Atrial fibrillation?!

Atrial fibrillation?

Thanks everybody for all the helpful anwers but I still don't understand whether I was in Afib or not. It has always been atrial fib when it happens because of the irregular nature of the beats. This time the monitor (attached 5 hours after the start of the fibs) showed regular very fast beats so my GP said afterwards (not having seen the ECG) that it could not have been atrial fib because Afib is never regular.. I still think it was because I don't know what else it could have been - perhaps it was irregular in the hours before I was admitted to hospital and the digoxin and oxygen, on top of my normal evening beta blocker and anti-arrhythmic drug, made the beats regular but they were still very fast. Could this be possible?

It could have been just a fast SVT or a flutter(more likely) or simply PT. It doesn't matter what the GP says. He didn't see the electrical monitor. Did they do an EKG while you were in the irregular rythym? If not then you will never have a sure diagnosis. And the name really doesn't matter.

The problem with arrhythmias (and doctors) is that unless they actually see it or catch it on an EKG they either don't believe you or else don't diagnose you correctly. Depending on your age and level of heart health, as long as you keep your dig level up, you should stay in a sinus rhythm. Over time you will be able to recognize some of the "triggers" that can mess up your heart. (I know bending over really fast can just send me into A-fib as can turning backwards and reaching over my left shoulder too quickly.) It sounds strange, but some people just have triggers that will disrupt their heart rhythm.

One thing you might try is keeping a few ice bags handy. If you go into a bad rhythm, grab them and put them on your neck (carotid arteries) and right on your chest over your heart. Some people immediately jump into a cold shower. Some people can convert themselves if they push like they are having a baby really hard.

Just keep your digoxin level up where it belongs in a therapeutic range. Don't skip your meds. Electrical conversion really hurts, so avoid it. Take care of yourself and learn about how your heart reacts and what works for you. You can and will live a normal life if you just take care of yourself and try to avoid things that push you into an abnormal rhythm.
Be blessed and stay healthy.