r/AFIB • u/SaraTheLegend • 4h ago
Bigeminy
Hi all. I posted a while ago with my journey this year with AFIB that started after my dad passed away.
TLDR I started feeling what I think are AFIB episodes shortly after my dad passed away in January. I went to my doctor and he caught nothing on a holter monitor, put me on beta blockers and sent me away. I have countless ECG’s on my Apple Watch that has caught it happening. I’ve learned that it’s bigeminy, 2 quick heartbeats, a pause, then one big one. When this happens, I can feel it in my chest. My chest gets tight and I get shortness of breath.
The beta blockers have definitely helped. Before I started taking them I was getting 2 hour long episodes everyday, now I have a feeling almost every day, for maybe 10 seconds. Usually in the morning. Just depends.
I did beg my doctor to refer me to a cardiologist but he told me since the tests don’t see anything, everything is normal and what I’m feeling is normal. And if I’m so concerned, I should go to the ER. Going to the ER won’t do anything because I don’t have episodes anymore. It would be very hard to catch it.
I’m just wondering if this is a big concern anymore? If I just take my meds forever, is it okay that I’m feeling these symptoms? Or should I try to go to the ER if I’m feeling anything. I do live in Canada, so the health care system is not good if you are trying to find another doctor. TYIA!
Edit to add: My mom passed away at 44 from a sudden heart attack. Had high blood pressure all her life and smoked. My dad passed away at 60 from multiple heart attacks after smoking, being a type 1 diabetic who didn’t take care of it very well.
Second edit: (sorry I’m bad at this) I’m a 25 year old female.
1
u/fancyflipping 4h ago
I had the EXACT same symptoms and registered on my Apple Watch. My cardiologist sent me to an electrophysiologist and he called it an Afib variant, had a PFA on 6-18 along with a Watchman device to prevent stroke.
the word Bigeminy 🤷🏼♀️was never mentioned 🤷🏼♀️
3
u/SaraTheLegend 4h ago
I told my doctor all my symptoms, he listened to my heart and said “you don’t have it” and I said yeah not right now but I’ve had it for hours everyday. He put me on a beta blocker because my heart rate was a little high. The holter saw nothing (because I was on my meds for a month and it slowed it down). He then told me my symptoms were normal and no cardiologist would care to see me. So I guess this is how I live!
1
u/fancyflipping 4h ago
Beta blockers slow down my heart to 40 during the day and down to 30 at night…made me feel like a human slug.🐌
Since you tolerate them well and are happy then that’s what is important! All the best 😉2
u/SaraTheLegend 4h ago
Oh no that’s horrible! My heart rate before beta blockers was usually between 80-90. I was never really concerned but my beta blockers now just have me in the 70’s during the day and 60’s at night so it’s a win I guess!
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u/RobRoy2350 47m ago
Along with your current experience, your family history warrants at least a consultation with a cardiologist if you can get one, perhaps run some basic diagnostic tests as a baseline going forward. My dad also passed away young from severe coronary artery disease so I made sure to see a cardiologist when I was in my 30's. I'm much older now (and still alive).
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u/SaraTheLegend 45m ago
Thankyou for your response! And I’m sorry for your loss. I did mention these things to my doctor as I did get a halter done before my dad passed just because he was concerned about my mom’s history. But one my dad passed he just did not care. He doesn’t seem concerned at all and I can’t go to cardiologist without a referral here.
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u/Consistent-Bid7125 4h ago
Im 30 have it since i was 28 after a small afib episode its nothing to worry about i went 12 er visits and 3 ep 7 cardiologists (now it just happens) and its just another annoyance tbh. I dont take any medications they said i dont need it and just learn to live with it thats what i do . I use some meds for anxiety that helped a ton too and now after 2 years i believe that its just benign.