So it was atrial fibrillation after all

[Totto]

For several years I have had strange heart sensations and a very erratic pulse at times, often combined with dizziness and near to fainting. High pulse and low bp when this happens. I have become used to it so no big deal but also gotten used to being fobbed off by HPCs but now it actually was picked up on a 48 hour heart recorder and hell breaks loose. I am to be put on this that medicine and am referred to all kinds of consultants. Yeah I told you so, so what is new?

Why don't they ever listen to me in the first place?

I think I will stick with the beta blockers I persuaded my GP to prescribe a year or so ago for emergences but take the lowest dose daily instead of going on to a new beta blocker as I know this one. And I will wait until I have seen the cardiologist before I start on any anti-coagulants at all. To be honest, for the past couple of weeks I felt very normal and haven't taken any beta blockers at all so am not too worried. And so far as I know I have had it for years.

How worried should I be, short term and long term? Advice is welcome.

 

[zand]

Hi Totto. I had atrial fibrillation for a few years. Yes I agree a beta blocker is a good idea. Mine is bisoprolol 5mg. The main problem is the risk of clotting because the blood gets sucked back before it has been properly pumped away, because the heart beats so quickly. My pulse rate was generally between 100-150 when I was in AF.

So in my opinion anti coagulants are a good idea to lower the risk of a stroke or heart attack. I took (and am still taking) warfarin. I took it straight away from diagnosis by my GP. It takes a while to load your system with warfarin so it's best to be covered as quickly as possible. There are newer anticoagulants to choose from. I don't know a lot about them. My sister in law took one and found that cuts didn't heal well. She bit her tongue and it wouldn't heal without stitches and more drugs. I can only tell you about the path I took. I preferred warfarin because it's an old, well-tested drug. The downside is that you need weekly blood tests while they are figuring out your correct dose, I didn't mind that - I would rather take something that is well-known than a newer 'wonder drug'

I had it on and off for years, a little in childhood too. Then it got really worse about 5-6 years ago (sorry it's late and I'd rather reply quickly than search around for dates.) At first it didn't bother me much. Then I got increasingly breathless, to the point that walking upstairs and up a slight slope was really hard. Tying up laces was difficult too because I couldn't bend for long enough. Once I was out walking and was a mile from home, it came on badly and I struggled to get home. That scared me, so I had less exercise because I didn't like to walk far on my own. However everyone is different, I can only tell you about myself.

Treatment - I had my heart shocked under a general anaesthetic. They gave me 3 and it didn't work. They put me on more drugs including one really dangerous one which I decided to gamble with and take it and hope I didn't get awful permanent side effects. I'm not sure I would tell anyone else to take this one! I had 3 more shocks and my heart returned to normal rhythm for 18 months. Then I had 3 more shocks which didn't work. They said there was nothing more they could do, but my GP had told me to ask for ablation therapy at the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford. I had this Nov 2012 and my heart has been fine since then (although it took 5 months to feel anywhere near normal). I have heard of some people who really have no symptoms at all and others who become even worse than me.

How worried should you be? The big worry is a stroke. My advice is to reconsider waiting to take anticoagulants. If your cardiologist says you don't need them, it's easy enough to stop taking them then.

 

[zand]

Something I've just remembered....I read that if you are low on magnesium and do strenuous work, you could cause atrial fibrillation. My naturopath tested my magnesium levels and gave me a supplement. I would suggest you don't do anything too strenuous for too long before you see your cardiologist. If you get breathless whilst doing strenuous work, stop. I was shovelling snow when mine started, and I kept going.

 

[Brunneria]

@Totto
Thank heavens you are already looking after your heart with the LCHF diet.

Hoping the treatment helps!

 

[Totto]

And now the fatigue... It feels as if I haven't slept for a week. I am on 25 mg atenolol since mid July, could this be related? And I fear there is depression creeping up on me too.

But no AF since I started on the atenolol.

 

[Brunneria]

You've had a roller coaster of a Summer.
Could it just be your body saying that it needs a resting period?

 

[Totto]

Could be, I suppose but somehow I don't think so. I feel as if I haven't slept for a week AND been drugged and the only thing I can come up with, apart from being devastated by my young French friend leaving us, is side effects from atenolol. Or of course some unknown disease that has hit suddenly.

I have decided to skip the atenolol until AF hits again. If it is side effects the effect will wear off rather quickly I trust.