AFib much more severe and more frequent after testing positive for Covid.

[DizzyD]

I'm in rather a dilemma at the minute, re: AFib being worse and more frequent, especially at night after I take dose of bisoprolol. The bisoprolol makes the discomfort, which I cannot sleep with at all, so much worse. Feel like there is a tight band around my chest, restricting my breathing, shooting electric shocks in left breast leading up into left shoulder etc. For love or money, I am unable to disassociate my mind from intensity of the discomfort. It's a nightmare!!!

Covid symptoms have all but gone...just left with runny nose. It's the AFib that's troubling me now, not the covid. Was admitted to a+E few days ago due to quite severe AFib which I have now found out was actually triggered by Covid. Long story, short they got my heart rhythm to a somewhat normal level over a many hours and decided to send me home by ambulance. While I was waiting for ambulance to pick me up (total of 7 hours) to take me home the AFib started again as per symptoms mentioned above. Of course by this time I was off the monitors so told a nurse the AFib symptoms were back. He dismissed what I said, and in all honesty I just wanted to return home, so I went along with him.

I think AFib is more permanent type now (covid induced) which is more profound at night after I take dose of bisoprolol. Am considering giving bisoprolol a miss tonight to see what happens. I do need some sleep. What do you knowledgeable people think. Any feedback would really be appreciated.

Kind regards to all

[Smarticus]

Hi, just a quick one, consider taking the bisoprolol in the morning...sorry to hear that covid started the afib, my afib is triggered by heat (a fever will do it) and strenuous exercise - so no jumping off the wardrobe

[DizzyD in reply to Smarticus]

Lol my days of jumping off the wardrobe have Long gone. Same with exercise...extreme cold triggers my AFib. Day one of Covid I was internally so very cold even with layers of clothes, ski pants and ski jacket and not water bottle...could not get warm at all. Core metabolism issue due to thyroidectomy is What I thought. Took my temperature it was 38.8 (mercury thermometer)

Thank you lovely

[Ianp66]

Hi dizzy, that's awful must have been harrowing . I had a similar hospital experience a couple of years ago, a virus set off my afib, making it permanent, and they were less than helpful at my local hospital, literally trying to get me out before I even got admitted . I used to take my bisoprolol in a morning when I was on it found it more effective in the day . Its a cheap drug and not one of the best in my experience anyway.

Have you tried magnesium supplements? , I take a couple each night still even after ablation, but when I was in afib before it really did help lessen symptoms and aid a good sleep.

I heard vit d3 is good for the immune system, been taking it a while now and not had a cold or similar in a while..

Hope your feeling better at home.

Ian.

[DizzyD in reply to Ianp66]

Thanks Ianp66 for your valuable imput. As soon as I possibly can I need to get the bisoprolol changed as from day one I have had real trouble with them. Before reading you message I took three magnesium supplements so good to know great minds think alike. I also took vitD3 along with the magnesium. Hospital have prescribed me antibiotics which might also help re, infection that can be making AFib worse, so it's just a matter of time waiting for them to do there job.Did Alblation resolve your AFib?

Sincere thanks

[Ianp66 in reply to DizzyD]

Hey D, bisoprolol is worst drug I was ever put on, quite a few had issues with it, I'm sure it helped control my rate but if anything added to my arythmiam. I'm afib free 2 years this April, not on anything now, best thing I did, wish I'd taken the option sooner, no more fast tachy, just the very odd ectopic.I'm sure once infection backs off the heart will settle, used to play hell with my afib.

[DizzyD in reply to Ianp66]

Ohh that's real consolation and comfort to hear that bisoprolol was the worst drug you were ever put on because as you say, it made your AFib worse. From day one of being prescribed it I too believe it made my AFib much worse...I went totally downhill health wise. My quality of life went out the window, from an active functional human being to a virtual barely functioning snail.Sooo pleased you have had such wonderful success with AFib after adlation. I know what my plan is now...get alblation via a private cardiologist.

ohhh I am so delighted.

Have a wonderfully prosperous life

[Handel in reply to DizzyD]

😊 Take good care of yourself and good luck xxxx

[Prada47 in reply to DizzyD]

I really do wish people would stop rubbishing Bisoprolol it is one of the most vital Medications in the management of some Heart Conditions . I am perfectly well on 10mg. I really do believe that a lot of the negatives come from peoples minds, after reading rubbish like it is the worst medication I have ever been on.

Hands Face Space Vaccinate to stay safe

[Lilypocket in reply to DizzyD]

I went into Afib at 6h30 pm ( I'm in France) and I got so absorbed in reading the interesting posts - except the silly sausage advocating " embrace your pain" - my Afib has just stopped. 😊I take my Bisoprolol in the morning - 3.75. What is your dose DizzyD? Reading some posts on this forum it seems a few people have problems with this Beta- blocker and have switched successfully to another. Maybe ask your Dr?

Take care and I hope it settles soon.

Xx

[DizzyD in reply to Lilypocket]

Thank you for your reply Lilypocket good to hear you were so absorbed reading posts, your AFib just stopped. That's great to hear...Good for you lovely. My AFib gone really erratic because I still got covid virus and it's playing havoc with my heart. Anyway, my dose of bisoprolol is 2.5 which I now take in the morning but it only have a short term effect, and the AFib symptoms return. Bisoprolol has never agreed with me be glad when I can get it changed or better still have adlation. We are individuals in our own right, and some of us do have adverse reactions to certain drugs, while other people do not. Hence some folk will glorify this drug while others will give it The thumbs down. Thank goodness for free speech hey!!! So yes Lilypocket I am going to ask cardiologist to change it.

Have a prosperous day

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

'If you can't dull the pain, 'embrace' it, consciously make it part of you. By consciously welcoming the pain on board and not fighting it there's some reasonable chance that your brain will accept it well enough that it's no longer as frightening and aggravating. '

Is this statement above from your personal experience of living with chronic or acute pain?

Does this view suggest that a person should not request their pain to be relieved?

Women shouldn't have their labour pain relieved by an epidural?

[DizzyD in reply to Milkfairy]

Agree with you Milkfairy....pity we are human hey. Have a rewarding and prosperous evening.

[Qualipop in reply to Milkfairy]

As a chronic pain sufferer for over 30 years; and trust me it's BAD chronic nerve pain that statement does actually help. It's not terribly well worded and it doesn't take the pain away by any means and I take strong opiates, built up to a level over the years that would kill anyone else but embracing the pain really does help you to cope. It doesn't make it any less severe but it makes your brain take a little less notice of it. It's one of the things the psychologists at pain clinics advise. When I first heard it I felt they we re being patronising and saying"It's all in your head" but over time I have realised that your head does have a massive impact on how you cope with pain. Even with the opiates which help a lot, I live daily with a level of pain that would have most people screaming. I would really welcome childbirth over it ( yes I'd be begging an epidural)because I know that's going to end or even fibromyalgia. When I 'only' had fibro I could live a pretty normal life, go shopping, do the garden but not now.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Qualipop]

Qualipop we both live with pain in our lives.I respect your views because you live with pain too.

I also use techniques to help me manage how I emotionally respond to my pain rather than react.

It takes many years to be able to come to peace or an acceptance with any long term condition especially pain.

I was fortunate to attend a Pain Management Programme.

What I and others I suspect feel is to be told you need to embrace your pain by someone who has no experience of living with acute and chronic pain is just not helpful.

It is patronising and lacks the understanding of the reality of living with pain in your life.

There is sadly very little help for people living with chronic pain.

Patients pain is not always acknowledged by healthcare professionals.

I personally have been in the situation where I have been denied pain relief because I didn't appear to be in pain according to the staff or they didn't understand my acute vasospastic angina pain.

I was thought to be too calm as I was using my breathing and relaxation techniques!

I hope you are keeping well.

[Qualipop in reply to Milkfairy]

I agree. It takes experience of chronic pain to be able to understand it- even by doctors. I think the comment was not too well worded so it appeared patronising. I too have been refused pain relief in fact when I had my heart attack I was left for 5 hours on a trolley in a corridor- no one came near after the first nurse assessed me. I was told it was because I wasn't grey, crying with pain and clutching my chest but after over 30 years of it you do learn techniques for coping. It never, however reduces the pain; just the way other people perceive it because of your coping strategies. How many times are we told "Oh but you look so well" and suggestions by well meaning people who think that in 30 years you have never tried hot water bottles, relaxation, acupuncture and all the rest because it helped them when they "sprained their ankle" or "had a bad back" for a few weeks. My GP ignores my pleas for help with my hips- a new problem, because " I watched you walk in and it doesn't look bad"

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Qualipop]

Ah yes the well meaning

'Oh but you look so well'

Along with

' but you usually manage so well'

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Note to your edit regarding trolling

I believe my question is a very reasonable one.This is a peer to peer support group where we come to share our lived experience of our heart conditions.

There are many people on this forum who live with chronic and acute pain who would wish you to explain your statement further.

[DizzyD]

Thank you wbiC. You started your reply to my post with Sorry I got nothing!!!! You should have left it at that instead you contradicted yourself, perhaps to impart to us all just how brilliant and knowledgeable you are. Don't preach to me about the power of the mind please. I am very well versed in this issue. I am a human being made up of mind body and spirit all of which integrate together.

Enjoy you the planet you are on

[Palpman in reply to DizzyD]

I still have that dog if you interested.

[GrannyE]

Sounds easier said than done - the embracing pain bit. Don’t think I could do that. The calming bit yes. I try to do crosswords and sudoku and listen to the radio to take my mind to another place. Long term pain is very debilitating.

[Qualipop in reply to GrannyE]

Try it- you could be surprised. It's something my pain consultant taught me. I felt like you at the start and thought he was trying to say it was all in my head. In a sense, how we cope with things- anything , IS all in our heads- not the amount of pain; that's very very real but our coping mechanism is all down to us and that is one method that does help. It needs much more explanation than just that rather curt statement. It's much roe complex than that but a heart forum isn't the place.

[GrannyE in reply to Qualipop]

Thank you for that. I will try. Have been told that the only painkillers I can have are panadol/paracetemol because I am on Apixaban. I don’t even like to take them and only resort to doing so on occasions when the pain gets bad which is not that often, so in a way I am fortunate - unlike you. I am so glad you have a coping mechanism that works for you.

[kalgs]

I stopped Bisoprolol but coming off is not safe unless you have another beta blocker. I’m on Carvedilol now . Seems better .

[Paul101]

can't be sure this is of much use ... but I had Covid last April..... one of the effects being increased "heart flutter"..... by the time I was given a 24 hour ecg device (about 4 months later) the effect had begun to die down. So.... some effects of covid do wear off.... it has taken me about 8 months to recover. Certainly "wearing off" depends on many factors but there is some reason to hope for improvements. PS I went back onto bisoprolol during this time (1.25mg) but after the ecg the consultant told me to stop, I did, and things got better.

[Itsanafiblife]

I know exactly how you feel as I was diagnosed with AFib and racing heart sent me to emerge via ambulance 190 bpm last June. I was so scared and ended up having to be cardioeverted. That was last June and I know I had covid in March but couldn’t be tested due to shortage of tests at that time. I was put on bisoprolol 5 mg and apixaban. The months of horrendous side effects were debilitating for me. I had insomnia as well and hair loss. I tried metoprolol 12.5 mg once a day and had severe joint pain so bad I switched back to bisoprolol and lowered to 1.25 mg once a day. My cardiologist at the time said and I quote “ so you feel like shit treat it like a broken leg “ she thought I was crazy with my symptoms and she made me cry. All my tests were good and she took me off apixaban as my chadvas score was 1 . Still I would have palpitations and be lightheaded, white and cold hands and feet due to bisoprolol. Heartburn was made worse . I couldn’t function as my heart rate was too low. 49 and low 50’s and yup I felt like “ shit” . Long story short, my echocardiogram showed a structurally normal heart except I was diagnosed with sleep apnea severe and that is a contributor to parasmoxmal AFib. So I do cpap treatment every night and it has helped a lot with nighttime episodes of waking with a racing heart and going into AFib. I talked to my doctor and weaned off of bisoprolol and tried atenolol which was another fail as it cause chest spasms and I just cannot tolerate beta blockers at all. I had another episode that sent me back to emerge and needed another cardioeversion. I’m waiting for my appointment with the EP this Friday and it has been an anxiety filled year so hard on the family as I have the episodes and breathe them down and drink cold water. I feel better off the beta blocker but have tachycardia but less episodes. This forum has been a tremendous comfort when I was trying to figure out what is going on . Note that I had rebound tachycardia from withdrawal of the beta blockers even though I was low dose and has tapered off slowly. I just want my life back. The burning pain is from the beta blocker as I had that too and chest tightening. I also follow the tapping solution on Instagram to help with the adrenaline surges ( going off the bisoprolol) which cause anxiety . You will be ok I promise just pay attention to the side effects and work with your dr. If you go off them. The stroke risk is what the dr should be reviewing with you and deciding on anticoagulant if necessary. I do pill in pocket with bisoprolol as my AFib comes and goes. Dr Sanjay Gupta on YouTube has excellent advice and reassurance about AFib and arrhythmias. He’s an absolute godsend. He’s so compassionate and really helps you understand and brings such comfort . All free and very very informative advice from his videos . Trust me he will really help you . Also Dr Carolyn Deans book the magnesium miracle is excellent and I have since started magnesium supplements as well . Definitely watch Dr Gupta as he has a video on that as well. Hope this helps as each persons AFib heart issues and reactions to meds are different.

[DizzyD in reply to Itsanafiblife]

Thank you Itsanafiblife for your informative and insightful post. In all honesty bisoprolol do not agree with me at all, 're the side effects which I have mostly overcome, just left with tightness in my chest area which is really frustrating because it stops me from exercising (walking) and functioning as a normal human being. No quality of life...feel like I am in a prison. I dread the thought of having to take these meds for for the rest of my life. If it was down to me I would taper off the bisoprolol but I am caught up in a catch 22 situation as you will see.Too add to my dilemma, i have been diagnosed with severe Left Atrial Dilation (LAD) which knocks years off life expectancy. LAD is caused by undiagnosed, untreated AFib that I had for years which my GP never picked up on nor sent me for tests to cardiologist, despite going to see him with heart symptoms. They were never investigated. I was ignored. I have no faith or trust in my GP. I was diagnosed via a private cardiologist which I had to do because GP would not listen to me. So I have to take the dreaded bisoprolol to ward off AFib flair ups, which could make LAD go beyond severe. Clearly, there is more serious cardio consequences, besides clots, if AFib symptoms are ignored.

What scares me the most is that when I was laid up for over ten days with covid, I was totally UNAWARE that I was in AFib mode (ECG done by paramedic revealed I was). God only knows how long I had lay in bed with AFib flare up!!!!

Months before getting covid was admitted to a+e three times with AFib. On each occasion I was UNAWARE that I was having a AFib attack. Sounds strange I know but this is my reality which is very scary indeed.

Thank you most sincerely for your post. Priceless!

[Itsanafiblife]

I'm so glad my journey helped you and you are being seen by a cardiologist! Sounds like your GP has issues with their ego and doesn't have the heart to hear your beats of struggle... That's awful you have developed LAD and I think it would be invaluable to have your cardiologist refer you to an Electrophysiologist as well. Is there anything they can do for that surgery wise? I'm curious as to why you aren't on an anti coagulant as I would think that is something you would need with regards to being in Afib a lot but perhaps your ChadsVasc score is low? Dr Gupta is from the UK and he has a video on YouTube about Anticoagulants and who should be taking them etc. Perhaps he has one on LAD as well. I have heard the verapimil ( not spelling that right) could be an alternate choice as well ( Dr Gupta talks about options if intolerant to beta blocker) as there are other options besides Bisoprolol. I just can't tolerate beta blockers and I know exactly how you feel about dreading the time to take them as you feel the tightening etc. about an hour after or even half hour and my heart would pound and drop in rate ...very unnerving... Your cardiologist/electrophysiologist would be able to help adjust meds and treatment because if you are intolerant to meds perhaps ablation or some sort of procedure might be the better route long term? I hope you can get some relief and reassurance for going forward soon!

[DizzyD in reply to Itsanafiblife]

So grateful for your informative reply Itsaafiblife which I have been meaning to reply to for several days but have been too ill to do so. Please accept my apologies.

So pleased you mentioned that there is an alternative to bisoprolol.....I cannot tolerate the constant tightness in my area which I suspect is a side effect of bisoprolol because the tightness appears about an hour after I take the bisoprolol. Will look at Doc Gupta on you tube asap to find out about alternative to beta blockers. By the way I do take Apixiban and Amlodipine. Sorry I failed to mention this. Can't tolerate the amlodipine neither but have to take them for now.

So far I have only seen AFib nurse after several emergency admissions to A+E which diagnosed afib. At my last visit to AFib clinic (after having covid) I told the nurse my heart symptoms were much worse since covid. AFib aside, she has referred me see another cardiologist and she said I would have to wait a long time for an appointment, so in the meantime, I intend to see a private Electophysiologist asap due to shooting, electrical like activity I actual feel in my heart. I know it sound weird but the sensation is like electric shocks. I researched electrophysiologist after you mention them in your post....Thank you!

My other heart conditions (mitral stenosis and severe LAD) were detected/diagnosed after CT scan and echostress test done via a private cardiologist which I had done during lockdown last year. This private cardiologist, after he received test results, simply discharged me, no follow up, no treatment....that was it. However, I did have copy of test result report which I gave to A Fib nurse at my first visit to AFib clinic so she knows about my other heart conditions. So far I am yet to see a NHS cardiologist....??? I better not hold my breath.

Have a wonderful rewarding day itsanafiblife. Sincere thanks. I off to see a virtual cardiologist now.....Dr Gupta...heyoh

[Itsanafiblife in reply to DizzyD]

Hello DizzyD

I’m happy to hear you are sourcing out an electrophysiologist. They are also a cardiologist so you will get the best of both worlds. Side effects from the drugs is so common and you are going to get it resolved as the EP will definitely able to help you. Just know you aren’t crazy for feeling anxious and concerned as the side effects for some affibers are very real and consume every moment of the 24 hour day. That isn’t normal and there are alternatives including ablation. Not sure with your other issues how that works as I am not a Dr but I have had appointments that are reassuring and you will feel better once you see the EP. I will be getting an ablation in 3 months and I am so relieved as I cannot tolerate beta blockers as they make my symptoms of AFib worse. Just don’t stop any drugs you are on without guidance from the EP. you have to taper off of them and it was rough road for me but I got there. I’m relieved to hear you are on a blood thinner as that is key for now to prevent stroke. Once you are properly assessed by the experts you will feel more confident and can make a treatment plan that works for you as we are all different. I also have sleep apnea and found that it has helped with episodes using CPAP as well and magnesium glycinate nightly. Another rear book to order it The AFib Cure by Dr John D Day that just came out so it has the late set up to date information. Very informative and pro active with years of research. Also , go to stop AFib.org. I really found comfort in reading information and being informed and knowing it’s absolutely right to present your symptoms and not to give up and accept that this is the best your will feel. That is wrong. Have a good day knowing you are on the right path . Take care ! 😊

[Itsanafiblife]

also magnesium glycerinate has really helped I believe 👍