Atrial Fibrillation

I found out I had AFIB in January and was in the hospital for 5-days, then placed on a medication to control the AFIB. My biggest problem is: I cannot tell when I'm in AFIB, for I don't feel anything but chest pressure, shortness of breath, and dizziness.

I continued having these symptoms and had a PM inserted 3-weeks ago. I'm still having the symptoms even taking a medication for the AFIB and having a PM.

Reading the posts, someone mentioned a machine, which allows you to see if you are in AFIB. Can someone tell me more about this machine please?

4 Comments

"the" machine

by Pookie - 2010-02-25 09:02:33

could it be an Event or Loop Recorder? I am wearing one right now for a month or longer (posted a picture of it in the gallery) as I have shortness of breath, chest pressure, dizziness and my heart thumps and pounds really hard (not fast) periodically. My EP thinks we may be dealing with Junctional Rhythm....time will tell.

Take care and ask your doctor if the Event or Loop would help in your particular case. Keep asking questions!!!!!!!!!!

Drugs too may be the culprit of a lot of symptoms, so perhaps you should look at all the side effects of what you are on including over the counter meds and any natural ones too! And like Wendy said...check the thyroid.!

There is an answer out there...you just gotta find it.

Take care.

Pookie

Thyroid

by wenditt - 2010-02-25 09:02:39

You may have had your thyroid checked so it may not be a solution for you...but it's worth a shot.

I was having A-Fib too, but it turned out that I was taking too much thyroid medication. I didn't feel anything unusual either.

Once my meds were adjusted the A-Fib went away.

I can't help you with info on the machine. Sorry.

But wishing you good luck.

A-Fib

by mike thurston - 2010-02-25 10:02:18

Madelen,
A PM will not help with the a-fib so I assume you have it for other issues such as low heart rate at times etc.
If you are aware of chest pressure, SOB and dizziness then you do know when you are in a-fib. A simple check of your pulse will confirm it when you notice these symptoms. A-fib is an irregurally, irregular rhythm. Feels like 3 cats in a bag is the best description I ever heard. Best of luck.

Mike

Thanks

by Madelen - 2010-02-28 02:02:10

I'm not on any thyroid medication.

Trying to explain what I felt to the doctor in ER, was, "It feels like there is a hamster on a wheel inside my chest going 90 miles per hour." He could not understand why this was the way the chest pressure felt to me.

Pulse wise, I clocked in at 165 beats per minute, so I could not even get a pulse, just a steady 'something'. I stayed in this high rate for a couple days in the hospital, even in IV'S and medication. When I left the hospital after 5-days, I was still in Afib, but the heart rate was below 100.

The Event Monitor was where they found the Sinus Pauses. The cardiologist said the puzzling thing was, when I recorded an event, called it in, and told them my complications of sob, chest pressure, dizziness, and swelling, the events were sometimes in the sinus pauses but other times nothing was registering wrong on the Event Monitor and my heart was in the natural sinus rhythm. He gave this as a reason he couldn't say these symptoms would go away with a PM.

Is an EP the same thing I'm calling a PM Rep?

All of my herbal supplements have been packed away for now. I only take B-Complex and a Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc combo since I have cramping in my calves and feet.

I was reminded not to over-look FIBRO as a culprit in the fatigue issue. Usually I have bi-lateral pain with the fatigue and no sob or dizziness.

Again, thanks, and I will continue to ask questions.

Madelen

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You know the difference between hardware and software.

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