Hi I have just come out of hospital after an overnight stay where I was told I had AF. I was very frightened and thought my end had come!!! I was given beta blockers and have just seen the cardiologist and had a echocardiogram. I just wondered if anyone else is on beta blockers and have they had many side effects and did they work
So pleased to find a site to talk to other people with this.
I'd had AF,unknowingly,for 16 years before it came to a head just over 2 years ago.One evening the \" flutters \" started,but steadily got worse and were showing no signs of stopping.I rang one of my daughters who came to pick me up and drove me to A&E,where I went straight through to the cardiac department.Fortunately for me,the place was quiet,so all staff got cracking,rushing around.
I was kept very still while staff put in a saline drip,then they gave me a quantity of tablets to take there and then,also including a Heparin injection.
Then came the radiographer who x-rayed my chest and lungs.My urine was tested and apparently full of sugar at the time,and from 10pm until 4am,I couldn't be moved,even on to a ward in case of moving clots.
After the AF was stabilized,I was then put on an assessment ward ( room of my own ),it was lovely. Then again,I'd had a drip in one hand and a monitor on the other arm. It was a Wednesday evening that I went in,and was discharged on Friday afternoon,so a short stay.
The medication I had to take at the time was 300mg Aspirin,beta-blockers,calcium channel blockers. After a follow-up appointment,I was told that I'd have to take Warfarin for life,Atorvastatin,Bisoprolol,Candesartan,and Spironolactone.
Touch wood,I've never suffered serious side-effects,nor had a \" bad do \" with AF,just small flutters now and again,more so if I feel under the weather, for some unknown reason.
Lately,I had chronic pains in my arms for which I'm being treated for,as a suspected angina,and was given a Nitrim spray ( under the tongue ) and am awaiting an appointment for a treadmill exercise to test the extent I can go without discomfort. No chest pain or breathlessness though,so we'll see.Whether the medication is masking symptoms,I don't know.
My admission to hospital was the first in 66 years,so I haven't done so badly.Staff were baffled,as there were no notes in my case sheet.!
So far as I can gather,my AF was due to long-standing,untreated high blood-pressure. Incidentally,due to the sugar content in my urine,I was given a glucose tolerence test and the result was that it was impaired.A few months later,another blood test showed a negative result.! Don't know why as I hadn't done anything different,dietwise.
I'd also had a previous blood test which showed borderline polycythaemia,a blood condition,but,again,after another test,it was negative. So,I haven't a clue what's been going on inside my body.
I know one thing though,I've never felt the same since,and it's knocked my confidence somewhat too. But then,I'm no chicken,I don't suppose.
Im not very good on the old computor so please forgive my ignorance.
Im 54 diagnosed with a.f.5 years ago tryed various med,s they found i had blocked artery which could have coursed the problem,so having a stent fitted i was well mift when it didn't solve my problem.So i was asked because i was with axa at that time,and the tablets was not that affective would i consider a cardiac ablation.Having now had THREE ablations over a period of time it subdued for a while,but it looks like it returning with avengance.My medication is asfollows.clopidagel,ramipril,simvastatatin,digoxin,cardicor,levothyroxine, and one with the bad side afects AMIODARONE.
Im sure one day they will a permanant cure.
ONWARD AND FORWARD AS THEY SAY.
Hi,I had AF for quite some time before I sought help. I was forever getting ''palpitations'' but they soon went. My GP said not to worry about it. Then one day they came on at approx 15:00 were still there at 19:00. I phoned NHS Direct and they sent a Doctor out. After an ECG an ambulance was called and I was admitted. It was quite scary as I'm only 39 and wasnt sure what was going on. I was put on a Heparin drip in the chest pain assessment unit and then had an Echo 24hrs later, the following day I was taken to theatre for a cardioversion (I think!!) and my heart was shocked and this cured the problem. I had a three day stay in hospital which was awful as most of the time I couldnt get up because of the drip and ecg machine, the Nurses were awesome tho and made my stay as good as it could be (Sunderland Royal Hospital!!) I am now on antenolol and ramprill and aspirin but am not sure how long, I have to go back to the hospital in 3 months for a check up. I am on them untill then at least but nobody ever told me really what was going on. I also dont know if this will re-occur or if I'm cured? Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated!!