Atrial Fibrillation- any experiences?

[Akite]

I've had episodes of this on and off for several years. Very intermittent, can be as long as a year in between. Had the longest episode yet at the weekend, lasted a good couple of hours. I've seen my gp about it a few times but because it's never happened while I've had an ecg attached, they haven't done anything about it.
I just don't know if it's worth persisting with them, I doubt they will do anything other than arrange another ecg, find nothing, ignore till the next time.
Beacuse it's so intermittent, and resolves on its own, it just seems like they wouldn't really treat anyway. Has anyone else had this and got treatment or has it progressed to a stage where you need treatment?

Hi there.

Yes, I have Afib. First of all there will be no treatment until you are diagnosed by cardiology, well that's my experience anyway.

How do you know you actually have Afib? Palpitations can happen very often for no reason and very often we don't even know about it. Are you sure that your palpitations are not just that.... palpitations? Afib means that in addition to a racing heart there is arrythmia also. Palpitations are not the same thing and can often be brought on by stress or anaemia.

Yes it is frustrating trying to get it diagnosed, since it is difficult to "catch" an episode on an ecg. Afib sometimes causes symptoms, sometimes it doesn't. For example, tiredness, shortness of breath and chest pain. But some people (me!) have no symptoms at all and it is only discovered by chance.

Best investment you can make I think is an Apple Watch with a health/heart function. It can identify Afib episodes and you can bring it to the GP and show him.

If you have Afib, you won't die from it, it is not life threatening in itself, but it makes your stroke risk very high unless you take blood thinners. I could go on... but thankfully I am in good medical hands and am feeling great.

Hello
Another A fibb-er here. I have a device called Kardia mobile which can be synced with your phone.
I have got the Afib tshirt and have had persistent Afib which I had treatment for (drugs, carsioversion and ablation) and take blood thinners.
Yes its a sneaky thing and any evidence of an episode you can provide will be helpfull. Normally Drs rely on ECG and Holter monitor information which can take a very long time to sort.
You can live with Afib but equally it can have really debilitating effects. Some times treatment can "cure" it but equally it can return so depending its possibly something that is at the back of your mind.

Anticogulation is key as the main risk of AF is a blood clot then stroke. I would push for this.
I also have a home monitor where I can check my INR (the clotting measurement) to ensure I am in range.

The biggest thing I do to stay well is to drink lots of water but different people have different triggers (eg booze, salt , msg, sweetners, lack of sleep, stress)

Happy to answer questions or chat more. My sitiuation started in my 40's but it can be in later years this afects people.

An ECG isn’t enough, you need to have a 24hr monitor on - at least!

Ablation is good but make sure they put you to sleep for it. Not all drs do.

For the Afibbers amongst us, I now have a Watchman device fitted. Best thing ever. It doesn't get rid of Afib, but that's well controlled with Beta Blockers (touch wood), but it means I will never have to take those awful blood thinners ever again.

I cannot take blood thinning meds so was a candidate for this procedure. Ablation does not always work permanently either and you have to take blood thinners either forever or for a good while after the procedure. But it can have a good outcome too. I was not a candidate for that for various reasons.

There is an Atrial Fibrillation support group on Facebook, which is amazingly helpful. Lets us Afibbers know we are not alone!

DH has atrial fibrillation.
Anticogulation is key as the main risk of AF is a blood clot then stroke. I would push for this.

Push for an assessment - there are downsides to being on an anticoagulant so a variety of risk factors need to be assessed. DH is on one now. But a diagnosis has to come first. We were fortunate in living near enough to A&E for him to catch an episode in the act. He's got an Apple Watch now, but he had some sort of home ecg device before that, and also a stethoscope which helped him distinguish AF from ectopics.

Re triggers/warnings - DH doesn't have too many episodes now he's on Flecainide, but they tended to happen when he was relaxing after a stressful event. A warning sign - probably a quirk of the wiring of the nervous system rather than causal - is indigestion.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a cardiologist in York. He has a youtube channel called York Cardiology. He is great, and has many videos relating to Afib and cardiology in general.

I have paroxysmal AF. had it for about 6 years that Im aware of.
It usually lasts a minute or so but I can stop it by coughing for some reason.
Im on beta blockers and also blood thinners, but they have not actually stopped the AF.

DH has AF. It's minor now, he gets attacks every couple of days and they only last for a minute or so but he previously had attacks that lasted for days and his heart rate was over 200 for a long period of time. He was blue lighted to hospital more than once. He has had two cardiac ablations and it has more or less sorted the issue. He still has the odd attack, as I already mentioned but his cardiologist is happy as long as it doesn't get worse. He finds the attacks annoying and they make him cough but compared to how he was, he can cope with them.

Mine was caused by thyroid issues (Hashimoto)
It stopped when I got the right medication. There was no cardiologist involved, as it is a well known symptom.

ah I have an app - Fibricheck which I downloaded when I was in the middle of the attack. It is apparently medically certified and they produce reports for your GP. I did several recordings and they have come back as atrial fibrillation. It feels very different to palpitations to me, I can feel it's completely erratic and I feel extremely uncomfortable and a bit light headed.

i will persist with the GP and see if the reports are enough to get a cardiology referral. I did a couple of 24 hour ecgs before but still managed to miss them!
mine have always been triggered by a short sharp exertion - running for a bus, or running up stairs.

My DC is being investigated for this. His 1st episode of palpitations lasted over 5 hours. Incidentally after his covid vaccine. GP referred him to hospital immediately. Halter fitted and picked up ectopics. Had a heart scan my a specialist and im waiting for an appointment to go to Alder Hay for an exercise test (tends to happen after a jog/football) and will be fitted with a tracker for 8 weeks.

specialist strongly believe its down to the jab (which they did warn about).

so don’t just leave it. You have a right to be seen and seen properly

Hmm well just spoke to GP who couldn't have been more dismissive. No idea what the app is and couldn't read the report it produced. Only advice was to call 999 if it happened again so I can get an ecg done.

I get this same time every month. Heart rate rises above 100 according to Apple Watch? Always happens when I'm resting and has also happened when I'm sleeping! ECG came back fine but now waiting on another appointment. I've had it for years but hadn't realised it was so high until I started wearing my Apple Watch although not sure how accurate it is. I honestly think it's hormone related!

Hi Akite

That's very disappointing.
I don't know your app at all (have you subscribed ?)

Would you consider getting the Kardia ? Its only £100 compared to the Apple watch which I believe is a lot more.
Mine gives me so much peace of mind a well as information for the Drs.
You put 2 fingers on the silver tabs and hold it near the phone and it takes a reading. It will say Possible Afib as well as normal rhythm, brachy and tachycardia.

Perhaps it will help you to gather enough information / evidence to make a strong case for a referral to cardiology.

Drs can't prescribe anticoagulants (I checked yesterday as my mum is having investigations).

Good luck

I have paroxysmal AF. It started about five years ago. I went to GP about palpitations and was referred for 24 hour Holter. Then I had a stress test which conveniantly triggered an episode of SVT.
The initial diagnosis was SVT but I had an appalling episode and ended up in hospital. This showed some SVT and some fast AF.
Eventually had an electrophysiology study but they couldn't ablate it. I was fully awake and it was uncomfortable but otherwise fine.

Mine is managed with calcium channel blockers.
Anti coagulants are offered if you tick certain criteria (CHADS Vasc score).
I don't get them at the moment but that may change when I am 65.

Google vagal manouvres. There are techniques that can slow the heart. They don't always work but knowing them can be useful. I sometimes get success.

Just to add my cardiologist suggested I get a Kardi and he is happy to look at results on that.

I had been having episodes of palpitations and dizziness which I put down to perimenopause but then had a worse one and passed out in public (very embarrassing). Someone called an ambulance and I was taken to hospital. My heart rate was over 200 at rest and an ECG showed AF.

I'm now on a low dose of daily bisoprolol (stops the rate going too high which really helps), carry a kardia device (to help with monitoring) and carry flecainide tablets (to take when an episode starts). I'm on a waiting list for cardiac ablation.

I was violently sick after my last c-section which resulted in me going into AF. Fortunately I was being monitored and they were able to do a cardioversion which worked. I'm convinced it was a reaction to Fentanyl I was given. I'm paranoid when my heart races now and take my pulse a lot.

@Ashemark I also carry Flecainide but have never used it. My worst episode was similar to yours. HR around 200 for about five hours. I think bisoporol is the preffered drug but they won't give me it because of asthma. Diltiazem seems to do a good job.

@Mummyratbag I was also paranoid at first but I have learned not to worry about it and not to focus on my pulse unless I actually feel unwell. DS (26) has a similar problem and anxiety about palpitations make it worse.

@SilverSalver totally agree it's a vicious circle! I had a 24 hour ECG, but of course I felt fine that day.. wondering about a fitness tracker with one, but could lead to anxiety.