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Okay then, you are in persistent afib. Next step is longstanding persistent (>1 year). I would definitely consult with Natale on this again and decide which way you want to go. You can attempt another ablation or you can accept permanent afib for life. Given your complexities, I really don't know what I would do in your circumstances.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I can't fathom your cardiologist's thinking. There is absolutely no reason to continue the Multaq if you're not going to attempt to stop the afib. Persistent afib + no intention of trying to stop it is what defines permanent afib. You saw what the Multaq product literature says about that. I would stop it immediately if I were you. It serves absolutely no purpose and presents a thrby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Sounds like cryo using RF instead of cold, so I would expect it will have the same drawbacks. Its only advantages will be it's faster, cheaper, and can be performed by a less skilled doctor.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Well, only hours apart pretty much kills my theory, but I'd definitely still believe the CT over the echo. No, waiting won't make the ablation any less likely to succeed, but if it becomes truly persistent (>1 week), then decision time is upon you. Natale already said you'll be a difficult case, so I wouldn't wait much longer after that.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotebettylou4488 the EP still "insists" there was something there. My congenital doc .. thinks it was an artifact. How far apart was the TEE and CT? Maybe they're both right. Imagine that what they saw on echo was the small remains of a clot that had already been mostly absorbed, and then by the time they did the CT it was completely absorbed. Pure speculation, obviously, but ifby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteElizabeth I checked the site www.mayoclinc.org and put the drug Xarelto in and they said that you can take aspirin with the drug. Yet everybody says not to do that. My EP told me not to take aspirin but if needed to take Tylenol. So who is right. They both are. You can take aspirin with Xarelto (or any of the anticoagulants), and sometimes it's warranted, but they have an additiveby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
That's very good news. The CT trumps the echo.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
There are several, but are you sure it's the flecainide? Flecainide is usually given along with metoprolol or diltiazem, both of which can cause fatigue, especially metoprolol. Are you also taking one of those drugs?by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteNealM Hi. I've read the main goal of ablation is to eliminate symptoms and improve QoL. The secondary goal is to acheive NSR and decrease the future risk of stroke, heart failure, etc. I'm 68 and drifting toward persistent afib with no symptoms and HR in 70s and 80s. I'm thinking about ablations to decrease risk of future stroke, heart failure, etc. But I'm afraid ofby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
From everything I know at this point, if I had an upcoming ablation and had the opportunity to join the trial, I would definitely hope to get randomized into the PFA group.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
A successful ablation will eliminate your high heart rate without the need for meds, but being persistent means it's going to involve more than repeating a simple PVI. And that means the EP has to be among a small handful in this country who routinely ablate persistent afib successfully. Without question it will reduce your heart rate back to normal.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
It's not 10% or anywhere near that, but it is surprising they would discharge you on 500 mcg of Tikosyn with a QT of 500. Do you have a particularly low resting heart rate? Lower heart rates have wider QTs.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I don't know where you got the idea that I don't think drugs.com is a reliable site and I don't know what prior posts of mine you're referring to. I use drugs.com all the time. In fact, it's my go-to site for drug research. But what you find there (or on any other drug site) can be misleading because it's been simplified for public consumption. This is a good exampleby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The point of the Lovenox is it's short acting. So instead of having to stop it for days to let it clear from your system, you'll only have to stop it for a few hours.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Susan, I don't know where you got the 10% figure but that cannot be correct. No drug with a 10% chance of death would ever obtain FDA approval unless it was a life-saving drug of last resort with no alternatives available, and that certainly doesn't describe Tikosyn.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
You have to find out what the surgeon wants. They'll most likely want you to stop the Eliquis for a few days beforehand. You need to explain that you can't stop it for even a single day without a bridging protocol, which Natale's office will provide him with. Don't be surprised if he's resistant to this idea because outside of the EP world doctors simply don't know aby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I doubt the HCTZ will have an side effects for you at all except making you pee more. It's pretty benign.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotebettylou4488 Yea that is why I don't get. Does it really get them a better picture?!?!? Not at all! All it does is numb your throat to stop your gag reflex, and I don't see the point of that if you're unconscious, which does the same thing.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d Carey- which is safer? Tikosyn or Sotolol? I'd say they're roughly comparable, but since Dini experiences fatigue with metoprolol, she'll probably experience the same with sotalol since they're both beta blockers. If I were her I wouldn't bother trying sotalol.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Multaq (dronedarone) is worth trying first. It has very few, if any, side effects for most people, doesn't usually cause fatigue, and doesn't have to be started in the hospital. Its only downside is it's fairly mild and it might not prevent your afib. But it's at least worth trying. If it doesn't work for you, you can step up to Tikosyn (dofetilide, mentioned by Bettylouby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ooooh, okay. That's very different and I owe some hospital an apology for calling them barbaric. I've never had the lidocaine. Don't see the need during the procedure since I'm unconscious anyway, and I've never come away from one with a sore throat.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
[email protected] Finally, I have obviously set my self up incorrectly on this site - how do I change it to avoid spam? Check your email. I'll fix it for you but I want to make sure I can communicate your new user name to you before I do.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotebettylou4488 I have had TEEs at two hospitals. My preferred hosptial uses lidocaine gargle. The other does nothing. I mean it is disgusting and quite frankly a bit scary!! How can there be such a difference. Nothing?! So how do they avoid triggering your gag reflex and making you vomit? That's downright barbaric and potentially dangerous, and the lidocaine gargle isn't much bby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Did they tell you where the clot is? Since they're so unconcerned and they were willing to cardiovert you, I'm guessing it's on the right side and it's fairly small.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
The decision on what to do after the 6 month period isn't a simple one. The easiest answer and the one often used in Europe is... do nothing. There isn't good evidence that a Watchman needs anything at all after the initial 6-month period. In almost all cases, your body grows tissue over the device, completely sealing it away from the blood flow, so it's impossible for it to causeby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I had highly symptomatic paroxysmal afib with extremely high heart rates (>180 bpm) from 2002 to 2017, dealt with 3 different EPs, tried almost every antiarrhythmic drug there is, and not once did any of those doctors so much as mention amiodarone. I mentioned it once to one of the doctors and he just shook his head and said, "I would never put you on amiodarone." My opinion: A reby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteFaith v. Can you suggest reading material which can in layman’s terms explain all the different radiation types and which amounts are dangerous? I don't have any good references offhand, but what's known as "ionizing radiation" is the only type that's dangerous. Like most things, dosage is the difference between safe and dangerous, and none of the dosages you'by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesmackman Can I ask what Part D plan you are looking at for 2022? Aetna formerly Silverscripts increased their deductible to $480 and only pay 17% of the cost of Eliquis. If you buy Eliquis 4 times a year, you will hit the donut hole. There is not a Part D plan available in Louisiana that does not have a $480 deductible for Tier 3 drugs and above like Eliquis. The difference between whatby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteElizabeth Is that 40.00 monthly for 12 months, does your plan reach a period called the donut hole and then your price for your drug increase for about 3 months. I am checking plans now so that my price remains the same for the whole year. These supplemental plans usually don't want to talk when they know a person has AF, that may not apply to you as you are no longer in AF. I pay thby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotePoppino As far as still taking eliquis after a Watchman i dont quite get unless its not sealed 100% ? Or some choose it over daily aspirin use Or a person might have another risk factor If you receive a Watchman, you'll find out that the FDA-approved protocol is daily aspirin for life, regardless of how well your device is sealed. Not all EPs agree that's necessary or even helpby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM