Is this an ok reason to go to a&e?

[TheGreatPretzel]

Hope it’s okay to post here, just looking for some advice!

I’ve got a history of arrhythmias, but things have been stable since my ablations and I’m on long-term meds. Over the past 24 hours though, my heart’s felt strange, not fast, not irregular, just a bit funny? It doesn’t feel like my usual arrhythmia episodes. No pain or palpitations, just a weird feeling I can’t describe. I’m not even sure it’s my heartbeat that feels funny tbh but I think it is?

I tried my Watch ECG app which gets read by a physician (dont usually use it because my heart is controlled now, and I don’t totally trust it for accuracy anyway!). One reading came back as Wenckebach, another possible intermittent 2:1 block or possibly intermittent complete AV block, and one said severe sinus arrhythmia, but results were inconsistent and poor quality so really not reliable at all. My heart rate’s been between 37–90, so still in my normal range as it’s usually 40-90

I know sinus arythmia isn’t harmful at all, and neither is wenckebach, I’ve been told before I alternate in and out of it but it doesn’t cause issues nor need treatment

Tbh I’m wondering if it’s just stress or the hot weather, but I’m just a bit unsure. I usually go to A&E if it’s clearly palpatations or pain, but this is so vague, and I don’t want to turn up just saying ‘something feels wrong but I can’t even explain how.’ My cardiologist takes a few days to reply especially as it’s Friday afternoon, GP appointments today are all gone, 111 just advise a&e for heart stuff anyway

I don’t want to go to a&e and add to their busyness for something so vague when I can’t even pin point what symptoms I’m even getting, and then it will probably just turn out to be tiredness or nothing at all, something just feels wrong with it but I don’t know in what way. Would be ok to go to a&e for my own reassurance to get checked, or would it be more appropriate to wait a bit longer and see if the feeling passes?

thank you x

I would given your history.

I have AFib and the hot weather is a trigger for episodes

Every time I visit the cardiac dept they make sure to tell me to come in/a&e at the first sign of anything heart/chest related. They try to drum it into people to avoid unnecessary deaths. Hope you're doing okay!

Yes. Parent of an SVT Child here. Always go to a&e with rhythm issues. Only a proper 12 lead can read. You never know what it is and cannot rely on apple

buy a kardia for future though much more accurate and the only thing NICE recommend

If you were that bothered why wouldn't you have gone to your dr's tho if it's been 24hrs, I would have rang surgery soon as they opened to get in

If you were that bothered why wouldn't you have gone to your dr's tho if it's been 24hrs, I would have rang surgery soon as they opened to get in

🙄

There’s a reason why 111 normally tell you to go to a&e for heart related concerns. It’s not something to risk dismissing. If you feel something is off then please go.

I would ring the hospital that monitors you - in our village if you have heart issues and ring an ambulance they take you to a 24hr heart monitoring place and you are seen within one hour (they just look at heart issues)....walk into A&E with the same problem you are waiting 12hrs to be seen.

you know what I wouldn’t do? Ask on mumsnet.

we have 111 for a reason, use it and they will tell you whether an ambulance is needed, A&E, drop in appointment etc.

FWIW I hope you don’t take seriously ill whilst waiting for the doctors of mumsnet to respond

No idea why you are eye rolling… @Rayqueen is right, why wait until doctors are closed to ask the internet what to do?

all the appointment might have gone, but I don’t believe for one second that they wouldn’t have been able to get some advice about where to go given the health history

Ah is OP one of those…nothing ever wrong but wants some attention

Did you go to A and E in the end OP? I’m a GP and I think you’d be absolutely right to go there with this history, they can do a proper 12 lead ECG and find out what exactly the issue is, you may well then be able to follow up later with your GP and/or indeed you cardiologist if you need a 24 hour ECG or further nonurgent treatment. But they’d admit you if there was something more urgent. Not worth taking the risk of not having it checked. And while the Apple Watch is helpful I agree a Kardia AliveCor device is better and with your history may be well worth investing in.

No idea why you are eye rolling… @Rayqueen is right, why wait until doctors are closed to ask the internet what to do?

all the appointment might have gone, but I don’t believe for one second that they wouldn’t have been able to get some advice about where to go given the health history

Yes, I'm sure the receptionist would have advised 111 or A&E. The OP is obviously concerned but fighting an internal dialogue and wants some other opinions/reassurance. Is that really so hard for you to fathom?

So i read the title and got myself ready to give you a lecture expecting to read "ive an ingrown toenail and I can't see my GP for 3 weeks and it's really annoying me...." but then I read your post and 100% zero lecture here, please go get checked. Hopefully you are "wasting their time" as nothing is wrong but you know your body and I don't think you sound like you generally overreact medically with your history so if it feels 'wrong' even if that's the only way you can articulate it then you should absolutely go and get looked at.

I'm hoping given its been a few hours since your last post that you are indeed now in A&E and you'll be back soon to confirm there's nothing serious going on

Thanks but not quite! And I have absolutely no idea what the poster you’ve quoted is referring to.

but to answer your question, I should have gone to my GP- but sometimes symptoms only become concerning when they’ve been going on for a while. With hindsight I should have called my GP this morning but it was only after I realised it had been going on for so long that I realised I should probably get it checked, and by that point, all appointments gone.

Heart absolutely fine today, no afib. I have an inner ear infection so I think that’s possibly affected my balance, they said that’s likely why I’ve been feeling ‘weird’.

cant help but feel guilty for going to a&e when it was all fine, but very relieved I got it checked and to know what’s caused it. They were fab and it was actually surprisingly quiet for a Friday afternoon in the heatwave.

thanks all

glad all ok

Glad you’re ok.

Good news and it just shows you were right something was up even if you were wrong as to what.