I've been using the wellue 24 hour monitor for about 6 months it's a very useful device as it is small and you just place it on the left below the collar bone with ECG sticky pads after the 24 hours you upload it to a program that you install on a laptop.I recently had a reading that includes short runs of VT which is a bit worrying so I've just sent it to my cardiologist .
Anyone on here a user of wellue if so have you had any problems like this I'm hoping it's artifacts.
Before you get unduly concerned, here is a pertinent excerpt from Dr. Anthony Pearson's overall positive review of the Wellue 24 . Let us know what your cardiologist says.
The skeptical cardiologist wants to emphasize that this review was written by a physician-user who has the capability of interpreting his own ECGs. Thus, when the Wellue AI diagnosed ventricular tachycardia he could recognize that it was being fooled by artifact. Such inaccuracies in my experience are common with non-FDA approved personal ECG monitors.
----
Source:A Detailed Review of the Wellue Heart Health Monitor: Long-Term ECG Monitoring for the Consumer
Jim
Thank you I have sent my wellue results to my cardiologist and he confirmed it was not VT but artifact. He thinks it's a good device overall and a good way of keeping an eye on things.
Also the skeptical cardiologist recommended it
Hi
I found 24hr H/Monitoring especially the right thing to do in my case. Because ...
started having a monitor Base Hospital on Day 4. Then had to be unplugged due to Carotid Scan. Then whipped up to a local hospital on a transfer - but never to have the TEST.
No after STROKE followup. I was walking but under speech therapist and occupaional therapist. Worker for housework and showering 1 day a week.
I was left on Metoprol which I didn't want. H/Rate 186! and 1 year 4 months later the H/Specialist hospital put me on 24hr monitor and reported the 186bpm day. 47bpm Night with pauses.
Changed to Bisoprolol then 24hr H/R Monitor reported 156bpm 47bpm avg Night. AND LEFT THERE.
My new Locum who had had AF referred me to Private Heart Specialist. Introduced me to CCB Diltiazem.
Tweaked down to 120mg it was a God send.
24hr H/Rate Monitors sure were a part of stablilizing me. If I had had that done in hospital I wouldn't have the damage to my heart I have!
But once stable I would put it away.
cheri JOY
Anything picked up on your Wellue device that worries you should be forwarded to your GP or specialist. It takes a trained and experienced eye to interpret any ECG and most of us here don’t have that knowledge. We might be able to identify AF or ectopics on our own devices that can help us self-manage but that’s about it. Algorithms are notoriously inaccurate. Even a 12-lead hospital ECG will throw up inaccuracies. That’s why you need a trained person to look at the graphs and not rely on an automated “opinion”.
fairgo45 Thanks for posting. I have considered the Wellue. My main interest is continuous heart rate monitoring overnight. May I ask your model number ?
Wellue have a confusing (to me) range of devices, so for clarity, can you please post a link to the exact device you have purchased. Thanks.
Yes, I’d like to see it too as I’m thinking of buying one.
I can't seem to get a link but I went to you tube wellue 24 hour monitor other items on there for other things but there are videos showing it working its cost is around $269 US
Sorry I'm having trouble getting a link but it's on YouTube with plenty of demonstrations
Fairgo,
OK, I think I now know the US$269 24 hour device from your description. Thanks. For general info there's a new model that also gives a small visual ecg display on the device. A 24 hour version at US$299, and a 72 hour version at US$369. These newer versions have an additional feature viz. access to a limited AI analysis via the App (and which might be useful for those (like me) without a laptop or computer). Both old and newer models have the usual complete AI analysis via software downloaded to a computer (if you have one).
Here's the new models ...
getwellue.com/products/ecg-...
Thanks for putting that link up I couldn't seem to do it.The model I bought the 24 hour recorder has a phone app as well and you can hold the little device if you want an instant recording much like the Kardia.
My cardiologist said when sleeping with it on movement during tossing and turning can throw up artifact but anyone who can read an ECG would know that was wrong.
Generally the Wellue is a good device giving much info like PACs PVCs atrial fibrillation/flutter etc it gets my cardiologists approval
The AI is the same across all of them. I'd say that the confusion, if it exists, is owing to the way their less-than-perfect website is worded and designed.
Steve
Yes - there are two of us here recently who have written in about this, and one more who got a report back from Kardia much the same.
It seems the AI software is at fault and it tends to become confused by certain "goings on" in the heart. In my case, I have a "wide QRS" caused by a left-bundle branch block and my consultant thinks this is to blame. It seems it needs a very well trained human rather than computer eye to separate out VT from some "aberrant" atrial activity.
This is worrying, but, in the end my doctor accepted it might be better as it likely forces the user to check with an expert what is going on.
I would email the trace showing the "VT" to your GP or, better, the specialist, for review. That's what I did and, in the end, paid for a private consultation to get it done quickly.
Steve
Agree completely. These personal devices are overall very good in helping the individual to manage their condition but reading any ECG with accuracy is quite an advanced skill. The Kardia algorithm has interpreted multiple ectopics as AF but I wouldn’t have known had I not shown it to a consultant. I’ve also wrongly interpreted what I believed was bigemeny only for the consultant to take one look and say “that’s AF”. Sometimes it’s VERY obvious when you’re in AF, though!
I get a great deal of bigeminy and, for some reason, especially in the early evening these days or if I am late eating a meal and become over-hungry. I have a theory of my own that the "bigeminy" isn't really a kind of "micro AF" since the rhythm shown looks identical to when I am in AF. In fact, I'm brought to wonder in my amateur way whether AF is no more than a very long run of atrial ectopic beats? That would explain why PACs are said to be able to start an AF episode: maybe they already are "AF", in their small way?
Steve
My cardiologist said that ectopics and AF are on a spectrum, so there’s probably something in having sustained patterns of bigemeny and trigemeny being more AF-like than having isolated ectopics. The difference is that the atria behave differently in AF, beating many times in a chaotic fashion, whereas in these other ectopic patterns they’re just firing off one beat out of time. Not long before my first AF episode I was experiencing trigemeny for hours in the evenings so I think they’re definitely all part of the AF (un)lucky bag.
That's very interesting. I also have LBB and my doctor was explaining that it also affects how the AV node operates in what can get through to fire of the ventricles.
I have actually today doubled my bisoprolol dosage again as after three days of halving the dose because of low heart rate, the ectopics were just too wearing in the evenings. This evening, back to 2.5mg, they are noticeably better, thank goodness. I did have this thought that if I hadn't got any kind of ECG device, I would surely just be thinking that what are actually ectopics were my AF, but with a slower rate. My AF tends to be around 135bpm on average, whereas with the ectopics, it can be any rate, even if often a bit raised, say to 85bpm.
I emailed an ECG last night to my EP for him to comment on the Wellue ECG I took as the Holter monitor I wore for 48 hours a couple of weeks ago didn't pick up anything like what was happening - typically. I know that life can be much worse for people, but this whole thing really can also be hard work indeed to put up with.
Steve
It seems to be the way that as soon as you have a Holter monitor fitted the ectopics and arrhythmias seem to settle down!
When I showed my consultant the “bigemeny” printouts and I said they were only about 80bpm he said it was “slow AF”. That was another reason why I thought it wasn’t AF at the time. So I was a lot less sure about being able to correctly identify (or guess) these patterns after that appointment.
It certainly is burdensome having to manage all of this!
Yes all very annoyingWith the wellue I couldn't figure what the HRV meant so I put all the results into Chat GP and it gave me extensive explanation
That’s interesting. I wonder if they are really AF or like mine - some kind of atrial ectopic? I sent the specialist who I see a further Apple ECG which had far more ectopic beats. He phoned me about it but didn’t call it “slow AF” just said not to worry and that the ectopic beats were all arising from the same place as the AF - all atrial. He understood how difficulty they were to deal with and said that I needed an ablation but before that, he’d try flecainide, but needed the confirmatory MRI before prescribing it. I have an appointment with him a week of Friday but doubt the MRI will be done by then as it’s on the NHS.
The palpitations are much worse in the early evening. Goodness me, they are hard going. Thank goodness they aren’t permanent.
One interesting thing I’m finding is that they confuse the Apple Watch, which often calls them “NSR” and the Wellue, which sometimes calls them NSR, sometimes PACS and sometimes, PVCs (and sometimes bi- and trigeminy or even VT). The doctor told me that it’s the intermittent LBBB that causes the confusion in the ECG. I have read on the internet that this can render an ECG nigh on impossible to read
Steve
I had a 7 month wait for an MRI but that was during the pandemic and I had it on at NHS but at a private hospital. I think they were trying to address the backlog at that time. More recently I knew of someone who was advised her cardiac MRI at Bart’s was around 7 weeks wait but that seems relatively “quick” in my experience.
I think Leicester has one of the worst waiting times for many things!
Steve
There have been stories about people being told that the waiting time for an echocardiogram is about a year! I hope that’s changing for the better now. Since the pandemic access to GPs and hospital specialists has been awful. If I could leave my GP practice I would but I doubt there’s any practices in the area that are any better. It used to be the best one in the area but most of the doctors that were there when I joined have retired and the last good one must be approaching retirement soon. It operates as a call centre now and you rarely speak to a GP. The last one I spoke to was a locum nurse and I had to end the call because she was so rude that I refused to be spoken to like that. Zero tolerance policies work both ways! The hospital has some brilliant specialists but appointments are like gold dust.
We have been lucky for many years with a wonderful GP practice but friends at other local practices often simply cannot see a doctor. The cardio / EP I see is also exceptional although I did have to pay for the first appointment. There's no way, now,, that we could pay for what I once had on my wife's private plan when was working - MRIs, echos and, eventually, an ablation (for atrial flutter). That must all be NHS now. So far, so good, though. I see the specialist next Friday although he lets me email him any worrying ECGs I get and always phones after a few days. Fingers crossed I get sorted. It's flecainide next if the heart proves sound enough for it, then (eventually) an ablation. It's four years since my last MRI and echo, so I hope not much has changed in that time but we'll see.
I hope you're 'doing okay" as they say.
Steve
That's what I did my cardiologist is always available by text he said send it to him so problem solved
You are lucky to have the chance to text a specialist. I can email mine but it's a few days till he replies.
Steve
I'm in New Zealand my Cardiologist is called by his first name by patients and he gives his mobile number to us must be a bit more informal here
In fairness to kardia 3 years agoI had an ECG strip with inverted twaves that it showed up I checked it twice I sent it to my cardiologist who had me in for a full ECG and stress test and it was correct I had a stent fitted a few days later for a very blocked LAD even Dr Dave was surprised kardia picked it up so if you get a device reading that's a worry check it out with your cardiologist as sometimes these devices are right
That must have worried you. The fears we all live with, eh? I am sure that any available home device will take a clear enough ECG to send to a doctor for a better analysis where needed. I suppose that a trace taken with chest gel electrodes instead of fingertips will be much clearer as it will be unaffected by muscle activity and movement artefacts that would likely make it clearer for a better professional analysis.
For speed of use and instant availability, I still find that nothing beats a wrist watch. I wouldn't be without my Apple Watch for that reason.
Steve
Your right there, always a worry Steve I just try to help myself My cardiologist did say the Wellue gave crystal clear results for him to read.If there's a bit of technology out there for checking the heart then I will try it.
The first thing i ever had was the watch followed by one of the first kardia devices in NZ .it diognosed my afib
I have recently bought my own AED as we live in the country 35 kilometers from town.
I'm a bit worried since the stent not so much about the afib though I don't like it being permanent just have to go with the flow.
Janet
Hi Janet
My sister in law had stents at Christmas and is very much better and we met an old friend recently who had had them in just a month before and he was as bright as a button.
I think many people should have an AED in their homes, myself. It's clear that a shock to the ventricles really can be a life saver if done quickly. It's not a nice thought but there we are. The few that are placed around our towns (in old telephone kiosks often!) seem rather a strange thing as by the time you got it, well - would it be of use?
Steve
I remember reading that. It must have been scary but thankfully the Kardia picked it up.
getwellue.com/products/hear...
I have a Wellue, I love it. It is fairly accurate, but like anything, has to be viewed with a margin for error.
Wise words. Thank you 👍
Yes, that's the model fairgo45 has. If you see my reply below, I mention a newer model that has 24 hour and 72 hour versions. But I imagine the AI algorithm is the same for all of them, perhaps even occasionally updated.🤞
24 Hour ECG Monitor Results - Advice Please
24 hour monitors- do they sterilize the attachments
24 Hour heart monitor
for UK Afibbers £15 off Wellue at amazon
