about atrial fibrillation?

[minkie]

I've recently had an episode of atrial fibrillation, where my heart rate went up from 110 to 190 for no good reason and then stayed at that level until my local hospital 'reverted' it to a normal rate using drugs.
Fortunately I fall into the 1 in 9 people who get this without any apparent underlying causes e.g. heart disease, diabetes, but the hospital can't say whether it's likely to happen again.
I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has had a similar experience, particualrly from the perspective of how they manage any impact on their cycling.

thanks

[Mick F]

Glad to hear you're ok.

Dunno if it's the same thing, but Mrs Mick F had a high heart-rate, and even sometimes she was missing a few beats! She saw the doc, and he immediately diagnosed that she should lay off the coffee.

She drinks decaff now, but it took her yonks to find a brand that didn't taste foul! Anyway, all's well now.

[Cardinal Nation]

Whilst I have never had a problem with atrial fibrillation, but I do get occasional bursts of SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) when I am out riding (but only very occasional really, two or three times a year).

Once I have reverted it with controlled breathing I'm usually fine. Having seen a cardiologist about it (it used to be much more frequent), he said there were ways to treat it, but none of them were really necessary for me, and I've never really had a problem cycling with it.

If it comes back more often, I recommend a trip to the GP, see if he can't give you some antiarrhythmic drugs for it.

CN

[robgul]

Are you sure that it's atrial fibrillation in the original post ... AF is a variable heart rate ... the risk being that in the "pause" blood can pool in one of the ventricles and has a risk of clotting, which will then get pushed around the system and can cause a stroke.

That's what I've got anyway!

One treatment is cardioversion where they knock you out, stick pads on your chest and give you an electric shock blast that should reset the heart to an even rhythm (the blood has to be at a specific viscosity, thinner than normal, and there is a need to take Warfarin before and after (perhaps for 6 months, maybe for life.

I'm going for the cardioversion op on 5 June ... I'll report back (hopefully ) afterwards - as my pharmacist pal said - It's a bit like pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL to reboot a PC

Rob

[minkie]

Are you sure that it's atrial fibrillation in the original post ... AF is a variable heart rate ... the risk being that in the "pause" blood can pool in one of the ventricles and has a risk of clotting, which will then get pushed around the system and can cause a stroke.

That's what I've got anyway!

One treatment is cardioversion where they knock you out, stick pads on your chest and give you an electric shock blast that should reset the heart to an even rhythm (the blood has to be at a specific viscosity, thinner than normal, and there is a need to take Warfarin before and after (perhaps for 6 months, maybe for life.

I'm going for the cardioversion op on 5 June ... I'll report back (hopefully ) afterwards - as my pharmacist pal said - It's a bit like pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL to reboot a PC

Rob

Hi Rob:
Yep - it's atrial fribillation.
There's 2 types of cardioversion: pharmecutical or electrical and CTL ALT DEL is exactly the way I've been describing it to people. The method they use depends on the pathology and the doctor. In my case they decided to try the pharmecutical route first and if that didn't work go for the electrical route. As it turned out the drug cardioversion worked - they did it right away so I didn't have time too fret to much.
I can tell you that although it seems pretty dramatic stuff to you and I, I now know that it's a very routine, non-dangerous, tried-and-tested procedure. All the best though.

[Milfred Cubicle]

Yes, atrial fibrillation can cause dramatic increase in rate as well as disturbing rhythm. All of the above treatments are correct, but I strongly recommend pushing your G.P. to refer you to a cardiologist. This is not to worry you, but some G.P.'s have a fairly basic knowledge of cardiac management.
As for cardioversion, it sounds hideous, but it really is painless and simple. (as simple as these things can be). I should probably not say this, but I work in the N.H.S., and have seen loads of them. The worst that has ever happened is that it has not put the heart beck into its normal rhythm. In this case, the medical route had to be taken.
Try not to worry about it too much, as the stress does no good. It is an incredbly common condition, and I'm sure you'll get sorted.

[minkie]

Yes, atrial fibrillation can cause dramatic increase in rate as well as disturbing rhythm. All of the above treatments are correct, but I strongly recommend pushing your G.P. to refer you to a cardiologist. This is not to worry you, but some G.P.'s have a fairly basic knowledge of cardiac management.
As for cardioversion, it sounds hideous, but it really is painless and simple. (as simple as these things can be). I should probably not say this, but I work in the N.H.S., and have seen loads of them. The worst that has ever happened is that it has not put the heart beck into its normal rhythm. In this case, the medical route had to be taken.
Try not to worry about it too much, as the stress does no good. It is an incredbly common condition, and I'm sure you'll get sorted.

Mildred:
I'm not well up on how the NHS is organised - if you're having a cardioversion in a hospital cardiac ward does that mean you're already with a cardiologist or would a GP refer you to someone else?

thanks

[Milfred Cubicle]

Yes, almost certainly. Most cardioversions are performed on Coronary Care/Cardiac Wards, so it's highly likely you will be under the overall care of a cardiologist. My advice, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, if you are unsure of absolutely anything, just ask. No question is 'too silly' or 'trivial'. I think one of the problems with the N.H.S. referral process is that it can be a bit baffling for patients. By the time you get seen, you've forgotten who you've seen, and what you've been asked. If at all uncretain, ask for an appointment to see the consultant concerned. They are invariably busy, but most appreciate a patient who cares about their own case, and will try to accommodate.

[Edvardus]

Both myself and my wife have experienced AF. I've had mine on and off since 1985 and it can be a bit scary. Usually, the attacks last a few minutes at most but within the last few months I've had a couple of all-day episodes which has led to me going into the local A&E and getting an injection of sorts. Saw a cardiologist and he vetoed the usual drug as it can cause depression (and I've had severe depression in the past), but he discovered that my iron level was low and said that this could give rise to my symptoms. After some iron tabs things certainly seemed to settle down. Oddly enough, I don't seem to get this problem when I'm cycling, even during hard climbs when I'm hardly able to breathe fast enough (!) and when my pulse rate must be skyhigh. My wife's case is quite different as she's also had blood pressure issues. She's now taking the "anti-palps" drug AND aspirin. She's been told about a treatment which involves sticking a line in at her groin up to her heart and (from the sounds of it) applying heat to the area causing the problem. Apparently there is also a "belt & braces" treatment which involves the use of a laser. Both our cardiologists were at pains to advise that this is a VERY common complaint and that it can happen to otherwise healthy hearts without any life-threatening issues.