A-Fib?

[dkapuscik]

I know allot of you guys have this, I keep waking up several times a night and am hot and clammy. I can hear my St Jude keeping a steady pace but wonder if I could be having afib problems. I dont know what it feels like, my heart seems to be a little sore on the top left side, or I could be just wigging out and paranoid, could be muscle soreness to. I need some advice

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi david,
afib seems to manifest itself differently, from what i've read here. most folks get a strong, fast irregular heartbeat. joey's pulse rate is slow and when he goes into afib, it's not fast at all, it's just irregular.
rather than the thump-thump-thump, he (can feel it when he takes his pulse) feels it go thumpthump---thump---thumpthumpthump----thumpthump-- thump...not in rhythm (arrhythmia).

that is joey's sign that he is in afib. others here describe it also as being an arrhythmia, but their pulse is fast.
sounds like your heart is beating at a steady pace, so i don't think it's afib.

i remember that for months after joey's surgery he would wake up in sweats. we were told it was that his system was adjusting itself back to a homeostatic/balanced state. he was sweating out the anesthesia as well.
about the pain, i'm not sure, but maybe mention that to your cardio if it persists.

i know joey went through a long period where he felt that the surgery had set him back and that he was worse than before.
please try to be patient; it's only been a few months. it takes about 9 months to a year to be 100% after this surgery. try to give it time, take it slow, walk, rest and try to relax.

hope this helped a bit.
be well,
sylvia

 

[dkapuscik]

Thanks Sylvia, I think I'm probably just paranoid. I see to have become more of a Hypochondriac since all my problems this year.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi dave,
don't be so hard on yourself, you're not alone... i remember joey being the same way. every little thing was frightening to him. if things do persist or get worse, though, i would not hesitate to call your cardio.

get some good rest. you probably need it more than you think. wishing you a continued smooth recovery.
stay well,
sylvia

 

[Sandy SHields]

Aifb

Aifb

HI I have afib and when I go into it my pulse rate goes up to120 to 160 beats a minute, I get short of breath and dizzy and I have to go to the bathroom alot does something to my kidneys. Some people don't have any symptoms. My daughter-in-laws grandpa has afib 24-7 .Usually when I get afib I have to be cardioverted. It has happen to me 4 times this last 12 month. I am not sure what is happening to you but you might ask your HCP just to find out what is going on. Hope you have a great day.

 

[geebee]

David,

Sylvia described a-fib perfectly so I will not repeat. However, I think you are doing yourself an injustice by calling yourself a hypochondriac. One of the things that comes out of all this is a heightened awareness of our bodies and what is and isn't normal. It enables us to know when things are not right and to have it checked and fixed if necessary.

If by questioning something, the only thing you find out is that the item/issue at hand is perfectly normal, how can that be bad? It just helps you to understand more of what you should worry about and what you should not.

I kind of liken it to understanding all the various noises a jet makes. If you do not know what the normal noises are, you can be scared and think something is wrong. When you know that all the sounds and movements of the jet are normal, you can relax and enjoy the ride. Of course, if you hear noises on the jet that are not normal, that is entirely different and you can sound the alarm.

If you have a doctor that does not understand your concerns and questions, find another doctor. Remember - you are the one in control.

 

[sue943]

Not wishing to really worry you, but having night sweats can be a symptom of endocarditis - you haven't had any recent dental work or other risk of infection?

Are the night sweats something new or have they been more or less since the surgery, in which case that would sound more like what we have experienced since curgery.

 

[Rush20]

hi dave,
don't be so hard on yourself, you're not alone... i remember joey being the same way. every little thing was frightening to him. if things do persist or get worse, though, i would not hesitate to call your cardio.

get some good rest. you probably need it more than you think. wishing you a continued smooth recovery.
stay well,
sylvia

I agree. I think we're all more heart conscious after our surgeries, etc. I also get occassional A-Fib, i.e. 2 or 3 quick beats in a row and then normal pace. It usually happens during times of stress or when I'm still wired and I try to go to sleep.

With the St. Jude, the A-fib is more obvious. My cardio told me many valve replacement patients experience some form of rythmic changes post op primarly due to the stress the heart encountered during surgery and the effect the surgery had on the natural electrical impulses.

However, if it's contstant, it should be checked out by your cardio.

 

[dkapuscik]

I haven't had any recent dental work or other form of infectious incidents.
I guess its just me. Thanks everyone, I need to get some more of you confident outlooks. You guys are always so positive.

 

[Matt]

Hey Dave,
We are close in age and surgery dates. I have wondered the same thing about a-fib. Do I or don't I experience it? I don't know!! My chest is sore and my heart "feels weird" alot of the time ie... I seem to notice every little thing. For me the biggest thing is the loud thumping it makes. Like everyone has said above I guess it takes awhile to feel like your heart is "normal". Haven't gotten there yet but have to wait and see.
Matt

 

[Karlynn]

Matt, you are just approaching 1 month post op, so you are still experiencing soreness and still in the new stages of recovery. We all tend to have hypersenitive hearts for at least a few months post-op and this explains why you feel so much. This will decrease over time, but it is disconcerting to the new valve recipient.

However, if anything is alarming you, it never ever hurts to call and check it out with your doctor. Peace of mind helps eliminate stress and allows for a smoother recovery.

 

[mtkayak]

I agree with the above post. I was very paranoid at first and 9 times out of 10 it tends to be nothing at all but if it gives you more peace of mind call your Card. Your heart will feel funny and at times you may be able to hear your valve clicking. Some people do and some don't. Rest assured if you do, it's normal. Shortly after surgery, I would always have these feeling like I was getting the "butterfly" feeling like you do when your nervous. My heart would feel warm and I had a tingling sensation. I felt like I had a new heart or something. Very strange feeling to describe but everything is back to normal after several months.