Copyright &copy 1997-2010 by Fred SeneseComments & questions to fsenese@frostburg.eduLast Revised 08/17/15.URL: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/consumer/faq/why-does-alkaseltzer-fizz.shtml.
Atrial flutter symptoms can come and go, with fast heart beat episodes lasting from some hours or days. In some cases, atrial flutter happens all the time. With proper treatment, atrial flutter is rarely life threatening. Complications of atrial flutter can be serious, but they can usually be prevented with treatment.
When atrial flutter occurs in people with a normal healthy heart, it is called lone atrial flutter. Atrial flutter also can occur in people who have other atrial arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (a more irregular form of atrial rhythm abnormality). It can happen either spontaneously or when the atrial fibrillation is treated with antiarrhythmic medications.