QuotewolfpackMy guess as to how a DC cardioversion machine works is that it charges a capacitor (hence DC) to a voltage such that E = 1/2*C*V^2 (100 J, 150 J or whatever they set it to). The voltage needed to establish the energy would depend on the size of the capacitor (C) in the machine (I have no idea what that might be, but fair to guess it's big, so V isn't so big that we'reby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Mike, I actually use the K bicarb and take it straight into my mouth as a powder. Tastes like a salt NOW products makes a K cit powder. I have some other K cit, but they are crystals and really do taste awful (a lab use source), so won't recommend.... Cheers, Georgeby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotePompon Bananas are full of carbohydrates too, so I don't know if it's that good. I'm taking magnesium and potassium supplements myself, following advices I've read here. Too soon to talk about the effects... Concur, unless you eat very green bananas, which are a resistve starch. If it were me, I'd use potassium citrate powder. The citrate will convert to bicarbby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewolfpack Right hand, left hand. Roughly a Lead I presentation. Yep, I used to do that & found right hand and something lower down on left gave a much more distinct p wave.by GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotekbog I'm really looking for advice on how to manage my cutback of flec... right now I'm taking 100 mg three times a day. Do I cut back to 100 mg two times a day, or 75 mg three times a day, or ...? Whatever I do, I'll stay on the new dosage for at least a week before I cut back further, as I've learned from my own experience that it takes a while for serum levels toby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Thanks Wolf! Don't know how you hold the Kardia, but I hold one side in my right hand and put the other on my right thigh or just below the hip. That is more of a Lead II presentation and causes the p wave to stand out a bit more. Quotemwcf George, What do I know, but 4 to 8 certainly look like things are progressively calming down with 8 clearly and most distinctly being NSR nby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewolfpack For the record, we're not doctors and we don't play them on the Internet! Yep, I'm an engineer, too. Just looking for more data... Quotewolfpack Now that's out of the way, yes, George, mine do look similar to yours post-conversion although the rates are lower (I was about 73 bpm after converting). That was with 12.5 mg metoprolol and 150mg propafenone, so tby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteLenlec Would my gp be able to prescribe the pill in pocket for me ? Most GP's will not be comfortable prescribing an anti-arrhythmic med like flec. These meds do have risks, if your hear is not sound. I even had a cardio said he wouldn't prescribe it. My buddy had to shop around to find an EP that would do a PIP prescription.by GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
All I can say is you are doing the correct thing to go see Dr. N!by GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewolfpack I know in my case, as I've seen many times on Kardia, that immediately after converting I will see regularly spaced QRS complexes at a higher than normal rate and still a somewhat "noisy" baseline with barely recognizable P-waves. Wolf, do any of the patterns on the linked Kardia ECG's look like what you are talking about? See here: < Obviously pages 1 &amby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Assuming your heart is structurally sound, you may want to talk to your EP about a "pill in the pocket" (PIP) approach for an on-demand med such as flecainide to terminate your episodes in a relatively short period of time (generally a few hours). This is appropriate for infrequent episodes. I've done this successfuly for 14 years. See < As "afib begets afib," (dby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuotekbogOut of curiosity, have you avoided beta blocker use this whole time?. Yep, but I direct my own treatment. I look at docs as consultants. Just like in business, you can take their advice or not. In any case a BB has never been prescribed, but I was the one who figured out my protocol, so I don't talk to cardios/EPs very frequently.by GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hi Karen, Training for a high altitude race (start at 6300' end at 14,100' over 13.3 miles) was what kicked off my afib career 14 years ago at age 49. Detraining - not entering endurance events and the training for them and moderating other endurance activities plus magnesium and also potassium and taurine have been what has kept me in relative afib remission over this time. I rby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
I don't have pacer experience, but to say your pacer is pacing you at 80 when it is set for 50 seems very suspicious. Makes no sense to me. When people use to send me heart rate vs. time graphs years ago, those with a pacer (including Shannon), showed a "floor" at whatever the pacer was set for. Above that, the pacer had no influence on the rate. I'm also no flutter exby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
houndym, You've gotten excellent advice here. If you want to understand what truly normal rhythm feels like, take the pulse of a friend without afib. You'll feel the regularity of the pulse. Then take your own pulse, if it feels similar, then you are in normal rhythm. If it doesn't, you may likely be in afib. If you look at a graph of heart rate vs. time in afib, it looksby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Liz, Without looking at the ECG, if your rate feels regular, but is significantly higher than usual and you feel "off," you are likely in flutter (not that there couldn't be other causes, but it is the most likely). Hopefully the EP will confirm. Georgeby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quoterocketritch My exercise trigger was always recovery from a hard effort when cycling or running. Me too. Concur with Carey that potassium is a big actor. In my case the delay could be quite long, as much as two or three days on a really heavy effort (haven't seen that long delay recently, but also quit doing the long duration intense stuff a couple of years into my 14 year afib careby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
You'd need to ask the Bordeaux people. I would guess they would give you a credit for the future operation, but ask.by GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Joe, In the ancient past here, there were discussions about a protocol using liquid mag citrate for conversions (liquid for quicker action). In my real (as opposed to online) life, an afibber friend used B12 to convert. If you needed an electro cardioversion to convert after a 4 month episode and now converted on your own, it seems like a good sign to me. Georgeby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Quotewolfpack I failed to mention the 10 mile bike rides I’ve added in the evenings now that the weather has warmed up. Again, seems like not that much but arguing with the data is kind of dumb. I am an engineer after all! I'm sure this is all individual. For me, the exercise trigger seems to be the product of intensity and duration. Hence Tabatas on the fan rower or bike are fine (8 rby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteElizabeth Saw the doctor today, ran an EKG, checked my heart-----doc told me that because I have a pacemaker AF or Flutter will not show on the EKG, otherwise it is OK. As a non-medical professional, I'll go out on a limb and say your doc is wrong!! The pacer only sets a floor on your heart rate. Otherwise won't make a difference. So if the pacer is set at 60, your heart wonby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Liz, Carey knows much more than me, but from what I know, it can be hard to diagnose even on an 12 lead ECG, especially if the interpreter is not a very skilled cardio or EP. As to rate, the atria are typically beating at a fast rate, say 300 BPM. With flutter, you can have 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1 or variable conduction rates. 1:1 means the ventricles are beating same as the atria - not gooby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Hmm, interesting. So according to your hypothesis, I converted to lower rate AFL then to NSR over time.by GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCarey Keeping in mind that it's virtually impossible to positively identify flutter without a V1 lead, here's my take on it: 1-AF 2-Mixed AF/AFL 3-AF 4-Probable AFL 5-Probable AFL 6-Probable AFL 7-NSR 8-NSR Carey, my understanding was that flutter tended to stay at whatever rate it is at until it converted, not slide down in rate as what happened over time in 4-7. I coby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteDavidK Sounds like it could be Flutter. It is a Common Effect from the Flecainide. Many people who previously just had NSR/AFIB, now have alternating NSR/Flutter/AFIB. Its why some of us don't take it, once we establish NSR. Wow! Thanks for the heads-up on flec. I'm just approaching flec for the first time (for PIP only) and wasn't aware of this perverse effect--seemsby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Ok, here is a file with 8 Kardia strips. < (1-7 have flec in my system) 1. First afib 131 BPM 2. Non-afib 138 BPM 3. Afib 126 BPM 4. Non-afib 105 BPM 5. Non-afib 96 BPM 6. "Normal" 87 BPM 7. "Normal" 71 BPM 8. Normal - no flec 60 BPM 2, 4 & 5 came out as "unclassified" All the strips where flec is in the system have a different character thby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
Last night my HR was in the 70’s when I went to bed. Normal would be in the 50’s. This is usually a signal I’m sensitive to something I ate. In this case, it would have to be in the spices as the meal was prepared from scratch and everything else were ingredients commonly eaten. This kept me awake, so I went to the basement so as not to disturb my wife. I was starting to do a meditation whiby GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM
QuoteCatherine Also, is it possible that triggers can change in line with our body chemistry? What was a trigger no longer is and vice versa? No different than food tolerances. Always enjoyed eating nuts, especially pistachios. Now, I get a belly ache. Same could be said about triggers...no? That was certainly me with and without excess calcium in my system.by GeorgeN - AFIBBERS FORUM