![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
If you're going to switch to using a PIP, you're going to have to get used to the idea of being in afib and just living with it for a while. That might happen in the next couple of weeks, so just be mentally prepared for it. Did your EP give you metoprolol or another beta blocker to slow the rate down if you do go into afib? If not, you might want to call back and ask for something to hby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Traveling during the Thanksgiving rush is going to suck no matter how you do it, but I would still fly. The air on an airplane is safer than the air in your local grocery store because it's HEPA filtered on almost all modern aircraft, and all airlines are requiring masks. And you'll only be in airports and on planes for a few hours, and both are requiring masks. Compare that to dby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I don't think driving will reduce COVID exposure. I think it will increase it unless you go to extreme measures such as renting an RV and preparing all your own food en route so you can avoid both hotels and restaurants. But renting an RV on short notice probably won't be possible, so if you're going to consider that approach you'd better get working on it now. And it's gby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
George's answer is exactly correct, but the answer seems a bit more complex than needed for this question because it's aimed at mathematicians. From the same site, try the answer to this question I asked several years ago. The question is what are the odds of a building being flooded once in 50 years, but it's the same math question as asking what are the odds of having one strokeby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotecolindo Why does the risk of stroke go up every year by 3%? It doesn't go up. Every year it's 3% as long as your CHADS score doesn't change. But remember that the 3% risk is PER YEAR. If you buy one lotto ticket with a 3% chance of winning, that's obviously a 3% chance of winning. But what if you buy 9 more tickets? Each one of them has a 3% chance of being a winnerby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I don't think it matters much if your pulse is variable. Why are you focusing on that? If you have afib it's going to be variable.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
There are actually good reasons for using GA during an ablation. The anesthesiologist isn't just a passive bystander during the procedure. A good EP will at times want to control the movements your breathing causes, and that can't be done under CS. But the anesthesiologist can do it under GA. GA is also safer, particularly in the (unlikely) event of a major complication during the proceby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d Carey- what is a good Arrhythmia drug for STV? Sotolol or multaq? Metropol dropped my BP to 72/44 and I can’t take adenosine. The one that works best for you with the fewest side effects. Really, that's the only answer. Multaq is very "mild" and works for some, but not many. Sotalol is more potent but also a beta blocker, so if metoprolol doesn't suit you weby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
You were already experiencing afib, so the vaccine is ruled out as a cause of that. The v-tach and bradycardia following the vaccine is one of those "who knows?" things. Might have been related, might not. Probably no way to know, but it doesn't really matter now. It's really, really unlikely that COVID or the vaccine had anything to do with your afib. Whether to do an ablaby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotePoppino I may get the chance to come off later ? Watchman? Etc You've got about a 40% chance of being able to come off without doing anything.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
What you're experiencing is perfectly normal and to be expected. Your sister just got lucky. The PACs could continue for quite some time, or they could taper off and stop within days or weeks. Impossible to predict. They're more of a mental nuisance than anything to be concerned about. If they get too bothersome, talk to your EP about something to calm them down. For example, she couldby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
There is no antiarrhythmic drug that's "best." They all have their pluses and minuses and need to be tailored to the individual. But I would strongly recommend that you avoid amiodarone for anything other than short-term use until you get a second or third opinion from EPs. You have a leaky mitral valve, so you do have a plumbing problem. Keep both cardiologists. Your current guby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotekathleen1986 I have been reluctant to take eliquis because I've heard so many horror stories about it. Is it true that you can't get off it once you start? I would love to hear peoples' experiences with blood thinners. The horror stories you've heard are mostly in people's imaginations, and it's totally untrue that once you start you can't get off. I'by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
RVR stands for rapid ventricular rate, so all it means is your afib comes with a fast heart beat. That's extremely common and there's nothing particularly bad about it. It just means you're probably more symptomatic than someone without RVR. It also means you need to take rate control drugs such as atenolol and diltiazem. The immediate treatment is keeping that rapid heart rateby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteMuntz which Metoprolol are we discussing here... Succinate ER or Tartrate? Doesn't really matter. ER is just an extended release version of tartrate. Same drug just in an extended release form.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Good decision and glad it worked out! If afib creeps back into the picture, there are other drugs your doctor can choose from. I would avoid the amio forever.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewalt Have had a TIA and have a couple leaky valves. So, I’m thinking that may put me outside the box. I'm afraid it might. Way above my pay grade to say yes or no, but a prior TIA and valve issues make coming off an anticoagulant difficult. Keep in mind that you can take NSAIDs while on an anticoagulant, just not for prolonged periods. The general advice I've heard is one weekby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pompon, sure, but coughing and wheezing two weeks out? The only time I would expect symptoms like that would be if there had been a significant complication.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJoyWin I wondered if I could take it as a PIP. I actually did that for over a year, but I was a CHADS 1 at the time. My EP only reluctantly agreed to it, and insisted that I take the PIP immediately when an episode begins and continue taking it for several days afterwards. I doubt you'll convince your EP agree to that.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotejasams Metoprolol is a class 2 antiarrhythmic. That's how it's classified, but about the only arrhythmia it affects is tachycardia and it does that by slowing your hear rate. It doesn't prevent or stop afib. The only beta blocker that does is sotalol. However, simply slowing the heart rate can help some people convert to a normal rhythm on their own.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
It's the amiodarone, not the ablation. What you describe is not at all how people feel after an ablation, especially not two weeks out. With the cough, wheezing and exhaustion, I would stop the drug immediately if I were you. There are safer alternatives.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Pacerone is the brand name for amiodarone. Yes, amio will almost certainly prevent your afib, but it's the heaviest hitting drug of all and comes with a list of serious side effects. It should be the drug of last choice, not first choice. I don't know of any EPs in Wisconsin specifically, but you're not far from Mayo. But if you're going to travel, why not travel to Utah toby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Not too far afield but I don't know what in my response makes you think it would likely never happen for you, so I can't respond to that.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJoyWin Carey, , CHADS Vasc score is 3 (age over 75 and female) although I did have an unprovoked PE 3 years ago. I'm sorry, but your CHADS-Vasc score is 5, not 3. That's because of your prior PE. A PE qualifies as "Stroke/TIA/thromboembolism history" so that adds another 2 points. And unlike the point for being female, those points count kind of big time. The pointby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d why would Afib-com publish it then? It's not a YouTube source. No, but it's only one guy's opinions. It may not be a youtube source but it's also not a peer reviewed journal. It's just his personal web site where he gets to write whatever he wants, and I disagree with pretty much everything he wrote in that article. As I said, I think it was lazy and poorlby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewalt Having a Watchman doesn’t necessarily guarantee coming off a blood thinner or does it?? No, it does not. There are many reasons why it might not but they're all patient-specific. For example, if you have a high CHADS-Vasc score, your risk of clots from other sources may be too high for you to stop. Or maybe you have valve issues, or peripheral vascular disease so you'reby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d Losing the LAA May Worsen Blood Pressure The LAA also has a high concentration of Atrial Natriuretic Factor (ANF) granules which help to reduce blood pressure.6 Some preliminary research indicates that when the LAA is closed or cut off, the Right Atrial Appendage produces more ANF to compensate for the lost of the LAA. That article is decidedly negative and not really accurate. Itby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Tough problem you've got there, but I think you're in good hands with Ellis. Doing a Lariat or AtriClip along with a touch-up ablation makes sense, but keep in mind it's surgery, so it's going to be much longer recovery than just an ablation.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteThe Anti-Fib The drawback to the Ablation, would be that you do things that actually make the anatomical situation worse, like maintaining poor posture, and are not aware of it, as the nerves are dulled. That's a good point. Do you think some sort of training could overcome that? I've always been a terrible sloucher in chairs, especially if they can be tilted back. A few years agby Carey - GENERAL HEALTH FORUM