1. Community
  2. Heart Health
  3. Cardiac Arrhythmias

Recently diagnosed with Arrhythmia

Posted , 5 users are following.

brian22719
brian22719

Hi Everyone,

My first time here so thank you in advance for reading this. I was diagnosed this past June with Arrhythmia. I am a 50yo male, non-smoker, light drinker, fit and active, and normal weight. I had been experiencing a racing heart beat on and off over the past year before going to my GP about it. I was sent to a cardiac consultant and had an Angiogram and Echo done and neither identified any problems. Three months after diagnosis I did a 24hr Holter monitor and again nothing surfaced from that. (My only other condition is that I do suffer from regular heartburn).

I am now on a daily dose of Bisoprolol (1.25mg) and Aspirin (75mg). This has brought my symptoms largely under control though I still get an episode of racing heart beat about once per month. This usually lasts a couple of hours and leaves me exhausted afterwards.

My concerns are:

1. I do not know what type of arrhythmia I have as my consultant has never been able to catch it in full flow - is there any way to get more specific knowledge on my arrhythmia? 

2. I worry that this may be a precursor to more serious problems going forward - does this condition lead to others? Does it get worse over time? I would love to hear how your condition has progressed from the time of diagnosis.

3. Are there other underlying conditions that could contribute to the arrhythmia? (My blood pressure is normal).

4. Is there anything I should be doing apart from taking the medication that might be of help?

I appreciate that the above is pretty much a large fishing expedition however I am very grateful for any input that would help me to begin getting to grips with this.

Kind regards,

Brian.

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Big_man
    Big_man brian22719

    Posted

    Hi Brian,

    The road could be trecharous or nothing will happen. First of all get your GP to refer you to a Cardiologist who is going to do a full set of tests. Because the earlier you tackle your problem the easier it is to controll it. 

    To me the main factor was stress and mismanagement of high blood pressure. I have had AF for the last 4 years and lately has been giving problems, more regular episodes, and ended up having an Ablation 2 weeks ago.

    It seems like you are doing everything right, so I should not worry too much about it,

     

    • brian22719
      brian22719 Big_man

      Posted

      Hi Big Man,

      Thank you for the reply. And best wishes for a great outcome from the ablation. Stress seems to be a factor for me and I am looking into ways to manage it better. I don't expect to find a single solution to my problem so am hoping that a combination of measures will work. Kind regards.

  • sophia1522
    sophia1522 brian22719

    Posted

    Hi,

    As the other reply said, it can be nothing or it can be devasting. Being undiagnosed is the worst thing. Mum's went undiagnosed for years which led to two strokes. Like you, she'd had various traces and echos etc. If we knew then what we know now, we'd have seen a cardiologist privately and she'd have been on blood thinners much sooner.

    With regards to her AF, she first started experiencing symptoms in her 40s. She has her first stroke aged 50. Af was not picked up on traces and remained intermittent for almost 20 years. She had her second stroke aged 66 and the AF was finally caught but was still intermittent. This year, age 67 the AF has become permenent.

    There are lots of treatments that we are only just beginning to find out about, sadly too late. Mum is worst case scenario, so my message to you would be to get a private consultation early on if you can and know u your beast so you can have informed discussions.

    By catching it early, I'm sure you won't go down the same route as my mum

    Best wishes.

    • brian22719
      brian22719 sophia1522

      Posted

      Hi Sophia,

      Thank you for the reply, and I wish the very best for your mum. I have been prescribed Aspirin as my blood thinner so hopefully that will lessen my risk. I will gather as much information as I can as you suggest, and hearing other people's stories, like yours, is very helpful. Kind regards.

  • sophia1522
    sophia1522 brian22719

    Posted

    I didn't intend to scare you, this can be completely harmless, just unpleasant. But i would want a proper diagnosis and appropriate blood thinners.

  • ihavenonickname
    ihavenonickname brian22719

    Posted

    Hi Brian,

    You wrote that you experience tachycardia once per month for a couple of hours.. this is when you go to the ER.

    Tachycardia can be most serious. It must be determined whether the Tachycardia is in the atriums or if the Tachycardia is in the ventricles.

    Treatment is dependent upon this determination.

    Your heart has four sections...left and right atriums above left and right ventricles.

    Please continue to post.

    kind regards

    judith

    • brian22719
      brian22719 ihavenonickname

      Posted

      Hi Judith,

      Thank you for the reply. I will indeed try to find out where the source of my problem is, i.e. in which section of the heart. Because I have been on medication I have just sat it out when I have had an outbreak. The next time I will try to get to the ER before it stops and hopefully they might catch it and see which of the four sections is problematic. Kind regards.

  • Roper
    Roper brian22719

    Posted

    They tried Bisoprolol with me and it slowed my heart to 30 from its regular 48. So .. no good.  I am now on 50 mg of Flecainide and quit drinking ... If I have even 1 beer - then 3 hrs later I get a 3 hr AF episode.   Also are you on blood thinners?? Xeratol was prescribed for me.  ,, I'm 66.. very active , rope , ride , farrier etc..

    • brian22719
      brian22719 Roper

      Posted

      Hi Roper,

      Thank you for the input. They have given me Aspirin as a blood thinner (only a small dose).

      I am curious about Flecainide - does it slow your heartbeat at all? Also, has your AFib gotten worse over time, or has it stayed pretty much the same?

      Well done on quitting the beer - I don't think I would find that easy to do. (And it's great that you still ride - I used to ride a little when I was younger).

      All the best!

    • Roper
      Roper brian22719

      Posted

      Hey Brian,  gotta keep going even though the heart gets a little crazy at times.   My sessions have worsened this summer so that is why I went to Flecainide.   It doesn't slow your heart , just keeps the beets regular.  Some people take it on demand, but they said that is not a good idea.   My episodes are much better now.  I have gone 5 or 6 days without one at times.  Stress, sudden exercise, beer , smokes, overtired...... they all get you.. mine usually last 2-3 hrs.   But I'm hoping to rope this weekend..lol

    • brian22719
      brian22719 Roper

      Posted

      Hi Roper, I hope the weekend roping was fun. So far my episodes are not as frequent as yours (1 in the past month) - though I guess this could change over time. I had a lot of activity over the weekend (dirt biking and mountain walking) and ended up getting an episode yesterday that lasted nearly six hours. It was relatively mild so bearable. I will keep tabs on it and see if strenuous exercise is a trigger for me. I appreciate the feedback on Flecainide - every little helps in trying to get to grips with this.
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.