Understanding AF

Hi Kathleen,  I have AF and it seems to be a permanent thing.  I recently had to have a general anaesthetic (not for AF) and before I was put to sleep the Anaesthetist who was smiling at the time of telling me, pointed to my heartbeat on the monitor. Well, the pattern of my erratic heartbeat looked like a massive earthquake was going on, all I could see was these massive lines going all over the place and yet, I'm not aware of it. The only time I notice anything is when I've eaten and after awhile things calm down again.  LuckyPenny

The ECG evidence of atrial fibrillation is like LuckyPenny! says. The subjective experience can be unnoticeable or rather debilitating. If you feel the pulse in your wrist and it reminds you of the percussion section in a calypso band, that's it. If the beat is regular, meaning that the spaces between the beats are of equal length, you are not "in afib". 

For me it meant you heart is out of rhythm. The more out of rhythm greater the risk of stroke. Also symptoms. Since my ablation much less tired. Also cannot walk up steps without getting so tired and having to stop..My experience so far. 

I'm trying to understand the differences in Afib as well. In my case, I know my at rest heart rate is 46 bpm. When I have an Afib episode, my heart starts racing at anywhere from 120 to 175 bpm and stays there for hours (now). Used to just last 2 to 30 minutes. Last episode was a month ago, heart racing 140bpm, then after 13 hours it just went back normal by itself to my high 40's resting rate. Seems to always start at night when I'm in bed asleep. This variation or type of Afib apparently is called tachycardia.

Hi Kathleen, it is the heart beating erratically with extra beats happening that are sort of in the background that is why it is hard to pick up on conventional BP machines or even taking your pulse manually. The fact it is beating out of rhythm means you have a chance of the blood pooling so it is not functioning properly. Lots of people live with AF as long as it is controlled correctly and of course blood thinners are a must. Sometimes like in my case, the tachicardia is also present and that is very dangerous as your heart is beating far to fast and out of rhythm which is not good and then you need meds to slow it down. Sometimes people do not know they have it until they are checked out but in my case if feels like a wobbly jelly in my chest with a battery in it that is the best way for me to explain how mine feels and I do know it is there. This is the longest I have had it the last two times which was 12 years ago and 4 and a half years ago it was gone in 24 hours but I am now two months in Afib and awaiting an appointment from the Cardiologist and also a 24 hour monitor. Hope this helps

Hi Kathleen, this time round it was different. 12 years ago it came into normal sinus rhythm when I had blood taken out of my arm.

The second time four and a half years ago I woke up with it and on seeing the Doctor it was very erratic so he gave me Bisoprolol and within an hour it was normal till this last episode. I picked up some sort of bad infection. I didn't know at the time but the AFib just came on and I saw the GP who said my temperature was up I then had antibiotics and she said was I fit to travel as it would be gone in four days when i was flying out but they did nothing and it was in Venice that it got really bad I got Pneumonia and had nebulisers, Steroids and very strong antibiotics a much stronger dose than we give in the UK but good job I did as it was some sort of superbug. When I came back I went straight to hospital and felt really ill and I had taken the Bisoprolol with me and was taking it but it was working against me as it triggered my asthma off so It was not helping.

I am now on Diltiazem which seems to keep the fast pulse down most of the time but not completely then in the night it drops drastically to 49/30 with a pulse of 46 which is not good so back there tomorrow to see what they are going to do next but still waiting after 9 weeks for the Cardiologist letter and 24 hour monitor.

Thanks Kathleen I will keep you posted