Quotehacksman Isuprel test at up to 10mcg for 10 minutes showed evidence of reconnection with the pulmonary veins so those areas were re-isolated by RF. The report ends that phase with the line; “no arrhythmias were induced”. Does that mean I was never in afib/flutter during the entire procedure? Well, that one sentence is only referring to the testing after they re-isolated your PVs, so iby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I'm unaware of any top tier EPs in the Atlanta area or southeast, but Chris Ellis at Vanderbilt in Nashville would be a good choice. But frankly, if I were going to travel to Nashville, I'd just keep going to Austin. It's just a few extra hours of flight time, and trust me, that's an irrelevant factor when choosing an EP to do an ablation. But may I ask why you want an ablby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Those reversal agents for the DOACs are virtually never used. Unlike warfarin, which has a half-life measured in days, the DOACs have half-lives measured in hours, so there's really no need for reversal agents even in most serious trauma cases. They can just let the drug wear off, and if it needs to be done more quickly, they can infuse fresh frozen plasma to give you increased clotting factby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Taking NSAIDs with Eliquis for short periods of time isn't a problem. The way you're using it would be no problem.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteNelson So - does Bispro help keep SR with a low resting HR? It definitely lowers your HR, but whether it actually helps keep you in NSR is debatable. The current medical doctrine is "might help, can't hurt" so most cardiologists will prescribe it, but I'm skeptical that it prevents afib except in a very small percentage of patients. Those patients it does work for are pby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteSunshine13 I also have other health issues that require for me to take naproxen every once in awhile, which I was told not to use it unless it was absolutely necessary. Can you define "every once in a while?" How often, how much, and for how long?by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotehikerjim Ok. Thanks. Ill try to get ahold of Dr. Natalie to see if there doing it in California. Just so you know when you call, it's spelled Natale and it's not pronounced like the female name Natalie. It's pronounced Na-TA-Lay.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
That's what I thought, but actually it has been approved by the FDA. But I would imagine that the only EPs with experience using PFA at this point are the EPs who participated in the trials.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d Herbs are still meds and some interact. Bingo.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
As much as I would like this to be the definitive site for checking drug interactions, it isn't and never will be. That's much too complex a problem for us to deal with. Maybe if someone hands us a $10 million grant, we can think about it. Where you need to be checking is a reputable drug interactions checker like this one. There are others, but this is the one I'm most familiaby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeocappy I read an article (or maybe an ad) commenting on the negatives of using artificial flavoring in water. It was promoting Goodonya hydration packets. They are $35 for 20 packets (1packet for 16oz water). Oh, I'm shocked that they're telling you how horrible flavor packets are while trying to sell you flavor packets for $1.75 each. Why do you need "hydration packets&quby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDmi Carey, I hope you’re doing well after your procedure done by Natale in 2017. Thank you, I am. I've been consistently in NSR ever since. He accomplished in 2 hours 20 minutes what 3 other EPs with excellent credentials and experience had failed to accomplish in 7 years with 5 tries. I was skeptical at first just like you. I felt that any EP with decent training and experience shoulby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Just ask him. It's a perfectly valid question and he should be able to give you at least a good estimate.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Your conclusion that it's time to step up your game to somebody like Natale or Santangeli is correct. Perhaps you already read my story and my advice on multiple ablations because you came to the conclusion I recommended. You're on the same track I was on but you have the advantage of being earlier in the course. You're a complex case now beyond the abilities of most EPs, and definby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeocappy I hate water and can sometimes go a whole day without drinking it except when taking medicines. I've never heard anyone say they hate water, but if coffee is the only water you drink all day I'd say you're chronically dehydrated every day of your life. Okay, so if you need it flavored try flavored seltzers. Tasty with no added sugar, salt, etc.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The cardioversion is done externally. No, you cannot stop the anticoagulant after the implant. The protocol is anticoagulant PLUS aspirin or clopidogrel for 6 weeks. At 6 weeks they'll do a TEE to verify that the Watchman is properly seated and leak free. If it is leak free, the FDA protocol is to stop the anticoagulant and remain on aspirin for life, but Natale prefers 1/2 dose Eliquisby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Coffee is a diuretic so I'd count the coffee as zero fluid intake. You're taking Ozempic so presumably you have type II diabetes. Sounds like a good combination for chronic dehydration, which is the strongest afib trigger I know of, and I think that applies to everyone. I don't know if it's behind this episode you had, but it sure is an easy thing to fix.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d I tried a msg self trial/experiment back in 2004. I consumed food containing msg at 6pm nine times during a two week trial. Each time I got Afib afterwards. So it's either food at 6pm or MSG but we don't know which.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Wow, weird. This doesn't sound like anything cardiac related to afib or flutter unless you were very dehydrated. How much liquid did you drink that day from the time you got up in the morning until you began doing yardwork? And how hot was it?by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteKen Every afib episode that has ever happened worldwide could be correlated to something that was occurring at that time. That means that there could be millions of triggers or millions of coincidences. I will take the coincidences. Bingo. I tested many things I thought were triggers, and every single one of them failed to prove itself except two: dehydration and low potassium. And thby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I've had numerous TEEs and ablations, and I've only experienced it once so I don't think you're doomed to experience it again. I would tell the anesthesiologist about it beforehand and how much you didn't like it. That will put it in their consciousness so maybe they'll be more attentive to stopping it in time.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Exercise during afib is perfectly fine. Just limit to what you feel up to.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteNelson The cardiologist stated that he wouldn’t intervene as I was symptom free and if he returned me to sinus rhythm via cardioversion or ablation, I would not stay in sinus rhythm and revert to AFib. My Blood pressure was around 110 / 75 but could drop to 72 / 53 at times after the drugs started. After starting tablets I then got symptoms of dizziness / fatigue. I agree with Georgeby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The Kardia is more accurate. The rhythm you describe is not irregularly irregular. There's a reason Kardia got full FDA approval regardless of heart rate and Apple Watch didn't.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotegloaming Had I been encouraged to comment, I would have responded to one of the very last questions, about pain post-procedure, that there can be some esophageal pain due to the TEE. At least, in my case, I couldn't swallow at all for about 20 minutes after I came to. My throat wasn't damaged, but the tissue had dried out to the extent that I had a liner of cardboard in there.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotebneedell Carey, This is new, and requires that you update your phone and watch software to the latest versions, and apparently has FDA clearance Barbara Okay, they cleared the previous diagnosis hurdle, which is good, but can they reliably detect afib above 120 bpm? The link you provided doesn't say.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The biggest Apple Watch limitation of all: It doesn't reliably detect afib above 120 bpm and it's not FDA approved to do so, which renders it nearly useless for many/most afibbers. https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/skeptical-cardiologist/85148by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesalgeria It's my Cardiologist in FL that's discussing ablation. Won't proceed until I'm convinced it's the right move for me. The first questions you need to ask them is how many afib ablations they've done in their career, and how many they've done the past year. The answers you want to hear are thousands career total, and dozens for the year. Don'tby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
What medications is he taking? Has he been prescribed a rate control drug such as metoprolol or diltiazem? If not, then he needs to contact the EP who will doing the ablation and ask about that. He shouldn't allow his heart rate to remain above 100 for prolonged periods. Also, is he taking an anticoagulant? If not, he needs to get on the phone even sooner. There's no harm in walby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Your doc is right that all they all work more or less the same way even if they use different chemical pathways. However, Pradaxa is known to have a higher bleed risk than Eliquis and Xarelto, especially in older people. Bleeding spontaneously is actually a pretty common event, especially in the GI tract. Small leaks develop but then your body clots them off and they stop. In most cases they dby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM