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QuoteDini The neuro said stroke after looking at the MRI. But that’s what I thought too, but neuro said there were 2 events a week apart. I wonder if I can get them to update my records? Also, switched to Xarelto and am curious if it’s as good as Eliquis. I’ve had Afib for a week now, never had it this long and am curious if the different blood thinner has anything to do with the prolonged Afibby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecornerbax I hear you and you are right, Diltiazem had a greater affect on my Heart Rate than did Sotalol. I'm curious, why did you stop Sotalol the first time? And why did you get back on Sotalol (how long after you stopped the 1st time) and stop again a 2nd time? It wasn't working for me so I stopped it to switch to Tikosyn. I had stopped it once before a year or so previousby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Cleveland Clinic is a good choice but don't just call their main line and ask for an EP. You'll get the next EP in rotation, and you'll have no idea what their experience level is until you meet them. Ask specifically for a consult with Dr. Santangeli. The continuing atrial rate for a few more months isn't a problem. All that matters now is that the ventricular rate staysby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Technically, that's a TIA, not a stroke. Same thing, actually, just that a TIA is short and doesn't leave lasting damage.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Well, I hope it does. But the treatment is pretty much the same for both until it's known for sure, so nothing to really worry about for now.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Your wife needs to find an EP. Really, it matters. A lot.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN If @Searching9's wife is on metoprolol 75 mg BID, she likely does have a slower rate and the fitbit may do better in this situation. Good point; I'm sure it does. And yes, you can easily feel afib with your fingers. I can pretty much diagnose it with nothing more than palpating a 15-second radial pulse. Irregularly irregular rhythm and varying beat intensity = afib. Nothiby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
That doesn't seem unreasonable. It will take at least half that time to even get you scheduled for an ablation with a top EP anyway if you get started working on it Monday morning.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecornerbax I'm just curious if you think I could experience those worse arrhythmias from stopping Sotalol cold turkey and what do you think it's Rate Control is worth? Anything? I've stopped it twice and did so cold turkey both times. No problems. Check with your EP but I don't think you have anything to worry about after only six months, but you can always taper off iby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
A lot of PACs might fool the Kardia's afib detection algorithms, but they don't affect its rate counting and that's the thing she's monitoring. They do fool every other sports-quality device I've ever used, but I admit I've never tried a Fitbit, and if you read my previous post you know I never will.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDini Do you know why one has to wait so long before an ablation after a stroke? Do you have any experience with statins? Probably because an ablation requires using heparin during the procedure, which is a potent anticoagulant. Even though an embolic stroke caused by a blood clot doesn't cause bleeding in the brain, it can weaken the artery it happened in so it's easier to rupturby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Is her cardiologist an EP? Every EP I've ever met can identify afib by simply glancing at a rhythm strip (so can I). There's rarely any need to look at R-R because it's just going to confirm what the strip says. Sorry, but I admit to being badly biased against Fitbits because my wife has had one for years and I think they're the biggest piece of overpriced crap ever made.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Believe the Kardia, not the Fitbit. Like almost all sports heart rate monitors, they do very poorly with the irregular rhythm of afib. And why calculate (probably inaccurate) R-R intervals when you have an FDA-approved device that accurately tells you what the rate is? Afib with a rate under 100 doesn't warrant a hospital visit. A rate over 100 but under, say, 150 warrants a prescriptionby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ah, the perils of anticoagulants "as needed." Afib can cause strokes even when you've been in normal rhythm for months. Now you know. Don't take cardiology advice from a neurologist. They are wrong. If you go to a highly experienced electrophysiologist (EP), you have about a 75-80% chance of success with a single ablation. If you need a "touch up" later, your oddsby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteSearching9 Lastly, I'm perplexed by the comment that MULTAQ is ineffective,. And I'm wondering if that assessment is given in the context of an Afib prevention tool or using MULTAQ to arrest an afib episode. If it is ineffective to prevent, what is the purpose of prescribing it to my wife for the past ten years (lots of $ spent for an ineffective drug?) I agree with almost everyby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecornerbax You are saying I should get an ECV and an ablation and not the mitral valve repair done first? No, what I said was go ahead and do the ECV. It probably won't work for long, but it's worth a shot since you're on sotalol already. If it does last, stick with the sotalol but otherwise dump it because it's doing nothing for you and it's a big hitter. It'sby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecornerbax Does any of this make more sense Carey? Yes, and you shouldn't have refused the cardioversion. I would go back to the EP and ask for it now since you're still on sotalol. Cardioversion is a safe, effective procedure that takes only minutes. And then, successful or not, I would contact one of the two EPs I recommended and ask to schedule an ablation with them. It willby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes, I know sotalol is a completely different class of antiarrhythmic, but it's still an antiarrhythmic and I can't see any reason why you're on one at all. I'm just erring on the side of caution and suggesting you run the idea of stopping it past your EP because I'm not entirely sure what the doctor had in mind by putting you on it in the first place. Seems kind of an odby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I believe most doctors have good intentions, they want to help people, and they don't push patients into unnecessary or inappropriate treatments for the money. But they do get judged by metrics being collected on them by hospitals, Medicare, etc. You might be surprised by how little of those huge bills you see actually ends up in the doc's pocket. And, frankly, most of them don't eby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
How long have you been on sotalol? If it's months, not years, you can just stop. It's a beta blocker, so if you've been on it for years your body has learned to compensate by over-producing adrenaline, so you should probably taper off or you'll be overwhelmed by the excess adrenaline. If your doctors concluded the type 1c antiarrhythmics were the cause and you stopped them,by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewindyshores Last time I came on I was chided for calling an ambulance. Now, for the two recent episodes, I did not call an ambulance. Now folks here want me on blood thinners. Well, the only way to even discuss that is to wait 6 weeks for an appointment- or..call an ambulance. I'm sorry if I came off as harsh. I don't think I chided you or at least I didn't intend to; I sby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The sotalol is unnecessary. If it's needed for rate control, your EP can just up the dose of diltiazem or substitute metoprolol. Sotalol is a pretty heavy hitter and I would get off it since it's not fulfilling its purpose, which is to prevent afib.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecornerbax if I did have Afib or Aflutter after, would an Ablation be compromised in ANY way to correct either Arrhythmia in the future? Nope.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
There's no harm in waiting as long as her resting heart rate remains under 100. Besides, good luck with insisting on a sooner date. Almost all medical specialists in every field are booked solid for months due to the 2-year COVID backlog. I would recommend relaxing and waiting. However, if she's persistent now I would question who the EP is who will do the procedure and how much expeby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteBobsBeat Can flutter resolve on its own (be paroxsysmal) if drugs do not convert a person? Yes, it can convert spontaneously on its own but it tends to be stubborn. It can also sometimes be converted with vagal maneuvers, large doses of potassium, and even with exercise.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecornerbax So you are totally indifferent on Whether to do the Maze while they are in there vs no Maze and an ablation Later? No, not at all. If a surgeon is going inside my chest, I want them to do everything surgical that needs doing. If I'm going to opt for the Maze, then do it with the valve surgery. Same with the LAA clipping. The ablation can wait for all that stuff because itby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The minute I hear someone say a heart rate of 150 I think flutter.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewindyshores I have been told 5 hours. Yeah, and it used to be 48 hours then it was 24 and now someone's telling you 5 hours. You know what? You don't have to be actively in afib at all to have a stroke. That's been a big mystery for EPs for a while: Why do people with afib have strokes even when they've been in NSR for months? No one knows the answer, but the answer sloby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDaisy Get her clipped! Yep, I agree. There's no reason to make two procedures out of what should be one surgical procedure. As long as they're going to be in there anyway, do it all at once. The ablation later won't require surgery.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d Can I get HF if my upper chambers are beating >200-400 (PM download) although my ventricles are paced at 60? It still sounds like wear and tear and enlargement. I don’t think a heart is meant to take such pounding. No. Heart failure is a ventricular problem, not atrial. Even if your atria are overworked and enlarged, that will not lead to HF.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM