CHANGE IN MY AF PATTERN

Hi

Recently ( last 2 months) my AF episodes have changed. Normally I start an episode suddenly, HR rockets up and is chaotic and stays that way until episode terminates. Usually between 4-12 hours.
( PA AF for at least 20 years)
Lately I start with the usual high rate, then it dips back to SR (70 BPM) then up again, sometimes very chaotic, then other times just a flat out fast run, in rhythm,too fast to count, this occurs in a space of minutes, and can continue for the rest of the episode.
I'm very symptomatic with my episodes and alway am aware when I go in and out of AF. I also feel, throughout the day that I'm about to go into AF. that bubbly full chested feeling. Kardia unable to read these events. Should I be concerned?

Why can't you capture those events with a Kardia ?
I often have to bear such a kind of chaos, and it's easy to record it with a handheld EKG device if I want to...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2021 04:32AM by Pompon.

I think that over the long hours I had the latest episode, because my heart was going from what seemed to be a flutter to very slow, then to AF in short spurts,the Kardia was calling it unclassified. The resulting readings were very poor. Very dizzy and nauseous throughout. Was certainly a bit unnerving. It was late at night and I eventually just gave up went to bed and fell asleep. Unwell for a day or two after.

Well, I guess you already know it, but handheld EKG monitors are not conceived to offer diagnostics. Never will they tell you "it's afib" or things like this. But they are very useful devices to record short events that nearly never happen while you're close to a professionnal 12-lead EKG machine.

Just some tips, maybe...
To get good readings with a Kardia, it's better using it in the "lead II" position (= right hand<>left foot) instead of the "lead I" position (= right hand<>left hand). So, instead of holding the device between your hands, thumbs on the electrodes, hold it with yout right thumb at the usual position, and apply the left electrode on your left thigh or, even better, at the bottom left of your ribcage. A touch of saliva on the electrodes helps getting good contacts. Sitting or laying down still is better too.
I hope this helps.

Thanks Pom-Pom . I normally get very good readings from my Kardia. And I print them off, so have quite a big file of them ? When my HR showed 204...I stopped recording.😏

Just because Kardia can't make a diagnosis doesn't make the recordings useless. A human can make sense of them, but not if you stop recording. There could be a number of things going on here and having someone look at a few recordings might be helpful. Those fast runs you think are flutter could be v-tach, for example, which your doc would definitely want to know about.

Don't sweat it much JOY...you will be having that ablation in around a week and the world will look much dif/better in all likelyhood afterward.

My Afib evolved over the years also but as i think back now of all of my own variations and after my suc. ablation in nov. 2018 my thoughts are......same SH$T dif. pile.....it's over no matter what state it was in before i was wheeled into the EP lab.

Keep focused on how great your GOING to feel in a few weeks....not how you feel now or the next few days.