Questions re WPW

[lancashirerose]

I saw a dr some months ago about ectopics (suffered - and I mean suffered! ) for years with them. Have been taking flecainide for several years which helps enormously.

Anyway, was going through a bad patch with pounding heart when I saw the dr and she said my ecg showed possible signs of wpw, but nothing worrying. I did a kardia ecg the other day which was really showing definite slopes which even I could see, so sent a copy to surgery. She confirmed definitely clearly visible sloping. I know it's not dangerous but do have some questions any of you with experience may be able to help with.

Can WPW cause ectopics? Had lots of ecgs in past and WPW never mentioned.

Get pounding heart, often after going to bed. Sometimes wakes me up. Feels awful but is never above about 110 bpm. It really freaks me out. I usually find it coincides with eating too much, or maybe a couple glasses of wine, so put it down to stomach/vagus nerve thing. I find antacids that bring the wind up will help calm it down. Is this actually WPW showing itself, or stomach related?

I'm not asking for any diagnosis, but who better to ask than people who know what it's like?! I'll be grateful for any advice, or even to know it's not just me! Feels very lonely in the night when I'm lying there feeling like a giant heartbeat! I know it's not serious, I get no dizziness or pain or anything like that. But I don't like it!

Thank you

Rose

[fostercraig]

HiI sympathise I have had many years living with arrhythmia and have had a pacemaker for 35 years. I am now 59. My issues were a an ASD repair when I was 16 done open heart. I gather these days it would be done with an umbrella through a vein. Anyhow the surgery damaged some of my natural pacing nodes, a side effect of such surgery. As I got older the arrhythmia got worse.

Anyhow the arrhythmia (AFib) is scary although your are told it is not dangerous, a wobbly heartbeat feels horrid for me, as obviously for you. I am told unbelievably some people have such things and don't know, lucky them I say! I had an ablation that cured Aflutter and in combination with my latest pacemaker I was given a combo of Flecainide 50 twice a day and Bisoprolol a very small dose 1.25mgs and this has made my heart so much more stable. Happy Days.

I am checked every year and my pacemaker holds the data of any episodes (which are now very few)

I wish you the very best. Unless you have it, it is hard to explain how it totally affects life.

[lancashirerose in reply to fostercraig]

Thank you for your reply, it always helps to hear from other people who know what it's like. I agree with you, I don't know how people can have these episodes and ectopics without feeling them! It is so obvious when it happens! Wobbly heartbeat is a good description! When I get runs of ectopics (thankfully not so often now, but still freaks me out when it happens) I always feel like my heart is a faltering engine, stuttering and sputtering to keep going..... I'm the same age as you, and had the problem since I was first pregnant, in 1983, so I guess they are right in saying it's not dangerous, as I'm still here! Doesn't stop the panic sometimes though 🙁