Urgent help x Please help I am so scared ..................

[bardo]

HI all

I am so scared. Have had palpitations now for the last month- 5 bad episodes which last 8 hours apx then goes away totally – My other ecgs showed my beats were 140bpm and have been referred to a cardiologist. Last night I felt terrible heart going crazy and sweating so I went to my docs this morning and had an ecg which showed I was in Atrial Fibrillation and my beats were 160bpm and blood pressure was okay. He gave me Bisoprolol 1.25 to take which I took a couple of hours ago and although my heart rate has decreased its still very irregular and I feel hot and sweaty. How long does it take to work and should I ring the doctor back or go to A & E – I am terrified sat here alone as he said after my harassing him that AF increases a risk of a stroke/heart attack. I do suffer from health anxiety so this won’t help. What does AF mean - I am scaring myself to death looking on the internet - will it kill me eventually?

The cardiologist appointment is not for 6 weeks and I don’t think I can cope waiting that long – has anyone any advice here in the UK about going private and how would I go about it and the cost?

Please help!!

Sara x

[Pepperpot]

Hey,
Ok, I googled it and this is what is says:

Atrial fibrillation isn't usually life-threatening, but it can be uncomfortable and often requires treatment.

There you go. Yes, you are at increased risk of having a stroke, but you're also at increased risk of getting knocked down by a bus if you go outside! There are risks with everything. Try not to panic yourself over this - if the doc thought your life was in danger you would not be waiting 6 weeks for an appointment x

[bardo]

Thank Pepper - I can' stop worrying about it - I wish i could - As I have no idea whats causing it as I am only 42 - I do suffer from panic attacks and was hoping this was the cause but now the doctor has diagnosed me with AF I am feeling terrified! xxx

[ricardo]

As Pepperpot says the key is that your doctor has arranged an appointment in 6 weeks time with the cardiologist.

If you insist on going private the likelyhood is that you will see the same cardiologist but at a substantial fee, but the appointment would be a lot quicker, or if you are still anxious go to A & E and let them check you out.

Weighing everything up I wouldn't think you have anything that would put you in immediate danger.

[Magic]

I agree with what the other members have said. All the best

[bardo]

Thank you all. It's £250 to see someone privately but I am just going to try and calm down and see how I feel later - I am seeing my own GP Friday for a follow up ecg and chat so going to try and wait till then and if I get any pain I will go straight to A&E x
If anyone has been diagnosed with AF could they please let me know anything about it cc

Sara xxx

[trus75]

£250?? Wow that's crazy expensive. I've been on the best cardiologists here and never paid more than 75€. On the other hand you probably earn 3x more than the average person here.

About your problem, if it makes you feel any better, my father suffers with AF on and off for years, decades, he has no symptoms at all except being a little dizzy (very rarely). He also had a small myocardial infarction 15 years ago which he didn't even notice but it shows on his heart exams. He's now 76 and going perfectly fine, having AF often

[2Anxious]

If you're still feeling sweaty, erratic pulse etc when reading this, go to A&E. They can convert you back to normal sinus rhythm pretty easily (usually). This isn't a small anxiety related issue, they won't look at you like you're wasting their time.

It sounds like you got fobbed off by your GP in all honesty. AF isn't life threatening but it can lead to bad things. I wouldn't worry too much but as I said, if you're still in AF when reading this, go to A&E.

[bardo]

HI all,

Got much worse so went to A&E and I was still in AF at 160bpm. I was terrified as the put me in the same room my Mum went before she passed away - arghhhh. Stayed on monitir about 3 hours with no change and they were looking into'shocking' me back to normal - then as soon as it came on it went - within a beat it was back to 86bpm and stayed there - such a relief and they have now sent me home. I am still very scared as I dont know whats causing this - the doc said it could be 'one of them things' but they need to look into it further as I was in AF for 12 hours. I think I will go private as I can't wait 6 weeks and believe me I am not rich Trus, I will be getting a loan to pay for a private consultation.
Thanks everyone for your support - Has anyone else had AF this long before?

Sara xxxxxxxx

[2Anxious]

HI all,

Got much worse so went to A&E and I was still in AF at 160bpm. I was terrified as the put me in the same room my Mum went before she passed away - arghhhh. Stayed on monitir about 3 hours with no change and they were looking into'shocking' me back to normal - then as soon as it came on it went - within a beat it was back to 86bpm and stayed there - such a relief and they have now sent me home. I am still very scared as I dont know whats causing this - the doc said it could be 'one of them things' but they need to look into it further as I was in AF for 12 hours. I think I will go private as I can't wait 6 weeks and believe me I am not rich Trus, I will be getting a loan to pay for a private consultation.
Thanks everyone for your support - Has anyone else had AF this long before?

Sara xxxxxxxx

Believe it or not, some people live in constant AFib. If it happens again you should speak to your GP about blood thinners. Basically, AFib itself isn't dangerous but it can cause blood to pool in the atrium and cause a stroke (from what I understand, I don't know too much about AFib).

I've seen people say certain foods trigger their AFib and also acid reflux. A lot of people's heart issues are tied to their stomach. If my reflux kicks off and I don't do anything about it I will get ectopic beats without fail.

The best thing you can do while you wait is eat and live as healthy as possible. Do some reading, look for forums from other real people rather than WebMD etc.