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Hi Madeline, You told us all about your thyroid, meds, and so forth, but not about your afib. Are you in afib all the time (persistent) or does it come and go (paroxysmal)? If it's paroxysmal, how often do the episodes occur? How long do they last? The answers to those questions will make a huge difference in whether beta blockers and anticoagulants are really necessary.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteShiny Sleeves ER doc said "If we take you off the IV, your heart rate will go back up again." So if I'm in afib and I'm overreacting to it, then why would it matter if my HR went up if afib is relatively harmless? We're talking an HR of 144 and I'm 61. It matters because the higher the heart rate, the worse the symptoms. It's for your comfort, not your sby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I believe he does still practice in San Francisco area but there have been some changes recently that I haven't paid attention to, so calling his office in Austin and asking would be the best option. Ditto with your second question. His office can tell you that. Oh yes, he definitely has a waiting list and it's months long. The last person I know of who scheduled with him had aboutby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I wish I had the time to post about this more because I think it's important, but suffice it to say I agree 100% with your cardiologist. He or she is absolutely right, and so is wolfpack when he said, "ERs are a terrible place to treat AF." Hint: Cardizem doesn't stop your afib. It stops on its own. It would have stopped at the same time if you had stayed home, relaxed, andby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJoyWin Sorry, but when my HR is at 190-200 bpm and chaotic, stopping and starting...my greatest feat is sudden cardiac arrest. The ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 trial showed a link between AF and sudden cardiac death. I'm sorry, but the study you cited had nothing to do with AF and sudden cardiac arrest. It was a comparison between edoxaban (Savaysa) and warfarin. Maybe you had some other studyby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN Carotid massage, too. Again be careful not to shut off circulation. If you don't know with certainty that your carotids are free of plaques, this is a bad idea. You can cause a plaque to break off, which will cause a stroke. Can also cause you to faint.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
You've had two ablations according to your previous post and you're still not afib-free, which means you've become a complex case. If you're going to consider a third ablation, you should only consider having it done by an elite EP. There is a gentleman in Austin Texas by the name of Natale who can solve your problem once and for all. If I were you, I would be on the phone toby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Oh, okay, I didn't know (or forgot) about the MVP. The premedication makes sense. QuoteSueChef Do dentists even use the silver amalgam for fillings anymore--without the mercury component perhaps? If mine is breaking down in one tooth, it seems proactive to address it before it goes further. Yeah, some dentists still use amalgam fillings or at least offer them. I would definitely go witby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Why do you premedicate for routine dental work? Current guidelines recommend that for very few patients. Remember, antibiotics aren't harmless. Amalgam fillings are the silver stuff. The white composite filling material is what's generally used now, and although it's said not to last as long as amalgam fillings, I have several that are now decades old. I wouldn't let thatby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotebaraba "I have hesitated to post my last comment, for fear of scaring members, but as this subject has come up, I'm going to, then I'll duck! I was watching a documentary programe 'Inside the Ambulance' when the crew were called to a man in a state of semi-collapse. It turned out he had recently had an episode of AF and was still feeling ill though now in NSR. One ofby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
If there's a good word to be said for Kaiser, I haven't heard it yet.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotemwcf A couple of things concerning me.... 1. Bordeaux tell me I need to stop Flecainide 5 day’s pre-ablation. I’ve been on the stuff for 10 years and stopping it for 5 days is especially scary giving I’ll be travelling to Bordeaux on my own from the U.K.! I appreciate that they need to be able to readily trigger AF/AFL or whatever, but 5 days? Is this usual? Yes, that's completelyby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteElizabeth Arrhythmias can produce a broad range of symptoms, from barely perceptible to cardiovascular collapse and death. Atrial arrhythmias do not cause cardiovascular collapse or death.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotebaraba Are you really so strongly addicted to the exercise, that you do not care about how your heart performs its task? You might want to keep in mind that regular exercise improves heart health and that applies to people with afib just as much as it does to everyone else. QuoteMaybe all of you, with permanent AF and still exercising, should keep in mind that the very next level of aby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I'll be shocked and amazed if Shannon has numbers like that for the Bordeaux group, but I think it's safe to say that only a small percentage of patients at elite centers like Bordeaux and TCAI need second procedures.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I agree with safib that a more sensitive test doesn't make sense. If you're really concerned, ask your EP if he will repeat the CRP in a couple of weeks. Most likely the numbers will have come down by then because the inflammation that caused the high numbers has diminished. I think you underestimate how much a minor inflammatory source can affect CRP and you're overestimating theby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotelds001 So bottom line......would it be fair to say ........that with a Chad score of 2 ( 70 y/o and female), with two AFib episodes in one year, ....that starting Eliquis is a judgement call? Yes.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
If I could afford it, I wouldn't hesitate one second. I'd be on the next train to Bordeaux. But Professor Schilling sounds like a reasonable choice and obviously is financially attractive. If you go with him, it's possible you could need a second "touch up" procedure because that's a possibility with any operator. If that happens, and the second procedure isn'by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewineandroses 1. The term "LAA isolation" refers to the electrical burns done during a catheter ablation around the PV? And "LAA occlusion" refers to a device (Watchman, Lariat) to completely close the LAA? Is my understanding correct? 2. Even if he has a successful ablation and has a ChadsVasc score of 2 (once he is age 75) he would still need to be on NOAC for life? Aby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecmleidi I wake up and I feel my mind racing and I'm out of sorts. I check my heart rate, and it's usually over 105. A heart rate of 105 could be perfectly normal if you're feeling anxious. You need to either get your doctor to prescribe a monitor or buy a Kardia device yourself. You can't diagnose afib based on a modestly elevated heart rate.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotetvanslooten Are you sure about that? Wouldn't vigorous exercise cause the heart to "work more", coupled with a troubled heart in afib wouldn't that make things worse? As with all exercise, just pace yourself with what feels right for you. Grampy says he feels fine doing the level of exercise he's doing, which means his heart is compensating adequately. So it doesby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I believe CRP ranges are standardized. Have you had a recent illness or injury? Something like the flu perhaps? Any type of infection or trauma can shoot your CRP levels very high.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
That's perfectly fine. There's absolutely no reason to limit exercise because you have afib so keep it up. :-)by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotelibby I have six weeks to go. What scares me the most is your depiction of having pain with breathing and also the possibility of pericardial effusion/tamponade. I can't wait until it's over! Six ablations and I've never experienced any significant pain at all. The most I've ever experienced was a mild, dull ache that went away within 24 hours. On a scale of 1 to 10, I&by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteSueChef was also told Kaiser gets a 70-75% success rate. That percentage doesn't float my boat at all. It shouldn't float your boat, and you should ask how they define "success." It's common for some centers to consider ablations successful even if antiarrhythmic drugs are required to maintain normal sinus rhythm. Clearly, if you need AADs to remain in NSR then yby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I doubt it makes a bit of difference whether you see Natale in one place vs. another.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotekong2018 Thanks Carey. Would ablation stop the afib progression? No, ablation can't stop the progression of the disease, which is how it's increasingly being viewed -- as a disease. The term "atrial myopathy" is being used and the whole notion of "lone afib" is being discarded. That said, a successful ablation will stop afib from happening because it creatby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotelds001 Here is what I understand my EP said about AFIB. Once you are diagnosed with AFIB....you are at a greater risk for stroke....you don’t have to be IN afib to have a blood clot/stroke...I think he said once you have had AFib.....the lining in your upper heart has changed forever....and that is what creates the stroke risk...or the risk of blood clots.....so 2 episodes or 20....I amby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM