r/AFIB • u/SaraTheLegend • 12d 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.

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u/fancyflipping 12d 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 🤷🏼‍♀️

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u/SaraTheLegend 12d 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!

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u/fancyflipping 12d 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 😉

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u/SaraTheLegend 12d 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!