Paroxymal Atrial Fibrillation

[Morningrose]

I was diagnosed with paroxymal AF in 2017 I was given 1.25mg Bisoprolol to start with and then in time, I gravitated to 5mg. Since last month the af went out of sync, I am now on 7.5mg Bisoprolol and the increased dose has not been helping greatly. On the 14/11 I had to go to A&E as I had chest pain. My omron BP monitor was not picking my pulse rate accurately & when I was in AE, my pulse was 147, I was in shock as I didn't feel my heart racing. I was back in A&E again on the 23/11 and this time I could feel my heart racing, they gave me 2.5 mg Bisoprolol and a further 2.5mg after sometime, and it was still not coming down. In the end they had to give me an iv of magnesium to try and bring it down. I also had a Troponin blood test, thankfully on both occasions they were low and was able to go home. Presently, I have been getting these palpitations mainly after dinner and when I put my head on the pillow, the beats are often felt in my ear, so I keep turning in order not to hear them. I am waiting for an echocardiogram and a Holter monitor in the new year. It is all quite unsettling. Is there anyone out there who has experienced a similar thing. Thank you for reading my experience with PAF.

[meadfoot]

I can identify with all you are going through. I recognise the gastric element which is a sure fire trigger for me every time and lots of people mention the positional aspect. Keep on at your medic until you get sorted and a clear strategy is agreed upon. I hope your tests give evidence to help your doctors make a sound plan for you. Best wishes,

[Morningrose in reply to meadfoot]

Thank for replying. Bottom line, none of us should be suffering from this ailment. However, it is reassuring that people like you are in a similar situation abd read about your similar experience. You are right, there is a definite gastric element to it. It certainly does not help as I have acid reflux and take meds for it. I am relying on these tests and hopefully move on. Best wishes to you too.

[Tellingfibs]

I am sorry to hear your Afib has suddenly become such a worry for you. When I started reading your post, it was identical to my Afib beginnings. I too was diagnosed in 2017 and put on 1.25 mgs Bisoprolol. That was actually quite quickly increased to 2.5 mg which suited me until until March last year (2021).Tachycardia provoked an increase to 5mgs which sorted things until November. My GP was too nervous to increase my Bisoprolol as she was worried it would reduce my blood pressure too much, so I waited until January this year (2022) to get an early appointment with my cardiologist. He increased my dose to 7.5 mg ( 5 mgs morning, 2.5mgs evening ). After two weeks things hadn’t improved so I got an appointment with a different GP at my surgery and he just upped the dose to 5 mgs twice daily. Within about 6 hours, while sitting anxious and fed up, I felt a kind of peacefulness descend and my mood revived. I checked my heart with my Kardia device and found I was in Normal Sinus Rythmn. Now I have to say, I wasn’t suffering Tachycardia a lot of the time, just Afib, and even then, I would slip back into NSR for short bursts about once a day, but not for long enough for it to be noticeable ! I know I am rambling on a bit, but I wanted to reassure you that there is always something that can be done. Most afibbers’ problems are worsened by difficulty in getting appointments with our medical professionals and the fear that descends whilst we are suffering just seems to make things worse. My GP who raised my Bisoprolol dose reassured me with the words ‘ there are lots of tools in the box ‘ to deal with Afib. Once you have had your January monitoring carried out, your medical team will be able to decide on the best treatment for you. As we see on this forum, treatment needs to be very personalised so for example, what has helped me up until now would not have helped someone else. I am on the maximum dose of Bisoprolol now and my GP says that if my Afib worsens, I can change my drug to Sotalol or have an ablation, but he told me not to worry, not to check my Kardia device too much and not to check ‘Dr Google’ ! Let us know how your January appointment goes, and good luck.

[Morningrose in reply to Tellingfibs]

Thank you for being able to relate to my personal case. What a coincidence that we were both diagnosed in the same year. Indeed Bisoprolol can bring down BP and I think it is a good idea to split between morning and evenings, I will suggest that to my GP. I am glad that you found this peaceful state and better mood with the increased med. The extra beats or tachycardia does bring one's mood down and kind of scary. Thank you for reassuring me that there is always something that can be done and I am holding on to that. It is difficult to get appointments, especially cardiologists. I find myself seeing the cardio in a private setting whenever I can afford it.I have yet to get a KardiaMobile monitor, which one do you have, is it user friendly.

My Cardiologist has also mentioned ablation if meds do not work. I am not so keen on it at this stage as it carries its own risks. I will of course keep the gorum updated of how I get on in January. In the meantime, thank you for your support and Happy New Year, wishing you better health and happiness.

[Tellingfibs in reply to Morningrose]

Hi Morningrose. The Kardia I have is the original one. There is a more up to date version called a ‘6 lead’ and I believe it is even more sensitive. The one I have is very user friendly, and if you pay a subscription, any irregular heartbeats you may have are categorised and described in more detail. You also get 4 ( or maybe 5 ?) personal result assessments per year. My GP says not to depend on it ( as many on this forum will also agree ! ) as it can take over a bit, but it can be reassuring, especially when you feel under the weather with strange heartbeats and your Kardia tells you you are in NSR. Mainly though, it is advised that you go by how you feel. I wouldn’t like to be without my Kardia though……🤪

[Morningrose in reply to Tellingfibs]

Tellingfibs, Thanks for providing me all the info on the Kardia Mobile. I have had a look online for the Kardia 6lead, it really looks very interesting and will definitely get this one. I will pay for the subscription too as that is going to be very useful to have your readings reviewed by an expert and the irregular heartbeats categorised. My GP too did not advise me to have a Kardia monitor as he said it can get in the way of living! But I totally disagree as I can see that it is going to be really reassuring. Thanks again☺️

[Songlines]

Hi Morningrose, your story is similar to mine, I was diagnosed a year ago and I'm also on bisoprolol 1.25mg. I only get one or two arrhythmias a day now and I hope to keep it that way. I felt a similarity when you said that you hear your heartbeating fast and then turn around so as not to hear this. By the way did your consultant order for you to get a sleep apnea test? Mine did and apparently this can be an underlying issue. A holter test is also helpful in detailing what's going.Wishing you the best during this new year.

[Morningrose in reply to Songlines]

Hi Songlines, Thank you for you reply. I am glad that you are only on 1.25mg Bisoprolol and hopefully this will stay that way. It seems the tachycardia has an impact on the way one sleeps. I will be seeing my Cardiologist in January and I will definitely suggest an apnea test which may prove really useful. After your apnea test, did the specialist suggest any treatment.

I will be having a Holter test too.

Wishing you a Happy New Year, good health and happiness.