Hi, I am new on here. I am 54 years old, female and have just been told that I have an irregular heartbeat. I also have multiple sclerosis

[DruD13]

I'm just a little confused - I have always had very low blood pressure but was informed last week that I have atrial fibrillation. I was sent to hospital following pain/pressure in my chest and a feeling of being strangled around my neck. I was admitted and it was discovered that my pulse was racing up as high as 180/190 bpm but was given medication to bring this down. My question is:- is it the case that atrial fibrillation only takes place when you get that uncomfortable/painful feeling in your chest or is my heart defibrillating all the time and I just can't feel it. I have just ordered a home blood pressure test kit so that I can keep an eye on my pulse myself. I guess I am just taken aback by this and am scared to do anything in case I set it off again. My family has a long history of heart problems insofar as both of my parents, all of my 10 aunts and uncles and one sister died of heart attacks.

I would really appreciate any thoughts/comments anyone can offer. Thank you.

[Mollykelly123]

Try not to worry to much as this is not good for a fib am sure your now on a blood thinner and beta blocker for your afib DruD13 you should now join af fourum

[DruD13 in reply to Mollykelly123]

thank you. I have the beta blocker but not the blood thinner. Thanks for the heads up, I will look into accessing the forum.

[BigT2013]

Hi I'm 54 if u have the uncomfortable feeling all the time u would have constant AF.

This may require treatment with medication and or an ablation.

If the feeling comes and goes in short bursts or u have an episode then it may be days weeks or months before u have another episode. Usually this can stop itself with in a few minutes or within 24 hrs

This is called paroxysmal AF (Atrial Fibrillation)

I had episodes of paroxysmal AF Following open heart surgery.

Treatment is the same almost beta blockers and anticoagulant treatment as there is a risk of stroke.

A lot of people have AF.

[DruD13 in reply to BigT2013]

Thank you for this. I am on betablockers (have been for about ten years for panic attacks) but they don't think I need blood thinners. ? So that is pretty much as I expected but at times, I get a bubbling feeling in my chest - almost at the bottom of my neck if that makes sense. i'm not sure if that is significant and may be leading to something but I will see the cardiologist again in a few weeks so I shall just start writing a list of questions for him. Thank you for your help. Hope you are doing well.

[BigT2013 in reply to DruD13]

The bubbling feeling is when your heart is having an episode and called Atrial flutter.

I am fairly lucky I have some medical knowledge. But my son is also a student Paramedic.

I am well and mine as all but stopped with the medication.

Ask lots of questions when u see cardiologists.

[DruD13 in reply to BigT2013]

Thank you. Much appreciated.

[BreakThrough56]

H iI was rushed into hospital 3 years ago with suspected Heart Attack which is when I was diagnosed with PAF. Heart Attack was secondaty to PAF I am on Apixaban ( Gave up on Warfarin due to Hair loss) and have had nothing since, So don't worry. I gave up on all the other medication they gave me due to awfull side effects. and now keep OK

[DruD13 in reply to BreakThrough56]

Thanks for your reply. Good to know you're keeping ok. I just need to get my head around all this.

[Rosei]

Hello DruD13, I have AF and many other people I know, I play competitive bridge, sixty out of 100 of us have the same problem, so it seems to be fairly common. I must be lucky, when my pulse was 190 I couldn't feel it, that was while I was having a heart attack. Rosie.

[DruD13 in reply to Rosei]

Thank you. Well they didn't say I was having a heart attack when I hit 190, they were just busy trying to get it down so I was given more tablets to take, they put something else in the drip and then squirted this god-awful stuff under my tongue which was the worst moment of all... but it seemed to do the trick.

[dawny1908 in reply to DruD13]

I have adenosine in cannula for palpatations svt... Really weird feeling but only stats in system for 10 seconds and brings heartrate back down

[CharlesL]

Hi Dru 13

I have an irregular heart beat, it doesn't seem to be influenced but my activities or thoughts, but I get by okay...I'm sure you will too.

Take care

C

[DruD13 in reply to CharlesL]

Thank you CharlesL. That was most helpful. I think I just need to stop worrying so much!

You take care too.

[Broadgreen]

I am 49, had heart attack just 4weeks ago + 3 emergency stents done . Right blocked 99% left 97%. I also have multiple sclerosis, have you experienced any relapses etc with your ms ?

[inpain123]

Hi Broadgreen,

Sorry I haven't replied sooner but have not been in the right mind set to log on to my laptop for a while. I have not experienced any relapses with my m.s. as such but I seem to be having new "problems" which I didn't know could happen and as a result I have been referred to various other kinds of specialists. My biggest problem seems to be with my memory and attention - I just can't seem to focus on anything and feel almost as if I am walking around with my brain in a fog. I have been fortunate in that I had never previously had mobility problems, I still haven't but I have been falling over fairly regularly.

I was diagnosed with the m.s. when I was 20 and have spent all these years since thinking that I was one of the lucky ones and not experiencing relapses over the years but my specialist recently pointed out that - "with m.s., there's always something going on". I think what shocked me most was the fact that - according to my neurologist - the m.s. is now affecting the frontal lobe in my brain, ie my memory, my attention, my concentration, my mood swings, my cognition in general. Explains a lot really, I guess. Thankfully, it seems like the cardiologist has me on the right medication for my a fib but I will see him again next month to get the results of my echocardiogram. How are you coping? Sounds like you have been through a dreadful time.