[Misc] Atrial Fibrillation and medications etc - anyone able to share experiences?

[albionalba]

always carry some plasters (including big hospital-type ones)

Yes sounds sensible, especially with your added risk of thin skin! Yes it was the thinners where I was worried about bleeding.

 

[alanfp]

it seems like Ibuprofen is a no no

Can I ask why / who told you that? That hasn't been mentioned to "my friend" who has AF, so he would be quite interested!

 

[albionalba]

Can I ask why / who told you that? That hasn't been mentioned to "my friend" who has AF, so he would be quite interested!

It's on the list of things not to take with Apixaban (without doctor's approval and when asked they said that any NSAIDs such as Iboprofen are a no no because they increase the risk of bleeding.)

 

[Bob!]

Was that me?

Finally had a Catheter Ablation in December last year. Everything was great!
Saw cardiologist at end of May, came off the Bisoprolol as everything was going well.

2 weeks ago I got the same symptoms, and then one night I got the racing heart, so put myself back on Bisoprolol and emailed cardiologist.

Advised to download the app Fibricheck yesterday, and to use this 3 times a day for a week, AF was confirmed last night.

I'm in Menorca currently and for the next few weeks so hopefully will be able to see the CTC team when I get back..

Sorry about going on about me.

In terms of the original question,
Bisoprolol does seem to make me more tired and lethargic than normal. Though that could also be from the affects of living and exercising with a higher heart rate.
It also makes my nose run.
I carry plasters with me as I am also taking Edoxaban, though any cuts that I have had have not been an issue.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

I take Apixaban , the hospital said one time I had “ clots” . I have not noticed any particular side effects but I take a raft of meds so one can’t say which one could be responsible. I do pee a lot of, in the day and at night but I have put that down to my prostate….
Best wishes .

 

[Blue3]

I've seen various AF mentions along the way but couldn't find a thread like this but I'm aware that others on NSC have experienced AF and similar problems. I am of course asking here 'on behalf of a good friend'......'they' are 70 and have had a floppy / leaky mitral valve for at least 15 years with no detriment, regularly monitored with echocardiograms, no changes to the point where cardiologist was beginning to think it might have been a very long term defect that just hadn't been picked up when younger. A couple of months ago they had a sudden shift to being much more breathless, an ECG showed AF and a much faster heart rate and an echo is finally scheduled later this month to see if it is a floppy mitral deterioration or something else. In the meantime there's been lot's of scary stroke risk talk and prescriptions of Apixaban, Bisoprolol and Furesomide collected from the pharmacy, fully read up on, but not yet started. They all sound unpleasant and worrying in terms of side effects so I wondered if anyone is prepared to share experiences with (any of) these meds (fully realising that we are all different and that this would just be expressing general opinions and not providing medical advice etc!) I know that if you read the side effects of any meds they can sound worrying but this bunch sound life changing (but hopefully life saving too). Thanks in anticipation.

I was diagnosed with AF I was sent down to the hospital wired up and monitored after which I asked what the treatment was and was told no treatment was necessary other for to be monitored, fortunately that was 40 years ago and I am happy to report in my case its still the same.

 

[Chris45]

I take Bisoprolol and found they made me extremely tired, I now take them just before bed with my Statins and that works ok, in fact I almost rely on them as a sleeping tablet, I have permanent AF that I've probably had for 30-40 years if not lifelong and had a failed cardioversion, 8 years ago I had a quadruple heart bypass and for about 5 days after I was in sinus rhythm and despite what I had been through I actually had a clearer mind and had more energy, before the bypass I was on blood thinners but while I was opened up they put a clip in place to prevent the most likely cause of strokes so thankfully I no longer need them, there are many types of AF I believe some are easier to live with than others.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Sorry about going on about me.

In terms of the original question,
Bisoprolol does seem to make me more tired and lethargic than normal. Though that could also be from the affects of living and exercising with a higher heart rate.
It also makes my nose run.
I carry plasters with me as I am also taking Edoxaban, though any cuts that I have had have not been an issue.

Bisoprolol is a beta1 adrenoceptor antagonist ('beta blocker').
It has an array of well documented and understood side effects.
These include fatigue.
Essentially, the up-kick in your sympathetic nervous system (adrenaline and noradrenaline) every time you leap into action, from getting out of bed to mounting the stairs to west upper, is a futile reflex when the beta1 receptors are blocked. The adrenaline is released but it can't access the beta1 receptors. So the anticipated increase in heart rate and cardiac output doesn't happen. So you feel deflated.
BUT you can train yourself to avoid the psychic disappointment by taking fast things more slowly.

I took beta blockers once because my PhD supervisor wanted to see if I could give a presentation without leaping around and waving my arms about.
I found that I was so calm and chilled that my 10 minute talk was dull beyond belief, and for the only time in my life nobody in the audience had any questions for me.

So.... expect the reflexes to be dampened and you may feel better about the meds.
And carry a pack of Scotties or Kleenex.

Best wishes, Bob!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I take Apixaban , the hospital said one time I had “ clots” . I have not noticed any particular side effects but I take a raft of meds so one can’t say which one could be responsible. I do pee a lot of, in the day and at night but I have put that down to my prostate….
Best wishes .

If you think your prostate is playing up I do hope you have had it checked.
Apologies if you are a veteran of the prostate thread and I have forgotten.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Yes, minor cuts are an issue when working/gardening and there's not much to do about it other than always carry some plasters (including big hospital-type ones) when its appropriate to do so, and make sure there are always some within reach. My situation is accentuated by having very thin/dry skin on my arms - a legacy from my late mother - that can "tear" and bleed at the most inconvenient times if I knock it or rub against things.
The skin on my arms almost always have painless purple patches on them where I've knocked them, or they are healing.

As far as I'm aware the thin skin/purple patches/bleeding thing has nothing to do with AF, but the thinners make any bleeding look worse. than it generally is.

Hey ho!

The purple patches will have nothing to do with AF.
My old pal Bob the retired social worker with whom I watch telly football had been getting these patches for the last 15 years (he's 82 now). I keep asking him to let the doc check this out but he's a stubborn old bastard and won't.

So....it would be interesting to know what this is all about. Bob is otherwise remarkably well.

 

[albionalba]

The adrenaline is released but it can't access the beta1 receptors. So the anticipated increase in heart rate and cardiac output doesn't happen. So you feel deflated.
BUT you can train yourself to avoid the psychic disappointment

Very handy to know this.

It sounds very similar to the effect of the build up and execution of every corner of ours last season, even for those not taking Bisoprolol....

 

[FamilyGuy]

The purple patches will have nothing to do with AF.
My old pal Bob the retired social worker with whom I watch telly football had been getting these patches for the last 15 years (he's 82 now). I keep asking him to let the doc check this out but he's a stubborn old bastard and won't.

So....it would be interesting to know what this is all about. Bob is otherwise remarkably well.

My purple patches have been called "purpuris" by my GP, which I've always assumed to mean "purple patches". They are a pooling of blood below the skin, similar to bruises in appearance but more "purple". If they get knocked or pricked then there can be quite an impressive amount of blood on show, but other than that they're cosmetic rather than harmful.

My best wishes to Bob.