heartbeat feels irregular to me...now what?

Since my episode of a fast heartbeat a few hours ago, it still feels "off" to me. Kind of hard to get a good feel for the beat...as it's not distinct. I took another 1/2 tablet of Atenolol since the earlier one I took a couple of hours ago. Would it hurt to take some Flecainide too? I still have some in the cabinet..at 100 and 150 mg. doses. Not sure what to do..it's not terrible, but I'm feeling worried that it seems irregular to me...I'm now almost 7 months post ablation.

Any suggestions? Feeling pretty depressed about this..not sure what's really going on.... Barb

Barb, do you have a blood pressure monitor that detects irregular heart beats? if you can't tell from your pulse whether your heartbeat is irregular, maybe take your blood pressure and the monitor will tell you if it is irregular. Also, listen to your heart with a stethoscope to determine whether your rate is regular. Stethoscopes are very inexpensive at Walmart.

Jean

Hi Barb,

After my ablation in Dec. 2012, I stayed on Metoprolol and Propafenone for about six months and then started to wean off them. As soon as I did, I developed tachycardia at odd times with no warning - sometimes lasting an hour and up at 125bpm. So I figured my heart still had some healing to do and stayed on the drugs until this past October when I started to wean off them verr-ry sloo-owly - finally off them entirely at the end of February. I did manage to do it without any more tachycardia. Your heart is still healing. I don't know whether you are on any drugs regularly now or whether you are right off them. But my heartbeat was not irregular, just fast. Is it possible you are feeling PAC/PVC's?

Hope things settle down for you.

Marg



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2014 10:26PM by Marg.

Good ideas, Jean. I'm about to go g o bed now, so will check it in the morning if it still feels this way. Thank you for that suggestion.

Marg _ I was on Flecainide for about 4 months after my ablation, and then went off of it. Right now I'm on 12.5 mg of Atenolol/day, and Xarelto. If this continues or happens again, I might go back k on it..but would check with my Dr first.

Barb. Don't worry about short blips if fast regular HR or ectopics. Just let it ride. Make sure your Magnesium is solid and add to the potassium a bit, that may well settle thing down. Your heRt is part of normal life too though as a recent former afibber you, and most of us, at first post ablation are hyper aware of anything we consider a potential issue. Most often even when it's just runs from dietary fluctuations or fluctuations in autonomic tone etc.

Usually nothing to worry about. Did you get an AliveCor yet, and if not yet, why not ? That little IPhone or Android monitor can come in so handy exactly for a situation like yours to quickly rule in or out what may or may not be happening.

Please get one and in 15minutes your mind can settled and reassured again.

Don't take the Flec unless you have a bone fide breakthrough of AFIB/Flutter that has been confirmed ... Again, this is 'exhibit A' why AliveCor is who you should call in the morning first thing and have one Fed Exed to you tomorrow.

Take it easy,

Shannon

HI Shannon - I went on Amazon to look for the AliveCor but there seems to be a number of versions...is there one in particular that you would recommend? I have the IPhone 4S at this time.

Thanks ~ Barb

Don't go to Amazon go to AliveCor.com to be sure you get the right version. Get the one that works with your phone and I like the Iphone 5 version, simply because that is my phone.

Take care Barb,

Shannon

Barb, Alivecor website has technical support and they were very good in replying to email questions. Email them about whether the 4S is supported.

Barb and researcher,

The 4S is supported Barb and I think so is the iPhone 4.

Shannon

Ok - thanks guys. Will do that today, before my cardioversion