Hi, my names fred and i'm 23. I was diagnosed with an arrhythmia a couple months ago. I have had 3 or 4 sessions of extreme fluttering of the heart that lead to apnic attacks. These eventually calmed down after 24hrs or so but there's a constant heart thud throughout my day. Going to sleep is horrible, its tough to breath and my heart is all i can hear.
My GP was useless and didn't tell me a lot. I have no idea about what's going on and all i can do is read some very scary information on the internet. What do i do?
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Freddychops
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9 Replies
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Fred, if you post this on the AF Association site you are more likely to get responses to your problem.
You should meanwhile ask your GP to refer you to an EP ie an Electrophysiologist.a cardiologist specialising in diagnosing and treating arrhythmias.
There is also a vast amount of literature available on this site which you can download and absorb to help you understand and hopefully accept your condition. Knowledge is power.
Best wishes
Sandra
Sounds like me Fred 25 years ago. My GP is much the same when it comes to arrhythmias. You need to see a specialist and go for a private consultation it you want. I did and the £250 it cost me was well spent and it seemed to make the referral from the GP easier. You can get recommendations for EP's in different areas on the forum that Sandra mentioned, which is much more active. Here's a link healthunlocked.com/afassoci...
As Sandra says, ask to see an Electrophysiologist (EP), or another term used for them is simply Heart Rhythm Specialist. They are the electricians of the heart. My GP didn't know what an EP was and some seem to think they only do ablations. They don't, they are THE specialists in arrhythmias and all treatments to help, whether that be ablations or drugs.
In the meanimte, try to:
- avoid alcohol, too much sugar and caffeine (we drink decaf tea and coffee, and no coke etc)
- try to avoid stress if you can, smile things off, stay relaxed and do things you enjoy
- don't eat large meals (try never to fill yourself up, eat small and regular) ... a lot of arrhythmias are triggered by eating
- sleeping on your left may make things worse. Try lying on your right if you're having a problem at night
- but most of all try not to worry as your panic attack will actually exhaserbate the problem. Easy to say I know, but AF won't kill you it just feels like it sometimes
All of these things you list to avoid. Is what I've noticed also on my own. I don't smoke, drink or take drugs. As for the large meals, any time I eat anything over 600/700 calories my heart starts to increase in rate. This makes me prone to ectopics. When I experience ectopics I get a racing heart rate in normal rhythm. I went to hug my girlfriend the other night on my left side and got an ectopic (flutter). I'm waiting to see a cardiologist on Wednesday.
I had my first Afib attacks at about 23/24 but had a previous heart condition.
I agree with the other replies.
What worked for me can work for you: Educate yourself about your condition, Train your mind not to go into panic! (I know it's very difficult), ask many questions when you visit the different doctors ( I had a list most of the time), and I prayed a lot.
I'm 46 now and living a very full, active and wonderful life. Afib/AF/Flutter is not the end of your life.
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