Jim I had my ablation in Bordeaux in January 2003 and have been in nsr since then, but I have always had a lot of ectopic beats - once there were almost 8000 on a 24 hour Holter. Although the doctors said they were harmless they were very uncomfortable, like being kicked in the chest every few minutes. After much trial and error I have 'tamed' them with my own version of Hansby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
David An EP in London once told me that ablation might not prevent AF from starting but it should prevent it from sustaining itself. In the 14 years since my ablation in Bordeaux I have sometimes felt as though AF tries to start up, or even DOES for a few minutes but then I go back into normal rhythm. I have always assumed that AF was starting but that the burn scars were doing their job aby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
On his website he says he has been a consultant since 2003 and has done over 200 ablations a year since then, which would give him a total of almost 3000. 200 a year means he does about 4 a week. Maybe Shannon can comment on whether this makes him a good enough choice? Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you Peggy, lots of reading for the next few days. Good to see that you are still posting... and poking around the internet! Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Anton Since my ablation in Bordeaux in 2003 I have had continuous nsr but am plagued by large numbers of ectopics - one 24 hour Holter showed almost 8,000. It was like being kicked in the chest every few minutes and very uncomfortable. The docs told me they were a nuisance but not harmful, and that I could take bisoprolol to stop them. Following Jackie's advice I started taking magnesby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Anton i wouldn't have any worries about my cognition if I could write as elegantly and fluently as you do in your post! Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
I scuba dive so go on boats a lot. I also suffer badly with motion sickness - I can even get sick underwater during a dive if there is a strong swell! The wrist bands work brilliantly for me but only if they are placed in the correct position, which is one exact spot. I've seen people wearing them inches away from where they should be, and then complaining that they didn't work. Iby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Elizabeth Was this from a newspaper report? The Daily Mail perhaps? The last bit, which said "AF is usually treated with drugs or a pacemaker." is so inaccurate that I would be suspicious of the whole piece. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Spencer - you asked about Bordeaux. When I first got the AF diagnosis I didn't want to be on medication, which was the only thing being suggested back in 2002. I started digging on the internet and found a Reuters report which said that a Professor at the University of Bordeaux in south west France could do a procedure called radio frequency ablation which could stop the AF. I asked tby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
I had to wait 3 months because I was being treated by our underfunded NHS. There is a huge shortage of resources because in UK we spend a lower proportion of GDP on medicine than most other countries in Europe, and a huge amount less than in the US. This means that if you have a life threatening condition you get superb treatment immediately, free of all charges, but otherwise you have to waiby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Spencer. I am in London too, and had long term persistent AF many years ago. What they are going to do for you sounds like an electrocardioversion - they knock you out for a few seconds and give you electric shocks to try to get the heart back into normal rhythm. I had three of them but they only lasted about 48 hours each time then I was back into AF and had to wait three months for theby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Contact in Bordeaux is no longer Mme Bayle. It is now stephanie.bentz@chu-bordeaux.fr Her phone number is +33-55-765-6471 Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Murray I have read that most people on Warfarin are not in the correct range for some (or much) of the time because of the lag between blood test results and dose adjustment, or because of non-compliance. It is very tricky! When I was taking it I was very careful indeed and managed it most of the time. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks Jackie and George. She has been given apixaban so her doctors are obviously on the ball. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Seeking information from all the wise people here. Dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban are all licensed in the UK for the management of AF. Are there differences between them? Is any one better than another? I ask for my sister who has just had her AF officially diagnosed and given apixaban. For us AF is familial I think - I had it until my ablation, my mother and brother had it, and nowby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you Shannon - it was working fine, I just hadn't realised that your thread was sticky and would stay at the top. And thank you George for the smile! Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Haven't seen any new topics for a few days so am posting this to see if it appears. Please ignore it! Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Two comments -- From what I have read, a lot of people, maybe even most people, on Warfarin (Coumadin) are not able to keep their INR at the right level. I took it for a year pre ablation, did weekly blood tests even though monthly was recommended, and adjusted my own dose. I was better at keeping it close to 2.5 than the anti-coagulation nurse - she was happy to let me decide my own dosageby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Agree totally George, kudos to those who listen to good advice. It enrages me when people here say that they are going to stick with their local EP because "s/he is such a nice person". As if that was the most important consideration!! Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thank you Shannon for all that information. Very interesting for me as I too wonder what lies ahead. It will be 14 years in January since my ablation and touch up in Bordeaux, after years of paroxysmal AF and 18 months of persistent AF. I have been in nsr since then. I get ectopic beats but take magnesium, potassium, taurine and d-ribose which stops them being a problem. At the time Profby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Keep well away from this doctor! I had mine at age 65 and have been in sinus rhythm ever since - over 13 years. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Very detailed report and interesting to read. Mine from Bordeaux was very brief (can post it here if anyone is interested) but I have no complaints since I am now half way through my 14th year of nsr after many years of paroxysmal AF and 18 months of continuous AF. (Somehow I don't think it's placebo effect!) Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Great news, Murray. I was wondering how you were getting on after your long struggle. So pleased for you. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Rich Be very careful who you choose for your ablation. Success depends entirely on the skill and experience of the person whose hands are on the catheters. Don't just go with your EP's partner - do some research first. Lots of information on this forum. Ablations can be wonderful - I have had over 13 years of normal rhythm since mine. But they can also be a disaster if the EPby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
I too tried acupuncture, with the best practitioner in Australia - he treated the Autralian prime minister regularly. At the outset he said that he doubted it would work because I'd had paroxysmal AF for a very long time. He was right! I felt improvements in lots of other areas but it made no difference to the AF. I had a successful ablation several years later. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Denver Congratulations on your 10½+ years. You'll soon be catching me up - I reached 13 years of nsr in January. At age 78 I still scuba dive, do fairly strenuous aqua aerobics three times a week, lots of stretching and excercises for my back which is fragile but still holding up without pain. Life is good! Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
You might find some useful information in this article Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks for the link, George. Gillby Gill - AFIBBERS FORUM