Asymptomatic (silent) AFib

Posted by Patrick Elliott @elliott, Mar 31 8:26am

My Apple Watch indicates that I am in AFib 75% of the time, week after week. Two electrophysiologist, after viewing a battery of tests have decided to keep me there. BP has been controlled since 2011 with a calcium channel blocker and Eliquis. My concern is this—why is there no attempt being made to get me back into normal rythm. My reading tells me that all forms of AFib are damaging to the musculature of the heart. I am in excellent health and apart from AFib my heart is “normal”. I have never had a racing heart. So, I can’t understand why every attempt would be made to get me int normal sinus rhythm. BTW I think President Biden had the very same AFib as me. Thanks for any comments !!

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@janet23

The Apple Watch ECG does at times misinterpret runs of PACs and PVCs as Afib.

A Holter Monitor ordered by your Cardiologist or Cardiac Electrophysiologist to wear for a few days, weeks, or a month, accurately documents your abnormal rhythms and your % PAC and PVC burden. You may ask your doctor to order this test periodically to monitor your progress as you make lifestyle changes discussed in Afib Cure.

Dr John Day has a newsletter with updated research and tips you you can sign up for at
https://drjohnday.substack.com

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Or you purchase a Kardia device to monitor it.

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@janet23

The Apple Watch ECG does at times misinterpret runs of PACs and PVCs as Afib.

A Holter Monitor ordered by your Cardiologist or Cardiac Electrophysiologist to wear for a few days, weeks, or a month, accurately documents your abnormal rhythms and your % PAC and PVC burden. You may ask your doctor to order this test periodically to monitor your progress as you make lifestyle changes discussed in Afib Cure.

Dr John Day has a newsletter with updated research and tips you you can sign up for at
https://drjohnday.substack.com

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My pacemaker identified my afib, but in my first year on Eliquis it’s only ID’d it twice, and I only noticed it one of those times. My Fitbit has proven incapable of distinguishing between any of my heart’s various weird beat patterns. I’m going to have to read the ‘Cure’ book and try to get a better understanding of whether I need to actually be on this drug, or if I need a different cardiologist or just try the pill in the pocket I’ve read about here…

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@ruby2020

One more consideration- If you haven't had a Sleep Study- please ask your dr. about one. My son also had 2 (at home) Sleep Studies while in the hospital. Also, needed an In Lab Sleep Study with a follow up Titration Study. Diagnosed with Central and Obstructive Sleep Apnea- and his number of apnea episodes was not nearly as many as a lot of people with Sleep Apnea. Even mild Sleep Apnea can contribute greatly to A. Fib.

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We don't know for sure when his A Fib started- however, it had to be a relatively short amount of time from when it started until he had to have treatment due to the extreme fatigue and shortness of breath due to Congestive Heart Failure/the result of A fib.
We were adult chaperones for a big bunch of middle and high school students tent camped in the beautiful mountains of Colorado for a week at the end of July, in a Church Camp setting. The most amazing experience that we hope to get to go back to sometimes. He had no problems, everything as normal as any of the many other times we had been on the adventure. Anyone that has tent camped in the raw mountains- knows that it is not for the weak.
In November of the same year- is when his symptoms took us to the ER and it all unfolded from there. And here we are- life changed in an instant the day he had 2 Strokes while in ICU. His Cardiologist, my husband and I were at his bedside talking to him. He received TPA and was in Interventional Radiology within an hour. But, that wasn't enough to avoid the life changing effects of 2 strokes...that all started with A. fib.

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@mannism

Or you purchase a Kardia device to monitor it.

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Kardia is much more reliable with with afib and flutter..
My experience..

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@ruby2020

We don't know for sure when his A Fib started- however, it had to be a relatively short amount of time from when it started until he had to have treatment due to the extreme fatigue and shortness of breath due to Congestive Heart Failure/the result of A fib.
We were adult chaperones for a big bunch of middle and high school students tent camped in the beautiful mountains of Colorado for a week at the end of July, in a Church Camp setting. The most amazing experience that we hope to get to go back to sometimes. He had no problems, everything as normal as any of the many other times we had been on the adventure. Anyone that has tent camped in the raw mountains- knows that it is not for the weak.
In November of the same year- is when his symptoms took us to the ER and it all unfolded from there. And here we are- life changed in an instant the day he had 2 Strokes while in ICU. His Cardiologist, my husband and I were at his bedside talking to him. He received TPA and was in Interventional Radiology within an hour. But, that wasn't enough to avoid the life changing effects of 2 strokes...that all started with A. fib.

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I'm trying to understand your comment about the heart failure being a proximal result of AF. That is to say, it happened, so the AF couldn't have gone on for long. In fact, heart failure doesn't typically happen in untreated AF patients for many months or years. There really is no practical way to attribute heart failure to any coincident AF because the two are only somewhat causally linked; there are other disorders that can lead to heart failure, such as defective heart valves and a poor ejection fraction.
Even so, my first incident of AF didn't leave me feeling unwell, but the second incident, about six weeks later, had me puffing and feeling like I was in serious trouble, at which the ER staff rushed me right in, no triage necessary. I can't explain that one bout of AF and how it affected me because two years later, when things had been in good control and I had been largely free of even intermittent/paroxysmal AF, suddenly I began to get lots of AF. But none of those many events, maybe 100 over the next year, left me feeling the same way, out of breath, faint, feeling of doom, etc.

I hope my comment isn't confusing...I intend only to point out that, if he does have heart failure, it would mean that it was from another problem, or that his AF,...IF...it was the cause, must have been uncontrolled, undetected, and in place for months, possibly well over a year.

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Loop recorder. Any recommendations or concerns?

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@gloaming

I'm trying to understand your comment about the heart failure being a proximal result of AF. That is to say, it happened, so the AF couldn't have gone on for long. In fact, heart failure doesn't typically happen in untreated AF patients for many months or years. There really is no practical way to attribute heart failure to any coincident AF because the two are only somewhat causally linked; there are other disorders that can lead to heart failure, such as defective heart valves and a poor ejection fraction.
Even so, my first incident of AF didn't leave me feeling unwell, but the second incident, about six weeks later, had me puffing and feeling like I was in serious trouble, at which the ER staff rushed me right in, no triage necessary. I can't explain that one bout of AF and how it affected me because two years later, when things had been in good control and I had been largely free of even intermittent/paroxysmal AF, suddenly I began to get lots of AF. But none of those many events, maybe 100 over the next year, left me feeling the same way, out of breath, faint, feeling of doom, etc.

I hope my comment isn't confusing...I intend only to point out that, if he does have heart failure, it would mean that it was from another problem, or that his AF,...IF...it was the cause, must have been uncontrolled, undetected, and in place for months, possibly well over a year.

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I appreciate your thoughts... and yes I agree. However, I didn't want to point this out because it causes a stir in most instances. And- typically AFib doesn't cause Heart Failure. But, in our instance- it most certainly did. They say it all started due to Viral Myocarditis.
No Dr. will say it- but to anyone that has not been living under a rock, in a cave, or in the deep jungle somewhere since 2020- it's obvious what virus is was.
He also got his last Moderna a few weeks before he got sick enough to go to the ER. He has noooooo other heart abnormalities and never touched drugs in his life...not even tobacco. We got sick and tired of explaining that he has never used drugs. Because apparently- IV drug use increased risk of Cardiomyopathy.
Another big difference in his and your story is that his never Afib never stopped.
So- this is what happened---- the virus or the shot-Cardiomyopathy- arrhythmias- Heart Failure/EF 11-Clots in his left upper appendage-BOOM-clot(s) moved--- Stroke #1- Ischemic. Stroke #2 a few hours later (after all the strokes deficits pretty well subsided)- Hemorrhagic due to the tPA.
I also know that he couldn't have possibly gotten through the week in the mountains- he helped take care of 60 middle and high school students.
(1 golf cart for the whole crew. So lots of walking. We slept in tents and cooked on a the big grill that we hauled in there) He was in great health at the time- end of July 2021. November of 21. he finished what may be his last 5th Grade lesson plan and then we took him to the ER. In him the Afib most definitely lead to Heart Failure.
Thank you for helping clarify.

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@jpmd22

Loop recorder. Any recommendations or concerns?

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Very good peace of mind. Pretty simple outpatient procedure to have it implanted.

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I don't want to stir a hornet's nest in here, particularly since most of us are grateful to have come through COVID relatively unscathed....but...the British Ministry of Health recently released formal documentation about the problems associated with 'the jab', and are taking steps to censure Pfizer, for one, publicly. This is for falsifying supporting data that suggested the jab was efficacious and safe. It should have been removed for the same statistical failure rate that Vioxx was removed 24 years ago...heart problems. Myocarditis, pericarditis, and other lingering problems.

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