Surgery won't be an issue for your heart. It's just as strong as it was before. But the Eliquis will definitely be an issue. I guarantee you no surgeon will do surgery like that on someone taking anticoagulants. The surgeon is probably going to want you off Eliquis several days before and after the surgery. How long is up to him but when I had hernia repair surgery he wanted me off Eliqby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotePompon Maybe our EPs have to find new ways to induce afib while their vagal afibbers are in the lab? Just wondering... Being unable to provoke afib happens sometimes. It happened to me. But a skilled EP can almost always provoke it with a combination of isoproterenol, rapid pacing of the atria, and making sure all antiarrhythmics are stopped well before the procedure.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I think your EP is right and people put way too much importance on afib being vagal or adrenergic. It's the same afib either way no matter how it's triggered.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteIDbill GERD ?? It might be helpful to preface posts by bringing the non-cognoscenti up to speed on what you are referring to. Not a complete Nube to this blog, but haven't encountered this acronym previously. You might find this helpful: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/symptoms-causes/syc-20361940by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I'd be really surprised if a PM didn't detect afib at any rate. I don't know who you're quoting but what they seem to be saying isn't true in general. I think they have their facts mixed up.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yeah, I get it. You're reading this report and it's full of stuff that sounds worrisome, but you have to understand what a bad report looks like in order to understand a good one. You have a good report. It's what a good one looks like. You have to remember that the doctor who wrote it wasn't writing it for you. They were writing it for other doctors, so you can't interprby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d I’m in nsr, partly I speculate from his skilled hands. LOL! Partly?by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
1. Millions of people have small atrial septal defects (ASD), including me. It's nothing to worry about and it won't reduce your life expectancy. 2. A slightly thickened aortic valve is another thing millions of people walk around with harmlessly, including 28 year olds. It's nothing to worry about. 3. Same thing again. (See where this is going? ) 4. No, it's not enby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I've taken it twice. The first time I found it ineffective. Basically, it did nothing. However, the second time was for a month following my ablation with Natale. Although I told him it had been completely ineffective before, he wanted me to take it anyway. And it turned out he was right. It was very effective at taming the ectopy and bouts of afib that often follow an ablation. I know thisby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteElizabeth Yes, they are checking the Creatinine and Bun--and I also have low platelets. They're checking your kidney function before prescribing an anticoagulant. Sounds like you've got good doctors.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Fortunately, your pacemaker will give you the facts no matter what you feel (or don't feel). You're very lucky to have gotten by for 20 years with nothing more than propafenone. Few of us go that long before afib turns ugly and exceeds the drug's ability to control it. Do you know what blood test they're doing? There isn't usually any sort of testing required for NOACsby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Anti-Fib is right. It's not that propafenone could cause a stroke directly but rather that it will put you back in normal rhythm, and that's when any clot that has formed in your left atrium would be pumped out. It's the same reason they won't cardiovert people who've been in afib for 48+ hours without doing a TEE first. As he pointed out, you'll probably convertby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
It does sound like it could be an allergic response so switching to something else is probably what your EP will advise. Unlikely that another NOAC would have the same effect but there's only one way to find out. You are correct that the NOACs are safer and more effective than warfarin so I would stick with them.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I've used topical Minoxidil for years. No problem with afib. It's not absorbed into system circulation enough to have any effect on your heart.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I think you mean Eliquis? The only person who can answer your question is the EP who's going to do the ablation, so by all means call them tomorrow.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I agree with wolfpack. Just do it. It won't hurt you. If it causes problems, back off and reassess what you need to do. You're probably deconditioned if you've avoided exercise for a while, so start off slow and build up to where you used to be. I had to do that in 2018 after almost a year of inactivity and it took longer than I expected. Still working on it.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The trouble with side effects is the FDA requires every single report of a side effect to be listed no matter how unlikely it is that it was actually caused by the drug. Abdominal aortic aneurism (AAA) is a good example. I really doubt that's caused by Imitrex. That's why every drug on earth lists things like nausea and headache as side effects. I like drugs.com for looking up drugs becby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotedartisskis That is all interesting since my velocity was 34cm/sec but Natale said i was OK because it was "contracting". I am not even sure in this case how to understand "must be > 45cm/sec" Quite often when the LAA is isolated it no longer contracts effectively, and that's why he has to measure flow velocity, E:A wave ratio, etc, but apparently your LAA is stiby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotekatesshadow Why is Afib given so little attention? Even if it's not going to kill you, it's considered serious, isn't it? Actually, in practice, no. Most doctors don't consider afib serious. They consider it a manageable disease that won't kill you as long as you take some fairly inexpensive meds (metoprolol + warfarin). You'll still be able to continue leadinby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
An ER doc wouldn't pay much attention to afib because it's not going to kill you. ER docs don't do follow-up care or often even give referrals. A regular cardiologist is also likely to pay little attention to afib, especially if it was just a single episode. If you have another episode, you need to find a electrophysiologist (EP). You probably should have been given an event monitoby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotekatesshadow It seems that a lot of people with Afib are prescribed flecainide, but I wasn't. What is the criteria for prescribing it? There are criteria for not taking it but taking it is mostly just a judgement call on the EP's part, and it's pretty common to try more than just one. There are only a handful of antiarrhythmic drugs to choose from. Some come with hefty sideby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The proarrhythmic effects are rare, but that's why your EP added the diltiazem. It's protective against the pro-arrhythmic effects, so you really don't need to worry about that if you go that route.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Giving the flecainide and diltiazem a try is reasonable. With such short episodes my bet would be it will be fairly effective for you. If it is effective and has minimal side effects for you, the question becomes how long do you stay on it? There are people out there who've been controlling their afib with flecainide for years and they're perfectly happy sticking with that. Anotherby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The A wave is the flow of blood from the left atrium into the left ventricle caused by the atrium contracting. If you've heard the term "atrial kick" that's what the A wave is. That's in contrast to the E wave, which is just the flow of blood that's passive and caused by gravity. If the A wave is reduced, that means the atrium isn't contracting effectively. Theby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Wow, that's quite a huge wall of text and information, Bookworm. There are at least a half-dozen questions that warrant their own threads so I don't even know where to begin. Could you maybe cut it down to one question at a time?by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN 1. LAA Emptying Velocity - the LAA emptying Velocity measured just inside the ostium (mouth) of the LAA must be >/= 40cm/sec Very useful post, George. Thanks. Since the time Shannon posted that info, Natale & Co. have upgraded their criterion to 45 cm/sec.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDaisy Question: once the Watchman flex is approved (March-ish?) and hopefully Medicare criteria for installation are eased, will Dr. Natale be doing ablations and Watchman installations in one procedure? I ask because I have not yet had an index ablation (I’m steady on flecainide so far) but when I do, it would be nice to have a Watchman installed at the same time unless there are contraindiby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I've been taking fish oil and Eliquis for years. It's no problem. And yes, you can and should have a flu shot. You don't need to ask them about that.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM