1. Community
  2. Heart Health
  3. Atrial Fibrillation And Flutter

What is the best way to cope with the problem, any ideas?

Posted , 5 users are following.

mazieboo22
mazieboo22

I was diagnosed with AF 7 years ago and no medication but recently it got worse and I was told I needed another Echo Scan and would need Warfarin.

The two really serious bouts have happened whilst I have been asleep and I have woken up with it. I get the missed beats throughout the day regularly now and feel a bit light headed. Blood pressure seems ok mostly and controlled by Ramapril but when this happens it goes really high and terrible headaches. I take Victoza for type 2 Diabetes and have taken up walking, watching what it eat and have lost 2 stone yet this problem has got worse. Victoza slows down the digestive system so it takes 3-4 hours for food to pass through and I do think there is something related to digestive problems and AF but getting a doctor to buy into this is proving very difficult to confirm. I find it quite scary having this and with it getting worse it has made things even more scary so I wonder how others cope with it.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • audrey52560
    audrey52560 mazieboo22

    Posted

    I would think that you are feeling light headed beacuse when your heart beats fast there may not enough oqygen being pumped round your body. When it happens again have you thought of going to A and E?. by missing out your GP you may be referref to a consultant and get it sorted quicker.
    • mazieboo22
      mazieboo22 audrey52560

      Posted

      Hi Audrey, I recently had the 24 hour ECG and it picked up that I get an extra 600 beats in the 24 hour period. The GP said this must be happening without me knowing or I have just got used to it but need to have the Echo Scan to see how the heart is coping with the problem so hopefully I should get some answers when I have that as i will also need to see the Cardiologist after. Thank you for your advice though, if the appointment does not come through soon and I still get this lightheaded feeling I will go to A & E, it was them that sorted me out 7 years ago.
  • Susan
    Susan mazieboo22

    Posted

    Hi there, 99% of the time that I get AF is accompanied by stomach problems, bloating, stomach ache, rumbling finished off with chronic burping.. without fail.... as my stomach returns to normal the AF stops.. but still I am forging ahead with my 3rd ablation as the previous 2 improved things massively and my consultant has a very very high success rate for 3rd ablations.. I feel for you, it's a rotten thing to have - I am going to the docs next week and am going to ask for a stomach settler (and take it this time) and see if it has any bearing on stopping the AF..
    • mazieboo22
      mazieboo22 Susan

      Posted

      Hi Susan, I take Lanzoprazole for excessive acid but I hiccup and have lots of sounds similar to this throughout the day. When I take my pulse normally it is around 84-96 beats a minute but according to the GP I am getting many more beats than this when awake but I cannot feel those and even with the BP machine it says my pulse is 84-88 unless it does not pick it up correctly because of the AF. Mine feels more like missed beats then a very loud one to make up for it and then a few rapid ones then a few normal ones then a feeling of fear like when you are scared about something so it has a variety of different beats. My father had a strange heartbeat and my eldest brother also had it but not sure if he still gets it so it might be a hereditary thing. Just trial and error really to see what helps. Doctor said it gets worse with age, I am only 55!
  • marco
    marco mazieboo22

    Posted

    If you read the Ramipril notes you'll se that it may cause palpitations as it did for me. Just what an AFer doesn't want.  After reporting this to my GP who was happy to go on prescribing I insisted on a change (to Candesartan) and my AF episodes are less frequent.
    • mazieboo22
      mazieboo22 marco

      Posted

      Hi Marco thank you for the response. I have been on Ramapril for quite a while so worth mentioning it to my GP and seeing if a change would help.
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.