Looking for some advice. In Nov 2019 my mother was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. She's had numerous different tests and is on various medications, namely bisoprolol, digoxin and edoxaban. They never got to the bottom of the cause and haven't been in touch with her about any of it for nearly half a year. My concern is that what if her condition has changed/meds need to be altered? Tried to get her to chase it up but she won't whilst still in lockdown as she's very concerned about covid. Is it a condition that is likely to need alterations to meds etc? I can't find the info online. She's fine in herself and has been throughout everything.
Thank you in advance for any replies/advice.
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Staceymac2025
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My GP has no involvement with my Afib and ectopic problems, all monitored by my Cardiologist. If your Mum hasn't been referred then possibly a good option although at the moment appts are mainly by phone and only urgent people will be seen.
Thank you for your reply. Her GP referred her to the hospital who carried out the tests etc but it was her GP who put her on the medications. It just feels like it's all been forgotten about but I don't know whether I'm just being an overly concerned daughter
With Cardiology we are generally left to get on with it unless problems arise which need further assessment and /or meds change. Unfortunately women are often not given the same level of care as men, we are seen as anxious hypochondriacs and symptoms are not taken seriously so we do have to be persistent ! It took over 6 years and a lot of foot stamping before I was diagnosed !! Presumably your Mums GP will be reviewing her meds at some point and that's a good time for her to get a quick check up, assuming we go back to actual appts at some point !
Yes i had a letter yesterday saying in future my cardiac clinic will only be offering phone appts for follow ups, it obviously works well for them to cut down patients visiting but I don't agree it works well for patients. I haven't spoken to my consultant for over a year, instead I get whoever is doing calls on the day and it's not ideal because they don't know me, im just another file with a hospital number on the front and the sooner they can hang up the better !
I don’t have a cardiac clinic, I’ve seen a consultant privately m, but no ones mentioned a clinic! Drs surgery doesn’t have anyone who specialises either.
I know it took me three years to be referred to a cardiologist. I was told it was normal and that I did have a nervous disposition!! I got my way in the end and had an angiogram which showed I had blocked arteries.
Well done for being persistent, it shouldn't be this difficult but sadly it isn't getting any better. My husband who had heart problems and attended the same clinic and saw the same consultant had far better attention than I ever did !!
That is awful. It really does depend on the cardiologist. I have seen some really horrible ones but also some nice ones. It was getting past the GP initially but then I saw a grumpy old cardiologist who didnt open his mouth once so I had no idea what was wrong even when I failed the stress test he didnt say a thing. I had to start pushing all over again.
Our cardiologist was really nice but he was more interested in my husbands problems, ok he was an interesting complex case but even so ...... at my appts his first question was always "how's your husband" errrr this is my appt !!! I think since my husbands death last year he's lost interest in me and has passed me to a less senior doc who I've never even met !
Absolutely!!! 20 years of “pestering” in my case. With what I know now I should have been on statins and antihypertensives years ago. But as a non smoking, normal weight, healthy looking woman I was swept aside every time 🙁
I think many of us feel a little abandoned by the medical profession when realistically they have diagnosed and dealt with the problem. What they haven’t done is reassured us, the patient, that unless something changes there is no need for further follow-up.These feelings are heightened by the current situation whereby we ‘don’t want to be a nuisance if it’s nothing’ and we are scared of the virus too.
What I have found with ectopics a lot of the ones I have are caused by medications. I did an experiment and started to leave out one lot of medication each day and recorded when I had ectopic beats. First of all I stopped the magnesium and funnily enough they got a lot better. I then stopped taking the beta blocker and the got even less. The I tried other medication. The one for my eyes caused me to have ectopic beats. The tablets have magnesium in and anything with magnesium causes me to have ectopic beats. Then I recorded foods and some foods cause ectopic beats as well. Spicy food is one and for some inexplicable reason I had a few after a roll with cheese in. But eating seems now to be the trigger. I do not get many now thankfully. Hope this helps.
Hi I was sent to hosp after suffering chest pain diagnosed with a fib next day after 4 ECG s n blood test in Nov 2019 put on Bisoprolol and apixiban have not been in touch with Cardiologist 1 phone call from GP at my request after meds made me feel ill and came out in a rash Petetchia prob from apixiban just told to carry on with meds had no follow up phone call I don't know what type of A fib I have or if I need med check was sent for MRI after blood test diagnosed with Nafld not heard back from liver consultant except a 2 line letter saying no further lumps n bumps found I have had Copd for years no copd check in 18 months just no app for anything just told to stay home as on high risk group not feeling bad at min odd days of flutters n thuds so fingers crossed things stay the same take care
When I was diagnosed by a Cardiologist he wrote to my GP with medication recommendations and since then my GP has prescribed. But, this was over 3 years ago and I have never had a review with the GP. I noticed that my prescription had a "note" that it should be reviewed at the beginning of this month. I spoke with GP Receptionist and was told that I had to request this! Absolutely amazing. She said she would send a message to the GP and if I didn't hear from them - all was OK. Which made me wonder, how "all" could be OK when no-one has ever asked me about how I am feeling since the original diagnosis. Plus, as my husband never sees his prescription, and both of us have given authority to the GP that we can discuss each other with them, I asked about my husband and a review. Oh, yes, that was due last November, I'll send a message to the GP and if he didn't hear etc. etc. It is difficult for you when your Mum won't chase things. I would also suggest that either of you have a look at the leaflets that come with her medication. Fortunately, I looked at mine, then checked on NCI website and knew that my blood had to be tested for quite a few things, due to my medication so when I had my Annual (which was 18 months due to Corvid) I asked the Nurse if it was going to be tested for A, B C, etc. Oh no, said she, "etc" is not on the list from the GP . I showed her the NCI print-out, she "messaged" the GP - oh yes, they would test for the "etc". Can't make it up.
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