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Atrial flutter
- Thread starterjpp
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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I've been diagnosed with it twice, both times during routine physicals to clear me for major surgeries. Both times it was fixed by ablations, and then I resumed diving.
I was asymptomatic and had no idea that I was in flutter until it was discovered by EKG. The electrophysiologist wondered if I might be going in and out of flutter periodically without realizing it, so he implanted a little cardiac monitor under the skin of my chest. Its about the size of a couple of wooden matchsticks and gathers data all day, then downloads it to a device on the nightstand next to my bed in the wee hours of the morning. The device then transmits it to the doctor's device lab so that they can see what is going on. I've had it about 6 months, and it hasn't caught my heart being bad yet.
Edit- just to clarify, those surgeries had nothing to do with my heart- they were related to prostate cancer.
I was asymptomatic and had no idea that I was in flutter until it was discovered by EKG. The electrophysiologist wondered if I might be going in and out of flutter periodically without realizing it, so he implanted a little cardiac monitor under the skin of my chest. Its about the size of a couple of wooden matchsticks and gathers data all day, then downloads it to a device on the nightstand next to my bed in the wee hours of the morning. The device then transmits it to the doctor's device lab so that they can see what is going on. I've had it about 6 months, and it hasn't caught my heart being bad yet.
Edit- just to clarify, those surgeries had nothing to do with my heart- they were related to prostate cancer.
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I am booked in to have cardio version in the new year but I hear that it often returns afterwards. I don't know yet why they have chosen the cardio version over the cathater ablation but intend to ask at my next appointment. I have had nothing wrong with me, led a very healthy lifestyle, weight training three times a week, cycling, free dive training once a week, swimming once a week and spearfishing when ever possible. I am 53 and am gutted this has happened. Might as well lived a life of smoking and drinking.
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My doctor said that it often returned after cardioversion, but catheter ablation was more likely to fix it permanently or for a long time, so he preferred to go straight to ablation.
The first time I was diagnosed, I had to reschedule my prostate cancer surgery and do the ablation first. But on the second occasion, he just approved me for the surgery and did the ablation after I recovered from surgery. I asked him if the surgeon and anesthesiologist would be willing to go ahead while I was still in flutter, and he said that as long as he signed off on it, they probably would. And he was right.
Apparently the only thing about flutter or fibrillation that is really life threatening is the possibility of a clot forming in the atria because they are not completely emptying. This could go to the brain and result in a stroke. I was given an anticoagulant, Xarelto, until the day before the ablation, and for a month or so after.
I hesitate to give medical advice, and normal practice in the UK may differ from normal practice by my doctor, but all I can do is tell about my experiences. Before ablation or cardioversion, they want to make sure that you don't have any clots in the atria. They did an echo cardiogram first, but apparently they could miss something, so just before the ablation they did a TEE.
"A transesophageal echo (TEE) test is a type of echo test in which the ultrasound transducer, positioned on an endoscope, is guided down the patient's throat into the esophagus (the "food pipe" leading from the mouth into the stomach). An endoscope is a long, thin, flexible instrument that is about ½ inch in diameter.
The TEE test provides a close look at the heart's valves and chambers, without interference from the ribs or lungs. TEE is often used when the results from standard echo tests are not sufficient, or when your doctor wants a closer look at your heart."
This was the most unpleasant part of the entire procedure. For the ablation, they can sedate you before inserting the catheter into your groin, but for the TEE you have to be sufficiently awake to swallow the transducer. They gave me a cup of lidocaine gel to gargle and then swallow. Then after I got the transducer down my esophagus, they increased the drip so that I didn't feel anything.
I had the same reaction that you did- I've worked out all of my life and it didn't prevent this. But the doctor said that my coronary arteries and valves were in great shape and that this was just an electrical problem, and fitness had nothing to do with it. In fact he said that my fitness was probably the reason that I coped with flutter so well and was asymptomatic. I'm 75, and sometimes shit just happens.
The first time I was diagnosed, I had to reschedule my prostate cancer surgery and do the ablation first. But on the second occasion, he just approved me for the surgery and did the ablation after I recovered from surgery. I asked him if the surgeon and anesthesiologist would be willing to go ahead while I was still in flutter, and he said that as long as he signed off on it, they probably would. And he was right.
Apparently the only thing about flutter or fibrillation that is really life threatening is the possibility of a clot forming in the atria because they are not completely emptying. This could go to the brain and result in a stroke. I was given an anticoagulant, Xarelto, until the day before the ablation, and for a month or so after.
I hesitate to give medical advice, and normal practice in the UK may differ from normal practice by my doctor, but all I can do is tell about my experiences. Before ablation or cardioversion, they want to make sure that you don't have any clots in the atria. They did an echo cardiogram first, but apparently they could miss something, so just before the ablation they did a TEE.
"A transesophageal echo (TEE) test is a type of echo test in which the ultrasound transducer, positioned on an endoscope, is guided down the patient's throat into the esophagus (the "food pipe" leading from the mouth into the stomach). An endoscope is a long, thin, flexible instrument that is about ½ inch in diameter.
The TEE test provides a close look at the heart's valves and chambers, without interference from the ribs or lungs. TEE is often used when the results from standard echo tests are not sufficient, or when your doctor wants a closer look at your heart."
This was the most unpleasant part of the entire procedure. For the ablation, they can sedate you before inserting the catheter into your groin, but for the TEE you have to be sufficiently awake to swallow the transducer. They gave me a cup of lidocaine gel to gargle and then swallow. Then after I got the transducer down my esophagus, they increased the drip so that I didn't feel anything.
I had the same reaction that you did- I've worked out all of my life and it didn't prevent this. But the doctor said that my coronary arteries and valves were in great shape and that this was just an electrical problem, and fitness had nothing to do with it. In fact he said that my fitness was probably the reason that I coped with flutter so well and was asymptomatic. I'm 75, and sometimes shit just happens.
Hey Jpp,
I don't have personal experience but my dad was diagnosed a few years back. I really don't know about it in relation to freediving but he was certainly encouraged to keep just as active as he did before hand and he probably exercises more now (aged 61) than I can ever remember.
To begin with he was given quite a few different drugs, warfarin being the one I definitely remember but they left him feeling worst than before, so he had the cardio version. It did return to flutter again after a short while but it was not as bad.
Some time later he then had the ablation and was fine for a while before it returned again but less severely. I believe now he takes only warfarin (I'll check) and otherwise continues as normal with cycling, tennis, hill walking etc... He also tries to have a nap each day too which he thinks helps.
From the sound of it he had more symptoms than yourself and Bill as he used to wake up with his heart pounding in the middle of the night and he felt exhausted often too.
He has also led a very healthy life with regular exercise (although not as much as you jpp), very good diet, no smoking and very moderate wine drinking. I suspect work stress played a part but that's just my guess.
I don't have personal experience but my dad was diagnosed a few years back. I really don't know about it in relation to freediving but he was certainly encouraged to keep just as active as he did before hand and he probably exercises more now (aged 61) than I can ever remember.
To begin with he was given quite a few different drugs, warfarin being the one I definitely remember but they left him feeling worst than before, so he had the cardio version. It did return to flutter again after a short while but it was not as bad.
Some time later he then had the ablation and was fine for a while before it returned again but less severely. I believe now he takes only warfarin (I'll check) and otherwise continues as normal with cycling, tennis, hill walking etc... He also tries to have a nap each day too which he thinks helps.
From the sound of it he had more symptoms than yourself and Bill as he used to wake up with his heart pounding in the middle of the night and he felt exhausted often too.
He has also led a very healthy life with regular exercise (although not as much as you jpp), very good diet, no smoking and very moderate wine drinking. I suspect work stress played a part but that's just my guess.
Thank you for the replies. I have the cardioversion booked for the 7th Jan so I live in hope that they cure this. I understand Tony Blair had this and have discovered several people I know have also suffered with atrial fib so it seems quite common. Fingers crossed it works.
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One more tidbit that many of us may not know. When you take your pulse, you are feeling the ventricular rate rather than the atrial rate. The ventricular rate is affected by the atria, but it can't beat as fast when the atria are in flutter, so chooses some fraction of the atrial rate. But after I found out what was going on, I could use my pulse as a an indication that I was in flutter. My normal resting pulse is around 40, but when I was in flutter it was up around 70 to 75. The doctor told me that this was a sign that my atria were in flutter, probably at four times my pulse.
Regarding the heart pounding- I had that sensation just once, but it was only because I was in the water last May. I jumped off the boat and gently finned toward a kelp bed, and I heard this loud rapid booming sound. We were anchored off of a USMC base and my first thought was that it was an automatic weapon, but I soon figured out that it was me. My diving was not affected at all though. My breath hold isn't great, but it was no worse than normal and my strength was normal.
My buddy shot a 59 pound fish that wrapped up in the kelp at about 45 feet, and I spend some time helping him get it out. After we got back to the boat, weighed the fish and took photos, I finally pulled back my hood and took my pulse, and it was about 100 bpm. I was within cell phone service of the coast, so I called my doctor's office and talked to his nurse. It was late on Friday afternoon, so of course she told me that if I had any other problems I should go to the emergency room, but otherwise come in and see the doctor on Tuesday.
I have a heart rate monitor on a stationary bike, so when I got hime that evening I put on the chest strap and stood next to the bike. The rate started showing at around 100, but jumped up and down as if the monitor couldn't get a good reading. The next morning it was more like 60, but still jumping up and down. By that afternoon, it was stable at a normal rate.
When I went to the doctor on Tuesday, my rate was around 40 and it was stable. Based on my description of what I felt and measured, the doctor felt that I was probably in atrial fibrillation rather than flutter, and it had resolved on its own. That is when he decided to implant the heart monitor in my chest. He said that its a brand new gadget that is a game changer for people like me. If a patient is going in and out of a-flutter or a-fib, the doctor can see it in his office even if the patient doesn't feel a thing.
Of course my heart hasn't acted up since the implant, but at least he and I know that.
Not that is has a damn thing to do with fibrillation, but here is the fish my buddy shot while I was fibrillating.
Regarding the heart pounding- I had that sensation just once, but it was only because I was in the water last May. I jumped off the boat and gently finned toward a kelp bed, and I heard this loud rapid booming sound. We were anchored off of a USMC base and my first thought was that it was an automatic weapon, but I soon figured out that it was me. My diving was not affected at all though. My breath hold isn't great, but it was no worse than normal and my strength was normal.
My buddy shot a 59 pound fish that wrapped up in the kelp at about 45 feet, and I spend some time helping him get it out. After we got back to the boat, weighed the fish and took photos, I finally pulled back my hood and took my pulse, and it was about 100 bpm. I was within cell phone service of the coast, so I called my doctor's office and talked to his nurse. It was late on Friday afternoon, so of course she told me that if I had any other problems I should go to the emergency room, but otherwise come in and see the doctor on Tuesday.
I have a heart rate monitor on a stationary bike, so when I got hime that evening I put on the chest strap and stood next to the bike. The rate started showing at around 100, but jumped up and down as if the monitor couldn't get a good reading. The next morning it was more like 60, but still jumping up and down. By that afternoon, it was stable at a normal rate.
When I went to the doctor on Tuesday, my rate was around 40 and it was stable. Based on my description of what I felt and measured, the doctor felt that I was probably in atrial fibrillation rather than flutter, and it had resolved on its own. That is when he decided to implant the heart monitor in my chest. He said that its a brand new gadget that is a game changer for people like me. If a patient is going in and out of a-flutter or a-fib, the doctor can see it in his office even if the patient doesn't feel a thing.
Of course my heart hasn't acted up since the implant, but at least he and I know that.
Not that is has a damn thing to do with fibrillation, but here is the fish my buddy shot while I was fibrillating.
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Very interesting. Good luck jpp, the doctors can work miracles. Going to have to do some more studying here. I'm Bill's age and raced cat 1,2, pro until I was 43, with the horrendous kilometers involved, but my pulse hardly ever slowed under 50 and now only to the high 50s but, when I pack and start a breath hold there is a beat in my ear at about 40 that speeds up slowly to about 50 in seven minutes. I wonder if you haven't steered me onto something.
Bill, I'm not a doctor, even if I play one on TV, but what you describe about your heart rate doesn't seem to have anything to do with atrial flutter.
I used the heart rate app on my phone. I have used it for several years and on waking it would be around 55 to 60 BPM. Even with exercise it would go up to maybe 90. When I had the flutters I checked my heart beat and it was 149. I at first thought the app wasn't working and ignored it but later checked it again and it was still at 149. It was difficult to get a reading because it was so erratic. This was when I went to the urgent care centre. With beta blockers it's now down to about 84 BPM. I must have had this for about ten days before I went to the urgent care centre. No wonder that the day I went free dive pool training I was struggling to hold my breath. Just praying for normality now. That app on my phone was as accurate as the hospital equipment as I checked it against their readings. I probably would have just carried on and ignored it if it wasn't for that.
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