I had an increase from 5mg bisoprolol and they have gave me an extra 1.25mg which I started taking Monday or Tuesdayā¦ā¦ I have my first appointment with a Rhythm nurse Mondayā¦..hopefully this will help š¤·āāļø I cant carry on with no sleep I canāt lie on my side anymore as they keep me awake. The only thing Iāve been doing differently is taking vitamin D, I canāt imagine these would make a differenceā¦ā¦ I donāt know yet if itās hormonalā¦ā¦. Iām scared these ectopics will cause me to have an AFiB episode - I donāt drink alcohol/no caffeine/no smoking. I do eat healthy perhaps I could eat more healthierā¦.. Iām a bit scared to exercise just yet!
I have no structural damage to my heart, Iām really worried that these ectopics will cause long term damage to my heart in the long run š¤·āāļø
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Wishcld
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Hi, I have no structural damage to my heart thankfully but suffering with missed beats and faster heart rate than normal for my body, I understand the worry it feels so uncomfortable and not nice that you can't help but feel something is really badly wrong and worry about the long term effects,I have started the same med your on but I'm only on 1.25 it's only my 3rd day unfortunately no improvement yet, maybe it's early days or maybe I need to be on a huger dose I see my cardiologist again in 3 weeks.
It's brilliant news that our hearts have no structural problems or damages so we have to keep reminding ourselves of that my cardiologist has told me that these missed beats are not harmful in anyway but there very troublesome for people not all people feel them but a lot of people like us do.
Let me know after you have seen the rhythm nurse if you can be interesting to see what they say I'm under a cardiologist and haven't seen a rhythm nurse so I wondered if they have different advise or tips etc..
I had all blood work done and it came back normal and chest x-ray to. Something else I keep reminding myself when the panic starts to set in
If you can try and do the same day to your your heart has no damage thankfully and this is just a case of getting it under control it may take some time but it will get better
Easier said than done I know. But the more we stress the more feeding the problems unfortunately
Sorry for spelling mistakes, you will get there we both will it's just time and figuring out our meds with the professionals but for now let's try and hold onto the fact that hearts are okay on the echo and have no damage thankfully.
Electrically they just need a bit of tweaking!
Take care, I'm sorry I can't offer advise but just wanted to let you know your alone in this
I hope you try and enjoy the holidays try to stay positive
Thank youā¦.. I appreciate the replyā¦ā¦ I seem to be consumed by worryā¦ā¦ Iām not very good with living with the fear of my heart going out of rhythm it was very scary abs was in resusā¦.. Iām trying to hold down a professional job and looks like I wonāt be able to get the promotion I wanted š ā¦ā¦. I will definitely keep you updated, with what the rhythm nurse says. I donāt feel so alone xx
I am sorry there are more people on this group that have more experience than I do and know just the right to say I unfortunately don't So I apologise for that, but I am here for you if just need a friend to chat with! Life can be really hard
But you just need time to get it all under control and once you do you will feel better I promise
Don't rule out your promotion because of this , because you will feel better
Anxiety plays a huge role unfortunately and it's hard to turn that off when your suffering from any health conditions let alone things that effect our hearts
But I'm sure this is just journey your taking to better health and once you reach it you will feel better
Please thank you keep me updated
Take care of yourself , you got this! I promise š
Hi I think you have Anxiety, go for long walks and eat a healthy diet it does help, drink Camomile tea, our minds are so powerful so donāt let it win.
I can fully relate with you, consumed by worryā¦ it can be quite exhausting as itās always in the back of your mind.
I wear an Apple Watch, but have had to promise myself only to look at heart rate morning , afternoon and evening otherwise it can get obsessive!
Iāve also been in resus twice this year.. very scary š§ wasnāt on any medication when that happened.. Iām on flecanide and bisoprol 1.25mg a day now and seem stable , but Iām on edge to be honest.
I think your doing really well, holding down a good job, donāt be hard on your self.. small steps see progress š
Itās scary but itās new for us thatās whyā¦..not at all. We all on a journey hereā¦ā¦. Tomorrow is my first appointment since resusā¦.. I had a eco separateā¦.. not sure what there plans are RE treatment. I hope they donāt leave me like they have with my hernia. But I guess Iām well prepared I suppose that it will be try this first before ablation etc x
Thank you, my dad has lived this journey for years and he drinks alcohol and everything and I donāt as I wouldnāt dare. My doctor said itās cause he knows how to manage things right. I am proud to say my dad is a heart sufferer and he is 70 in April š¤šhe is an expert in his own right.
It takes quite some time for rhythm issues to damage the heart.
My damage was from leaky valves, but even there it took 5 years for severe mitral regurgitation to give me LVH (and that was following 10 years of moderate-to-severe). Mild remodelling is reversible, so in the case of asymptomatic mitral regurgitation they wait till LVH starts to appear before recommending surgery. Iām 12 weeks post op, and itās my understanding that my LVH will correct itself over the next 6 months to a year.
But I also understand your anxiety. Iām a long term clinical depression sufferer, which (as is often the case) is co-morbid with anxiety. I found SSRIs to greatly improve my quality of life, and I got good mileage out of CBT as well. Donāt be afraid to ask your GP for help. (I know I delayed it for longer than I should have.)
Good luck to both of you. You will get through this.
thatās good to know about the remodelling, thanks. I am hoping after I have seen my rhythm nurse, I will feel safer taking antidepressants as I seem to end up worse when I am being prescribed by different people that donāt really understand what I can and canāt take with bisoprolol. I know they should know š¤·āāļø
My anxiety is the killer and itās reassuring to know that the antidepressants do work for you x
Try removing biscuits, cakes, sweets and generally ultra high processed foods from the daily diet if consumed. I have drastically reduced the intake of biscuits and cakes, and I have noticed a more comfortable outlook generally. I still get missed beats, but it does not appear to be so much.
Hi, I have been living with ectopic heartbeats for several years now. They have come and gone according to the level of stress in my life but 5 months ago they became much worse than were so bad that I made 3 trips to A&E as I was so scared.
I started taking 2.5 Bisoprolol plus an extra 1.25 and did that for a few months but it all seemed to get worse and I couldnāt sleep at all. Iāve now started flecainide and Iām on day 3 with that. It seems to have suppressed the ectopics slightly and I have managed to get some sleep at last.
Iāve got a cardiologist appointment next week.
Itās a horrible condition because when the heart is beating out of rhythm you just canāt relax - which makes it worse. Iāve tried lots of breathing exercises which used to help quite a lot. Iām finding that walking is helping at the moment. If I go for a walk my heart starts to beat normally again.
Last night I watched a video called gastro cardiac syndrome and ectopics by doctor Gupta from Yorke on you tubeā¦ā¦ā¦. Heās gave me huge insist and have a watch of the videos they are really insightful xx Iāll try going on more walks, thanks x
I was first diagnosed with ecpotic heartbeats when I was pregnant 56 YEARS AGO, I am still enjoying a full life ,travelling around the world and I am 83 .with permanent AFib
Anxiety causes more distress to the heart than the odd rhythms ,
Thatās reassuring that youāre carrying on with your lifeā¦. Iām flying to America in May and itās been a real worry for me people keep mentioning the pressure of the plane - your comments have given me some hope Thanks x
wishing you good luck with your upcoming medical appt. Hope that will allay your fears. About traveling by planeā¦ Iāve had heart rhythm issues for 10 years and have continued to travel. I find itās the rushing around at airports that cause problems for me. So we make sure we donāt have tight connections, get to the airport early, walk slowly, and generally try not to get frazzled.
Glad youāre still able to travel. My dad has heart issues and PAF like me and he manages to travel. My dad has heart issues for years and my doctor explained that itās because Iām new to it all x
Just saw another of your responses, your dad and I are the same age. And like you, I have a family history of heart rhythm issues, in my case it was my mother. She made it to 95 and didnāt die of heart issues. My EP keeps telling me the arrhythmias wonāt kill me, that Iāll live to be a very old woman. šµš¼ So when I get stressed about all this, I try to remember those things. The fear and stress are real though, and much more so at the start of this journey. It does get easier to cope with over time. Exercise and deep breathung help me a lot. Good luck with the medical appt!
Hi Wishcld, My heart journey is different to yours so I can't comment medically, but picking up from your last comment, PLEASE try not to worry.Easier said than done, but try banishing worries from your mind - throw them into an imaginary dustbin - they serve no positive purpose.
Concentrate in what you CAN affect, such as diet, exercise , taking medication and following any other advice from your cardiologist/GP.
A positive outlook makes the path ahead so much brighter looking.
What is the dose of vit D that you are taking, and have you had your vit D level checked?The reason I ask is because I was told by a GP that "everyone needs vit D in the winter " so I took it. That was when my palpitations started.
I did have a test for vit D level which was deficient, so given 20,000 iu to take weekly. I only took two, a week apart, I was taken to hospital both times because of my heart, the second time was absolutely awful.
I have been unable to tolerate any form of vit D, same problems, until I was told by an acquaintance that I might be reacting to the lanolin that most vit D is made of. I have purchased a vegan alternative made from algae, and am gradually introducing that, so far so good.
Hi, so interesting what you say in your post about taking vitamin D. I started taking vitamin D tablets in July due to routine blood test showing bit D deficiency. My first AFib episode happened in late September and positively diagnosed in A and E on third AFib episode in early October. It did cross my mind but thought I was being a bit off but stopped taking them just in case š¤
This is such a frightening condition to have. I am in constant fear of the next episode and my anxiety is terrible.
Yes Im on 125 Bisoprolol tabs but the side effects are not good- they really do not agree with me. I saw cardiologist a week ago and he has written to my GP to change over to Diltlazem. But after reading side effects from them I donāt know if I should take them.
Iām going to phone the AF clinic in the morning and ask for advice.
It makes me a bit cross that the constant advice is to take vit D, but what you aren't told is that too much is toxic. Vit D tests are relatively expensive for the NHS so they won't test very often.As mine is very low and making it difficult to diagnose a health condition it is important for me to get mine up somehow, it was suggested to my GP by a specialist that it was given to me intravenously. I said that as it seemed to be when it hit my bloodstream that the issues started I would have it in hospital provided the antidote was in the same room. She told me there is no antidote. I'm sure there would have been something they could do to help, but it was too scary.
I did find it quite scary when mine was paroxysmal, I was very symptomatic with lots of symptoms that were red flags for a heart attack so a real nuisance. Because of other health conditions and the medication for them I'm currently in persistent, far fewer symptoms, but tiring and inconvenient.
Apart from stress I have never managed to identify any triggers, can't currently have anything done to help, I was on the list for a cardioversion when I got my thyroid numbers under control but it exceeded the 6 month wait they quoted me I stopped that medication and was in NSR a week later, so let them know snd came off the list. Sadly my thyroid numbers went off again as GP wouldn't give me the alternative medication and I'm back in persistent again. I'm on the medication now and have got my yearly appointnent with the cardiologist in January so hope my bloods are okay before I gi.
Sorry to hear your having problems. Itās all trial and error isnāt itā¦.. I hope your bloods are ok in January š¤itās hard not identifying triggers x I think my situation is pretty much similar x Iām going to see a natrapath doctor to try and eliminate what it could be? X
Thank you. This has been going on for years, the AF over 3.The trouble with AF us it's as unique as each individual, as far as I can make out the only 2 triggers common to most of us are stress and dehydration. Those 2 seem pretty widespread, as for the rest it's rather hit and miss.
Do let us know how you get on with the naturopath.
I believe it could be related to be fair. Filtium 20mgs from the GP as they said my vit D levels were slightly low. Iām not going to take the dose today. But imagine it will take a few days to see a difference.
Thank you, itās the only thing Iāve really done different and they increased last week.
When i was hospitalised prior to beta blockers and the only change I made was taking vit d for two days.and they were prescribed from the GP.
"Please donāt worry". How can you control your Afib? But how?
I have been doing breathing exercises for over 9 months and it has made a massive impact on my arrythmia to the point that I no longer get episodes of arrythmia despite a health condition that could make it worse.
I did a Google search on ecoptics and breathing and came up with this Youtube video from a consultant cardiologist youtube.com/watch?v=wo0l2RM.... It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on this.
You may find this guided meditation useful. It is based on 5 breaths per minute which has research showing benefits for the heart. youtube.com/watch?v=zMEFBM0....
Don't stop if it does not work immediately. The benefits of the breathing as mentioned in the article is amazing particularly for heart health, anxiety, stress etc. It will have a postive snowball effect to allow your body to correct itself in its own time and own way.
How to come out of your head and the anxiety - look around you, see the birds, see the people walking by etc. then say to yourself. ā This is my realityā not what is in my head. Also read the letter from your doctor - again that is your reality. If you are concerned, make an appointment and see if he will clarify exactly the health of your heart. Then you are living in reality.
I have an appointment tomorrow and itās my first one with a rhythm nurse. I am hoping I may get some relief x as I donāt exactly know whatās going on and these ectopics only increased this week x I had them but not the extent Iāve had them this week x
Hi , I used to have ectopic beats for some time, and my doctor told me they are completely harmless. In time they just disappeared. I noticed them more at night when trying to go to sleep. Avoid anything you find triggers them to be worse, eg caffeine and alcohol should be avoided apparently. I hope you find improvement soon! As a side note, bisoprolol gave me total insomnia so I had to stop it, so notice if the increase makes things worse or better for you.
good point. I stopped my vitamin d today as Iāve noticed problems when I take that. So weāll see and I have my first rhythm appointment tomorrow š I donāt drink or take caffeine. But I I like chocolate so tried to cut it down a bit.
Hi Wishcld, it is perfectly understandable to be worried about what you are dealing with. Do you have the time to try some therapy to help with the anxiety? So much work now a days on the connection between brain, heart and gut. Lots of things that may help but it is different for everyone and it is a case of finding the right way for you. For me the Bisoprolol always took a week or so to settle in, always a bit of an erratic heart rate response initially. Maybe try to look at what they call the bio psychosocial aspects. Meds are biological, therapy would be the psychological and then anything you can choose to change in your surroundings or weekly routine. Finding away to look after yourself. If you donāt have the time or inclination to go to therapy maybe check out some of the calm breathing techniques, box breathing, focused breathing etc, lots on YouTube. Even for a few moments of your day if you can access the calm side of your brain (the parasympathetic side of you autonomic nervous system) it will help you to manage your stress. There is the Atrial Fibrillation forum on here too, loads of info. You are not alone, many people living through similar situations, ypu will find your way. All the best.
Thank you, Iāve seen my rhythm nurse x didnāt find it too helpful xx guess Iāve got to hope the bisoprolol works š¤·āāļøand try alternative therapies xx
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