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Good news, Roy! You can probably look forward to some slow improvement for a while. Not sure how long it lasts but most people notice that it becomes more effective over time.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteLouise I wasn’t told by my doctor that the reason for aspirin was to keep platelets from sticking to the Watchman device. I thought aspirin was just a “mild blood thinner.” It’s only reading the various posts here that I’m wary of aspirin and internal bleeding (which is why I had the Watchman in the first place — because I feared internal bleeding from anticoagulants.). Also, I will be 70 iby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteLouise When you say there is no way to know if the Watchman is endothelialized, isn’t that what the follow up TEE is for? You say once that happens you won’t need the aspirin anymore. So the TEE will not show if it has happened? This is one of the conflicting things I don’t understand. Unfortunately, no, a TEE can't detect if the device has been fully endothelialized. The TEE is toby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteLouise If anti-platelets are effective for 5-7 days, why take them every day? There is absolutely nothing to reverse this should you have a bleeding injury. Because your body is making new platelets all day, every day, so it's a continuous process. Taking it daily is how you maintain a steady state. If you did otherwise, you'd be doing a roller coaster up and down. Naturalby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I've had one since 2014 and replaced it once because I left it in a pants a pocket that went through the wash. Can't expect any electronic device to survive that. Sorry you've had quality problems but that doesn't fit my experience. It spent years in my wallet being sat on and getting dropped and banged around without problem. It is sensitive to powerful electrical fields, esby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
My crystal ball is in the shop so I can't tell you for sure, but I wouldn't be concerned. I doubt it's going to lead to renewed afib. You had a Natale ablation, after all.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
That's a question for the oral surgeon. The answer will probably be 5 days or "don't bother."by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
With the FLX it's still there, but as you mentioned it's recessed so it's not sticking out in the blood flow and it should be easier for endolialization to grow over it. We won't know until the trials are complete and the data published, but it's hoped that will reduce the incidence of device related clots.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quoteln108 Thanks, Cary. This is very helpful.I find myself wondering if there's a significant difference between an anti-platelet agent and an anticoagulant, or at least how they act differently, in terms of preventing platelets clinging to devices and forming device related thrombi/clots. Anti-platelet drugs like aspirin and Plavix render platelets inactive. Basically, it kills them andby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteLouise I really wasn’t aware that the Watchman had any metal on it. Isn’t the purpose of the follow-up TEE to ensure my own tissue has grown over it? Are you saying that sometime, even a few years from now it could “break through?” This procedure isn’t doing anything for my AFIB or heart rate — the absolute only reason I had it done was to go off blood thinners. I’m sure Dr. Doshi will tby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteElizabeth Why are you on Eliqus, I thought the purpose of having the Watchman would be that an anticoagulant would no longer be needed? See my answer to smackman. At this point I could stop the Eliquis and take nothing at all. Natale agrees that's a very low risk decision and I'm free to make it. However, out of an abundance of caution I'm continuing it at least until Auguby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesmackman No gambling here but I was under the impression that aspirin and Eliquis serve 2 different purposes so how can Eliquis replace aspirin for a stent? Aspirin is used as a anti platelet whereas Eliquis is a anticoagulant right? Right. Aspirin is better at preventing platelets from sticking to foreign objects, but if they do begin to stick, Eliquis will prevent it from enlarging and fby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yeah, I get it that there's a cost issue, but your problem seems to mainly be the stomach issues caused by aspirin. Bottom line is it's your decision. Your stent is probably endothelialized and you don't need aspirin or Eliquis, but you don't have any way of knowing if that's true, so it's a gamble. I don't think there are any firm answers.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesmackman Many on here would question that answer. I have been ask why I am still required to take a baby aspirin because the stent should be endothelialized by now as you stated above in your other comments. I just do what I am told by my Cardiologist and EP. Aspirin does affect my stomach liner I was just repeating what the official guidelines say. It's the same for devices like theby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesmackman Dr. Natale was definitely for a aspirin regemin with the Stent I had at that time. Aspirin is still recommended for people with stents because it's a metal object in contact with blood flow, and platelets tend to stick to metal objects, so an anti-platelet drug like aspirin will prevent that.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteElizabeth Well this is what Dr. Oz says about Aspirin, Dr. Natalie doesn't seem to have too much of a problem with aspirin. Dr. Natale does not agree with the standard recommendations. I know because I follow his advice. As for Dr. Oz, he's a ridiculous TV character and no one should pay attention to him.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Louise and smackman, A stent and a Watchman are metal objects in direct contact with blood flow. Platelets tend to adhere to metal objects and form clots. That's why the aspirin and Plavix. What should happen is both will become endothelialized, or covered with your own tissue, after a period of time (about 6 weeks for Watchman, not sure about stents but probably similar). Once that happeby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Not to mince words but Plavix and aspirin are anti-platelet drugs while Eliquis, Xarelto, etc. are anticoagulants. The important thing to know about the anti-platelet drugs is they render platelets inactive permanently. It takes your body 5-7 days to replace them with new platelets and there is no reversal agent. If you were to experience a serious bleed while on them, the only way to restoreby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteElizabeth Oh, they are concerned about bleeding, yet blood thinners are prescribed without a thought as to bleeding. That's just not true. Also, aspirin has a higher bleed risk than anticoagulants. It's not a benign drug.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I think you're an excellent candidate for an ablation since you're not tolerating the meds well and your afib burden is pretty hefty. I really can't think of a good reason to delay such a choice. A successful ablation will eliminate the antiarrhythmics and beta blockers from your life, and possibly the anticoagulant as well (that will depend mostly on your CHADS-Vasc score). It usby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sotalol plus flecainide is definitely a new one for me when it comes to afib. Searching the literature I find some some instances of it being used for ventricular arrhythmias, but those are a whole different story. Do you have complications beyond afib?by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Your stroke risk extends beyond the period when you're in active afib. In fact, the point of highest danger is the period after afib has converted back to NSR. Although your risk is pretty low being a CHADS 1, it's still higher than someone who doesn't have afib. The trouble is you have no way of knowing how effective your plan is, nor how it might interact with the Eliquis. All inby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Your elevated heart rate is perfectly normal. Everyone experiences that following an ablation and it can last a surprisingly long time. It typically takes upwards of a year to return to its previous level. As you suspect, gastroparesis is the likely cause of your GI problems. It's an uncommon complication of ablation caused by vagal nerve injury. The good news is according to this it rareby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Louise, LAA isolation just means that an EP ablated the area surrounding your LAA. A Watchman is a physical device that gets implanted into your heart. It's a thing they insert into your LAA to plug it. Does that help clarify?by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Roy, Overall, that sounds like a pretty positive start. I spent some time on Tikosyn and what others told me who'd been on it before turned out to be true. The longer you take it, the more effective it becomes. I wasn't on it long enough to know how long that improvement continues, but over the course of 3-4 months I definitely noticed a steady improvement each month. It was a preby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Oh, I agree. I don't think anyone who's never had highly symptomatic afib or flutter really understands how miserable it can be. The "just live with it" mentality we see so often proves that.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The one thing I think you can be sure of is if Natale says he fixed it, it's fixed. :-)by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotePompon @ Carey : I never experienced afib or flutter above 180bpm or so... How did you feel when having your very high rate flutter episodes ? I felt like crap, but I tolerated it remarkably well. The first time it occurred I just happened to be in my EP's office for a followup visit. It started when I was sitting in the waiting room. I knew I had a very fast pulse but I had no idea hby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotekbog Is it safe to say that whatever the left atrial activation sites are in this case, without them, the flutter could not occur? That's an interesting question and I'm not sure anyone can answer with certainty. Afib definitely isn't a prerequisite. You can experience flutter entirely by itself without any afib activating it. Atrial flutter is a single signal going round anby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteZb3 I don’t drink, never smoked (not even a puff), eat well and do resistance training 5 days a week. Not overweight etc. That's the right course to take, but I would suggest avoiding lifting heavy. Heavy weight training probably puts more strain on the atria than almost any other sport.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM