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I am new to this and really don't understand what everybody is feeling. I have had this for a very long time (years) but just recently it has surfaced and I have had this pounding in my chest, A-fib beating all of the time, tightness, coughing, hard breathing at times. tired, weak, blurred vision and a slight soreness in the center of the chest. I went to Urgent care about 2 months ago and they told me to go to the hospital and that they would call for an ambulance for me. I drove myself home, showered and my sister took me to the hospital, where I spent 5 days in there on medications. I have been out and on meds for 8 weeks now, with a doctors appointment coming up shortly. Does everybody feel this bad all of the time? There has to be a way to fix this problem so that nobody has to feel this way for the rest of their lives. I am 73 and very active and this has put a stop to my life style very fast. Taking Xarelto and a-fib control pill. It has not stoppped.
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I felt awful for six weeks after my first afib experience which hit me like a Mack truck at 9:30 at night resulting in ambulance to ER (on 3/8). I had back to back tachycardia with more ER visits until I got a prescription for Diltiazem (for blood pressure but it keeps heart rate down too). My biggest initial problem was because I was over hydrating. The docs said drink a lot of fluids, so I did, and wound up in the hospital with low sodium. My sodium level was 127 when it's supposed to be 136. They got my sodium level up to 132 and sent me home. On one of these forums I was advised to drink low sodium V-8 juice to help balance my electrolytes. The docs said to get Gatorade, but it has too much sugar for me (I'm pre-diabetic). There are electrolyte tablets you can get too though. Look at your sodium levels on the blood tests they give you when you go in. If they are low, that might be a clue to why you feel so awful.
I feel fine now although I get tired more easily than I did before these afib incidents started. I am on Eliquis and Diltiazem. No ablations yet and hopefully I never have to have one, but my understanding is that afib is progressive. There is no going back apparently to the good health I had before all this started, but I am functioning OK. I am 65. I got an echocardiagram and chemical stress test and the docs said my heart is perfect. I don't know why all this started but suspect breathing problems (asthma) or my nightly glass of wine. I hardly ever drink wine now and am breathing better lately, but it's too late.
I hope you get to feeling better soon.