Hey Eric, We do the best we can to Manage it. Getting as much info on Self is a good thing.

I got one when first diagnosed. I didn't know if exercise would put me in afib. I would get a high HR when doing aerobics. The chest monitor helped me a lot. I was told to keep my HR under 130.. My rate would go to 170, and I knew to cut back on intensity. Exercise didn't seem to put me in afib.

I still use it every so often, but not so much now.

I use my wrist one a lot...still. It is a nuisance to have to stop to check rate, but it is helpful to me.

I don't know much about your other question re: anticoagulation at your age. I know there are folks here that are young and not on anything. Was it you who mentioned family history? Is that one of the questions on the newest Chads test?

Hi Eric,
I have one, too. I suppose the question is WHY do you need one? I got mine to prove to myself that I really had a-fib (that, and I LOVE electronic toys ;-))

Just be sure to know, when you are in a-fib your heart rate monitor cant understand what your heart is doing and comes up with some whacky numbers and bounces around like crazy: 82 / 102 / 98 / 125 / 148 / 77 / 177 /and so on. It can scare the heck out of you or fascinate you, depending on what kind of person you are. Of course, if you arent in AF then it does a good job to tell you how hard your heart is working. If you just want to know if you are in AF, then feel your pulse; different speeds with skipped beats is a pretty good indication and a lot cheaper.

Hope this helps!
atp (across the pond)

Good question. IMO: Anything that helps is worth consideration. I have held off in purchasing something like this. But that said, I think I will be getting one to only use when needed to help figure things out. If I used it all the time, I'd likely become too obsessed with worry regarding the readings etc. This is why I've waited to get one this long - since May 2010.

Dont rush into anything Surf. ;-)

atp

Eric:

A monitor definitely helps. If nothing else, it helps to confirm if you're truly in afib or not. My old heart rate monitor would only give me a reading if my heart was beating normally. If I was in afib, it would just say, "no reading," or something similar to that because it couldn't pick up a regular heart rate. That's how I knew something was wacky. I have since purchased the Pen Check heart rate monitor as it will not only tell me if I'm in NSR or not, it will actually give me an EKG reading.

Travis

I have had a prince 180b monitor for about 2 years.

It does two things for me: 1.) If reinforces to me that my HR is high and in nsr or not, and 2.) It give me something to take to thr docfor office. Kinda of like of being sick until I go to doctor and my symptons are more normal. I have printed off stripes and taken to the doctor. In the end, it gives me confidence when I see the doctor to discuss things, there is "proof."

ROBERT