![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Clots don't dissolve in 4-5 days unless perhaps they gave you a thrombolytic ("clot busting drugs"), but that's unlikely. So I don't know what to think of the two disagreeing doctors. I guess to be on the safe side you should assume doctor #1 was right. A DVT is pretty obvious on ultrasound so it's hard to imagine he didn't see what he said he did.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Actually, I doubt we'll hear hospital food complaints. St. Davids has the best food I've had in any hospital ever. I recommend the salmon.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
History of a thromboembolism counts for 2 points and a DVT is a thromboembolism.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJackC Don't kill me, but just kinda did it on my on. My prescription initially called for 100 mg twice a day. I did that for only a couple of weeks, as I was feeling very tired/week... so I decided to try a 50 mg dose in the morning and continue with the 100 mg dose at night. Anyway, I still didn't feel the way I wanted or expected, so I eliminated the morning dose altogether. Thatby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJackC I'm taking a white elliptical/oval tablet with imprint ANI on one side and 381/100 on the other. They look to be easily "splitable" with a provided center-line indentation. Not being a capsule, I would assume I have the quick-release type... Extended release drugs are often pills rather than capsules, but since the tablet is scored that definitely means it can be splitby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
It's the potassium in the potato. I completely controlled my flutter for two years using potassium largely using things I learned from the archives here that Jackie mentioned above. Magnesium had no discernible effect. Potatoes (esp sweet potatoes and esp potatoes with skin on) are very high in potassium. And getting potassium through foods makes it sort of slow release whereas potassiumby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Since you're only taking the flecainide once daily, is it safe to assume it's extended release? If so then you probably can't split the pills. The smallest dose it comes in is 50 mg, so you could ask your EP to let you try that for a while. There's no advantage to going to twice daily dosing except that those would be immediate release and could be split.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
That's a good point. I should have said "difficult" not "impossible." But EPs will still usually rely on an adenosine challenge to make an SVT diagnosis because that's considered proof.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteGeorgeN Sue, if you weigh less than 154 pounds limit your flec to a total of 200 mg at a time, not 300 mg as Carey says Just as an FYI, I already knew she was over 154.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
You're not doomed in the least. That's not a surprising finding and not particularly meaningful. About all it says is you're probably peeing a lot. Once the flutter stops, it will go back to normal. It's impossible to distinguish between flutter and SVT based on just an ECG, so don't expect your EP to be able to answer that question (flutter is actually a type of SVT).by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Great news! And I'd really like to hear the insurance story. That's a big deal these days.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJackC When you say "half-dose Eliquis", what is your actual amount per dose/day? One other question if I may: Considering I've been taking 100 mg Flecainide daily for over three years, do you know of any long-term potential issues regarding this drug? Is it protocol you would recommend knowing my background? This drug Flecainide) almost seems too good to be true consideringby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d Last question: if you need surgery or a procedure such as a colonoscopy or ablation or dental surgery or name a scenario —would you need to bridge still since your LAA is closed off with your watchman and you are taking a low dose NOAC for other than af precautions? Nope. I can stop the Eliquis at any time if needed. I already stopped it for 5 days for hernia repair surgery in 2019by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotesusan.d Isn’t the sole purpose of a watchman implant after a LAA ablation is to stop NOAC altogether? Yes, and I could do that if I wished, but I ran the choice past Natale, my local EP, and my PCP and they all agreed that continuing a half-dose of Eliquis was a good idea. As my PCP said, if you weren't taking the Eliquis I'd be telling you to take a daily baby aspirin, but the Eby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Being a CHADS 1 means taking any sort of anticoagulant is a judgement call. Could be your EP is going with a sort of old school thinking of treating aspirin as a light weight anticoagulant for someone who doesn't have a strong need for one. Trouble is, aspirin comes with a pretty significant risk of GI bleeding. I'm in sort of a similar situation. I have a Watchman device, which meaby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotePompon Can excess of potassium lower my HR at rest? Yes. I wouldn't expect to see that unless it was really excessive, but everyone's different so it's possible.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hop on pop.... LOL! Yeah, that's a no.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteJackC My vastly experienced, but now older, EP recommended that I take an adult-sized (325mg) Aspirin daily for AF induced stroke prevention. Hi Jack, welcome to the forum. You're right to question your highly experienced EP's advice because he hasn't kept current with his continuing medical education. His advice is wrong and dangerous. Aspirin is inferior to warfarin andby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I'm not surprised you got the reaction you did. The entire medical community is convinced that potassium is deadly. And it can be if used improperly. How much is too much depends on kidney function and what drugs you're taking. If you have impaired kidney function I wouldn't take any at all without a doctor's guidance, and if you're taking a potassium sparing drug I wouldby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yeah, that's flutter. Flutter waves are clearly visible in aVF. You can try a PIP, but flutter is often resistant to flecainide. It's better at preventing flutter than stopping it. But I'd give it a shot anyway. Just take an additional 200 mg with your next 100 mg dose. As for waiting, is the ER you would go to willing to cardiovert you? If so, I'd get up and go now. If noby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Nope, no bending of the knees because you can't do that without lifting your thighs, and those are exactly the muscles they don't want you using. No sitting up, no bending your knees, no nothing but lying flat. But now that Natale's using the collagen plugs, the two hours isn't so bad. But six hours was murder. And after you're allowed to sit up and walk around, no lifby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
You count from one R wave to the next. The R wave is the large vertical spike.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteNotLyingAboutMyAfib Will my heart be stronger or better once healed? AF decreases cardiac output, so it will be better. The electrical remodeling that occurs with AF that makes you more prone to remain in AF will also stop and reverse remodeling will occur, making you more prone to remain in NSR. An ablation won't make your heart stronger than it was before the AF appeared -- only pby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewolfpack . If they're close to six seconds you may be headed for a pacemaker. I thought 3 seconds was the threshold for concern. It may be. I think it depends on what the suspected cause is and how frequent they are, but symptoms like fainting and lightheadedness would definitely increase the likelihood of doing something about it.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotehwkmn05 The bad ones are every minute, what feels like a pause in the beat with some light headedness. Is there a danger in either? If the pauses are lasting long enough to make you lightheaded then the answer is yes. Feeling lightheaded is one step away from finding yourself face down on the floor. Got a Kardia? I'd get a recording of that and see how long the pauses actually are. Ifby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Yes, Natale uses vascular plugs. It reduces the time you have to lie flat on your back from 6 hours to 2 hours, which is a huge improvement because the lying flat thing is the worst part of an ablation, IMO.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
Going back in 3 days later is definitely unusual. The insertion sites wouldn't even have healed yet. Most EPs wouldn't do that unless it were some sort of emergency.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteNotLyingAboutMyAfib Carey - your list of what to expect will help a lot. Thanks, I really did try to pour my key experiences into that post, but I wrote it off the top of my head and when I looked at it tonight I saw some things I really didn't word so well. So I went back and edited it a bit. Still says the same basic things but I hope with a little more clarity.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
I've had six opportunities to learn things from ablations. Here's what I learned that matters: Impressive medical credentials, schooling, and lofty titles don't mean squat. Neither does bedside manner. Experience doing AF ablations is the first, second, and third most important measure of an EP. There are many EPs doing ablations who don't have the training or experienceby Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM
They're definitely harmless and will probably pass, but don't be shy about asking to resume the flecainide or something else if the metoprolol doesn't help.by Carey - AFIBBERS FORUM