Worried

Hi everyone, I had an episode of af my first ever 3 weeks ago, I went back into normal rhythm after an hour or so...however when I had the egg they picked up a right bundle branch block...I've read this can be caused by congenital heart disease or coronary heart disease, other than the af I've felt ok, go out on my bike and do anywhere between 10-30 miles....granted I'm not the fastest or fittest but I do it

My father had a bypass at 53 so I've always kept an eye on my cholesterol and it's been around 3.5- 3.8..which I thought was good until I read it's not the complete picture, so my true readings are

HDL-1.2

LDL-2.2

TRic-0.9

This has concerned me now that my bad is higher than my good meaning I've probably got clogged arteries at 39 years of age....my Dr has always told me my cholesterol is good

[sandybrown]

My journey started 4 years ago because of cholesterol and blood glucose. I am not on any medication! went for two private screening advertised in news papers.

One of the screening found BBB. According to specialist this can be from birth!

Had 12-lead electro cardio gram and echo cardio gram. Both did not show any problem. My life style change, food intake control and regular exercise is helping me to keep the numbers down as my GP says. Go for blood test every six months and eye screening once a year.

You can ask your GP for a referral to a cardiologist just to check for any problems.

Where did you have your ECG, that informed you on BBB?

Take it easy and enjoy life.

[Hidden in reply to sandybrown]

I overdue a bike ride a few weeks ago which brought on my first ever episode of atrial fibrillation, I attended casualty where they told me of this, went back into normal rhythm and was sent home.

2 weeks later I had an ecg done at my gp surgery and was told everything was ok, I then picked up the copies of them to take to see specialist last week, neither the gp or casualty mentioned the BBB to me even though it stated on both egg printouts

About 12 years ago I had an ecg done in casualty and they said it was abnormal but didn't say what, they said they'd send me for a stress test and echocardiogram...however they never did....I'm wondering if it was the same abnormality then as now

And to top it off although my Dr has always told me my cholesterol is good it turns out it isn't as my LDL is higher than my HDL. meaning the BBB May be caused by coronary artery disease

[sandybrown in reply to Hidden]

Please ask your GP for a referral for both 12-lead stress test and an echo cardiogram. A special check for BBB.

Cholesterol levels are an indicator, a GP look at all the numbers of blood tests before making any decisions.

[Hidden in reply to sandybrown]

I'm currently waiting for my tests...

Was yours a birth abnormality or caused by heart disease

[sandybrown in reply to Hidden]

Cardiologist did not say and I did not ask. Exercise every day fro 30 minutes on the tread mill, total time 1 hour walking to gym and back 30 minutes.

Have been told my doctors and cardiologist and also read in the news papers not to over do any exercise as I am 68.

Only time will tell.

When you go for your test, write down all your questions, take a print from the Internet of a heart and ask the specialist to draw on it to explain BBB. This is what I did to get a better understanding.

[CDreamer]

Hi Juggsy

Just wanted to say there is an excellent support forum on AF on HU. Also AFA - atrial fibrillation association produced an excellent guide available at careaf.org

If you have AF please ask to be referred to an EP, elctrophysiologist, as they are the experts on arrythmias. They are the electricians of the heart whereas cardiologists are the plumbers.

There are good treatments for AF but the biggest risk is for stroke so I hope that you will discuss this with your doctors and consider anticoagulation. Loads of discussion on the AF forum about this.

I started with AF about 10 years ago, episodes lasted 2-3 days and my highest recorded HR was 200. My cholesterol numbers are much higher at 7 than yours but then I am a bit older at 64. I do not worry about it unduly as they have been high all my life. I was also born with atria septal defect which puts me at risk for bbb but I am very lucky as I have very low BP, normally 100/60 with resting pulse 60. After an RF ablation I am now AF free.

AF will not kill you but it can feel as though it will is a popular saying on the AF site. AF is an electrical defect, as is bbb, not a vascular block. It is also a controversial subject that high cholesterol levels causes heart attack and a more likely culprit may be lifestyle choices, processed foods, added sugar and carbohydrates.

Over exercise is a known trigger for AF for many people. Incidentally there seem to be a good number of endurance athletes on the AF site, it is thought that for some people their AF is caused by a 'floppy' atria caused by the heart increasing output for the exercise. The good news is that this can be reversed when exercise is reduced and the atria returns to normal size.

The good news is that you are obviously proactive about your health and you have the ability to reduce your risks now.

Best wishes CD.

[CDreamer]

PS - capturing AF on an ecg is incredibly difficult if it is proximal so you should be offered a 7day mobile monitor. Also ask for an echocardiogram as this will highlight any changes in the size of the atria.

[Hidden in reply to CDreamer]

I was lucky , if that's what you call it that I attended A&E as I was in AF....so they caught it all on ecg, I've however they didn't mention the bbb, I noticed 2 weeks later when I had another follow up ecg in my gp surgery and it said on the printout...however he also didn't mention it and said all was fine?

When I saw my EP last week for first time he brought it up and is sending me for stress and echo tests to see the underlying cause of it, but there's a 10 week wait and I'm a bag of nerves and worry now because I read that common causes of bbb are heart attack.....coronary disease....or congenital heart problem from birth...none of which sound like a great thing for someone my age....

I've also now since the EP appointment last Friday seem to have developed a pain in my left armpit that goes down my left arm......I'm wondering if I've got angina or blocked arteries which has brought on all these. I'm not coping very well at the moment for worry of what the tests will show, I ran up and down my stairs 5 times last night took my pulse and it was 134..I thought that seemed high for little exercise

[PeterWh]

If they thought it was likely they would not have put you on the waiting list but seen you straight away.

When I was first diagnosed with AF my GP wanted me to see an EP that day or the next day. The "chosen" EP did not do consultations for 6 days. However I spoke with EP's secretary and she spoke with him and he agreed to look at the three ECGs I had to see if something needed to be done sooner. When he saw them he said that waiting was not an issue and so saw him 6 days later.

[sandybrown in reply to PeterWh]

Are you on any medication for EP?

[Hidden in reply to sandybrown]

No as it was my first episode and I went back into sinus rhythm within a few hours I've been given bisoprolol as a PIP of it happens again

[CDreamer in reply to Hidden]

Juggsy, worrying will not help but only make things worse as stress is a known trigger. The imagination is a powerful tool, use it for lessening your anxiety not making things worse!

There is no emergnecy and if there is any sign of blocked arteries I am sure the echocardiogram will pick it up and you would hear straight away. In the meantime may I suggest that you curb your imagination, think only good things.

By the way, if you take Bisoprolol please be aware that it is a heart rate drug ie it will slow the the heart rate, it is not an anti arrhythmic drug. Many people find they feel breathless and tired after taking Bisoprolol.

It might also be a good idea to keep your HR under 120 when exercising, raising the HR can trigger an episode of AF.

My experience of going to A&E is that they will only monitor you whilst you are in AF, they are not known to prescribe a treatment. You are either ill enough to admit to coronary care or they send you home after you go into NSR.

Everyone finds it very stressful to be told there is something wrong with your heart but over time you will learn to accept it and adapt. The tests will reveal any abnormalities, nothing to be done in the meantime.

There are plenty of young, healthy athletes who have this condition, several of whom are Olympians, who have treatment and carry on competing.

[PeterWh in reply to sandybrown]

I am assuming that you mean any medicine for AF (as EP = Electrophysiologist)?

I am on Bisoprolol (6.25mg per day) and Warfarin.

[sandybrown in reply to PeterWh]

The reason for asking my questions is this :

EP treatments and this will be discussed :

Purpose of the procedure

The Electrophysiology (EP) service at Papworth Hospital offers catheter ablation of both standard and complex arrhythmias. Electrophysiology (EP) tests allow the heart’s electrical activity to be tested for fast or abnormal rhythms.

Effect on patients

The EP test and associated treatment tends to take between two and three hours to perform. There is a small amount of risk associated with EP treatments and this will be discussed with you, along with associated benefits, prior to you giving consent to the procedure.

[CDreamer in reply to sandybrown]

Bala I have had 2 RF ablation both of which were a lot longer than 2-3 hours, the first was 7+ hours and the 2nd about 6 hours. Ablation for Atrial Flutter is about that length of time. From the AF forum the average seems to be about 4-5 hours.

The second one has kept me clear for the last 12 months, it was a relatively easy process for the patient, me, and it is certainly something I would have again if the AF returns.

[PeterWh in reply to sandybrown]

Bala. Thanks for your interest and advice.

I actually am on the AFA forum as well. I was in persistent AF. Had an AF (catheter) ablation on 30 Mar which took almost 6.5 hours. Went back into persistent AF less than 72 hours later. Sent him AliveCor pdfs. Consultant EP straight away referred me to heart valve specialist as I have moderate to severe leakage in the tricuspid valve. He brought forward my post procedure consultation (was two weeks ago). He has put me on waiting list for second ablation with the proviso that the valve consultant is to decide whether the valve problem is sorted first or the ablation is done first. At the consultation just before deciding to go ahead with the first ablation Consultant EP had told me that in my case he thought that there was no chance that it would work first time and only 60% second time so three is quite a possibility.

[Jembly]

Cholesterol level over 77.8

HDL-?

LDL-?

TRic-?

All these abbreviations eek from a head injury this does cause me some concern.

Now starting to get to grips with my Cholesterol reading and then find high Cholesterol levels runs in the family.

I have got to grips I think the HDL is good and the LDL is bad but TRic is something else.

As have said on a previous post when I go to the Docs next will start to sort this out. Is a bit scary but will take life in its stride.

I try to keep some exercise going unfortunately cycling I had to stop as last time wrote the bike off probably from a black out?