismerswe]

Over the last ten years I have had Vasculitis, on dialysis, heart attack, kidney transplant, AFib and an ablation along with other minor things. I am now 75, I hope that helps to relieve your fears. Stop worrying and get on with your life, I know its easier said than done but try.

[Sixtychick]

When I had an AFib episode, my heart rate went very high and my blood pressure too, so was told to always go to A&E. I had an ablation in Sept 2023, for SVT and AFib, so far so good. 🤞🤞🤞You can always have another ablation if the first is not successful and the second one is supposed to have a high success rate. My Mum had AFib and lived to 93.

[Mcgandy]

Yeah, I had that term thrown at me last year too. I'm 73 and was cycling up to 35 miles in a day on bisoprolol post diagnosis even b4 ablation,. ..

Fingers xd I will do better this year post ablation.

Dont let the term worry you.

[Garaidh]

Hello there!Hope you're feeling a bit better now.

I'm in Edinburgh too and have made great progress / had great care... happy to meet for a coffee if you're needing a bit of a chat with someone who knows Afib dramas inside out!

😊

[lambretta1968 in reply to Garaidh]

thank you, I'll keep that in mind mate 👍

[Trigeminyblue]

I have paroxysmal afib and usually begin an episode with my heart rate around 220 to 250 but as my episodes last around 8/10 hours my hr gradually goes down with my pill in pocket of Bisoprolol of 2.5mg x2 and I self convert back to NSR. My episodes are always at night, usually Waking me up after about an hour or so of sleep, so I stay in bed and take my Bisoprolol and another tablet of magnesium and sit and read then I take a couple of cocodamol to help me relax and get off back to sleep. By the time I wake up my heart rate has come back down and I go for a slow walk with Partner and dogs and luckily I then self convert back to normal rhythm. Sorry for long reply.

[30912]

Don't despair. Weeks of atrial tachycardia put me in the HF category. Like you, I thought I was on my last legs. Once HR back to normal, I felt a lot better (physically and mentally) after a couple of weeks. After a stint with our local hospital's HF team, I'm hoping the results of an echocardiogram I have booked next month will show much improvement. With modern diagnostic techniques and medication, HF can be far from the 'failure' that it conjures up. An unfair misnomer if there ever was one in my opinion.

Good luck with it.

[southkorea]

No not at all!’ There are medications for heart failure. Also change your lifestyle. Regular walking , healthy food and limit drink, take up

meditation , ! Finally be positive!’ Good luck

[healingharpist]

"The end"? Hardly. 150 is quite low compared to what numerous people on here experience (ie., 250 etc.) @ And "heart failure" is almost always more chronic and treatable than dramatic and life-ending. Your cardiologist or EP will have meds, procedures, and a plan.

[Sally_Scott]

hi scooter boy. I had an ablation but also had a stroke during the procedure. I had OHS 2 years ago for new mitral valve. Funnily enough I went into Afib last week with hr 180. I suffer with permanent Afib. . I always insist on a cardioversion as that works for me.

[DawnTX]

absolutely not the end… I lived for six months with tachycardia up around 200. I could not walk and the pain was awful. I’m telling you this because I don’t know what’s facing you next, but if it’s a pacemaker celebrate it could be the best thing ever just my opinion I would not bother with another ablation if you’ve had them. I already had a fib and flutter and had a horrible ablation. The scarring is so bad my new EP would not even consider another ablation plus I was now in heart failure.

he quickly set me up for a pacemaker. They didn’t even exist for me at the time that’s another story anyway I got the pacemaker two weeks later. I had the AV node ablation.

my heart failure has reversed by ejection rate had been in the 40s. It went to the 70s which my doctor said is good even if you don’t have heart failure or any heart issue at our age.

the difference from going into the hospital in a wheelchair and out to my car to go home was like day and night. Of course they made me be in a wheelchair, but I was able to get out of it and into my car and I felt pretty amazing for someone that had just had everything done that I did.

heart failure is a terrible term. It makes you think it’s just dying off and you’re gone. I don’t know why in and age. They don’t find another term because the minute I heard failure. My stomach went cold and I couldn’t hear anything I was numb My doctor brought me back to reality and to talk to

if they pacemaker, the procedure is not painful or a big deal. Well, it is a big deal but because of what I did for me, I considered it wonderful. The hardest thing was keeping my arm still lol I’m Italian. I talk with my hands. The nurse told me have someone pin the sleeve to my side to keep my arm still. I had no trouble getting dressed, etc. it is hard to remember not to use it and you are have a every one’s gonna be longer most likely mine was almost a year. When I say I’m not talking about you being in pain or anything like that. You won’t realize you’re healing. You will just start to feel better. Meanwhile, having it done, doesn’t mean, run out and test doing things you should not do. You need to baby your heart it’s been through a lot of trauma probably since you got a fib and definitely with tachycardia. My doctor out and out told me neither my Hart or I could take much more. Just remember that that’s if you do nothing. If you have a doctor planning on doing nothing you need another doctor.

take a deep breath my pacemaker just had birthday Valentine’s Day I have no regrets. I have learned to feel normal again. Very rarely do I even think about it. If you end up with a pacemaker and no one tells you certain things reach out please Bob has one. I have one you wouldn’t believe how many here have one.

they are getting better every monitors from inside seven to the clinic anything not right my doctor will know before I do and they can read it from anywhere. I’m not even aware except they tell. They can change it they can do all kinds of things with what looks like a big remote control. My former PE has a new position. I just saw pictures of something they are working on at his new facility where he is now the director. You should see the things they’re working on. There is a pacemaker, not just wireless, but it looks like a AA battery every day. They are finding new things to give us quality of life.

remember it can’t be about quality of isn’t that what it’s about no matter what you have? My adopted little brother has ALS. He is very involved with it and a group as they search to find ways to not just buy him time but to give him good time. He doesn’t want to just be here. He wants to be able to live life just like the rest of us.

positive FYI, in case it happens and I don’t talk to you, you are still going to feel a fib and flutter once in a while the difference is it won’t hurt you if you have a pacemaker but if you them, don’t get scared it’s normal. They forgot to tell me that right away and it scared the heck out of me we are all different. Whatever you have done. Talk to your doctors office first, and then you can compare notes with us. Talk to the doctor first I think too many people come on here, but we are not doctors. We can only share our own story.

best of luck please don’t be afraid

[Ppiman]

Everyone with AF likely experiencing some degree of HF (i.e. a temporarily reduced heart output); this occurs while they are experiencing tachycardia from their AF. If your HF is caused by AF, then reducing the tachycardia will directly improve the heart's function and improve or reverse the HF.

If you have what used to be called congestive heart failure, then this is a slowly deteriorating heart output, and is a separate condition. However, it is one that, from all I have read (on behalf of a close friend has this), the treatment of which has improved by so many leaps and bounds over the last decade that all online sources concerning life expectancy and similar are out of date and are far too conservative.

Steve