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I had an A-Fib episode about a month ago, I’m seeking more information - liver results, mono too?

I guess the question title isn’t al that specific, but I’ll list them out here. I’m a 25, a few days away from 26, year old male. I had fainted at work and was taken to the hospital where I stayed for a few nights. I was diagnosed with A-Fib and am currently on the same medicine that converted me back to a normal sinus rhythm.

I’ve seen the cardiologist and my heart echo came back as my heart looking fine, but other than that I didn’t get a lot of answers to my questions. Such as, what exactly caused me to faint? If the heart echo came back well, then is there something else wrong with my heart? I did a stress test a few days ago, and am on an event monitor till the 13th of January. Then see the cardiologist again on the last day of February.

I still get chest pains that come and go, is there any chance I’m back in A-Fib? Just looking for a discussion along these questions.

Thanks in advance!
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707563 tn?1626361905
This link explains what paroxysmal afib is - https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/paroxysmal-atrial-fibrillation-facts#1

Essentially, once your heartbeat returns to normal after 7 days, you have paroxsymal AFib. This is often a permanent condition. Again, the only way to know is time and waiting (I'm so sorry - there are no easy answers here.)

Definitely get your liver checked out. One of the possible causes for AFib is drinking a lot of alcohol, which can also elevate your liver enzymes. Obviously, I have no idea if you drink a lot or not, or ever. If you do, that's something to talk about with your doctor.

Keep us posted!
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Update:

I haven’t been back to the Cardiologist yet, but I’ve had the liver ultrasound results come back, haven’t had the doctor visit yet. But on the results the impression was diffuse fatty changes in liver noted with mild hepatosplenomegaly. (Both liver and spleen enlarged)
Oh wow. Do you drink? If you do, now would be a really good time to stop.

Do they know what's causing all this? What comes next for you?
I do not drink. I’ve probably only really drunk 4-5 times in my entire life. And I’m 26. Lol

I haven’t seen my doctor yet, so I’m not sure what they’re even gonna do. I see them next Wednesday. I did blood tests yesterday. So, I wonder if this is all connected to my A-fib episode?
Oh good, at least drinking isn't an issue.

I looked up afib, and enlarged liver and spleen, and it looks like the one thing the have in common for causes is viral infections. One that came up is mono/EBV - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377232/ Obviously, there are a bunch of other causes for each of these, and I can't diagnose you, but it may be a starting place.

Please keep me updated, and good luck!
Sorry for the late reply, but I have a bit of an update.

So, I ended up having a CT scan and the results came back that the liver and spleen were normal in size. This test, being about a week and a half after the ultrasound. My blood results showed that my liver enzymes have lowered a little. (Which, I should have added in the last reply I’ve had the elevated liver enzymes for the better part of a year and a half.) Back to the blood results, she said that I was negative for Mono, but that there are three other markers in the test that also can signal Mono. These were very slightly above normal, her thought process is that I’d had Mono, and that I’m on the healing side now. Since the hepatosplenomegaly has subsided and everything is back to normal besides the still elevated liver enzymes. She is going to send me to a GI to be further evaluated.

My bilirubin was elevated a little, which I’d mentioned since I can access my records via my phone. Which apparently she didn’t even consider and just brushed it off that it’ll be the GI’s issue now. I asked whether this is relative to the A-Fib episode, her response, “No..”. She wasn’t very reassuring or providing and evidencing supporting that ‘fact’. I told her I still had concerns and worries over the Afib and was curious if she could give me some information and discuss a bit with me. I was met with a decline, “That is the Cardiologist’s issue, that’s between you and him.” So, I’m still clueless until the 28th with no real leads to any sort of information, besides what you’d provided. Which is great! And I appreciate that! :) I apologize for the lengthy response.
Well, you are actually getting somewhere, even if it's a really, really slow process lol.

I'm glad you are getting some answers, even if they are theories.

I'm going to move this to another forum - Undiagnosed Symptoms - only because there are some people there who may be more qualified to answer this and I want to make sure you get the best info. I'll still get notified when you respond, so I'll keep checking in. :)
While you continue seeing the docs, make sure that any medications you take, including OTC (like sinus medications) don't have any warnings about potential liver damage.
Oh that's a really good point. Thank you for bringing it up. :)
Thanks! That is definitely something I should be more cautious of now!

I do take Ibuprofen, cause I have headaches a lot. But I’m not sure Ibuprofen does anything to the liver? I had brain surgery when I was 13. So, persistent headaches are also an issue.
Update: Seen the cardiologist Thursday and was told everything looked good with my heart and no reoccurring atrial fibrillation. And to follow up in six months.

Today, I passed out again and ended up back at the hospital with every test coming back with good results and no real signs of Afib.. I was advised to contact my cardiologist Monday..
Oh I was really happy for you with the first part, then saw the second part. That's not good.

What does "no real signs" mean? You had some signs?

Keep us posted.
I was in normal sinus rhythm, no real signs of Afib, the EMT said he saw a little quick irregularity but it could’ve been from the movement of the ambulance. My EKG came back well, CT head scan was supposedly well, until I’d seen the results via my records app. Which said that I had ‘underlying encephalomalacia at the right parietal craniotomy site’. What has me confused is I’m pretty sure it’s frontal lobe where I had the tumor removed. Anyways.. I just called my cardiologist. Waiting for a phone call today.  
Okay so I found these:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22134284

https://www.belmarrahealth.com/encephalomalacia-causes-types-treatment/ - this isn't maybe the best site, but this has a lot of explanation about it. Surgery is definitely one of the causes of it.

Maybe a call to your neuro is also a good idea?

I'm sorry - this has to be scary. It may be minor enough that they don't think it's causing anything, and may be a normal side effect of your surgery, but I'd let your neuro know that you're experiencing this, and see if he/she thinks it is related.
Thank you! I called my cardiologist and instead of a six month follow up I’m scheduled to see his PA next Tuesday so even though it’s the cardiologist I’m going to bring that up. I also have a family doctor visit tomorrow.

Thanks for the information! It is definitely scary.
Oh definitely bring it all up with all of them lol. Get ALL the opinions.

I'm sorry you're going through all this, and I'd be scared too, but you've already gone through so much, so clearly you're strong. You'll get through this, too.

Thanks for letting us know, and let us know what the docs say.
Thank you for sharing in my concerns and giving me information! It’s very helpful.

I went to my GI Friday for the liver enzymes and they’re checking my blood for any auto immune diseases. Prescribed me some medication. Going to be evaluating my liver and what’s going on there. She said the best thing to do is assess any damage. Typically elevated liver enzymes indicate a problem and where my have been elevated for a while. We need to get it straightened out.

I was given a referral for my neurologist (the one who did my surgery) I haven’t seen him in years. But he’s booked for quite a while. They’re supposed to be checking the records and CT scan and assessing whether it’s an emergency or not. If it is they’re going to get me in quick.

Waiting for my Cardiologist appointments and then back to my family doctor who is going to do a EEG if I’m not into the neurologist by then.
Well, that's progress. It sounds like a lot of hurry up and wait, but some things are getting done. It sounds like the GI doc is on top of things.

I hope your neuro gets back to you quickly, either way. If it's not an emergency,  you'll want to know that.

Thanks for keeping us posted, and hope you are felling well. :)
707563 tn?1626361905
Wow, that must have been scary.

You can faint when your heart goes out of rhythm - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5135178/ Did that cause your fainting? Hard to tell.

Afib doesn't always show on an echo. A echo is a brief window into your heart, and it won't catch afib if it's not happening at that time. https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/afib-diagnosis#1 With the results of the event monitor and stress test, along with the echo, your cardiologist will have a clearer picture of what is happening.

You could be back in afib with the chest pain that comes and goes, but there are many other things that can cause this. This is something you can talk to your cardiologist about. Maybe keep a diary of when you feel the pain, and see if you can compare it to what the event monitor shows, so you can begin to recognize what is and isn't afib.

Waiting is one of the hardest parts, I think, of being "sick". You know you don't feel well, or "right", but you don't really know why. It's quite frustrating. Hang in there!

Keep a list of questions for your doctor so you don't forget them the next time you meet with him/her.

Hope this helps!

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Thank you for the reply. I guess it is a waiting game. I got my event monitor read cause I had some extreme chest pain and another visit to the ER. The monitor I was hooked up to was showing R on T and Nonsustained VT. So, I was in the ER for what seemed like forever. They were debating keeping me, but thought that movement showed a false reading in regards to the VT, and R on T readings.

Which I followed up with my cardiologist the next day and told me that every looks good via the monitor and EKGs and was most likely a false reading. All blood tests came back well.  Even the stress test didn’t show anything. Besides my liver enzymes being elevated. So they advised to get that checked out with a family doctor.

I know this is probably a question for the cardiologist but I was looking at my records, I was diagnosed with Paroxsymal Atrial Fibrillation. Does this mean I’ll be dealing with this the rest of my life?

Again, the information you provided was simple but surely reassuring as there isn’t a lot to base anything true cause to get. Thanks!
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