What else could it be other than atrial fibrillation?

[Guest guest]

Clear DayMy husband's EP is wondering if the two episodes my husband had after

cardioversion were actually atrial fibrillation. (My husband never identified

atrial fibrillation until the doctor told him and then he was in it constantly

for 10 weeks before the cardioversion.) The first episode after cardioversion

lasted 24 hours and the second lasted 12 hours. So he the doctor gave him an

event monitor to wear for a month.

When I felt his pulse during the first one, the obvious word for it was

" racing " . What else could it be other than atrial fibrillation?

Could it be PACs?

Jo Anne

[Guest guest]

Jo Ann - a racing heart could be nothing more than a racing heart... also known

as sinus tachycardia... NSR at an increased speed. This could happen at the

time of intense adrenelan rush, or perhaps an unknown allergie or reaction (like

a bee sting). Racing heart can also be a sign of pulmonary embolism... for some

reason especially in women, or so I'm told.

It could also be atrial flutter, and any number of other " supraventricular

tachcardias " as well... there are a bunch apparently although I don't know what

they are there isn't much talk here about them specifically. Sometimes you'll

go to the ER and they'll just label your rhythm " SVT " instead of aflutter or

afib.. I think the latter two have distinct patterns on the ECG.

If I had just come out of a 10 week afib event, and had another " event " I

would just assume it was afib again, although for me afib and aflutter are

distinctly different.. afib is hard fast and irratic, and aflutter is super fast

and quite even... I can feel the difference, although sometimes I bounce between

the two just to make things interesting!

Unless you get an ECG you can just call it " SVT " which will cover any fast

rhythm in your atrium, whether afib or something else. The treatment for all of

them is the same.

Stef

J jakarasek@...> wrote:

Clear DayMy husband's EP is wondering if the two episodes my husband had after

cardioversion were actually atrial fibrillation. (My husband never identified

atrial fibrillation until the doctor told him and then he was in it constantly

for 10 weeks before the cardioversion.) The first episode after cardioversion

lasted 24 hours and the second lasted 12 hours. So he the doctor gave him an

event monitor to wear for a month.

When I felt his pulse during the first one, the obvious word for it was

" racing " . What else could it be other than atrial fibrillation?

Could it be PACs?

Jo Anne

[Guest guest]

PACs and PVCs don't race. If anything they would feel, when taking the

pulse, as if he were skipping every other beat, although in fact, there is a

beat,

only prematurely,and then a pause to make up for it. Perhaps the doctor is

thinking Supra ventricular tachycardia. The event monitor will tell.

Lil

In a message dated 5/17/2006 11:51:01 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

jakarasek@... writes:

When I felt his pulse during the first one, the obvious word for it was

" racing " . What else could it be other than atrial fibrillation?

Could it be PACs?