Heart Arythmmia

[urrrgh46]

I've developed an irregular heartbeat - I can trace it beginning to just after I had covid - and will have a 24hr monitor this week. Anyone else living with this and how are you being treated? I attended A&e last week and was meant to have been monitored within a couple of days - I've now arranged my own monitoring privately as I haven't been contacted as yet - suspect they're just overwhelmed with patients right now. Anyhow, just want to know how other people cope and what treatment they've received (medications etc).

Have you got a diagnosis yet? It sounds like it could be Myocarditis and the only treatment I had was being told to take it easy, don’t do anything that puts work on my heart (no using the stairs if there was a lift etc). It took 4 months to stop being constantly irregular and 10 months to get back to normal.

No - no diagnosis yet. I had Covid in march and tbh thought I was just having palpitations but over the last few months it's got worse and I realised the heartbeat was actually strange. Attended a&e last week as it was lasting for hours and I felt unwell. They did bloods and a very quick ecg. Bloods said I hadn't/wasn't having a heart attack and didn't have a blood clot so they sent me home saying I needed a 24hr ecg to see what's going on.

Glad yours has gone back to normal!!

I have this too. No treatment, but no alcohol and decaf everything. I've had my heart checked and it's working as it should so just living with it. Definitely worse after I've eaten and like you started after covid.

@AuntieDolly sorry you have this too - yes mine gets worse after eating, particularly my evening meal and I'm going to cut caffeine out but thought I'd better have the investigations first so they get a proper picture of what's going on.

Fortunately I don't drink so haven't got to cut that out!

I had this after covid & have had this on & off. I take drugs to put me back into rhythm if it happens.

I've completely cut alcohol out but wasn't a big drinker. Upped my fruit & veg & starting eating almonds every day.

I've done lots of reading & some think it's linked to inflammation in the body which covid can cause. Some reading suggests a link between hormones & the heart & covid was the only illness i've had that made my cycle very odd.

Is yours constantly irregular?

Apparently it's only "dangerous" if your heartbeat is fast & irregular which mine has been. A family member is constantly irregular but normal pace & that's ok & apparently very common in older people. I'm not that old though & when it happens it makes me feel horrible.

@drogh thanks for the reply! Mine makes me feel horrible some of the time at others it can be irregular but I feel fine. It certainly makes me anxious and that doesn't help. I'm 46 so not old but I did wonder about hormonal influences. I can definitely trace it back to starting within 2 weeks if me having covid though. The inflammation link is very interesting!! Reassuring to know that it's considered dangerous if the heart is beating really fast. Mine doesn't seem to do that. It's more the rythmn that's off. At the hospital my pulse ranged from 39 - 100 ish.

I'm a few years younger than you hence why I thought about peri. I've had covid twice, the first time my period was 3 wks late but I had all the pmt symptoms. The 2nd time my period was 1 day late but ridiculously heavy for days. My periods are never late even when i've had periods of much greater illness.

I think irregularity can also be linked to arrhythmia & thyroid.

thedoctorskitchen.com

this doctor had it in his 20s & overhauled his lifestyle.

My echo was fine, the doctors have just told me it's how my body reacts to stress & I need to sleep more, look after myself

And interestingly the vaccines triggered an episode each time for me, but the doctors don't really want to talk about that. It's just me reacting to stress 😆

@drogh I follow that doctor! I like his recipes! Didn't know he'd had a heart issue. Yes I need to do some overhauling - reduce stress and sleep more! I exercise a lot so actually I've cut that down and taken the intensity out. My diet needs looking at but I've never smoked and don't drink at all - haven't for years. But stress is a problem.

Just dropping in to share an experience - not trying to scaremonger.

An acquaintance was buried on Friday after a blood clot caused a heart attack two months after having Covid. 49 years old, super fit, no other medical conditions. There is an inquest ongoing to determine if Covid was the primary cause.

Obviously this case might be a unicorn - at the same time, just be aware, and if you think something is not right with you, do keep pressing for answers. Better safer.

DH has it, he's 58. Started 2.5 years ago. He's on statins and has had 2 catheter ablations. They've essentially told him to learn to live with it.

Yes he had arrhythmia. I haven't tried any recipes yet but just trying to eat better.

My sleep is very bad & I was checked for apnea (which I knew I didn't have). It's anxiety that wakes me up/keeps me awake but I don't know why i'm anxious!

I don't exercise enough (used too), never smoked or drank much. However I could lose a stone or two. I'm scared exercising will trigger it so need to do some yoga etc. I find it very frustrating

@Luckingfovely don't think you're scaremongering at all! The hospital did bloods on me to check it wasn't a blood clot so I know I'm ok on that front right now! Poor man - Covid has a LOT to answer for!!

@losingit31 sorry to hear about your husband! In some ways it's reassuring to hear that people are told to live with it - ie I'm not in imminent danger of dropping dead!

YES! I had covid last christmas and have a serious arrythmia as a result of undiagnosed myocarditis. I was initally suspected to have the onset of AF but it seems to be on the cusp and hasnt developed more. I am on fleconaide and beta blockers and they seem to be helping o stop the arrythmia getting worse. been on them for over 6 motnhs - cut out caffeine and alcohol

Just to add, ive had an echo, ecg, and 2 x 24 heart monitors and due to have a third in new year. I have multiple triple beats in my arrythmia.

@trying29 that sounds more scary! Is AF where the heart beats really fast?

"And interestingly the vaccines triggered an episode each time for me, but the doctors don't really want to talk about that."

😵‍💫

Well, mine predates covid as does most of my family members and friends who have it. It's very common and always has been. Paranoid much?

I've booked myself in privately for the monitor and will do the same for an echo. Fortunate to be able to do so!

yes but not just tachycardia (the ultra high heart rate). It can lead to other conditions. I dont have that. My consultant said he wasnt so worried about the speed of my heart rate as the multiple dropped beats.