New Afib sufferer - BPM now seem to be in range - what next?
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Hi everyone - I have recently been diagnosed with afib (constantly irregular but not in a massive irratic flutter). My BPM was around 150 but it now seems to be down at around 80 (although that's with my machine which doesn't seem to like afib and it is maybe not a true reading). I have been taking 3 x meds to bring the rate down and try and get sinus rhythm back and have had one failed Cardioversion about four weeks ago which lasted about 4 days. Now that my BPM are lower I do feel better generally but can tell that I am still in afib and tend to run out of energy towards the end of the day or get a bit puffed after a long walk or strenuous constant lifting. Is the goal of the med team to get the rate down and then leave it there or do they ultimately work towards getting the beat back in sinus rhythm (I know each case is different just wondering what the general plan of attack is across the world). I generally lack motivation and my (what was once huge) get up and go has cleared off! Not as bad as it was so does this come back as time goes on and you get used to dealing with the feelings and tiredness?
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mazieboo22 yorkshirekiwi
Posted
Hi, they were going to do that after my fourth trip to a & e they were going to intravenously give me a large dose of Digoxin to see if that worked followed by Cardioversion if the meds did not do the trick but they got distracted and finally sent me home on the same meds I had been taking that did not work or help my asthma, Bisoprolol. I will see what they say when I see the specialist and I am awaiting a holster 24 hour ECG which I have had quite a few times.
jimjames mazieboo22
Posted
Digoxin does not help you cardiovert. It only controls rate. When you say "they got distracted" I'm getting the feeling your care is less then optimal. Personally, I wouldn't wait for any more tests/holter's, etc, and I would get hold of an EP right away and ask to be electro cardioverted unless they had a good case against. You can always experiment with meds at a later date should the cardioversion not work. The longer you remain in afib, the less chance the electro cardioversion will work, so I would get on this right away.
Jim
mazieboo22 jimjames
Posted
I saw my GP last night who is also a cardio expert and I thought yesterday afternoon that I seemed to be out of AF. On Sunday I went bowling with my family and took a run up to bowl and my shoes stopped but I didn't so I was propelled with the ball which I did let go of and fell flat very heavily. She thinks that this had an effect like cardioversion and although I still have some ectopic beats, it is much better and hoping I stay out of AF. Out of something that has left me bruised and in pain and caused a lot of laughter to other bowlers, maybe it was a blessing.
jimjames mazieboo22
Posted
Well that's good news! I assume your doc did an ekg? Still, I think you owe it to yourself to get a second opinion from a board certified cardiologist and maybe an ep to make sure you're on the right meds, or in fact maybe no meds may be necessary. Our cases have some similarities -- afib years apart -- and I'm not on any meds. While your're GP may be a cardio expert, the way your case was managed leaves questions and a second opinion is a good idea anyway.
Unless you have an obsessive personality, you might want to invest in a Kardia Mobile portable afib detector. It's likely that you fall put you back into normal rhythm, but its also possible you were in normal rhythm for some time before that and just didn't know it because of the ectopic beats. That's what happened to me and I found out I was out of afib with the Kardia Mobile.
Jim
mazieboo22 jimjames
Posted
I am awaiting the cardiologist appointment so I will see what they say. I am still on the meds but instead of 90mg twice a day I am on 180mg prolonged release of Diltiazem for now and check up again in a few weeks unless I need to see her before that date. I don't feel like it is back to normal I am still getting the odd strange beats and higher pulse but that wobbly jelly in your chest feeling is not as bad. I will look on Amazon for the Kardia Mobile. Thank you for your help