AF, flatlining and pacemaker
- by juliemartin
- 2012-01-26 06:01:09
- Complications
- 1385 views
- 4 comments
My ongoing story:
I had debilitating AF for 2/3 years. Decided off my own bat to get ablated. This was very successful but not perfect, still the odd episode. A Reveal monitor then revealed heart stopping for 4 secs about twice a week. Did ablation cause this I dont know. My cardio then said I should have a pacemaker as flatlining is dangerous especially if driving. I now have the PM and unusually my heart rate has gone up from being between 50 and 60 to being between 70 and 80. Cardio cant understand why so more tests. Then a major AF attack very disppointed. Heart racing at 170 for 12 hrs. Eventually fixed with Flecaniade. Ablation doctor said it may be caused by wires irritating the heart (temporary) or ablation not complete(leakage) in which case I need another one eventually.
he did say not to worry so much and exercise as much as I like I wont die. I like that very much as I love to exercise.Cycle, walk swim. Swimming on hold at the moment have to wait 6 weeks. I am now in a much happier frame of mind. We will wait and see how af goes. Boy do I hate AF.
Cheers to everyone
4 Comments
PVC's
by ElectricFrank - 2012-01-27 06:01:44
They are Premature Ventricular Complexes. That should explain it LOL.
A simple PVC is a contraction of the ventricles that originates from some over active or irritated area of the heart wall. So they aren't properly timed with the atrial contraction.
As an example suppose the heart is beating at 60 bpm or 1 beat per second. It has just finished a normal beat and is supposed to be waiting for the next messages coming down the nerve bundle from the atrium. Instead of waiting the ventricle fires off a beat of its own at 1/2 second. At this point it hasn't had time to fill with blood so it is sensed as a weak beat. Now when the real signal arrives from the atrium the ventricle isn't ready to accept it so nothing happens. In meantime the ventricle keeps filling with blood. Finally another artial signal arrives and causes it to contract. Since 1 1 /2 seconds have passed since the premature beat the ventricle is overfilled with blood and when it contracts the large ejection of blood is felt like a real thumper.
So what you feel is a skipped beat followed by a thumper. They are impressive and can be uncomfortable as well as scary to a person who doesn't know what is happening. There can be runs of PVC's where they go on for long periods.
By the way if you do a search on the site there are many threads about them. We each have our way to explain them. I feel limited by not having a way to use a graphic.
frank
frank
You know you're wired when...
Your life has spark.
Member Quotes
I am very happy with mine. I am in the best shape of my life. I lift weights, compete, bike, golf and swim.
Keep it up
by ElectricFrank - 2012-01-26 11:01:36
Sometimes these things can change for the better over time. I had a year or so having 2500-3000 PVC's day, which was a bit uncomfortable. I avoided meds and even suggestions of ablation, they have about totally disappeared. I hate to think where I would be if I had gone for a bunch of interventions.
frank